Maxtor hard drives

[az]

How about Seagate?

AZ

[g_goncalo]

Maxtor drives

in 3 Maxtor D740X-6L 80Gb, 2 went back. Now i've 2 Western 8Mb cache and 2 Seagate barracuda 4, no problems!

[MK]

The new Seagate Barracuda series is supposed to be quite good ...

MK

[xortam]

I wonder how much inadequate cooling factors into these failed drives. I was debating between 7500 and 10,000 RPM IBM SCSI drives when I bought my system in a mid-tower sized case. I opted to go with a well ventilated case utilizing two 120 mm fans (plus PS w/fan). I ultimately decided on the less expensive 7500 drives 1) due to cost since I intended to continue building up my RAID array and 2) increased reliability by reducing heat problems from a cramped RAID configuration. I hear a lot of you striving to minimize noise in your systems and in doing so perhaps you're reducing your air flow too much and thus creating a problem for your HDDs.

[Patrick]

Not good...

Just had another Maxtor D740X-6L drive fail! This is in a client's computer that I didn't assemble, but which has been brought to me to figure out why it's been misbehaving. The PowerMax utility gives error code #662S57. I guess I'll find out first hand now how well Maxtor deals with RMA drives. (The first two faulty Maxtor drives I replaced were simply exchanged at my supplier because they were brand new.)

[Dr Mordrid]

I have 12 (13? 14? can't remember exactly....(G)) of the D740X HDD's in various RAID's here. They range from a plain-Jane 2 drive 120g RAID0 to a 4 drive 320g RAID5. Even have a couple in the RT.X100 system as single video drives.

All of them all working very nicely. They are quite fast, run at moderate temps (40C, more or less....mostly less) and are very quiet. Some of these drives have been around since the week the D740X hit the streets.

Dr. Mordrid

[DirtFarmer]

In the last 2 weeks I saw 2 Fujitsu's, 1 Maxtor, 1 WD, go down with assorted issues... All replaced under warranty. I remember replacing a dead IBM not too long ago with a Maxtor part shipped from IBM.

Personally, I have had very good reliablility from Maxtor products (7 in this room with the oldest being 2x17GB running striped on an original Promise Fastrack) but I think a new drive purchase is a crapshoot. Just hope it wasn't manufactured on Monday or Friday Not a whole lot of options anymore when you take away Fujitsu and IBM.

I, as others, believe how you care for your drive will go a long way towards longevity ie) keep it cool and turn the damn thing off if it sits idle more than it gets used.

I must say that the 8MB Cache on the WD's sounds tastey

[Patrick]

But...

...and turn the damn thing off if it sits idle more than it gets used.

I've read that it is the spinning up of a hard drive (from a stop) that shortens its lifespan. Perhaps it's best to leave 'em going all day, as long as they're cool enough.

[The PIT]

Originally posted by DirtFarmer
and turn the damn thing off if it sits idle more than it gets used.

And when you get apps that don't like this ???

[RichL]

I've currently got a pair of 30gb 7200rpm Maxtors in my machine that are running fine, and I make sure any drive I have that runs at more than 5400rpm is fitted with a slimline cooler. The fun I've had with a 20gb 7200rpm Quantum is detailed in another thread here, and an old IBM DTLA 10gb 7200rpm drive died and appears to have been successfully ressurected, much to my surprise.

[Dr Mordrid]

Originally posted by DirtFarmer
I must say that the 8MB Cache on the WD's sounds tastey

You should use a RAID card that has an onboard 256 meg cache sometime

Dr. Mordrid

[Technoid]

Cooling is a big factor!
A fujitsu 40 GB in one of our machines at work died of heatstroke.

For the moment we are going Maxtor all the way

[SJRACER]

I have been using Maxtor hard drives since about 95, and have NEVER EVER had one fail. I have to put my vote for the maxtors. The system I am typing on has two Maxtor hard drives. One 40 gig and One 80 gig. Both 7200rpm drives. Every system I have ever built has had Maxtor hard drives and none have had any problems.

Just my 2 Cents
SJRACER

Bitte ein Bit

[The PIT]

Originally posted by Technoid
Cooling is a big factor!
A fujitsu 40 GB in one of our machines at work died of heatstroke.

For the moment we are going Maxtor all the way

I think a lot of Fujitsu die of starting up stroke. Glad they've stopped making them.

[DirtFarmer]

Re: But...

Originally posted by Patrick
I've read that it is the spinning up of a hard drive (from a stop) that shortens its lifespan. Perhaps it's best to leave 'em going all day, as long as they're cool enough.

Does that mean they should be left going all evening, all night, and all morning when they are only being used all day??? I think the point i was trying to make is why make your computer/hardrive run 24/7 when you only use it 8/5. If your computer is being used all the time its a different matter.