IBM DeskStar 40BG Hard Drive - did I make a mistake or no?

Vanguarde · June 17th, 2002, 06:17 PM

Hello, I am new and all that stuff blah blah blah..
Anyway, on to the good stuff.
I just purchased a brand new OEM sealed IBM DeskStar 40GB Hard drive, manufactured March 2002. I did not know much about hard drives , but this seemed like a good deal and stuff does for only 70 dollars. www.pcnut.com
I googled the name of the hard drive, to locate pdf manuals and the like, and google shot back all sorts of flame threads and complaints about IBM and their hard drives.
What exactly are the problems with them? Did they solve the problems as of March 2002, and all the stuff I am reading is old hard drives and people who got 'burned' with drives made March 2002?
Also, what is the primary reason the drives fail?
I am a hardcore gamer, and play my games for about 4 hours a day, and light websurfing afterwards , etc. I shut off my computer every night, and turn it on in late afternoon the next day. Will this be a problem? Right now the hard drive I run has been running perfect for 2 years, doing the same exact thing as I said above almost 95% of the time, day in day out. Not even a bad cluster.
Can I expect the same thing from my new IBM Drive? Should I invest in a hard drive cooler? ( I heard heat is a big problem or something )
I still have 30 days to return the hard drive to pcnut.com and I am sure some kind of warranty from IBM themselves. I would be really thankful for all/any infomation you guys and gals can provide!

- Michael W.

Jeordiewhite · June 17th, 2002, 06:40 PM

Yes, heat is a problem with these.
Can't tell ya much on the hd because you didn't specify if it was the 60 gxp or the 75 gxp ,or the 120 gxp, most likely the newer you bought it, It wont be the 60 or the 75 gxp drive.
I own a 75 gxp 40 gig, its a bad one.
also a 60 gig 120 gxp, this drive does not have the same problem.
Though as any other hard drive you need to be cautious. Though you may not need to buy an hd cooler, a case fan does well for me. If it is a 75 gxp or even the 60, Back up data every once and awhile.

Vanguarde · June 17th, 2002, 08:08 PM

It is a 60GXP, is that he worst model? 8(

Redwolf · June 17th, 2002, 08:27 PM

There is a class-action suit agianst IBM on their so called 'deathstar' drives. I think you'll be okay with it as long as it doesn't overheat (HD cooler helps, and it's cheap too). These drives are supposed to have awesome performance though

P.S. Take my advice with a grain of salt, as I have never used an IBM hdd. If you have to take it back, might I reccomend Western Digital?

DemonKnight · June 17th, 2002, 08:30 PM

I've went through 2 of em.. (the 40GB versions at that)

Tomteriffic · June 17th, 2002, 08:46 PM

I found a .pdf file that, if you know the model number of the drive in question, it'll tell you whether it's one of the Deathstars or one of the other series. It'll also give you the basic specs on the drive.

Covers virtually all IBM drives

http://www.storage.ibm.com/hdd/support/quickspex603.pdf

jmichna · June 17th, 2002, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Vanguarde
It is a 60GXP, is that he worst model? 8(

The 75GXPs are the most problematic. I own(ed) three of them... the 30gb failed within 20 months, I RMA'ed it, got back a reconditioned but haven't installed it. The twin 45gbs are in RAID-0 array (gulp!) but I do a good job of keeping the important stuff backed up.

You will (usually) have warning of impending failure with these GXPs: they will begin to occasionally make a "cricket" or "chirping" sound. At this point, it is only a matter of time. I was able to "buy" another 6-8 months on the 30gb drive by running IBM's Drive Fitness Test software and blocking out the already damaged areas. When that drive eventually died completely, I opted for the Seagate Barracuda.

Good luck,
jmichna

PS: I really haven't heard of any unusual failure rate stats on the 60GXPs. I don't know anything about the 120GXPs.

Jeordiewhite · June 17th, 2002, 09:29 PM

The 120 gxp drives are fine, There supposed have better performance.
I have a 120 gxp model and I have had zero trouble what so ever with it.

KraM · June 17th, 2002, 09:33 PM

Yeah, people complain about them a lot. I've got the 40GB 60GXP too, has worked perfectly for 15 months with no additional cooling. The thing is MOST (~90% ???) of them don't fail, it's just that you only ever hear about the ones that do fail.

Vanguarde · June 17th, 2002, 09:58 PM

Ok because I have become very, very afraid of all of the stories I am hearing. I dont' want the hard drive to last more than 2 years anyway - I replace all my hard drives at 2 year mark. And I dont use them 24/7, perhaps 4 to 5 hours a day, and have a hard drive cooler on them too. In everyones honest opinion, do you think I should return my new IBM 60GXP 40GB hard drive and get a different brand? I don't know much about hard drive companies unlike video cards

Maxtor? Western Digital? Seagate? Which one makes the best 40gb drive that wont fail once in 2 years? thanks!

- Mike