On Test: Seagate Momentus XT, First Ever Hybrid Hard Drive with SSD

Seagate's Momentus XT is finally here.  It's the first hybrid storage device to combine a conventional hard drive with SSD flash memory.

We were lucky enough to test what is currently the largest available version, which has 500 GB, but the Momentous XT also comes in 250 GB and 320 GB versions.  They all use a 3 Gbps SATA-2 interface, have 32 MB of cache and come in the 2.5'' format allowing them to fit into a laptop or desktop PC.  The hard drives spin at 7200 rpm, but the most interesting element is the 4 GB of flash memory that makes these drives hybrid devices.  The SLC type memory should have a better lifespan than the MLC found in other SSDs.

> Test: Seagate Momentus XT 500 GB

> Reviews: Internal Hard Drives