[mythtv-users] Dec 2008 - State of the Art - Hard Drive Recommendations?

[Martin Bene]

Hi,

> So, to comment on some of the other things people have said in this
> thread (maybe we should break off a separate thread just about this
> drive?):
>
> (a) Yes, Newegg has firmware for -one- type of drive on their site,
>     but there are at least -two- different firmwares, depending on
>     your drive!  So just snagging it off their site could well brick
>     your drive.  (Or so say other people in their reviews, etc.)

OK, some more info on this: I had one of the defective drives (PN xxx-300, Firmware SD17)and started looking because I experienced the "drive freezing Problem" and got the update from seagate.

Seagate is known to have handed out two firmware versions:
SD1A, in an ISO File "Brinks-4D8H-SD1A.ISO" which can be used to update:
 - Model ST31500341AS
 - Part Nr.: 9JU138-300 or 9JU138-336
 - Firmware: SD15 to SD19

CC1H for update of:
 - Model ST31500341AS
 - Part Nr.: 9JU138-301
 - Firmware CC1?

I have recently received drives with PN 9JU138-301 and Firmware CC1G that definitely do not have the problem.

> (b) Ignoring the whole firmware issue (since in theory that's
>     resolvable with some interaction w/Seagate, irritating though it
>     may be that it's required):  there are a TON of people complaining
>     about click-click-click-FAILURE of this drive.  -That-s' the issue
>     that worries me.  A lot were within the first day or so; some were
>     as far as 2-3 months out (which is actually a whole lot worse).
>     They seem unrelated to the firmware version in use.  There are
>     a hell of a lot of "ordered 4, 2 were DOA and wouldn't even spin
>     up and hung the machine" sorts of reports as well.

I have now got 14 of these drives (1x SD17 updated to SD1A, 13x CC1G). Issues so far:
        - Firmware problem with the SD17 Drive
        - one reallocated sector reported by smart on one of the CC1G drives
No further problems, no klicking, no failures.

> (d) Many people claim that they need new -BIOS-/motherboard firmware
>     to get Nvidia-based motherboards to see past the first 1TB of the
>     drive.  However, I'm unsure if this might only affect -Vista- and
>     not Linux.  Anyone know?  I'm hoping this won't affect the brand-new
>     motherboard I just got that this drive would go into, but searches
>     have been inconclusive.  (New one is MSI K9N2G Neo-FD; an old one
>     that might get these drives later is an EPoX EP-9NPA3ULTRA which
>     -can't- get new a BIOS 'cause EpOX went under a year ago or so.)
Linux doesnt't really care if the BIOS can see the whole drive or not; if you want to boot off the disk make sure you use a small boot partition at the start of the disk; otherwise you should be fine as long as the bios doesn't crash when processing the disk.

Bye, Martin