Toss the deskstar 75gxp?

[unbot]

wanted to get more opinions on this.......but should i toss my deskstar 75gxp for a newer generation drive? will i really see a significant performance difference from a larger cache buffer but same 7200rpm? seems like a 8.5ms seek time on my 75gxp is comparable to what is out there now. (i don't need more space either. i have a large 5200rpm drive for that)

granted, i can get a SATA but isn't that more an interface preference more than a performance issue?

hrrrm i need some convincing...

 

[Swanny]

Consider yourself lucky if your Deathstar hasn't died. If you're not ready to upgrade and you're comfortable using the least reliable drive EVER (besides maybe the 60GXP), you can stick with it. Personally, I wouldn't trust a 75GXP to keep my data safe. Also, the 8Mb buffer on newer drives does make a pretty significant difference.

Personal story: I bought 3 60 or 75GXP drives. 4 of them failed on me. That's right, 133% failure rate. All three failed, RMAed them, and one of the RMAed drives failed. I sold the other two before they could die.

 

[Quick1]

My old "DeathStar" is still running in my mom's system.

 

[diapickle]

I think my 40GXP is still running in my parent's rig.

 

[GT578]

I still have one 75gxp thats working. I flashed the BIOS that supposedly corrects the problem a few years ago. The drive is on 24/7 and has not given me any problems. I had another 75gxp die on me...then got a 60gxp as a replacement from IBM...that died...then got two more 60gxp as replacements again (IBM accidentally shipped two) which I sold promptly....so I actually experienced both sides to the horrible "deathstar" ordeal.....

 

[cmdrdredd]

As long as you do a periodic backup and the drive seems to keep working ok i wouldn't touch it just yet. Not unless you need more capacity.

 

[slpaulson]

Speed wise it's not that horrible.

But I wouldn't trust that drive either way.

 

[Nick5324]

I wouldn't trust that drive. Officemax has a Seagate 160GB drive for $60, in store and online shipped for free. I don't know how long they will have stock online, but for $60, you don't have to wait for the deathstar to die.

I guess all drive lines have failures, but I wouldn't count on the deskstar with its track record.

 

[sniperruff]

don't toss it. give it to me.

 

[unbot]

lol thanks for the replies.

ya i've read a lot of bad things about this drive recently but it's so funny cause back when i bought it, which i think was at least 5 yrs ago, it was completely opposite...everybody had so many good things to say about it. guess the drives just needed some time to kick the bucket...

but i guess i can't complain cause mine is still kickin. i can still backup important stuff on my seagate so if it's not a big performance issue, i'll keep it until it explodes.

thanks peeps!

 

[Pariah]

Despite all the tales of doom and despair you read on these boards, the vast majority of drives do not fail even from the worst lemon products. If your drives have made it this long, there is nothing to worry about as far what was killing them off years ago. I'm amazed at people still posting about one of these drives dying on them now and acting all pissed off that they got bitten by faulty 75GXP bug. No you didn't, these drive were released 6 years ago, they're 3 years removed from being under warranty, and have even exceeded their designed service life. All drives will die eventually.

If you have important data on those drives, I would absolutely recommend replacing them. Not because they are 75GXP's, but because they have exceeded the 5 year service life that all ATA drives are designed for, which means the failure rates quoted by the manufacturer and all other claims for reliability are no longer valid. Also, you'll obviously get no warranty replacement if the drives die. Any current non-Seagate drive will be repectably faster. And if you browse the hot deal forum, you'll find deals all the time for 250GB-300GB drives for well under $100 after rebate. At those prices, there really is no good reason not replace drives that old, unless you truly don't care about the data on them.