ow! ow! (... x2 WD)

F

Flasherly

What is happening (to me)? WESTERN DIGITAL PATA 160G 25 weeks old, sic,
2 weeks shy of end of warranty and it up and quits - all gone bye, bye.

Predominately on MSI/ASUS AMD mbs w/ SYBA 2ch PCI controller. Yea, so
what - I raid(0)ed it "some of the time" along with a MAXTOR
160g;--I've since been converted to a non-raider(0). WD Symptomatics -
occasional tendency to "freeze up" while accessing data, evincing
unrecoverable/locked programs (if while using WD drive). Towards the
end - symptom within a predictable norm and severe - although then
occuring on an ASUS P4P800E-Deluxe - my latest intel/celeryD upgrade.

520W Fortron server-grade along with 2 Seagate identical model 200G
SATA/PATA suffixs (1ea), and aforementioned PATA Maxtor 160G. Mind
you, I wish adamently to eliminate "my hardware" in factoring WD's
failure equation.

Note - WD drive is a non-JD(?) sufix model. You know, their 3-yr warr
drives, which cost more to avoid a 1-yr suffixed -BB(?) drives, as I
understand WD's pricing scheme.

So, I lost a drive ... graciously, within 2 weeks to qualify for a
replacement. And, so, if you've read this far - here's the horrific
irony. The replacement WD sent me exhibited the same behavior, once
during a multi-drive DisKKeeper optimization (relatively small amount
of data over 4 simultanous processed drives), and within 3 days
subsequent, at 3-weeks of receipt, whereupon it died an agonizing death
during one fell, prolonged siezure. Alas, my BIOS informed me it would
have nothing further ado with this WD;--nor could poor WD's diagnostics
utilities avail, over which, amounted then to naught.

Wad'ca think of these strange WD goings-on, o, keepers of archives?
 
J

J. Clarke

Flasherly said:
What is happening (to me)? WESTERN DIGITAL PATA 160G 25 weeks old, sic,
2 weeks shy of end of warranty and it up and quits - all gone bye, bye.

Predominately on MSI/ASUS AMD mbs w/ SYBA 2ch PCI controller. Yea, so
what - I raid(0)ed it "some of the time" along with a MAXTOR
160g;--I've since been converted to a non-raider(0). WD Symptomatics -
occasional tendency to "freeze up" while accessing data, evincing
unrecoverable/locked programs (if while using WD drive). Towards the
end - symptom within a predictable norm and severe - although then
occuring on an ASUS P4P800E-Deluxe - my latest intel/celeryD upgrade.

520W Fortron server-grade along with 2 Seagate identical model 200G
SATA/PATA suffixs (1ea), and aforementioned PATA Maxtor 160G. Mind
you, I wish adamently to eliminate "my hardware" in factoring WD's
failure equation.
Click to expand...

Are your power supply voltages correct when measured with a meter? A big
expensive power supply can break as easily as a small cheap one.
Note - WD drive is a non-JD(?) sufix model. You know, their 3-yr warr
drives, which cost more to avoid a 1-yr suffixed -BB(?) drives, as I
understand WD's pricing scheme.

So, I lost a drive ... graciously, within 2 weeks to qualify for a
replacement. And, so, if you've read this far - here's the horrific
irony. The replacement WD sent me exhibited the same behavior, once
during a multi-drive DisKKeeper optimization (relatively small amount
of data over 4 simultanous processed drives), and within 3 days
subsequent, at 3-weeks of receipt, whereupon it died an agonizing death
during one fell, prolonged siezure. Alas, my BIOS informed me it would
have nothing further ado with this WD;--nor could poor WD's diagnostics
utilities avail, over which, amounted then to naught.

Wad'ca think of these strange WD goings-on, o, keepers of archives?
Click to expand...

How's your cooling?
 
A

Arno Wagner

Previously J. Clarke said:
Flasherly wrote:
Click to expand...
Are your power supply voltages correct when measured with a meter? A big
expensive power supply can break as easily as a small cheap one.
Click to expand...

I had one Fortron 550W EPS PSU die on me with possible unstable
voltages in the days before it failed completely. A 550W replacement
from Enermax had been working fine for some time now.

I would not say good quality can break as easily as average, but a
true "server grade" PSU is a bit more expensive than what Fortron (or
Enermax) sell to regular customers as PC PSUs. And since the only
Fortron PSU I ever had is at the same time the only PSU that died on
me, I tend to classify Fortron as high-power, low-reliability
product. I have made good experiences with several Enermax PSUs,
although they are noisy (not an issue if you have a server-room).

Arno
 
F

Flasherly

-John - Are your power supply voltages correct when measured with a
meter? A big expensive power supply can break as easily as a small
cheap one.

Nooo... hadn't went out for my trusty MM or figured out rail colors.
Or expected the PS to be in question. Delayed write failure are the
sympom. WD 160G coexisted raided with a Maxtor 160G on a PCI SYBA 2ch
4dev raid controller most of its warranty. Changed SYBA to non-raided
mode when problems arose in the array, isolating the WD. One month
with RMA WD on PCI cntrl - same thing more severe. PCI and BIOS
refused WD after a failed DVD burn for data on WD. The Maxtor works
great -and- 2 200G Seagates, one mb SATA, one mb PATA. Two more DVD
burners on another PROMISE ATA PCI cntrl (non-raid board), and yet
another DVD reader shared with ATA Seagate. Loads down nicely all
fired up and everything going at once. All except for a problematic WD.
Switched things around yesterday, too - got a new SYBA SATA PCI,
turned off BIOS SATA, and dumped the SYBA PCI ATA. There's yet another
Promise ATA embedded in the mb (aside from normal IDE0/1). I'll try
the 2nd RMA WD enroute there, on the mb's Promise.
-John - How's your cooling?
Click to expand...

Nice. Two 120mm blowing laterally across the HD rack - HDs mounted
sideways, lengthwise to fans. Antec aluminum LanBoy.
 
F

Flasherly

So far, so good, Arno. Have had a few Fortron/Sparkle units and
haven't had a problem. Yes, I seem to recall noticing that model 550W
while looking for a better PS. The way I came up with mine was after a
thread/discussion, where someone rated Fortron in the "middle of the
pack" with better PS units.. You're absolutely right - that same
persons vote for a "true" server grade PS, I looked up. Can't recall
the model names, but can definately recall that there was serious money
involved. I got the fortron 520 from a mom-and-pop outfit $25 less
than newegg had it priced. Cuttin' corners. Like I said (as luck may
have it), so far so good.
 
K

Kevin Buffardi

I would not say good quality can break as easily as average, but a
true "server grade" PSU is a bit more expensive than what Fortron (or
Enermax) sell to regular customers as PC PSUs. And since the only
Fortron PSU I ever had is at the same time the only PSU that died on
me, I tend to classify Fortron as high-power, low-reliability
product. I have made good experiences with several Enermax PSUs,
although they are noisy (not an issue if you have a server-room).
Click to expand...

Review of high-power PSU's:
http://www6.tomshardware.com/howto/20050228/power_supply-39.html

And when rated on their actual vs. reported power, quietness, and
reliability, Verax, Herolchi, and FSP (Fortron) came out on top:
http://www6.tomshardware.com/howto/20021021/powersupplies-15.html

Word is that Fortron has a reputation of *underrating* their PSU's. In
other words, you get more watts than expected.

//Kevin
 
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