Thinkpads Forum

hi,
just want to check out anyone is using Toshiba hard drive:
TOSHIBA MK8032GAX

how does this drive compare to HTS541040G9AT00 ?

I am using the 100GB Toshiba MK1032GAX.

Runs like a charm. Fantastic performance. It is much better than the 4200 Hitachi that I had before: its silent and fast.


I have a bit of a review here.

i am using this TOSHIBA MK8032GAX,
what have you done to it?
did upgrade its firmware or something else in order to further boost its performance?
another thing is that the spinning/rotational noise is audible compare to the Hitachi Travelstar 5400rpm HD.

I had an MK4026GAX in my 600E at one point. I know have a Hitachi 5k80. Both are 40gb, both 5400rpm. The Toshiba GAX has 16mb buffer, the Hitachi has 8mb.

I had about the same performance with both but the Hitachi seems to run significantly quieter and cooler. Both are pretty good hard drives though, just be careful if you have a Toshiba and make sure you don't have it in a situation where it'll overheat.

AlphaKilo470 wrote:...Toshiba and make sure you don't have it in a situation where it'll overheat.

oh are you facing overheat issue of your Toshiba hard disk?

Not normally. I once accidently left my 600E running overnight in a closed in corner with the Toshiba drive installed while XP SP2 was installing and the next morning whe I got up the drive had developed a few bad sectors from the heat. However, I was lucky enough that a chkdsk fixed it.

AlphaKilo470 wrote:... next morning whe I got up the drive had developed a few bad sectors from the heat. However, I was lucky enough that a chkdsk fixed it.

wow, overheating may cause to bad sector. it is terrible.
what is your HD temperature on that time?
summer ?

gunston wrote:i am using this TOSHIBA MK8032GAX,
what have you done to it?
did upgrade its firmware or something else in order to further boost its performance?
another thing is that the spinning/rotational noise is audible compare to the Hitachi Travelstar 5400rpm HD.

Absolutely nothing.

I bought and installed the drive in early Dec and it has been running like a dream ever since.

No firmware updates (which I don't even know how to do), no changes from the stock configuration with which I got it from the store. The T40p I have accepted it without a single complaint.

I have never had overheating issues but I also make a point of making sure that the heat vent to the left of the machine is never ever obstructed.

On the noise front, I think that I can't help with that. I have terrible hearing and have never had reason to complain about either this drive of the stock IBM 40gb Travelstar (Hitachi) that I had before. For the same reason, the fan does not bother me either although I can tell that it is pretty loud.

smugiri wrote:

gunston wrote:...For the same reason, the fan does not bother me either although I can tell that it is pretty loud.

hi, Just want to clarify here.
did you mention the Thinkpad fan noise or your current Toshiba spinning noise?

smugiri wrote:...For the same reason, the fan does not bother me either although I can tell that it is pretty loud.

hi, Just want to clarify here.
did you mention the Thinkpad fan noise or your current Toshiba spinning noise?

:::

I am using TOSHIBA MK4032GAX SATA.
No Heat or nosie problem so far.....!
16MB Cache is fast.....!

:::

gunston wrote:

smugiri wrote:...For the same reason, the fan does not bother me either although I can tell that it is pretty loud.

hi, Just want to clarify here.
did you mention the Thinkpad fan noise or your current Toshiba spinning noise?

As far as I can tell, the drive is silent but the laptop fan makes some noise. I have about 80% hearing in one ear and 50% in the other so although I can tell the fan noise is relatively loud, it does not bother me since my hearing is not that acute.