Question on Maxtor DiamondMax Plus harddrives - which drive is this????

[K-squared]

I have a question in reference to the Maxtor DiamondMax Plus harddrive series. Several weeks ago I purchased (yet another) Maxtor 60GB 7200rpm ATA133 drive through Office Depot. When I received the drive (it was delivered), something on the data label for the drive struck me as being weird - the access time was listed as being "<13.8 MS" - nearly 60-percent slower than the typical "<8.7 MS" drives I am use to seeing.

Additionally, the drive was coded as an "L6Y2" harddrive. In the past, I've only seen the 60GB version labeled as "J6L3" (ball-bearing - I have two of these) or as "L6L3" (Fluid-bearing - have one of these) harddrives.

So.... WTFO????

The following data are from several Maxtor 60GB 7200RPM "J6L3" harddrives I've purchased over the last few months (which match the data as listed on the "L6L3" fluid bearing harddrives as well).


Placard for a "typical" Maxtor 60GB 7200RPM "J6L3" harddrive purchased within the last two (2) months at Staples, Office Depot, and CompUSA:

Maxtor
DiamondMax Plus
Buffer Size:
2 MB
Average Access Time:
<8.7 MS
Data Transfer Rate:
133 MBytes / sec
(Ultra ATA/133)
Spin Rate: 7200 RPM
KIT: L01J060G
S/N: 66321955xxxx (twelve digits, ALL numeric)


and for this "atypical" Maxtor 60GB 7200RPM "L6Y2" harddrive purchased recently at Office Depot (and seen at BestBuy, CompUSA, amongst others....):

Maxtor
DiamondMax Plus
Buffer Size:
2 MB
Average Access Time:
<13.8 MS
Data Transfer Rate:
133 MBytes / sec
(Ultra ATA/133)
Spin Rate: 7200 RPM
KIT: L01J060 (the "G" is missing from ythe kit number)
S/N: Y2906xxx (eight digits, number/letter mix)


I've also noticed this new "L-Y-" designation showing up on other size drives as well (L4Y2 - 40GB and 80GB - L8Y3 I believe), at several retailers over the last week and a half. One individual has suggested that because of the "Y" in the four-digit code, that these harddrives are the newer 60GB per platter, fluid-bearing DiamondMax Plus 9 harddrives - but the Kit number does not match and also fails to explain the antique access speed listed on the placard, as well as why the "L4Y2" code is showing-up in the 40GB drives (smallest DiamondMax Plus 9 is "suppose" to be 60GB). Another has suggested that these are "Quantum" harddrives that Maxtor is trying to clear-out in preparation for release of the DiamondMax Plus 9 series. So, is Maxtor "pushing-out" some old inventory that's been sitting on their back-shelves collecting dust?

So, why the signiifcantly higher Average Access Time, different Kit Number (L01J060 -versus- L01J060G), and different Serial Number (eight -versus- twelve digits)????


If this harddrive is a L6Y2 is a DiamondMax Plus 9, why doesn't the data placard on the side panel have a ...... Drive #6Y060L0


And why are there no data/information on the packaging to indicate this is one of the "new and improved" DiamondMax Plus9 harddrives? The packaging is identical to the other 60GB 7200RPM ATA/133 harddrives I've recently purchased (CompUSA, Office Depot, and Staples last month). Also, why does the data-label on the side-panel list an Average Access Time of less than 13.8ms???? I would think if this is one of Maxtor's new 'flagship' ATA harddrives, that there would be something noticeable on the packaging to catch the consumer's attention, at least a sticker plastered on the front near the "Feed your need for SPEED with Ultra ATA/133" sticker on all their 7200RPM drives....


So, anyone know ? ? ? ?

 

[Pariah]

The model name of the drive is on the label, which should eliminate any speculation of what it is. Since you seem to know what the serial # is, you must have opened the box and seen the drive itself.

Based on the circumstantial evidence you gave, it's a DM+ 9. If the serial# is 12 digits (all numbers, located on the end of the drive), it's a Quantum based drive which means it has to be a D740X since that's the only Quantum based 7200RPM drive Maxtor released. Any 8 digit serial number (letters and number, located on the top drive label) is a Maxtor based drive. Both the DM+ 8 and DM+ 9 are Maxtor based drives, but since the DM+ 8 is limited to 40GB and you have a 60GB drive it has to be a DM+ 9.

"Additionally, the drive was coded as an "L6Y2" harddrive."

No Maxtor drive number starts with a letter, where are you getting that from? Quantum based drives have a GTLA number that starts with "VQ" for the D740X.

The kit number on Maxtor drives is useless. The only thing you are guaranteed is that the drive at least meets the specifications on the label.

"Also, why does the data-label on the side-panel list an Average Access Time of less than 13.8ms????"

Because that's what it is, if it is in fact a DM+ 9, that estimate is actually too low. The 8.7ms number in the first drive is not access time, it's seek time, so if it is labeled as access time, it's incorrectly labeled.

 

[K-squared]

Pariah replied: "The model name of the drive is on the label, which should eliminate any speculation of what it is. Since you seem to know what the serial # is, you must have opened the box and seen the drive itself."

Pariah - All the data listed/reported above were taken directly from the label on the *outside* of the retail packaging - including the drive's serial number. In all cases the harddrives are *externally* labeled as "DiamondMax Plus". I have not opened several of the harddrives, as my local OD has a rather lenient return policy *if* the item has not been opened - my hope is to figure-out "which-drive-is-which" so I can exchange the few unopened harddrives if these "L6Y2" drives are not as good as those with the "L6L3" or "J6L3"code on the external label.

The one 40GB harddrive I have that is open (and accessible) is a D740X-6L harddrive. The placard on the harddrive lists it as "Maxtor P/N MX6L040J2", which corresponds with the "L01J040G" Kit Number and "J6L2" code on the external label (I was assuming this code was for a ball-bearing "J", two-platter drive). The serial number listed on the external label matches the serial number listed on the non-connector end of the harddrive.

Pariah replied: "No Maxtor drive number starts with a letter, where are you getting that from? Quantum based drives have a GTLA number that starts with "VQ" for the D740X."

K-squared initially asked: "Additionally, the drive was coded as an "L6Y2" harddrive."

The "L6Y2" code (as I've referred to it) actually comes from the external data label (as has all the data I've provided above). These four-digit codes - "L6Y2", "L6L3", "J6L3" - are listed on the external label of every Maxtor harddrive I have purchased. The code has always matched the Kit Number code listed on the external label (ie. "L6L3" for the 60GB retail kit with a "L01L060G" kit number, and "J6L3" for the 60GB retail kit with a "L01J060G" kit number). This code is on the right-side of the external label, and is written perpendicular to the rest of the data on the label so that when the retail box is setting flat on a table, the code appears upside-down when viewed from the right-side of the box.

K-squared initially asked:
"Also, why does the data-label on the side-panel list an Average Access Time of less than 13.8ms????"

Pariah replied:
"Because that's what it is, if it is in fact a DM+ 9, that estimate is actually too low. The 8.7ms number in the first drive is not access time, it's seek time, so if it is labeled as access time, it's incorrectly labeled."

Every Maxtor retail kit I have looked at, lists "Average Access Time:" - so much for "product labeling", huh?

Pariah replied: "Based on the circumstantial evidence you gave, it's a DM+ 9. If the serial# is 12 digits (all numbers, located on the end of the drive), it's a Quantum based drive which means it has to be a D740X since that's the only Quantum based 7200RPM drive Maxtor released. Any 8 digit serial number (letters and number, located on the top drive label) is a Maxtor based drive. Both the DM+ 8 and DM+ 9 are Maxtor based drives, but since the DM+ 8 is limited to 40GB and you have a 60GB drive it has to be a DM+ 9."

So, in the absence of actually opening one of these retail kits, would you select the "J6L3" Maxtor retail kits with 12-digit serial numbers over the "J6Y2" kits with 8-digit serial numbers - regardless of the Average Access Times listed on the kit's external product labeling? Is the Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 9 D740X any better than the Quantum DiamondMax Plus 9 D740X - and is there any truth to the statement that the harddrives with serial numbers starting with an "Y" (ie. the "L6Y2" drive listed in my initial post above) are fluid-bearing drives produced in Singapore?

Pariah - Thanks for the help in "attempting" to decoding what these drives "are".

 

[Pariah]

"All the data listed/reported above were taken directly from the label on the *outside* of the retail packaging - including the drive's serial number."

My mistake, I didn't realize Maxtor had their serial numbers printed on the outside of the box, I didn't think they did that.

"The "L6Y2" code (as I've referred to it) actually comes from the external data label (as has all the data I've provided above). These four-digit codes - "L6Y2", "L6L3", "J6L3" - are listed on the external label of every Maxtor harddrive I have purchased. The code has always matched the Kit Number code listed on the external label (ie. "L6L3" for the 60GB retail kit with a "L01L060G" kit number, and "J6L3" for the 60GB retail kit with a "L01J060G" kit number). This code is on the right-side of the external label, and is written perpendicular to the rest of the data on the label so that when the retail box is setting flat on a table, the code appears upside-down when viewed from the right-side of the box."

I'm not familiar with these codes or what their significance may be.

"So, in the absence of actually opening one of these retail kits, would you select the "J6L3" Maxtor retail kits with 12-digit serial numbers over the "J6Y2" kits with 8-digit serial numbers - regardless of the Average Access Times listed on the kit's external product labeling?"

The 8 digit serial number is the newer drive. I bought the 120GB version recently and was largely unimpressed with the performance so I returned it and got another WD JB drive. As for which is better between the D740X and DM+ 9, I don't know, you would assume the DM+ 9 is the better drive simply based on the fact it is newer, but its access time is a bit slower with only mariginally higher STR. Until SR does a head to head comparison I couldn't tell you which was faster, I didn't have a D740X handy to do a comparison myself.

"Is the Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 9 D740X any better than the Quantum DiamondMax Plus 9 D740X"

You're confusing the drive models here. The D740X is based on Quantum technology Maxtor received when they bought out Quantum. It is the only 7200RPM drive Maxtor sold that was based on Quantum's technology, ignoring the Quantum stock dump they did right after the buyout. The DM+ 8 and DM+ 9 are new models that have no relation to the D740X models and are all Maxtor designed and built, there is no Quantum DM+9 or Quantum DM+8.

"and is there any truth to the statement that the harddrives with serial numbers starting with an "Y" (ie. the "L6Y2" drive listed in my initial post above) are fluid-bearing drives produced in Singapore?"

I don't know. I can tell you that the drive model number for the ball bearing version ends in L0 (6Y120L0 for the 120GB), while the fluid bearing model ends in P0 (6Y120P0 for 120GB). How that relates to the kit number, or if it does at all, I don't know. I don't believe you can tell by the serial#.

So basically, by looking at the serial# and the capacity you should be able to tell beforehand what drive is in the box. If it's a 12 digit serial# the drive is a D740X, if it's an 8 digit and 40GB or smaller it's a DM+ 8, if it's an 8 digit and 60GB or larger it's a DM+ 9.

 

[keyeye]

K-squared, did you ever figure out the external labelling for these Maxtor retail drives and what corresponds inside? I went to staples and couldn't figure it out. I'm only interested in the DM+ 8/9. Thanks.

 

[K-squared]

Yes!

The four digit code (ie. "J6L3" - "L6L3" - "L6Y2") actually directly relates to the actual harddrive designation. The following example's are for the DiamondMax Plus, DiamondMax Plus 8, and DiamondMax Plus 9 series harddrives, 30GB-120GB versions:

Maxtor ball-bearing DiamondMax Plus harddrives:
- "J6L2" code - 40GB ball-bearing harddrives - 6J01L040G (DiamondMax Plus)
- "J6L3" code - 60GB ball-bearing harddrives - 6J01L060G (DiamondMax Plus)
- "J6L4" code - 80GB ball-bearing harddrives - 6J01L080G (DiamondMax Plus)

Maxtor fluid-bearing DiamondMax Plus harddrives:
- "L6L2" code - 40GB fluid-bearing harddrives - 6L01L040G (DiamondMax Plus)
- "L6L3" code - 60GB fluid-bearing harddrives - 6L01L060G (DiamondMax Plus)
- "L6L4" code - 80GB fluid-bearing harddrives - 6L01L080G (DiamondMax Plus)

Maxtor fluid-bearing DiamondMax Plus 8 harddrives:
- "L6E1" code - 30GB fluid-bearing harddrives - 6?01L030G (DiamondMax Plus 8)
- "L6E1" code - 40GB fluid-bearing harddrives - 6?01L040G (DiamondMax Plus 8)

Maxtor fluid-bearing DiamondMax Plus 9 harddrives:
- "L6Y2" code - 60GB fluid-bearing harddrives - 6Y01L060G (DiamondMax Plus 9)
- "L6Y2" code - 80GB fluid-bearing harddrives - 6Y01L080G (DiamondMax Plus 9)
- "L6Y3" code - 120GB fluid-bearing harddrives - 6Y01L120G (DiamondMax Plus 9)

Maxtor "Ultra Series" fluid-bearing DiamondMax Plus 9 harddrives:
- "P6Y2" code - 80GB fluid-bearing harddrives - 6Y01P080G (DiamondMax Plus 9 Ultra Series)
- "P6Y3" code - 120GB fluid-bearing harddrives - 6Y01P120G (DiamondMax Plus 9 Ultra Series)
- "P6Y5" code - 200GB fluid-bearing harddrives - 6Y01P200G (DiamondMax Plus 9 Ultra Series)


The DiamondMax Plus 8 series (30GB and 40GB harddrives) use the "L4E1" code, from what I've seen so far.


The DiamondMax Plus 9 series (60GB, 80GB, and 120GB harddrives) use the "L4Y?" code, where the last digit represents the number of platters (I think....).


If anyone has any information they'd like to provide to add to this thread, send me a I'll continue to edit/update this post after I've had a chance to look at a few more harddrives this weekend....

 

[K-squared]

bumped for this weekend's harddrive deals....

 

[masterxfob]

in english please...........you're confusing me