Seagate BarraCuda 8TB 3.5-inch Internal Hard Drive: specs and who it suits

The Seagate BarraCuda 8TB is an internal 3.5-inch hard disk drive for desktop computers. Hard drives keep data on spinning magnetic platters, which makes them a good fit for large libraries of files such as videos, photos, music and backups. Here is what the specs mean and where this drive fits in a PC.

What 8TB makes possible

Eight terabytes is a lot of room: in general, enough for tens of thousands of photos, many hours of high-resolution video and a large game collection at the same time. Seagate positions the BarraCuda line for designers, musicians, photographers and video editors who work with many applications and large files, as well as for gaming PCs and general desktops.

5400 RPM, cache and transfer rate

The drive spins at 5400 RPM and has a 256MB cache. Spin speed affects how quickly the heads reach data and how fast it streams off the platter, while the cache holds recently used data in fast memory. Seagate lists a sustained transfer rate of around 190 MB/s at the outer diameter of the disk, where hard drives are fastest. Speeds typically fall toward the inner tracks. This is much slower than a solid state drive, so a hard drive is usually chosen for bulk storage rather than as the system drive that holds the operating system.

SATA connection and form factor

The drive uses a SATA 6 Gb/s interface and the 3.5-inch size used in desktop bays. It is not designed for most laptops, which take smaller 2.5-inch drives. The listing gives dimensions of about 5.8 x 4.0 x 1.0 inches and a weight of 1.5 lb. Seagate also calls it a "go to" SATA hard drive for nearly every PC application, from music to video, photo editing and gaming.

What comes in the package

The listing says this is Frustration Free Packaging: an anti-static bag with no box and no cables. You will need your own SATA data cable and a SATA power connector from your power supply. Seagate lists 20 years of innovation behind the BarraCuda line.

Who it suits

It suits desktop owners who need lots of space for media, backups or archives, people pairing a small fast SSD for the system with a big hard drive for storage, and anyone replacing a full older drive. It is less suited to uses that need fast random access, such as running the operating system or editing directly from the disk with heavy effects.

What to check before you buy

• Bay and connectors: confirm a free 3.5-inch bay, a SATA data port and a SATA power lead.
• Cables: buy a SATA cable if your motherboard did not come with a spare.
• Speed: a 5400 RPM drive is slower than an SSD, so decide what will live on it.
• Backups: any single drive can fail, so keep important files in a second place.
• Handling: keep the drive in its anti-static bag until you install it, and handle it gently.
• Model details: the listing shows two model numbers (ST8000DM004 and ST8000DMZ04), so match the one you need with Seagate's information.

The short version

• An 8TB internal 3.5-inch SATA hard drive for desktop PCs.
• 5400 RPM, 256MB cache and a sustained transfer rate of around 190 MB/s.
• Supplied in an anti-static bag without a box or cables.
• Best as bulk storage rather than as a system drive.

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