📀 LG GCE-8481B CD-R/RW Drive Overview

Drive type: Internal IDE (PATA) CD-R/RW burner — reads and writes CDs. This model was commonly OEM-supplied in PCs from the late 1990s to early 2000s.

Typical specs:

• CD-R write speed: up to 48×

• CD-RW rewrite speed: up to 24×

• CD read speed: up to 48×

• Interface: IDE / ATAPI (PATA/UDMA) 40-pin connector

• Form factor: 5.25″ half-height internal drive

🔁 OEM Identity — Compaq Part Numbers

Many manufacturers didn’t label drives with their own brand. Instead, they OEMed drives from other manufacturers like LG (often branded as HL-DT-ST, Hitachi-LG, etc.):

Compaq/HP OEM part numbers

• 295475-M30 – Compaq OEM identifier for this IDE CD-R/W drive (GCE-8481B) used in their desktops.

• 299173-001 – Another Compaq/HP part number mapped to a 48×24×48 IDE CD-R/W drive (listed in inventory catalogs tied to GCE-8481B).

These part numbers basically map to the same OEM drive (a 48×24×48 IDE CD-R/W) sold as part of Compaq replacement parts inventory for older systems.

🛠️ Technical/Functional Details📌 Performance & Usage

• The drive supports standard CD-R and CD-RW discs at the speeds above.

• Compatible with typical IDE/PATA connections on older motherboards.

• Many users reported that actual burn speed varied depending on media quality and system DMA settings — drives sometimes fell back to ~32× if conditions weren’t ideal.

🔌 40-pin (UDMA capable)System SupportWindows 98/ME/2000/XP (typical for era)Media supportedCD-R, CD-RWNot supportedDVD formats (this is not a DVD drive)