So, I'm assembling my newish computer today.....

[C'DaleRider]

New 3.0GHz P4 cpu, new 1GB Corsair DDR in dual channel mode, new Intel 875 chipset motherboard, my old ATI 9700np video card, old but great Pioneer slot-load DVD-ROM, 1 month old Lite-On 4X dual format DVD-RW, elderly but great-sounding Santa Cruz sound card, and my 3 month old WD SE 120GB hard drive, all in a nice new Antec Xonata case....love the case!!!

Go to boot up for the first time, set up BIOS for boot options, etc.......and then the darned thing just resets itself. Hard drive sounds a little strange....like it's making the "death click" from the old IBM DeathStars. Hmmmmmmmmm....I think.

Well, take out the sound card and modem I had installed. Still just gets to load Windows XP Pro and fails. Put RAM into single channel config. No change. Unplug all drives except the hard drive. No change.

CRAP!!!! Bloody WD's taken a dump!!!!

So, time for a new hd...and I need it up and running tomorrow. So, the question is:

One of the 160-200BG Maxtors from OD/Staples or the 160GB Seagate from BB? (The 200GB from CompUSA would be another nice option, but the closest is almost 2 hours away, so that pretty much discounts that option.) I'd think about something else from somewhere else, but I have to have it in hand by tomorrow evening, so I've got to go buyit retail......it hurts, but it's gotta be done.

So, which should it be.......Maxtor or Seagate. I've had one Seagate fail on me years ago, and have had a Maxtor die on me, too. I'm NOT buying a WD right now.....bad taste in my mouth from them so I won't consider one of their products at the moment. Ultimate performance isn't qutie as important as reliability.

Suggestions are greatly appreciated!!!

Thanks guys!

Jeff

 

[Barnaby W. Füi]

SCSI. 😉

Seriously though - all IDE drive manufacturers seem to be pretty consistent with failures. I don't plan on buying any more IDE drives. SCSI drives are built for more demanding conditions, for more demanding customers, and have 5 year warranties in case something does happen.

 

[mechBgon]

I'd lean towards the Maxtor if you can get one that says it's got fluid bearings. The performance will probably be a little better, and hey, you seem to be building a performance system 🙂

Bigger picture: you didn't assume that you could simply re-use your existing WinXP installation with the new motherboard, did you? It seldom works that easily 😛 If that's what's going on, as opposed to all-out drive failure, try booting from your WinXP CD, and at the first option, choose the "fresh installation" route instead of Repair. Once it scopes out your HDD and sees the existing WinXP installation and offers to repair it, now say Repair and let it ride. Good luck, HTH 😎

 

[C'DaleRider]

Originally posted by: mechBgon
I'd lean towards the Maxtor if you can get one that says it's got fluid bearings. The performance will probably be a little better, and hey, you seem to be building a performance system 🙂

Bigger picture: you didn't assume that you could simply re-use your existing WinXP installation with the new motherboard, did you? It seldom works that easily 😛 If that's what's going on, as opposed to all-out drive failure, try booting from your WinXP CD, and at the first option, choose the "fresh installation" route instead of Repair. Once it scopes out your HDD and sees the existing WinXP installation and offers to repair it, now say Repair and let it ride. Good luck, HTH 😎

No, the sequence you described is exactly how I went about it. The mb has completely different chipset moving form an Intel 850e chipset to an Intel 875 chipset. When XP went to do the fresh install, it set out to examine the system and then stopped cold saying it could not find a hard drive. The drive was just clicking about every 2 seconds or so, sort of like stuck in a search it couldn't stop.

 

[labrat25]

i've never had a problem with either but would lean toward size... ie. 200Gb Maxtor