Seagate Unveils 2 Portable SSD Drives for Gamers, Power Users

(FireCuda Gaming SSD)

LAS VEGAS—Does your gaming laptop need a boost? Seagate is introducing two external SSD drives at CES that might fit the bill.

The FireCuda Gaming SSD will go on sale in March starting at $189 for the 500GB model. It's been built with the newer NVMe protocol to enable faster data transfer speeds over the drive's USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C port, which can deliver read speeds of up to 2000MB/second.

(FireCuda Gaming SSD)

But to take full advantage of the fast data transfer rate, you'll need a PC with a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 port. Otherwise, the speeds will be limited to whatever USB version your machine has. For reference, USB 3.1 (also known as USB 3.2 Gen 2) can attain speeds of 1250 MB/s. USB 3.0, on the other hand, is capable of 625 MB/s, which is still faster than a conventional 7200 RPM mechanical hard drive. (Real-world transfer speeds may vary though.)

Other perks of the FireCuda Gaming SSD include LED lighting, which the owner can customize to flash a wide range of different colors. If you need more storage, you can buy the 1TB model at $259 while the 2TB version will cost you $499.

(BarraCuda Fast SSD)

For consumers on a budget, Seagate is also preparing to release a more affordable external drive with a separate product called the BarraCuda Fast SSD. It'll launch in February at $94 for the 500GB model.

The product is cheaper because it uses the older SATA-based SSD technology for read/write speeds at 540 MB/s. It also swaps out the USB 3.2 Gen2x2 port for a slower USB 3.1 Type-C port, and nixes the customizable LED lighting for a single color: a neon green tint.

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The BarraCuda Fast SSD will be available in two other models: the 1TB version willl go for $169, while the 2TB version will cost $299.

Laptops often only have 128GB or 256GB SSDs on board, so the new products from Seagate will appeal to anyone looking for a convenient way to expand their PC's memory. Both external drives are small enough to fit in one hand, making them easy to transport.

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