80 gig Maxtor vs 80 gig Western Digital??

[sterling]

Warden and Co.

Thanks for the link. But, it looks like your comparison is between a Western Digital
80gig 8 meg cache with 60gig platters vs a 160 gig maxtor with new 80gig platters. the bigger drive is gonna be much faster. I think the 80gig hard drives are just dawgs when it comes to reliability. I just bought the western digital on special for 25.00 with tax. Thinking about selling the Maxtor because its twice as much.

 

[TheWarden]

The WD drive is the exact model you listed (WD800JB). It's an 80 GB drive using two 40 GB platters. Things get complicated with the Maxtor drive, though. From the model number you gave, it looks like your Maxtor drive is from the DiamondMax Plus 9 series. Is this correct? If so, then it could use either 60 GB, 68 GB or 80 GB platters, with apparently no really good way of telling them apart. Any idea which size of platters your drive uses? StorageReview.com actually tested out all three different types of DiamondMax Plus 9 drives. That's why they tested the 160 GB version, because it came in all three varieties.

Anyway, if you are interested, here is a head to head of the three different platter-sized Maxtor drives and the WD800JB. You'll see, though, that in general the Maxtor drives always win out in performance, though not by a lot, no matter which platter size they use.

Tell me, is anybody else irritated at the confusing way some companies are labeling their drives these days? Personally, I would like to be able to look at the model number and know exactly what drive I am getting, and what technology it's built on.

tallman45, thanks for the info.

-Warden

 

[Cerb]

Originally posted by: tallman45

Originally posted by: TheWarden

Originally posted by: busmaster11

Originally posted by: adams828
heh.. i think the general consensus is, go with your past experiences. as you have none, pick based on price/warranty i'd say. personally i don't think the differences in noise/performance are enough to say one is always better than the other. if the prices are the same, then maybe pick your preference of quieter or faster.

people have had bad experiences with both WD and Maxtor, it really is luck of the draw. i'm not sure about the maxtor warranty policy, but i know WD still has 3 year warranties on the JB series.

I believe all hdd manufacturers now go one year on all products except for their highend or 8meg cache products...

Correct me if I'm wrong...

The JB designation means it has an 8 MB cache, and thus the 3 year warranty.

sterling, what exact model of Maxtor are you looking at?

-Warden

WD retail drives now carry a 1yr warranty, but there is a coupon inside that offers 3yr for an additional $14.95. FYI, WD OEM versions still carry the 3yr warranty. See their website for warranty info.

My neighbor just got a WD 120GB retail with rebates.
He saved, with rebates (and he's anal about them), just over $14 compared to Newegg's 120GB 8MB.
Coincedence?

 

[Ionizer86]

I have current generation 80GB or 160GB drives from both Maxtor, WD, and Seagate as well.
Here's my take:

WD800JB: doesn't seek as loud as my Maxtor drive. But the idle sounds very "mechanical" if you will. Performance is good.

Maxtor DM9+ 160GB: seeks pretty loud. After I tone it down using HGST Feature Tool, it's a good amount quieter (and a good amount slower). Idle is not very loud. (My opinion may be a bit off since this drive is two platter).

7200.7: very quiet, quite fast. Inaudible seeks once the PC's side panel is on. Idle is much quieter than WD800JB and also a bit quieter than the Maxtor.

Cliffsnotes: Get a 7200.7 instead of either a Maxtor or a WD. You can get one for $50 from Compusa with the secret ad.