Need advise on choosing Maxtors

[Davis Rorgh]

I use XP on my home system. I use only parallel IDE. For hard
drives I tend to use Samsungs and Barracudas because I don't want a
lot of heat or noise.

I'm tempted to try a Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 9 160GB (8MB and fluid
bearings) model 6Y160P0. http://snipurl.com/9dxv

From what I have read this Maxtor sounds like a nice hard drive with
good enough performance to perhaps replace my Barracuda IV system
drive.

Is this model of Maxtor reasonably quiet and reasonably cool?

Models seem to change so much that if I don't read the reviews for a
specific model then I find I can not always infer what it will be
like from reviews of other models in the manufacturer's range.

I think the Maxtor and is supposed to be commendably quiet. Can
anyone confirm this.

I've also heard that this Maxtor came with either three 60GB
platters, three 68GB platters or two 80GB platters. How can I tell
which is which from looking at the case?

 

[Wooducoodu]

why not got with another samsung? the p80s are some of the best quietest
hard drives around. if you're worried about getting one with a JVC motor I
have a SP1614N with a Nidec motor I was thinking of selling so I don't have
to deal with the whole 48 bit LBA stuff on windows 98 (i have to keep 98
running for a work program that won't run on 2k or XP).

 

[geno_cyber]

The new DiamondMax 10 line should feature 16MB buffer on Parallel ATA models too, if I'm not wrong.

 

[Timothy Daniels]

Yeahbut.... all the tempting sales are for the 8Mb-
and 2MB-cached DiamondMax Plus 9s.

As for the DiamondMax Plus 9 120MB and 60MB
drives - they're a lot quieter than the old Maxtor
that my desktop PC came with, and they both run
at about body temp (37degC). Been runnin' 'em
now for over a year with no problems.

*TimDaniels*

 

[Egil Solberg]

Is this model of Maxtor reasonably quiet and reasonably cool?

I think they are reasonably quiet, but there are other drives more silent.
As for temperature I have not tried th 160GB. I have a 120-very cool, and a
200-16 degrees C more than the 120GB mounted behind the same fan.
(2 platters versus 3 platters).

I've also heard that this Maxtor came with either three 60GB
platters, three 68GB platters or two 80GB platters. How can I tell
which is which from looking at the case?

Check serial number. If it starts with Y2 =2 heads,1 platter max 80GB drive.
Y4 4 heads, 2 platters , Y6 6 heads, 3 platters.
Try to get a Y4 drive if you can, it is bound to have 80GB platters.

 

[Tim]

The new DiamondMax 10 line should feature 16MB buffer on Parallel ATA models too, if I'm not wrong.

I own an 80gb Maxtor Diamond Max and I have to look at the front of my
case to see the harddrive LED flashing to know its working. They are
extremely quiet.

 

[DaveW]

Maxtor's have a recent history in the industry of being very prone to
failure, and are having a high return rate. I would recommend WD.

 

[Timothy Daniels]

Maxtor's have a recent history in the industry of being
very prone to failure, and are having a high return rate.

Care to name your source?

*TimDaniels*

 

[Mac Cool]

Davis Rorgh:

I'm tempted to try a Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 9 160GB

Check the warranty and make sure it's a 3 year warranty. I've had 2
DiamondMaxes go bad around the 2 year mark. I have read similiar
complaints on various sources.

Is this model of Maxtor reasonably quiet and reasonably cool?

Both of the drives that failed ran hot. The heat is probably what caused
them to fail.

They were quiet, but no quieter than the replacement WD.

 

[Odie Ferrous]

Care to name your source?

I'll back him up on that.

I would also avoid Samsung; I have been getting quite a few of them in
recently. The Samsungs are exceptionally difficult to repair.

Best bet at the moment, as far as I can tell, is Seagate.


Odie

 

[Ron Reaugh]

I'll back him up on that.

I assume that you mean that in fact Maxtor has a rather good reliability
reputation for the last 5 years or so.

I would also avoid Samsung; I have been getting quite a few of them in
recently. The Samsungs are exceptionally difficult to repair.

Best bet at the moment, as far as I can tell, is Seagate.

No, WDCs and Hitachis are just as good.

 

[Tim Auton]

No, WDCs and Hitachis are just as good.

Odie makes his living dealing with broken drives, so he knows more
about it than most of us. Odie's information isn't complete of course:
It could be that the subset of people who use data recovery services
use Samsungs and Maxtors more than average, or it could be that
Seagate buyers are more likely to have proper backups (and thus don't
have as much need for data recovery), or...

Are there nice big ongoing studies of drive reliability for all
manufacturers? How else can we know?


Tim

 

[Adam S]

Maxtor's have a recent history in the industry of being very prone to
failure, and are having a high return rate. I would recommend WD.

--

The only drives I have had that have failed have both been Western Digitals,
I have Maxtors that are over six years old and never had a problem with
them.

My last two drives were a 160Gb and a 120Gb Maxtor ones and they are both
very quiet.

Adam S

 

[geno_cyber]

Odie makes his living dealing with broken drives, so he knows more
about it than most of us. Odie's information isn't complete of course:
It could be that the subset of people who use data recovery services
use Samsungs and Maxtors more than average, or it could be that
Seagate buyers are more likely to have proper backups (and thus don't
have as much need for data recovery), or...

Are there nice big ongoing studies of drive reliability for all
manufacturers? How else can we know?


Tim

I'd also add the fact that data recovering services are really expensive and only a business or rich
people could use them to recover any lost data.
A Seagate SATA ST380023AS HDU is failing and I just contacted Seagate to get a replacement under
warranty but if it didn't boot up anymore at all (and not just once in a while) or generated data
corruption I wouldn't have used any data recovery services out there, just because they're insanely
expensive for me.

 

[thoss]

I'll back him up on that.

I would also avoid Samsung; I have been getting quite a few of them in
recently. The Samsungs are exceptionally difficult to repair.

Best bet at the moment, as far as I can tell, is Seagate.

Seagates have only a 1-year warranty, Hitachi Maxtor Samsung and WD have
3 years. Having just had a drive fail after 2 years, I would tend to
avoid Seagate.

The November Computer Shopper has a group test of hard drives, and they
give Maxtor (the 200 MB one) a Best Buy. To answer some earlier
questions, the Samsung and Maxtor 160 GB drives have 2 platters, and
both have noise level when idle of 27 dbA; the Seagate is quieter at 25
dbA and, being cheaper, is given a Best Budget Buy. Nothing about
reliability, though.

 

[Arno Wagner]

I use XP on my home system. I use only parallel IDE. For hard
drives I tend to use Samsungs and Barracudas because I don't want a
lot of heat or noise.

I'm tempted to try a Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 9 160GB (8MB and fluid
bearings) model 6Y160P0. http://snipurl.com/9dxv

From what I have read this Maxtor sounds like a nice hard drive with
good enough performance to perhaps replace my Barracuda IV system
drive.

Is this model of Maxtor reasonably quiet and reasonably cool?

Not so quiet and definitely not too cool. Good for servers, in a
very quiet PC it might be uncomfortable.

Models seem to change so much that if I don't read the reviews for a
specific model then I find I can not always infer what it will be
like from reviews of other models in the manufacturer's range.

I think the Maxtor and is supposed to be commendably quiet. Can
anyone confirm this.

I would advise to get a Samsung instead if quiet is very important.
I have both and the Samsung is significantly more quiet and also
produces less heat.

Arno

 

[J. Clarke]

Seagates have only a 1-year warranty, Hitachi Maxtor Samsung and WD have
3 years. Having just had a drive fail after 2 years, I would tend to
avoid Seagate.

Check again. Seagate retail drives have a 5 year warranty.

 

[thoss]

Check again. Seagate retail drives have a 5 year warranty.

I have checked again, and you are quite right. Seagate have recently
upped their guarantee from one to five years. This only applies,
though, if bought from an authorised supplier.

That puts a very different and much better light on their drives.
Clearly Seagate have confidence in them.

I was quoting from the Computer Shopper report. Evidently they had not
caught up with the change. The Seagates are the quietest and the
cheapest drives they tested, so must now be the best buy.

 

[Scott]

why not got with another samsung? the p80s are some of the best quietest
hard drives around. if you're worried about getting one with a JVC motor I
have a SP1614N with a Nidec motor I was thinking of selling so I don't
have
to deal with the whole 48 bit LBA stuff on windows 98 (i have to keep 98
running for a work program that won't run on 2k or XP).

Nothing to do with the original post - but can you not try using the XP
compatibility mode to get your program working?

Scott

 

[Chris]

The only drives I have had that have failed have both been Western
Digitals,
I have Maxtors that are over six years old and never had a problem with
them.

My last two drives were a 160Gb and a 120Gb Maxtor ones and they are both
very quiet.

They spin quiet, but mine makes quite noticeable noise when accessing.