Seagate introduced new products at this year’s CES in Las Vegas. Among other things, the electronics expert has special SSDs for gamers in the pipeline. These not only offer fast operating speeds, but are also intended to be a visual eye-catcher. The FireCuda and BarraCuda are equipped with separate RGB lighting.
Technical details
The two new external SSDs are slightly different from each other. While the FireCuda Gaming SSD was equipped with an NVMe SSD, Seagate relies on classic SATA for the BarraCuda Fast SSD. Both hard drives have been equipped with a modern USB-C port. This should allow a connection with all classic target devices.
FireCuda offers fast data transfer
The FireCuda is the much faster of the two new hard disks. Thus it offers support for USB 3.2 Gen 2×2. This theoretically allows transfer speeds of up to 20 Gbit/s. In the end, however, currently only actual data transfer rates of up to 2000 Mbit/s can be achieved. The older the USB standard is, the slower the data transfer is. For example, only 1000 Mbps is possible with USB 3.1 and 500 Mbps with USB 3.0.
Great design
According to Seagate, the FireCuda is a custom external hard drive for gamers. There is a notch on the case of the hard disk, which offers space for the appropriate RGB lighting. This gives the external hard disk a classic gaming look and makes it an eye-catcher. The user can adjust the lighting settings via software.
Memory sizes
The FireCuda is supposed to be available in different memory sizes. So the prospective customer has the choice between 500 GB, 1 TB and 2 TB. The hard disk won’t take up too much space. With the dimensions of 104 mm x 10 mm x 53 mm, almost every gaming setup will probably be able to offer enough space for the FireCuda. Seagate hasn’t yet commented on the prices in Europe, though. Only the prices for the US market are known. The FireCuda is said to cost 190 USD (500 GB), 260 USD (1 TB) or 500 USD (2 TB).
The suitable addition to the FireCuda Gaming Dock
Seagate has expanded its gaming portfolio with its new external SSDs. The manufacturer recently introduced the FireCuda Gaming Dock. This is an external storage (4 TB) especially for games. It also offers RGB lighting. According to the company, a synchronization of the two storage media should be possible without problems.
BarraCuda Fast SSD
Besides the FireCuda, Seagate also introduced the BarraCuda. This is also supposed to come on the market in the memory sizes 500 GB, 1 TB as well as 2 TB. However, it works a lot slower. Thus the BarraCuda allows a maximum transfer rate of 540 MB/s according to Seagate. The BarraCuda Fast SSD is the successor of Seagate’s popular Fast SSD. The manufacturer also makes this visually recognizable. Thus, instead of a silver design, the successor is given a discreet matt black on its upper side. Furthermore, the BarraCuda, as well as the FireCuda, offers a respectable RGB lighting. In contrast to the TOP model, there are no adjustment possibilities here. The external hard disk always glows in a green tone.
Prices and availability unknown
To enable the SSD to communicate with all conceivable target devices, Seagate includes the appropriate cables. Thus, the scope of delivery should include not only a USB-C cable, but also a USB-C to USB-A cable. As with the FireCuda, no prices have been leaked for the German market for the BarraCuda. However, a look at the US market can also help to make estimates. There the BarraCuda costs 95 USD (500 GB), 170 USD (1 TB) and 300 USD (2 TB).
