Well, if it's anything like a 486 motherboard...

When it's connected to a live system it should identify itself, as shown under device manager. Maybe there is a hint as to the brand there?

jakethompson1 wrote on 2020-10-17, 00:15:

Well, if it's anything like a 486 motherboard...

When it's connected to a live system it should identify itself, as shown under device manager. Maybe there is a hint as to the brand there?

Windows 95 device manager just says "ATAPI CD-ROM DRIVE" in the list.

Baoran wrote on 2020-10-17, 00:08:

Is it normal that a cd-rom drive would not have any brand marked on it anywhere?
There is this cd-rom drive that came with a pc that I got today and no matter how I search the brand of the cd-rom drive is not written anywhere. There is written "20x max" on front panel of the drive and top of the drive has FCC sticker with manufacturing date from 1997 but the drive simply doesn't have anywhere written who the manufacturer is. It just feels strange to me that a company would not want their name on the product unless they knew that they made a really bad product.

Good morning! I think that was once normal, even.
OEM hardware or hardware sold as "bulk" was originally intended for PC manufacturer.
Thus, it didn't require any advertising. The client is/was PC manufacturer, after all, not the end user.
By the way, there also was a time when clothes and shoes had their product name written inside. Discreetfully, on a small label. 😉

After going through lots of pictures on google. I think the drive is Acer 620A. It looks like picture on this page https://www.recycledgoods.com/acer-20x-ide-in … al-cd-rom-620a/
Can't find much information on it though if it is good or bad quality or even specs. Hard to know if I should replace it or not.

Baoran wrote on 2020-10-17, 00:52:

After going through lots of pictures on google. I think the drive is Acer 620A. It looks like picture on this page https://www.recycledgoods.com/acer-20x-ide-in … al-cd-rom-620a/
Can't find much information on it though if it is good or bad quality or even specs. Hard to know if I should replace it or not.

I've read a lot claiming that the lasers get dim over time in old cd drives, and the first thing they do is start acting up trying to read CD-Rs. So even if you did want to replace it, another 1997 drive may not be the best move. If it works, the only reason I would see to replace it is if you want a DVD drive instead.

jakethompson1 wrote on 2020-10-17, 00:54:

Baoran wrote on 2020-10-17, 00:52:

After going through lots of pictures on google. I think the drive is Acer 620A. It looks like picture on this page https://www.recycledgoods.com/acer-20x-ide-in … al-cd-rom-620a/
Can't find much information on it though if it is good or bad quality or even specs. Hard to know if I should replace it or not.

I've read a lot claiming that the lasers get dim over time in old cd drives, and the first thing they do is start acting up trying to read CD-Rs. So even if you did want to replace it, another 1997 drive may not be the best move. If it works, the only reason I would see to replace it is if you want a DVD drive instead.

It does work, but I don't think it is well lubricated anymore based on the noises it makes after you put cd inside. I even have acer cd drive from the same time period where they actually advertise the brand. I also have cd drives from Mitsumi, Teac and plextor that I am more familiar with. The PC is pentium 100Mhz so I don't think dvd drive would be very useful. All the parts that I have seen dates of are from 1997, so I think the PC is all original from 1997 and it still has the OEM builders badges on the case. I always wonder in cases like this if it would be better to keep it as is like it was originally built back then or if I should start improving it like putting in better sound card, voodoo 1 card, better cd drive and such. I don't know why but it feels kind of bad to start changing something that is all original, but at the same time I could make it more useful if I started changing it.

I have some mid 1990's cdrom with Apple labels that are actually Sony and Matshushita. Also a DVD with a Office Depot 2006 label (a rebranded Lite-On) so yes as Jo22 says....
there are OEM and BULK drives that can be a bit hard to figure out who made them. Nero Infotool or other hardware CDROM diag util should be able to read the rom off it and decipher who made it.