I would always buy a recognizable brand of anything that is electromechanical. I have had nothing but good luck paying a few dollars more to buy HP, Sony, etc.
My last generic straw was an Acer CD drive that I sent back (I marked it in a non-obvious spot) Well, the sent me my same RMA back as repaired and it was still faulty.
It's been name brands for me ever since!
Good Luck