IBM GXP Problems: The Truth Exposed and Possible Fixes

[NFS4]

http://www.tweaktown.com/document.php?dType=article&dId=180


<< For months now users of IBM manufactured hard disk drives based on the Deskstar 60GXP and 75GXP models (and possible even older models) have been experiencing substantial frequent fail rates and data loss of that compared to competitor hard disk drives ? I recently fell victim myself. This has lead to a lot of headaches and RMA returns, and neither happy nor satisfied customers. Something needs to be done, people need to know what is happening; it?s their right to be informed, wouldn?t you agree?

Ask yourself this... Who has the time or money to pay for expensive data recovery companies to fix your hard disk drive? It is an option that is out of reach for the majority of PC users.

Read on as this non-technical article will explain the problems being experienced and I suggest possible reasons and solutions for this ? I?d like to emphasis that these are only beliefs of mine and we do not have the industrial equipment available to confirm any of this. >>

 

[John]

I can see the lynch mob forming as we speak.....

Let the posts begin!!

 

[NFS4]

<< I can see the lynch mob forming as we speak.....

Let the posts begin!! >>


Why do you say that?

 

[John]

A quick search for 75gxp or 60gxp will yield the answer.

 

[NFS4]

<< A quick search for 75gxp or 60gxp will yield the answer. >>


I was just foolin' John That's why I rolled my eyes

Of course I know about the 75GXP problems.

 

[John]

For a minute there I forgot what that smiley meant. I was sure you knew, but I thought you were busting my chops for the sarcasm, lol.

 

[staticfly]

where's the rope?

3 dead gpx 60's, one on the way. I think there's a class action for the gpx 75's, I want one for my gpx 60's. With that said, I will never buy IBM harddrives again... to much risk involved.

 

[John]

FWIW my 120GXP is one fast mutha. It was 180.00 well spent. I gave up on raid0.

 

[CrackRabbit]

Good article, you know now that im thinking about it, the problem may not just be with the 60 and 75GXP drives but with thier Travelstar Drives as well, anyone who owns a recent Dell Laptop or has visited thier forums should know exactly what im talking about, all of the same symptoms, and all. This doesnt bode well for IBM's HDD Department....

 

[PlatinumGold]

I can see the lynch mob forming as we speak.....

why would you call it a lynch mob?? it's not like it's not called for.

IBM screwed up. What is wrong w/ people that were screwed over showing some displeasure?

you don't happen to work for ibm do you?

 

[Amused]

Maybe this is why I've never had a problem with the 8 IBM drives I've bought in the last two years (6 75GXPs and 2 60GXPs). I always have active cooling on my HDDs, never change the orientation of the drive after formating and loading Windows, and never move the drive while it's running.

 

[NFS4]

<< I can see the lynch mob forming as we speak.....

why would you call it a lynch mob?? it's not like it's not called for.

IBM screwed up. What is wrong w/ people that were screwed over showing some displeasure?

you don't happen to work for ibm do you? >>


Well, I've never given IBM the chance to screw me in the a$$ I've heard too many horror stories to risk my data. I stick with WD and Maxor and never had a problem.

 

[PlatinumGold]

i personally have never owned an ibm drive myself. mostly WD and Maxtor and in the old days, Quantum, when they were introducing ata 33 then ata 66. wow.

but if i HAD purchased an IBM drive i know i'd be pissed.

 

[AA0]

I remember a while ago an article was written about how IBMs part were bad in Crotia or something, and their quality control was very poor, leading to a lot of RMAs. I don't know if that or this is true, since both issues should have been fixed by now.

 

[JellyBaby]

IMO there are probably multiple causes for the failures. The article talks about a specific controller chip overheating due to lack of cooling. Well on the GXP I have, the one that failed, I've had an 80mm blowing across it since day one (from the front, though). Of course when it failed I was running a full defrag of that drive. Certainly that stressed it. Perhaps enough to call out the little cats inside because I sure heard them scratching like mad in there.

Anyway, I'm avoiding the 120GXPs. From what I read they do run hot and I'm not willing to watercool a hard drive.

 

[John]

<< you don't happen to work for ibm do you? >>



No, I work for myself.



<< What is wrong w/ people that were screwed over showing some displeasure? >>



Since you failed to grasp the sarcasm from the initial statement, I do not feel obligated to elaborate on the true meaning.



<< From what I read they do run hot >>



In my SX1030 case, the 120GXP is not even remotely lukewarm. Of course there is an 80mm intake fan blowing over it.

 

[Finality]

Speaking for myself I have two IBM 75GXP HDDs both under relatively heavy use. Both have been fine for about 11 months now. Of course my case is well ventilated and my room temperature stays between 65 and 75.

 

[lorlabnew]

True, just check out the Dell's forum on their official website...

About a half year ago I received from Dell the replacement for my brand new laptop drive /Hitachi DK-23CA 20/ which had an ugly clicking noise (Dell of course didn't want to do any replacement, but I threatened to return the laptop - btw, now after about 7 months, they released the firmware upgrade for that clicking Hitachi model; I was right and I knew it, they were lying saying there is nothing wrong with it..)

Anyway, they sent me a refurbished, 3 months old IBM Travelstar DJSA-220.
That drive was such a piece of junk I simply couldn't believe it. That thing was so loud! Particularly scary were these occasional noises like a suddenly broken spring (beside nonstop head-chatter), you know laptop is normally quiet, but when this sound occured once a while, it always was a shock for me. Interestingly, the drive passed all tests.... anyway, I returned that one and got a better IBM model from them. Still, it was kinda experience....

I had 2 IBM drives returned within last 8 months, as well as 1 Hitachi drive. The latest return was 60GXP 60GB, which I bought at Fry's last week; suffered from loud whining noise...



<< .....the problem may not just be with the 60 and 75GXP drives but with thier Travelstar Drives as well, anyone who owns a recent Dell Laptop or has visited thier forums should know exactly what im talking about.... >>

 

[CrackRabbit]

Exactly what im talking about, i had two IBM drives in my Inspiron 5000e one died (similar problems to the 60 and 75GXP series dead drives) and another that would CLICK and PING! occasionaly though it seemed to have no other problems, but it once refused to format, another thing i have learned is NEVER trust Dell's Diagnositcs, they are a joke, truly, windows scandisk does a much better job than those peices of Crapola!

 

[ToBeMe]

I know I'm probably pushing, as far as my luck goes anyhow, but, I still have 5 IBM drives in systems I own now. 2 are my new 120GXP's, 1 is a 60 GXP, and 2 are 75 GXP's.........a 30GB and a 45GB..........supposedly the worst right.........both are now weel over a year and I'm guessing close to 2 years old if memory serves. I've also put a lot of the 75, & 60 GXP's in systems I sell, as well as Maxtors & W.D.'s..........basicly whichever I can find at the best price, I'll buy several. Now......here's the ironic part besides the fact that I myself have a couple 75GXP's still running fine 24/7 since the day they were installed except for the few times of changing motherboards/chips/etc., I've yet to RMA a 75GXP!!!! (as I knock on wood) BUT........in December '01 and January '02 alone, I had 3 W.D.'s die on me and 1 Maxtor! One of the W.D.'s was a "80GB BB" which was nearly new in my son's system, and the others were from builds I had done within the last year ('01)! All were replaced of course under warranty, but, I have to say, I feel the same way some of you feel toward IBM drives, but toward W.D.'s! It's gonna' take an awfully good sale for me to buy anymore W.D. drives for myself or for builds ever again! LOL! I just wanted to post this because everytime I see one of the 75/60 GXP's suck threads.............I just can't help but feeling damned lucky...........or blessed........or something........... LOL! Good luck guys and I hope you find a way to recoup from your losses on those drives.................meanwhile, I'll be sitting here biting my nails wondering when my luck will run out!

 

[Eug]

I always wonder:

1) Are you overclocking?
2) How many other drives have you owned?
3) Is your case cooling adequate?

Ironically I've had Quantum, Fujitsu, Seagate, and Maxtor all fail on me (although some were overclocked). So far no IBM (and I have 3, incl. 2 75GXP), but maybe I'm just lucky.

 

[Dreadogg]

I also have never heard any wierd noises or anything like that coming from my 60 GXP, although I do properly cool my case and my drives!

 

[DN]

You want them to do something about it..? Just don't buy their freaking drives again.. duh..

 

[ajskydiver]

From the article: << I urge IBM to stand up and take notice and not continue to deny the obvious problem experienced by many ........It just may lead to the demise of your great company, the ?Big Blue? itself. >>

Is he serious with that statement?

I'm fairly certain that IBM won't go under due to their hard drive problems (and they've been around longer than just the GXP line, IMO).

~AJ

Edit for clarity:

and they've been around longer than just the GXP line, IMO---the hard drive problems that is.

 

[JellyBaby]

IBM already stated publicly they claim to be having no special anomolies with the 75 and 60 GXPs. Something about failure rates being within the norm for hard drives. You can either believe them or not. If your GXP has failed you're likely to do the later.

No, IBM will still be here long after "GXP" fades into history. But if there are continued problems with their hard drives we want to know about it so as to avoid their products now and in the future.