H-L Data Storage GCR-8481B 48x IDE Internal CD-ROM Drive 5.25" Half-Height

H-L Data Storage GCR-8481B 48x IDE Internal CD-ROM Drive 5.25" Half-Height

The GCR-8481B is a 48x read-speed internal CD-ROM drive manufactured by H-L Data Storage (Hitachi-LG Data Storage), a joint venture between Hitachi and LG Electronics. It connects via a standard 40-pin IDE (ATAPI) interface and draws power from a 4-pin Molex connector, fitting any standard 5.25-inch half-height drive bay. This unit was manufactured in June 2002 at Hitachi-LG's facility in Seoul, Korea.

Specifications & What's Included

• Model: GCR-8481B (suffix variant: GCR-8481B/TG9)
• Read Speed: 48x CD-ROM
• Interface: 40-pin IDE / ATAPI
• Power Connector: 4-pin Molex
• Form Factor: 5.25-inch half-height internal
• ROM Version: 1.02
• Manufacture Date: June 2002
• Country of Manufacture: South Korea
• Laser Classification: Class 1 per IEC 60825
• Certifications: FCC (for home or office use), CE, TÜV
• Drive only — no cables, brackets, or software included

Applications

IDE internal CD-ROM drives like the GCR-8481B were the standard optical drive in desktop PCs from the mid-1990s through the mid-2000s, connecting to motherboards via the 40-pin PATA/ATAPI interface that was common on systems running Windows 98 through Windows XP. They were used for installing software, reading audio CDs, and accessing data discs in consumer and business desktops alike. Today these drives remain relevant for maintaining or restoring legacy systems — particularly vintage desktops, retro gaming PCs, and older workstations that lack SATA ports. The H-L Data Storage (Hitachi-LG) brand was one of the dominant suppliers of OEM optical drives during this era, and drives like the GCR-8481B were widely shipped in white-box and branded desktop systems.