IBM 60GB Deskstar $99.00 @ Accesmicro.

[TranceNation]

I think the bottom line here is that everybody should stay away from IBM drives in the near future due to a high failure rate seen among everybody except the people who IBM surveys. There's really no reason to get an IBM drive since you can get a Maxtor or WD for the same price and have a more secure feeling that your data is in good hands.

 

[huesmann]

Gotta say I agree with the pooh-poohing of the IBM drives. I had a 60-gigger IBM I got from one of the Dell deals, and it's fried (and since it was a Dell-branded upgrade, the warranty is only good up to 30 days--DELL IS FULL OF FORNICATING SONS OF MANGY JACKALS). Of course I have another 34GB IBM drive that's still going strong, although a bit flaky occasionally. I got in on the Maxtor/Quantum 80GB CompUSA deal and was adding that drive to the computer with the IBM 60GB. I was fortunate that the 60GB drive crapped out, oh, about five minutes after I transferred all the data on it to the 80GB drive. Now I have a nice paperweight.

 

[Zedtom]

My 40 GB Deskstar died yesterday. I RMA'd it back to them today. It was only 2 months old.

My mistake was puttting two drives right next to each other. It was sandwiched between the floppy drive and another 40 GB drive. Thank God I backed up most of my files last week.

 

[hansmuff]

<< [
while your at it, why not modify that tool to record keystrokes, store it to a file and send it along so we can get the user's passwords/credit card numbers. >>



While you're here, why don't you get your head out of your behind ?

 

[BornStar]

Whoa there, killer. Take it easy.

 

[poncekim]

Add me to the "IBM sucks" club. I've had both my 45 gig 75GXPs go bad on me. One of my replacement 60GXPs just went bad. The whole time, my 3 year old Maxtor has been running flawlessly in the same rig. I truly believe heat is an issue with these drives. I started experiencing a huge spike in bad sectors during the summer here in Los angeles during hot days. My 60GXP ran smoothly all winter but developed its first bad sector on a particularly hot day last month.

Yes, it is all unscientific. Perhaps it is all coincidence, but as everyone else has said, why risk it when there are equally attractive alternatives out there.

 

[Sandor]

I'm sure excessive heat doesn't help any component, but I don't think that's the only reason these drives die. I had a 60GB 60GXP for 5 months and it died last week (it was my replacement for my 75GXP that died). I had a 80mm case fan blowing right onto the drive, with an open slot above and below, plus several othe case fans to keep eveything nice and cool. I also live in the Bay Area, and my apartment never gets much above 75 (and in the past 5 months, I doubt it was even above 65). Of course this is just my personal experience.

 

[maghrib]

I have checked the newegg site but have not been able the find your reference to the ibm 120 gxp for $108 shipped.

 

[iceberg1116]

<< Gotta say I agree with the pooh-poohing of the IBM drives. I had a 60-gigger IBM I got from one of the Dell deals, and it's fried (and since it was a Dell-branded upgrade, the warranty is only good up to 30 days--DELL IS FULL OF FORNICATING SONS OF MANGY JACKALS). Of course I have another 34GB IBM drive that's still going strong, although a bit flaky occasionally. I got in on the Maxtor/Quantum 80GB CompUSA deal and was adding that drive to the computer with the IBM 60GB. I was fortunate that the 60GB drive crapped out, oh, about five minutes after I transferred all the data on it to the 80GB drive. Now I have a nice paperweight. >>



you should just try and call technical support to get an RMA, maybe you'll luck out. My 60 gb 60gxp died on me couple days ago after just 2 months. I called and have to deal with a dumb doing-everything-by-the-book technitian, after 30 minutes of hell with him explaining that I try everything before I call already, he finally give me an RMA. The drive came today was a 80Gb Seagate Barracula IV!!!

Also, I have another IBM 60gxp 40Gb that died on me after 4 months last year, got it replaced through the warranty, and sold it on ebay.

 

[murk2]

Well, I dont talk too much here ( as you can see by my # of posts and my join date ) but I had to stick up for IBM here. I have a 30GB 75gxp I bought new when they first came out. It performs great, and runs very cool. So cool that when I later bought a 60G Maxtor that I got cheap, I found it ran alot hotter then the IBM. So I sold the Maxtor and bought an IMB 60G 60GXP drive. So I've been using both IBM drives for a while now, in the same machine, stacked on top of each other, and they both run really cool and are very fast drives.

I'm now looking for another HD for a new machine I'm building and when I check the reviews at storagereview.com it looks like the IBM 120GXP and WD 1200JB series are the best performers. BUT WD only sells a 120G in the 1200JB series so I probably will get a 80G IBM 120GXP.

I tend to think the higher failure rates the IBMs seem to have might be because they sold more drives then the other companies. But untill we have sales data we will never know.

just my .02

 

[ChefJoe]

<< I have checked the newegg site but have not been able the find your reference to the ibm 120 gxp for $108 shipped. >>



That's because it's now $102 + 7 fedex = $109 I guess.

Newegg, scroll down to the second listing for 60 gig.

 

[jnem]

Your best bet is to stay away IBM drives. I support 900+ clients using IBM drives, and at least 3 drives per week go bad. Some are bad right out of the box, others last a week, some a couple of months, others have been goin strong for over a year. Point is, these drives are way to inconsistent.

 

[Red Dawn]

<< but I had to stick up for IBM here. I have a 30GB 75gxp I bought new when they first came out. It performs great, and runs very cool. So cool that when I later bought a 60G Maxtor that I got cheap, I found it ran alot hotter then the IBM >>

Wouldn't it be ironic that IBM's success would be the cause for these widespread reports , by that I mean they have sold so many of these drives to end users that when thousands report these models failing prematurely it's actually just a drop in the bucket? On the other hand, it has been mentioned that both WD and Maxtor had major problems with earliers models they sold to end users and I don't see anybody denying that? Hmmm.. could it possible be true that maybe these drives are flawed? I guess history will answer that question for us.

 

[SonicTron]

I hate IBM. My 30GB 75GXP did more than develop bad sectors, make noises, or just fail to detect on bootup. In the middle of using my computer, everything started to slow down REALLY BAD. Like having a P133 and trying to play RtCW.

Then it completely froze, and I heard a LOUD snapping noise come from my computer. It shut itself off.

It failed to detect on bootup. I took it out, wondering what the snapping was, when I realized that the fricken drive plates were SHIFTING AROUND INSIDE THE DRIVE. I gave the drive a shake and I could hear little bits of metal clinking around inside and the drive plates moving from side to side.

Got a 30GB 60GXP in return, and while it hasn't failed, it makes bleeping noises like 10 times a day. Every time it bleeps, the comp freezes up for about half a second.

 

[wakeboarder]

Figures I would read this today, My 40 GB deskstar crapped out on me yesterday. One day later and I would have backed some stuff up. Just under 6 months of use.

Question:I bought this drive OEM from accessmicro. Can I warranty it and how?

 

[Red Dawn]

<< Can I warranty it and how? >>



All the info you'll need to RMA IBM's GXP Drives. This is probably one of the most visited pages on Anandtech in the last 3 months.

 

[Conky]

The 60GB 60GXP is a great HD. It's the 75GXP you should stay away from.

I run a 60GB 60GXP 24/7 and it obviously doesn't overheat for me.

 

[CKDragon]

<< Got a 30GB 60GXP in return, and while it hasn't failed, it makes bleeping noises like 10 times a day. Every time it bleeps, the comp freezes up for about half a second. >>



They couldn't possibly make a 30GB 60GXP due to the 20GB per platter rate. They either gave you another 75GXP or it's a 20 or 40 GB 60GXP. If they told you it's a 60GXP and it is 30 Gigs, you got lied to.

Hope you weren't deceived,

CK

 

[takeru]

i have a ibm 75gxp 45gig drive. its been running in my computer 24/7 for almost 2 years now. no problems. maybe i got the rare "good" batch?

 

[Dreadogg]

problem was with the 75 GXP's not the 60 GXP's !

 

[JoeRicard]

nice find!

 

[S1rL4nc3l0t]

Yeah, GXP sucks..............

TO ALL GXP OWNER, COME TO ME, LET ME HELP YOU. I'LL BUY YOUR 60 / 80 GXP FOR 25 BUCKS EACH........HOW IS THAT?

 

[Red Dawn]

<< TO ALL GXP OWNER, COME TO ME, LET ME HELP YOU. I'LL BUY YOUR 60 / 80 GXP FOR 25 BUCKS EACH........HOW IS THAT? >>

Weak. Make it $60.00 and you are on. Almost the full warranty left on it. RMA it to IBM and get a new one. A 40 gig 60 GXP for $60.00 is a deal.

 

[Devistater]

<< problem was with the 75 GXP's not the 60 GXP's ! >>



Heheheh, apparently you haven't read the 60gxp specs, or the 120gxp specs. Page 50, under reliability, says you should run drive no more than 333 power on hours a month (comes out to about 11 hours a day), and that you will get 5 years life at that rate. Do the math, thats 20,000 hours of total life for the drive, barely 2 years at 24/7 usage. For more details and links to the OFFICIAL specs direct from IBM, I put a long post here:
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.cfm?catid=27&threadid=738373&STARTPAGE=2

 

[Devistater]

<<

<< Got a 30GB 60GXP in return, and while it hasn't failed, it makes bleeping noises like 10 times a day. Every time it bleeps, the comp freezes up for about half a second. >>



They couldn't possibly make a 30GB 60GXP due to the 20GB per platter rate. They either gave you another 75GXP or it's a 20 or 40 GB 60GXP. If they told you it's a 60GXP and it is 30 Gigs, you got lied to.

Hope you weren't deceived,

CK >>



Rumor has it (I've seen one other post from someone about this) that in some replacement drives they only used half of the platter, which is pretty silly if you ask me, but one 20 gig platter and one side of another 20 gig plater would be 30 gigs. I have no first hand experiance on if this is the case, just something someone mentioned in another thread. I understand that a number of people who send in 75gxps are getting 60gxps back, so perhaps thats why.