It has been nearly half a year since the Thailand flood, and the production capacity of hard disk drives (HDDs) has recovered significantly, leading to a sharp drop in prices. Among all HDDs, the 2TB/7200 RPM series have seen the most significant price decrease. Before the Thailand flood, the lowest price for a 2TB/7200 RPM HDD was 940 yuan, but now it has dropped by over 100 yuan. As a result, the 2TB/7200 RPM HDD has become the most worthwhile HDD to purchase.
Seagate, Western Digital, and Hitachi all offer 2TB/7200 RPM HDDs. Seagate's latest generation Barracuda 2TB/7200 RPM HDD features sustained read/write speeds exceeding 150MB/s. There is also the previous generation XT 2TB/7200 RPM HDD with slightly over 110MB/s sustained read/write speed.
Hitachi’s 2TB/7200 RPM HDD uses four platters with single-platter 500GB technology, offering sustained read/write speeds slightly over 11MB/s, which is inferior to Seagate's new Barracuda 2TB/7200 RPM HDD. The previously popular Hitachi 2TB/5400 RPM Coolspin HDD did not make the list due to minimal price differences.
Western Digital offers both Green and Black versions of their 2TB/7200 RPM HDDs. Due to the high price and lackluster performance of the Black version, it is not included in this recommendation. Thus, Western Digital only has its 2TB Green HDD with sustained read/write speeds between 90-100MB/s at a much lower price, operating at 5400 RPM.
Below, I will introduce four 2TB HDDs available on the market, all of which have dropped to under 800 yuan.
Top Pick - Seagate New Barracuda 2TB priced at 800 yuan
The Seagate New Barracuda 2TB/7200 RPM HDD, also known as the "Barracuda One," has often led the way in price reductions for 2TB HDDs. This is because the new Barracuda HDD uses single-platter 1TB technology, reducing costs while maintaining superior performance, giving Seagate the confidence to lead the charge in HDD price drops.
Key Features:
1. 7200 RPM spindle speed, fast performance
2. Sustained read/write speed exceeding 150MB/s
3. Outstanding compatibility and stability
The Seagate New Barracuda 2TB/7200 RPM HDD utilizes the industry's highest storage density platter technology (625Gb/in²), along with OptiCache technology, significantly enhancing HDD performance. Its maximum read/write speed can reach up to 210MB/s, with sustained read/write speeds reaching 156MB/s.
The Seagate New Barracuda 2TB/7200 RPM HDD features a newly designed label that is narrow and has large, clear fonts. The label indicates the model number ST2000DM001 and firmware version CC46.
On the back of the Seagate New Barracuda 2TB/7200 RPM HDD, it incorporates AcuTrac servo technology, typically found in enterprise-level products, allowing for precise data access even on 75nm-wide tracks, thus improving the reliability and accuracy of the HDD.
The SATA 3.0 6Gbps interface optimizes the burst transfer speed of the new Barracuda HDD.
The Seagate New Barracuda 2TB/7200 RPM HDD features a SATA 3.0 6Gbps interface, 7200 RPM spindle speed, and up to 64MB DDR2 cache. Its dimensions are 146.99mm (length) x 101.6mm (width) x 26.1mm (height), adhering to the standard 3.5-inch specifications, with a weight of approximately 626 grams.
In practical testing, the actual performance of the HDD exceeded the modest official specifications. Its average read speed reached 161.8MB/s, and its maximum read speed surpassed 210MB/s. Due to the excellent performance of the Seagate New Barracuda 2TB/7200 RPM HDD, netizens affectionately refer to it as the "Barracuda One."
Commentary: The Seagate New Barracuda 2TB/7200 RPM HDD currently offers the best cost-performance ratio among mechanical HDDs, outperforming Western Digital and Hitachi's similar products while being priced similarly. Each GB costs only 0.395 yuan.
Seagate New Barracuda 2TB/7200 RPM HDD (ST2000DM001)
[Market Price] 790 yuan