Tom’s Hardware’s preliminary hands-on with the 8TB Seagate FireCuda Forge recorded 1,127.69 MB/s read and 424.09 MB/s write in DiskBench, then 1,754.91 MB/s read and 1,307.74 MB/s write in CrystalDiskMark’s sequential test. The results come from Tom’s Hardware’s test configuration, not a finished review, and show why performance figures need to be tied to the workload that produced them.
What the FireCuda Forge combines
The FireCuda Forge pairs an 8TB or 20TB hard drive with an M.2 2280 NVMe SSD that the owner installs separately. Seagate describes its Alkemi technology as prioritizing frequently used data on the SSD while keeping less-active content on the hard drive. That is the intended division of labor; it does not make the SSD part of the drive’s included capacity.
Seagate specifies an SSD of up to 1TB, using PCIe Gen3 or later, with minimum sequential ratings of 2,400 MB/s read and 2,000 MB/s write; it recommends a model with DRAM cache. Tom’s Hardware’s reported test used the 8TB Forge with a 2TB FireCuda 530R PCIe 4.0 SSD. Seagate lists USB4 over USB-C and claims maximum sequential rates of 2,500 MB/s read and 2,000 MB/s write. The Seagate product page lists Windows 11 and macOS 26 or later as compatible.
How the 8TB model performed
Tom’s Hardware reported these results for its 8TB Forge configuration:
| Test | FireCuda Forge result |
| DiskBench, 50 GB read | 1,127.69 MB/s |
| DiskBench, 50 GB write | 424.09 MB/s |
| CrystalDiskMark sequential read | 1,754.91 MB/s |
| CrystalDiskMark sequential write | 1,307.74 MB/s |
| PCMark 10 Data Drive Score | 775 |
The Forge led the products shown in the CrystalDiskMark sequential read and write results. In DiskBench, it had the highest read result in the chart, but the SanDisk Desk Drive wrote faster at 533.9 MB/s. In PCMark 10, the Forge scored higher than the traditional hard drives shown and lower than the flash-based drives. These are separate workloads, not one all-purpose speed ranking.
A hybrid drive’s benchmark result is most useful when you know which task the test measured.
What the setup means for a buyer
The FireCuda Forge needs the separate SSD before it can operate. Seagate’s US listing displays prices of $699.99 for the 8TB model and $899.99 for the 20TB model; those listed prices do not include the SSD. The two capacities refer to the hard-drive base.
The unit also uses an external power adapter as well as its USB-C cable. In its test, Tom’s Hardware found the SSD-side edge became noticeably warm but not hot, and questioned the design for workloads running continuously for hours. That observation describes the review’s test, not a measured long-duration result.
Tom’s Hardware published its preliminary report on November 10, 2026, and said game-load testing and further work toward a full review remained to be done.
