Solid-state drives are at one of their best moments, but we can't deny that higher-capacity models remain prohibitively expensive. Once again, the traditional hard drive comes to the rescue with a far superior “dollar per gigabyte” value. That brings us to Seagate's latest announcement: the BarraCuda ST5000, the first 2.5-inch hard drive to offer a staggering 5 terabytes.
With decreasing costs and the advancement of ultraportable computers and 2-in-1 hybrids, solid-state technology already holds a privileged place in the market. We see several examples with certain Chromebooks, whose SSDs are relatively easy to upgrade if the user wishes, and a similar situation repeats in low-cost laptops with Windows 10 preinstalled. 32 gigabytes may seem little, but Microsoft's operating system applies several tricks to keep space demands in check. Now, what about advanced laptops or AIO computers? While they could adopt an SSD, the demand might be much greater in those cases. That's when offers like Seagate's come into play, with its new BarraCuda ST5000.
In simple terms, what Seagate achieved here is placing five terabytes of capacity in 2.5 inches. In January of this year, the company confirmed that it had developed the first one-terabyte platter for that format, and it can already be found in action through the ST3000 and ST4000 models. The big difference is that the new member of the BarraCuda family will be available with thicknesses of 7mm and 15mm, therefore turning the BarraCuda ST5000 into a good candidate for AIOs, all types of laptops, desktop systems with adapters, and external USB enclosures.
In parallel to this announcement, Seagate revealed that the FireCuda series will have a new 2.5-inch member with 2TB capacity and an 8GB Flash module that increases its speed. Seagate has been exploring hybrid designs for a long time, but this time it has implemented additional firmware optimizations that will enable the FireCuda ST2000 to perform more efficient swapping without sacrificing performance. The warranty for the BarraCuda ST5000 is two years, while for the FireCuda ST2000 it extends to five years. As for prices, we find $235 for the BarraCuda and $120 for the FireCuda.
