Seagate Expands External Flash Storage Lineup with FireCuda Gaming SSD and BarraCuda Fast SSD

Late last year, Seagate had launched the FireCuda Gaming Dock, a 4TB external hard drive / Thunderbolt 3 dock with a Titan Ridge controller. It stood out in the Thunderbolt 3 peripheral market for two different aspects - a number of USB 3.2 Gen 2 10 Gbps ports, and a PCIe 3.0 x4 M.2 NVMe SSD slot inside the dock. At CES 2020, Seagate is further expanding their external storage solution set for gamers with the FireCuda Gaming SSD. Equipped with a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 bridge chip and a FireCuda NVMe 510 SSD inside, the external SSD can reach speeds of up to 2000 MBps. The design of the chassis is similar to that of the FireCuda Gaming Dock, as seen above. It also brings in the option of controllable RGB lighting with the Seagate Toolkit.

The FireCuda Gaming SSD will be available in 500GB ($190), 1TB ($260), and 2TB ($500) capacities in March. The product will be going against the WD_BLACK P50 which is already available in retail for $180, $250, and $500 for the same capacity points. It must be noted that USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 host ports are not currently widespread yet, and hence, Seagate is not losing much by delaying its entry into that market segment.

The new Seagate BarraCuda Fast SSD is a follow-up to the Seagate Fast SSD that we reviewed in late 2018. Even though it wasn't explicitly mentioned, we believe that the new BarraCuda Fast SSD uses newer 96L 3D NAND while retaining the same SATA SSD controller and USB 3.2 Gen 2 bridge chip. Rated speeds remain the same at up to 540 MBps, but the pricing is down to $95, $170, and $300 for the 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB capacity points.