Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 9

Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 9 Model Number Capacity 6Y060x0 60 GB 6Y080x0 80 GB 6Y120x0 120 GB 6Y160x0 160 GB 6Y200x0 200 GB Lowest Real-Time Price: Introduction When they originally announced the DiamondMax Plus 9 (along with the Plus 8, DiamondMax 16, and Fireball 3) back in September, Maxtor trumpeted the fact that it would be the first firm to deploy 80-gigabyte platters across its entire ATA drive line. Surely enough, DM+9s trickled into the channel about a month later. Interestingly, however, there were indications that these drives in fact did not incorporate 80/GB platters as Maxtor initially indicated.

In perhaps the surest sign yet that formerly inexorable increases in areal density are slowing, Maxtor quietly backed away from the 80 GB spec. The platters, and perhaps more importantly the supporting parts necessary to extract data so closely packed together, have been experiencing unusually low yields. As a result, Maxtor pushed the Plus 9 to market incorporating 60- and 68- in addition to the 80-gigabyte per platter disks. Though various members of the family feature differing platter densities and hence differing transfer rates and access times, Maxtor claims that all three densities will yield similar performance.

The DM+9, just as all other DiamondMax Pluses, incorporates a 7200 RPM spindle speed. Maxtor specifies an average read seek times of 9.4 milliseconds. The family as a whole incorporates a bewildering amount of options. In addition to platter densities, the drives come equipped with either ball bearing or the newer and quieter fluid dynamic bearing motors. Buffer size may be either 2 or 8 megabytes. Maxtor offers DM+9's in a boxed retail package under the "Ultra" moniker, which come equipped with FDB motors and an 8-megabyte buffer. Those users ordering bare units from specialty resellers should, however, double check to ensure that they know exactly what kind of drive they should expect to receive.

Succeeding the DiamondMax D740X, the DM+9 is Maxtor's entry into the high-performance desktop drive arena. Currently, the drive comes in the traditional parallel ATA format with an ATA-133 interface. Maxtor eventually plans to offer Serial ATA versions of the drive. SR has received varying reports from readers regarding Maxtor's current warranty policy. According to the manufacturer itself, however, all DM+9s are backed by a one-year warranty. Maxtor is rolling out a separate line, the Maxline Plus, that incorporates similar mechanics but is backed by a longer three-year policy.

In an effort to gauge the performance differences (or lack thereof) that one may expect from the DM+9's three different areal densities, we have decided to run our tests 160 GB units rather than the 200 GB flagship. The 160 GB capacity point is one that will be fulfilled by the use of 60, 68, and 80 GB disks. While just two 80-gig platters can yield 160 gigabytes, it takes three 60- or 66-gig platters to reach the same capacity. Hence, Maxtor has "short stroked" its three-platter 160 GB DM+9s: the last 20 GB on the 60 GB/platter model and the last 44 GB on the 68 GB/platter unit have effectively been disabled.

We have little doubt that Maxtor will eventually reach a point after which all DM+9s will ship with 80 GB platters. Unfortunately, we cannot present to readers an easy way to discern what kind of configuration they may expect when purchasing one today. Maxtor, like Western Digital, is moving away from discrete platter densities within a given family. The firm states that fierce competition and the resulting razor-thin margins have forced it to adopt this strategy.