Effy, more modern than 1996, I think.
But seriously, most if not all DMA-capable drives will totally ignore lowlevel formatting. The industry dropped this, not just because it wasn't needed any more because of improved electronics, but also because it was a quick way for a user to completely screw up his drive and demand an expensive replacement.
Edit: I'm a bit vague on the details when this happened though. Maybe someone could clarify?
