The Deskstar 75GXP family should be no unfamiliar name to those reading this post, the 40GV family being the 5,400 RPM counterpart IBM released at the same time. These would be IBM’s last effort in the 5,400 RPM market, which would not return as a feature in Hitachi’s drive line-up until a few years later.
NEC, being a contractor for IBM-designed drives at the time, were allowed to produce the 40GV series in a small array of different capacities. This particular drive is fairly mid-range, being a 30GB variant. Unfortunately, as IBM’s reliability at the time often proved a point of, this one is toast. Looking inside should be no issue!
Drive Attributes ------------------------------------- NEC Deskstar 40GV DTLA-305030 ------------------------------------- Capacity 30.7GB Mfc Date 2000-05 Interface PATA Platters 2 Heads 3 RPM 5400 Protocol Ultra-ATA/100 Origin Philippines (NEC) -------------------------------------
This drive has two platters with three heads, the top head being reserved for the more expensive 40GB variant. Each platter surface holds 10.175GB, with a total platter capacity of 20.35GB.
One may see this drive and think it was just a rebranded IBM, like a standard OEM drive, but these are quite a bit more special.
This drive was produced in the Philippines, in NEC’s brand new factory established in the country in 1999. Tsukiden Electronics Industries, Inc. (TEII) were the previous main subcontractor NEC used in the country up until 1997, ending original design production with the DSE series, as previously shown off with the DSE1700A. Drives NEC produced between 1997 and 1999 were subcontracted to Laguna Electronics Inc. (LEI), a subsidiary of TEII, but not the main production hub as before.
This drive uses NEC’s long-favourite spindle motor supplier, PM DM-T. IBM often used a miriad of different suppliers, PM DM-T included, but NEC certainly stuck to who they knew best.
The PCB is nothing special, holding the same custom IBM IC’s a standard 40GV would hold. The spindle motor controller is once again provided by Hitachi, which is a common sight on IBM drives of this era.
Nothing inside shows any special connections to NEC, being an IBM design, but this drive has unfortunately suffered from a bent head on the parking-ramp. Presumably this occured during an unload cycle, but physical damage is most certainly a possibility with this one.
The top head on this drive is totalled. An unfortunate end for a drive in IBM’s last 5,400 RPM line, alongside being an interesting model produced by NEC.
And so, another 40GV bites the dust.
If you missed the video I made on this drive, you can find it here: