OT:sync,redhat6.0 and hard disk controllers..

[arni en caip.rutgers.edu]

Hi, (PLease respond to me directly as I am not on the mailing list) I
posted this question on the redhat and the linux-admin mailing list,no
response and that is why I am bother you folks.. 

I have two machines..both with redhat 6.0 stock kernel..one is a dell
machine and the other an assembled machine.. Now when I type sync on the
DELL machine the sync returns almost immediately but the same when I type
sync in the assembled machine..it takes a long time, a very long time to
return..I can hear the hard disk whir like crazy...the flushing actually
takes place ONLY when I type sync... 

Why is this..is this bcos I have somecheaper hard
disk/controllers...I normally would not bother but in cases when the
system is rebooted byforce I lose a lot of work in the assembled machine
but in the DELL machine..things are not that bad..Is this some kind of a
hardware problem ?? If so how can I fix it?? This is not an isloated
case..it happened many times and on many machines.. 

Pls help as this problem is turning out to be really frustrating!! 

TIA, Arni


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