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#78361 - 07/03/2002 12:39 Hard drive preferences
wonderslug
new poster

Registered: 04/01/2002
Posts: 12
Loc: Spokane, Washington
I've noticed a couple of posts on here where people say they prefer IBM travelstar drives for their empeg. Is this a general consensus? What are the real arguments for/against? Also, what is the good manufacturer for desktop drives now? It's been a couple of years since I was buying drives on a regular basis. Back then, I really liked Seagate SCSI drives. What's good in SCSI or IDE drives now?

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#78362 - 07/03/2002 12:50 Re: Hard drive preferences [Re: wonderslug]
robricc
carpal tunnel

Registered: 30/10/2000
Posts: 4931
Loc: New Jersey, USA
I build about 2 computers per month. I only use IBM Deskstar drives (with the occasional Maxtor because they're cheap). My 12GB empeg came with an IBM Travelstar and it worked like a charm. My 60GB Rio came with Fujitsu drives. The Fujitsu drives seem to have cold weather problems. I have replaced them with Travelstars and all is well again. For SCSI I use Seagate (Cheetah in particular).
_________________________
-Rob Riccardelli
80GB 16MB MK2 090000736

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#78363 - 07/03/2002 13:04 Re: Hard drive preferences [Re: wonderslug]
mlord
carpal tunnel

Registered: 29/08/2000
Posts: 14491
Loc: Canada
I find Fujitsu drives (desktop or laptop) to be intolerably poor performers speedwise. IBM rules the laptop market, and their desktop drives are welcome in any of my machines anytime.

Quantum desktop drives are awesome performers, cool and reliable compared to the other extreme: Western Digicrap.

Maxtor have almost always been good solid performers, and Seagate lost my business forever due to flaws on two generations of their drives.

Cheers

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#78364 - 07/03/2002 13:13 Re: Hard drive preferences [Re: robricc]
jimhogan
carpal tunnel

Registered: 06/10/1999
Posts: 2591
Loc: Seattle, WA, U.S.A.
I have about a dozen IBM Deskstars and now a 30GB Travelstar. I decided to standardize on OEM packaging IBMs about a year ago. It lets me use the same diagnostic and DMA config utilities on all my drives, and I like their warranty and on-line RMA process (run diagnostic, get error code, go to web page, plug in S/N and err code and ...RMA number appears). I recently RMA'd 2 30GB drives* that were reporting non-fatal, but unfixable bad sectors and IBM returned 2 40GB drives (Hmmm. I should have them fail on a regularschedule!)

This is not to say that Maxtor or others don't have warranty/RMA that is as good. I never researched it. I kind of fell into IBMs but liked what I found.

One note: A local computer shop told me that he did have problems with some white box and retail box IBM drives -- warranty terms were not the same -- so he stopped using them. I've gotten bulk/OEM drives, though, and no problems with that so far.

*Yes, two drives that were part of the same mirror with bad sectors at almost the exact same locations. Did Jim perhaps whack the box with his knee during a disk read?? Regardless, they are both replaced. The computer kept running, but the controller reported errors, so I removed them one at a time and sent them in.

Jim
_________________________
Jim


'Tis the exceptional fellow who lies awake at night thinking of his successes.

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#78365 - 07/03/2002 13:19 Re: Hard drive preferences [Re: jimhogan]
robricc
carpal tunnel

Registered: 30/10/2000
Posts: 4931
Loc: New Jersey, USA
I have done successful RMAs with every drive manufacturer but Samsung and Fujitsu (I just RMA's two drives, didn't come back yet). I have never had to RMA a Samsung drive, but that's not to say they're good (rebadged Maxtor IIRC). And this is the first time with Fujitsu.

As for all the rest, they all have roughly the same response time and they simply replace the busted drive with a new or refurbed one. I have never gotten the same serial number back from anyone.
_________________________
-Rob Riccardelli
80GB 16MB MK2 090000736

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#78366 - 07/03/2002 13:42 Re: Hard drive preferences [Re: robricc]
Roger
carpal tunnel

Registered: 18/01/2000
Posts: 5683
Loc: London, UK
I had to RMA a Fujitsu drive a while back -- the manufacturer warranty on it was 2 years, and it failed after just over a year. The retailer's warranty was only a year, but they took the drive from me and sent it on to Fujitsu, anyway.

It took about 2 months for them to send me a replacement, which was a little long, but I didn't actually need the disk for anything. They also sent me a 30Gb disk to replace the 20Gb disk I'd sent them. Which was nice.

I've had very little bother with IBM disks, although there was a bit of a problem with the Deskstar 75GXP range a while back -- one of mine (a 30Gb) went crunch, but I've yet to actually RMA it.

Essentially, I'd choose IBM disks for most things, although I did buy a pair of 80Gb Seagate disks for my Linux box at home a couple of months ago.
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-- roger

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#78367 - 07/03/2002 14:13 Re: Hard drive preferences [Re: mlord]
wfaulk
carpal tunnel

Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
You're talking solely IDE drives here, right, Mark?
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Bitt Faulk

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#78368 - 07/03/2002 14:29 Re: Hard drive preferences [Re: Roger]
jimhogan
carpal tunnel

Registered: 06/10/1999
Posts: 2591
Loc: Seattle, WA, U.S.A.
It took about 2 months for them to send me a replacement, which was a little long

FWIW, I got each of the 2 IBMs back within 2 weeks (and I was thinking *that* might be a little long!!)

Jim
_________________________
Jim


'Tis the exceptional fellow who lies awake at night thinking of his successes.

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#78369 - 07/03/2002 14:46 Re: Hard drive preferences [Re: robricc]
jimhogan
carpal tunnel

Registered: 06/10/1999
Posts: 2591
Loc: Seattle, WA, U.S.A.
I have never gotten the same serial number back from anyone.

No, I can't imagine that you ever would. I'd guess that IBM probably does its refurb work in Thailand and other spots where they are made originally. Not sure what there is to salvage out of a bad drive other than the case and top plate (maybe drive electronics can be updated?)

Anyhow, they're out of 30s to my benefit. With a three-year warranty, if they would have just failed at 35 months, I might have gotten 120s!!

Jim
_________________________
Jim


'Tis the exceptional fellow who lies awake at night thinking of his successes.

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#78370 - 07/03/2002 14:52 Re: Hard drive preferences [Re: jimhogan]
lopan
old hand

Registered: 28/01/2002
Posts: 970
Loc: Manassas VA
I strictly used Maxtor (I've had bad experiences with seagate and western digital) then I bought two 7200 RPM 60gig IBM deskstars.... I love em, quiet and fast!
_________________________
Brett 60Gb MK2a with Led's

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#78371 - 07/03/2002 15:22 Re: Hard drive preferences [Re: wfaulk]
mlord
carpal tunnel

Registered: 29/08/2000
Posts: 14491
Loc: Canada
Yup.

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#78372 - 07/03/2002 16:12 Re: Hard drive preferences [Re: mlord]
BartDG
carpal tunnel

Registered: 20/05/2001
Posts: 2616
Loc: Bruges, Belgium
I've also always thought (AND exprienced) that Western Digital drives are crap. But now they seem to have one helluva drive out (see here)
I must say I'm intrigued, but my good sense and memory (of former experiences with them) prevents me from trying it out. Anybody here has experience with this drive?
_________________________
Riocar 80gig S/N : 010101580 red
Riocar 80gig (010102106) - backup

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#78373 - 07/03/2002 17:18 Re: Hard drive preferences [Re: BartDG]
mlord
carpal tunnel

Registered: 29/08/2000
Posts: 14491
Loc: Canada
The only good thing about that drive is it's size. But WD specializes in cutting corners big time, in design, standards, and manufacturing. I just don't trust them at all any more.

The last WD drive that ever graced my offices was an "Ultra ATA-33" drive, that did not correctly implement the UDMA CRC (necessary for reliable operation). Never again.

Cheers

-ml

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#78374 - 07/03/2002 18:53 Re: Hard drive preferences [Re: mlord]
wfaulk
carpal tunnel

Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
I think that WD's crap is a fairly recent thing. I have a 212MB and a 740MB drive, both of which are WD. I'm currently using both of them. I got them both new, one in a prebuilt system and one retail and they are about ten years old.

OTOH, I got a WD drive just over a year ago and it's already toast.

Their SCSI drives seem to be a lot better, though; I used them a lot in a job a while back. Except that they don't make them anymore. Oh, well.
_________________________
Bitt Faulk

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#78375 - 10/03/2002 08:35 Re: Hard drive preferences [Re: wfaulk]
drakino
carpal tunnel

Registered: 08/06/1999
Posts: 7868
I've pretty much had good experiences with Western Digital drives. I've owned several from 540 megs up to my current 40 gig in the linux box. Guess I've been lucky with the way everyone else seems to have problems with them. *knocks on DLT drive*

I'm trying to remember the brand of drive that I did have some odd sector 0 errors with. It was a smaller one, so it hasn't been important to try and fix.

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#78376 - 10/03/2002 16:06 Re: Hard drive preferences [Re: wfaulk]
hybrid8
carpal tunnel

Registered: 12/11/2001
Posts: 7738
Loc: Toronto, CANADA
You definitely want Rodime and Conner drives. Yeah.

SCSI = Seagate and IBM

ATA Desktop = Maxtor & IBM

ATA Mobile = IBM

Quantum was bought/merged by/with Maxtor a little while back.

I have an 18GB SCSI Seagate Cheetah and a pair of Maxtor ATAs (60GB & 20GB) in my desktop right now. IBM and Toshiba 30GB drives in my empeg. Sitting in a currently un-used desktop are a 4GB SCSI Seagate Barracuda and a 1GB SCSI Quantum Pro Drive.

Bruno
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Bruno
Twisted Melon : Fine Mac OS Software

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#78377 - 19/03/2002 10:48 Re: Hard drive preferences [Re: jimhogan]
jimhogan
carpal tunnel

Registered: 06/10/1999
Posts: 2591
Loc: Seattle, WA, U.S.A.
I'd guess that IBM probably does its refurb work in Thailand

Just following up to myself here on 2 points:

- I just got my 2nd RMA IBM 30GB back (bummer, it's just a 30!) and enclosed in the box was a customs declaration originating at the "Teleplan Malaysia Repair Center". So that's why it took 12 days to get here! I would have guessed that IBM would have consolidated shipments in and out of NA, but I guess not.

- On avsforum.com, I saw a reference to a class-action suit against IBM for claiming 75GXP reliability figures that were too high (something like that). I found the lawyer's web page and that's about it. No idea whether there's any merit. Just a data point.
_________________________
Jim


'Tis the exceptional fellow who lies awake at night thinking of his successes.

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