Hey im looking at a computer and the dvd drive is installed sideways instead of horizontally. i was just curious as to there are disadvantages with this....i was thinking if i was playing a dvd, or burning a dvd....it might spin to crap and f*** up seeing as its sideways and not flat....any help would be appreciated. cheers guys

Ive seen this a few times. I dont think there is anything wrong with doing it this way. I think the reason for this is to make the tower as thin as possible.

Correct me if im wrong.

xbox360s have the discs sideways...?......mine hasnt had a problem anyway

a lot of dell/hp/whateva-ish packages seem to come with a box that can either be mounted horizontally or vertically (ie, foot pads on two different faces of the case)......so i dont imagine it would be a problem

google 'vertically mounted optical drives'?

goodluck mate

On your typical optical drive the disc is clasped when the drive is closed so you should have nothing to worry about.

That said, I know that some xbox 360s have problems when reading a disc sideways, mine always produces an error at some point claiming my perfect disc is scatched and the box needs rebooting, so I lay it on its side. Microsoft skimped out. >:|

Even though the disc is picked up out of the tray and clamped in place, I still recommend keeping the drive vertical wherever possible.
The simple reason is, if you dont put it into the tray properly, it can fall forward and jam when the tray is closing.
Some trays handle this better than others.
If you're careful though, it's not a reason to 'not' buy a PC that has mounted vertically.

sweet. thats awesome guys. yeah i wasnt sure if it had like a clasp thing like the old school playstations did where u clipped the cd onto it pretty much or if u just rested it into the tray.

ill prob just turn it on its side if it really bothers me. there shouldnt be any issues with the hardware in it if the box is put flat instead of vertical should there? i dont see how? but just thought id check

cheers for all ur input

nah it'll be alright

i think hard drives prefer to either be vertical OR horizontal specifically so it should all be fine.

Some small form factor PC optical drives use the same 'clip in' system as the laptops, i'd suggest checking first, I HATE those.
Some of the 'stiffer' ones can crack your discs!!!
There will be no problem with having it horizontal.