INTRODUCTION

   Whenever we receive one of the latest HDD models to hit the market with the highest storage capacity available i always think back to the time when even 380MB models were more than enough to cover all our needs. The arrival of optical drives (CDs followed by DVDs and Blu-Rays later on) and of course the internet changed all that so thanks to several technological advancements today many people around the world enjoy speeds that allow them to download hundreds of GB per day. Unfortunately this also means that people can max out a 2TB hard disk drive inside under a week so such fast download speeds may be very useful and even impressive at times but are also actually a double edged sword due to high storage demands. Seagate recently launched their brand new Guardian line of HDDs and after the NAS oriented IronWolf 10TB model today we'll be taking a very thorough look at the BarraCuda Pro 10TB one.

   Founded in 1979, Seagate is the leading provider of hard drives and storage solutions. From the videos, music and documents we share with friends and family on social networks, to servers that form the backbone of enterprise data centers and cloud-based computing, to desktop and notebook computers that fuel our personal productivity, Seagate products help more people store, share and protect their valuable digital content. Seagate offers the industry’s broadest portfolio of hard disk drives, solid-state drives and solid-state hybrid drives. In addition, the company offers an extensive line of retail storage products for consumers and small businesses, along with data-recovery services for any brand of hard drive and digital media type. Seagate employs more than 50,000 people around the world.

   Although currently only available in 6/8/10TB capacities (only the base BarraCuda model is available in 500GB/1/2/3/4TB capacities) just like the IronWolf 10TB model the new BarraCuda Pro 10TB HDD is a Helium (due to its density Helium allows for thinner platters and reduced motor power) based drive which uses a combination of 7-platters that spin at a rotational speed of 7200RPM and 256MB of cache. Seagate has also implemented their multi-tier caching technology (MTC Technology) to boost random write performance, PowerChoice technology for power savings and has chosen to use Perpendicular Magnetic Recording (PMR) instead of the usual Shingled Magnetic Recording (SMR) technology which we've seen quite a lot lately (probably for increased write performance). As far as numbers go Seagate covers the BarraCuda Pro 10TB with a 5-year limited warranty and reports that the drive uses up to only 6.8W while in operation, can achieve 220MB/s of sustained data transfer rate (although on the specs sheet Seagate states 210MB/s) and has an endurance rating of up to 300TB per year or 820GB per day at 24x7 usage (the drive also has a reported MTBF of 1 million hours).