I decided to make a short little tutorial that I hope will clear up your questions on this issue.
Many people are confused when it comes to the Xbox's internal DVD-ROM drive manufacturer.
For certain games, such as Morrowind, certain brands of DVD-ROM drives can affect loading,
disk read problems, and even smooth gameplay.
This is a question that arises when buying a second-hand xbox also...
Which DVD-ROM drive brand is the best?
According to several online forums, and the testing of games by many users, most have
come to a conclusion that the Samsung drive is the best drive you can get. It's reported to have little to no disk read problems.
It's easily recognized by the two holes located on the disk tray.
picture courtesy xbreporter.com
The second best drive is the Phillips. Although it can have disk read errors here and
there, its much better than the third type of drive.
The Thompson. Many claim to have working Thompson drives with no errors what-so-ever, but
even more people argue they are the worst drives. They tend to have a higher fault rate and read disks poorly than the others.
How can I tell which drive I have?
Simple. Hit up this website for even more information - and if this tut wasn't enough, check out the pics there..
Xbox DVD Version Comparison 
Xbox DVD-ROM Drive - What kind do I have?
Linear Mode
