Surely I am disappointed by IBM's recent problems with their hard drives. I can't imagine why such a big company would not take the time to come out with a product that performs well but also is very reliable. I have always been a big IBM guy, but I myself have lost a 75GXP.
But after ready this, Tweak Town's article on the GXPs, I somewhat understand why all of this might have happened. Look, our computers are getting faster, but hotter as well. I do not know how many people keep there systems well ventilated, but I can tell you that the one 75GXP that did die on me, my system was not well ventilated. I built my friend an Athlon system that has ample cooling, and her 75GXP has run like a charm. I think a well ventilated system is a big deal in this case.
I understand that other HD manufacturers have not experience the same problems as IBM has, and it shouldn't be the consumers' responsibility to worry about a hard drive failing because of heat. But look at most of the people on this board who have had IBM GXPs fail, I would say most of them have overclocked systems, and even if they didn't, Athlon systems by itself runs hotter than Intel systems. Could it be coincidence that as AMD Athlon as become the processor of choice for PC hardware enthusiasts, that these IBM GXP failure rates have increased? I don't know, but I think it has something to do with it.
While I myself have flocked to Western Digital (recently purchased the 1200BB because of price) for server storage, I still stand behind IBM for smaller desktop drives. Their drives still provide great performance compared to other IDE 7200rpm drives. Just remember that although IBM has not said it needs active cooling, I would make sure that you either have a well ventilated system, or some form of HD cooling on a GXP drive.
This is a problem I hope IBM will take a serious look at. Have the fastest drive is great, but when it comes down to it, the drive better be damn reliable, or else it doesn't really matter.
But after ready this, Tweak Town's article on the GXPs, I somewhat understand why all of this might have happened. Look, our computers are getting faster, but hotter as well. I do not know how many people keep there systems well ventilated, but I can tell you that the one 75GXP that did die on me, my system was not well ventilated. I built my friend an Athlon system that has ample cooling, and her 75GXP has run like a charm. I think a well ventilated system is a big deal in this case.
I understand that other HD manufacturers have not experience the same problems as IBM has, and it shouldn't be the consumers' responsibility to worry about a hard drive failing because of heat. But look at most of the people on this board who have had IBM GXPs fail, I would say most of them have overclocked systems, and even if they didn't, Athlon systems by itself runs hotter than Intel systems. Could it be coincidence that as AMD Athlon as become the processor of choice for PC hardware enthusiasts, that these IBM GXP failure rates have increased? I don't know, but I think it has something to do with it.
While I myself have flocked to Western Digital (recently purchased the 1200BB because of price) for server storage, I still stand behind IBM for smaller desktop drives. Their drives still provide great performance compared to other IDE 7200rpm drives. Just remember that although IBM has not said it needs active cooling, I would make sure that you either have a well ventilated system, or some form of HD cooling on a GXP drive.
This is a problem I hope IBM will take a serious look at. Have the fastest drive is great, but when it comes down to it, the drive better be damn reliable, or else it doesn't really matter.
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