Is the Seagate BarraCuda a good buy?
As cheap secondary storage, yes; for a NAS or RAID, no. BarraCuda is Seagate's desktop line: inexpensive 3.5-inch drives from 1TB to 8TB (plus 2.5-inch laptop models) with a 2-year warranty. It is fine for game libraries, media and general files where cost per terabyte beats speed.
Crucially, several BarraCuda capacities use shingled (SMR) recording, which is poor for arrays.
The SMR warning
- Do not use BarraCuda in a NAS or RAID array; SMR makes rebuilds extremely slow. Use IronWolf or WD Red Plus for that.
- As a single desktop data drive, SMR is rarely noticeable and BarraCuda is good value.
- For a boot drive, buy an SSD instead; keep the BarraCuda for bulk storage.
Capacities and use
| Capacity | Typical use | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1TB to 2TB | Extra desktop storage | Some models SMR |
| 4TB to 8TB | Media and game libraries | Cheap per TB |
Pros, cons and the bottom line
Bottom line: buy a BarraCuda as a cheap secondary drive in a desktop. For a NAS, RAID or a boot drive, choose a NAS drive or an SSD instead.
- Pros: low price per terabyte, widely available, fine for desktops.
- Cons: SMR on many models, short 2-year warranty, not for NAS or RAID.