When you are considering purchasing a new hard drive, you will come across the most popular brands – Seagate and WD. These two brands have different series of hard drives. For example, Seagate has IronWolf, BarraCuda, and FireCuda while WD has Blue, Black, Green, and Red.
Out of these series, Seagate BarraCuda and WD Blue are the best-sellers. That is why we will compare Seagate BarraCuda and WD Blue so that you can understand the differences and choose the best one easily.
About Seagate BarraCuda
Seagate almost had a monopoly in the hard drive industry in terms of popularity before WD established itself as a big competitor. Coming specifically to the BarraCuda series, there are different capacities of hard drives available to cater to all the requirements of buyers. In fact, Seagate BarraCuda HDD is the first HDD launched in the market with 7200 RPM. Due to relatively higher cache capacity and multi-tier caching technology, Seagate BarraCuda is quite popular among gamers.
Specifications
Storage Capacity: from 250 GB to 14 TB.
Form Factor: 3.5-inch to 5-inch
Speed: 550mbps read speed and 520mbps write speed.
RPM: 5400 to 7200.
Cache: 256MB.
Interface: SATA 6gbps.
Warranty: 2 years.
Pros
- Faster performance.
- Superior multi-tier caching.
- Wide range of capacities.
- Superior build quality.
- Designed for heavy-duty load.
Cons
- Relatively expensive.
- Inconsistent performance reported.
About WD Blue
The series “Blue” is named after the color of its casing. WD Blue HDD is one of the most affordable hard drives available in the market without compromise in quality. WD Blue offers more safety as there is a dedicated data recovery option. Another exceptional feature is the ability to clone the entire hard disk starting from the operating system and settings to applications on another hard drive.
Specifications
Storage Capacity: from 500 GB to 6 TB.
Form Factor: 3.5-inch.
Speed: 550mbps read speed and 520mbps write speed.
RPM: 5400 to 7200.
Cache: 64MB.
Interface: SATA 6gbps.
Warranty: 2 years.
Pros
- Affordable pricing.
- Superior technology.
- Suitable for regular uses.
- Great performance.
- Super easy to set up.
Cons
- Limited cache capacity.
- Performance is relatively slow.
Comparison Table – Seagate BarraCuda and WD Blue
| Parameters | Seagate BarraCuda | WD Blue |
| Storage Capacity | 250GB to 14TB | 500GB to 6TB |
| Cache Capacity | 256 MB | 64 MB |
| Performance | Faster but inconsistent | Slightly slow but consistent |
| Form Factor | 3.5 and 5 inches | 3.5 inches |
| Technology | Multi-tier cache | 3D NAND |
| Noise | Low | High |
| OS Compatibility | All computer OS | All computer OS |
| Warranty | 2 years | 2 years |
Features of Seagate BarraCuda
1. Structure
Coming to its design first, it has a metal cover without any color paint. There are more platters available to enhance air resistance. The build quality is super sturdy and this ensures high withdrawing power against any bad handling. This is suitable for desktop computers and you can consider it as a low-profile HDD. The bulkiness of the hard drive is less in comparison to competitors.
2. Performance
Performance is a strong point for Seagate BarraCuda. It has been found to have superfast speed and it delivers consistent performance. The availability of cache capacity and the use of multi-tier cache technology make the hard drive have enhanced performance. However, some have reported inconsistent writing speed.
3. Pricing
The pricing of Seagate BarraCuda is on the higher side in comparison to its competitors. However, there is a wider range of storage capacities available to pick from as per your budget and requirements. BarraCuda comes with two years of limited warranty with recovery service.
Features of WD Blue
1. Structure
Starting from its design, WD Blue has a regular blue cover that is visually attractive. The metal case makes it strong but bulky. It is only suitable for desktop computers. If you want to use it for a laptop, you will need an enclosure. The structure ensures easy setup and you can connect it to the power cord and a compatible SATA connector to get started.
2. Performance
The performance of a hard drive is not measured by its read and write speed only. It is determined by the consistency of maintenance of speed and serving requests especially when it is under pressure due to frequent usages. However, performance is not a strong point for WD Blue.
It has been found that the performance lags behind under pressure. Even though WD Blue uses NAND technology for better performance, it is not very suitable for heavy-duty usage. It uses Acronis True Image software that you can use to clone the hard drive.
3. Pricing
The pricing is a strong point for WD Blue. The hard drives have affordable price tags. The price range varies from $50 to $130 in the online market. You get two years of limited warranty for all WD Blue hard drives.
Comparison Between Seagate BarraCuda and WD Blue
Here are the main points of differences that you need to check out and decide which one is best for you.
1. Storage
Seagate BarraCuda offers a wider range of storage capacities in comparison to WD Blue. BarraCuda starts from 250 GB while WD Blue starts from 500 GB. BarraCuda has HDD up to 14TB while WD Blue has HDD up to 8TB. Therefore, Seagate caters to a wider demand from the buyers and is suitable for all applications.
Winner – Seagate BarraCuda
2. Reliability
Seagate BarraCuda has a sturdier structure than WD Blue. The reliability depends on the lifespan of the hard drive. The lifespan depends on terabytes written on the hard drive. Seagate BarraCuda offers higher terabytes written value than WD Blue. However, WD Blue offers better data recovery and better internal construction with no-touch ramp technology.
Winner – WD Blue
3. Speed and Performance
The speed of a hard drive is measured by read and write speed. Both Seagate BarraCuda and WD Blue have the same read and write speed. The speed is also measured by rotation per minute and for a given capacity, both of them have the same RPM.
Therefore, it comes down to cache management and consistency. Seagate BarraCuda has more cache capacity and hence, it can perform better under pressure. Moreover, it has been found that Seagate BarraCuda offers better consistency in performance especially under heavy-duty pressure works.
Winner – Seagate BarraCuda
4. Design
Seagate BarraCuda comes in two different form factors while WD Blue has only one. Seagate BarraCuda has thinner and lightweight structure in comparison to WD Blue. Most users think that Seagate BarraCuda has a better design than WD Blue. Both the designs are suitable for desktop computers though Seagate BarraCuda has minimalist design.
Winner – Seagate BarraCuda
5. Technology
Seagate BarraCuda is technologically advanced and it comes with multi-tier caching technology for enhanced performance. It also comes with DiscWizard software for instant setup and formatting. On the contrary, WD Blue has a straightforward setup and hence, no external software is required. It comes with Acronis True Image software for better cloning. Therefore, there is no clear winner and it depends on your requirements.
Winner – Both.
Conclusion
We have done a thorough comparison between the Seagate BarraCuda and WD Blue series of hard drives. You can find out the specifications and features along with detailed comparison. You can clearly understand the strengths and weaknesses of the hard drives and decide which one is better for you.
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