Conclusion:

Most notebook computers include just one bay for a hard drive, so you obviously need your boot drive to also handle your storage needs. This has meant that you either had to compromise on performance or capacity when choosing between an SSD and a traditional hard drive. The Seagate Momentus XT hybrid drive is the solution to this problem.

While it is unfair to compare the Momentus XT to an SSD in terms of performance alone, incorporating a small (4GB) SSD in the Momentus XT does help it shine when compared to other traditional hard drives. Throughout the review the capabilities of the adaptive memory are obvious, with results increasing in many cases by 10% or more, and in one case all the way up to 167%.



If the price and performance of the Seagate Momentus XT don't grab your attention, maybe the price will. With an MSRP of $156 (US), the 500GB model costs less than most 60GB solid state drives. 500GB is also about the capacity limit of the solid state drives currently on the market, but their price tags of $1200 (US) or more don't make them a viable option for most people. The Momentus XT offers an excellent balance of performance, capacity, and price.

If you like the idea of the Momentus XT, but don't need a 500GB unit, they will also be available with capacities of 320GB and 250GB. Look for the 320GB unit to cost about $132, and for the 250GB unit to cost about $113.

In the end, the Seagate Momentus XT 500GB hybrid drive earns the Bigbruin.com "Recommended" and "Great Idea" awards. The "Recommended" award is for what it can do in terms of performance (when compared to other hard drives) and in terms of price and capacity (when compared to SSDs). The "Great Idea" award is even easier to justify, since this really is something exciting. I look forward to seeing more offerings in this product line, and hope that they can finesse even greater performance out future hybrid drives!



Pros:

» If you have just one drive slot, this may be the drive to have
» Excellent balance of performance, capacity, and price
» High performance drive before adding a 4GB SSD: 7200RPM, SATA 3 Gbps, 32MB cache
» Adaptive memory can provide significant performance boost for common tasks
» 5-year warranty
» Capacity that SSDs can't touch without costing a fortune
   » 60GB MLC SSD costs about the same as the 500GB Momentus XT
   » 500GB MLC SSD will set you back $1200, or more

Cons:

» Far more expensive than other 500GB, 7200RPM 2.5" drives
» High access times

Please drop by the Bigbruin.com Forum and feel free to post any comments or questions.