IBM vs. WD(8mbcache) ??

[Gilad]

On IBM's site there is a file named d120gxp_com.pdf that gives a compatibility summary of the deskstar 120. Look at the specific notes at the end of the summary, it may help you find the reason.

[Waylorne]

ata 133 gives no boost to performance at all
the average burst is 85 so going from 100 to 133 does nothing for u in that respect the only thing 133 does for you is allow you to use the new generation of extremely large hard drives
there is a reason that maxtor is the only HDD manufacturer to adopt the ata 133 standard

[SegiY]

I think seagate has a 133 drive ready, but if your buying at the moment the WD 8MB buffer is still the best by far.

[bigjackusa]

I guess I've just been lucky. I've probably used close to a hundred hds over the years (built many boxes for friends, family, co-workers). I have used Toshiba, Fujuitsu, Samsung, Conner, Quantum, IBM, WD, Maxtor, Seagate, etc.. I have had only 4 drives die. 1 Maxtor, 1 WD, 1 Seagate (the only one under warranty), and 1 cheapo brand that was only around for a couple of years (it had letters for a name J-something I think). The newest, huge drives are going to be trouble for everybody for a while. I think that if you run a cool box, hooked up to a ups, any major brand has as much chance of surviving as any other.

[Gilad]

I have had some 15% of the drives installed die within the first 3 years since they were installed. If they survived them they usually continued to work without any problems until disposed.

[SegiY]

You also have to taking other factors like transport, workload and dust.
If dust gets in though, it reflects on bad design.

[Gilad]

The disks have an airtight seal. If it wears out humidity will usually destroy the disk. If dust enters that is a major flaw in design.

[Gilad]

Some may prefer a faster disk. If you compare the lost Mb to a faster disk it is cheaper to buy a larger disk and use larger partitions. Faster disks have less Mb per $ and that is the price you pay for the speed. Disk speed effects the overall performance of your system. But ... there are always the perfectionists ;)