Seagate: Momentus XT hybrid SSD-HDD drive is 70% faster

Seagate began shipping its next-generation hybrid drive on Tuesday, the Momentus XT, which Seagate claims is three times faster than a "traditional" hard disk.

The drive, which combines solid-state storage with a traditional rotating hard disk, holds 750GB of data and caches 8GB of data on the built-in SSD. It builds on the original Momentus XT, which was awarded with an Editors' Choice, adding the 6 Gbps SATA interface that was one of the original's weak points.

Seagate claimed that the new Momentus XT drive is nearly 70 percent faster than the prior Momentus drive version. It uses adaptive memory—moving frequently used data to the SSD cache—and a related technology that Seagate calls FAST Factor.

Consumers can buy the 2.5-inch drive for $102 at Amazon, Canada Computers, CDW, Memory Express, NCIX, Newegg, and TigerDirect, or buy an OEM notebook with a built-in drive. Seagate said it had six OEM partners, but didn't name them. It's also difficult to say whether the drive's availability and price will be affected by the Thai floods, which has caused evidence of price gouging, even as Seagate's outlook has slightly improved.

The appeal of a hybrid hard drive is that it offers the combination of a relatively high capacity point alongside the speed of a solid-state disc. To match it, consumers have had to pay extra for a pure SSD, or turn to a high-speed 10,000-RPM disc drive. Seagate itself tipped the evolution of the high-end rotating drive into an SSD with its recent announcement that it would streamline its Barracuda line. At the high end, the XT line will be converted into an SSD, Seagate said.

"Laptop users want faster access to all of their content, from gaming, music and video to spreadsheets and documents, creating strong demand for the highest performance," said Scott Horn, vice president of worldwide marketing at Seagate, in a statement. "Seagate is excited to answer this need with a second-generation Momentus® XT drive that delivers solid state drive (SSD) speed, greater storage capacity and easy installation at an affordable price."

This article, written by Mark Hachman, originally appeared on PCMag.com and is republished on Gear Live with the permission of Ziff Davis, Inc.