This is a great hybrid drive particularly for labtops, consoles, or devices with limited space (i.e. 1 slot). It has small cache to work with (8gb nand). 8gb is adequate to run 90% of operation. It has an algorithm to determine file usage and sends frequently accessed ones to the 8 gb cache (that's the fast acting portion on the drive). At first you may notice it being slow but as you continue doing your routine on your device it will get faster over time. So great value that will give pseudo-like SSD speeds while providing plenty of space to work with.
I installed this 1TB Firecuda on my non-gaming labtop (it has onboard GFX card -- very weak or irrelevant for gaming performance). I am actually not sure why I would need 1 TB here to be honest but I am happy to have that drive space. Just in case (that's my hoarding voice speaking). Also, I installed the 2TB version on both PS4 and Xbox One S (the latter of which was very difficult to implement as if deliberate on the part of Microsoft -- nonetheless successful). I am very happy with all three. I did notice the XBox One S boots up relatively slower as compared to PS4 so not sure why. But given the number of games I have and my refusal to attach an external HDD in the living room this 2 TB Firecuda was a must. It's in a category of its own as I don't see any alternatives except SSD.. but the pricing is so outrageous at this point in time that I strongly recommend the 2TB Firecuda for gaming consoles. You can get 500gb SSD but as games can be 50-100Gb each you would have to be complacent with a smaller library to work with. Personally, I just like to leave anything I downloaded on the drive and not delete anything so I prefer the 2TB space even at the expense of speed.
Between Firecuda vs 2.5" 7200 rpm drives.. for devices with small space heating does become an issue for longevity. The hybrid drive addresses the heating by using the 5400 rpm (less heat) than the 7200 rpm (more heat, shorter lifespan). So that's also a tipping point for me in choosing between this and a 7200 rpm drive. But between Firecuda and SSD.. I would choose SSD if only at the right price. SSD just isn't quite at the right value for me yet so the next best device is the firecuda.
In short, if you don't care about money at all and just want pure performance you have to go for pure SSD. If you wanted to update an old labtop or grant larger space on a gaming console (including PS4 or Xbox One S).. the Firecuda 1TB or 2TB provides the best bang for your buck with no equals in terms of price/performance ratio.
| Hard Drive | 1 TB Hybrid Drive |
|---|---|
| Number of USB 2.0 Ports | 1 |
