The FireCuda 520 is followed by the FireCuda 530. The new SSD flagship from Seagate uses the well-known Phison E18 controller, but thanks to the new NAND, the SSD breaks records in the test course. According to the SLC mode, it describes the TLC-NAND z. B. with over 3 GB / s. Up to 4 TB and an optional cooler from EKWB are also available.
No small update of the 520
With the FireCuda 520 (test), Seagate had released its first PCIe 4.0 SSD and relied on the widespread platform with Phison E16 controller for up to 5,000 MB / s. The FireCuda 530 has switched to the much faster Phison E18 and Microns 176-layer TLC-NAND. The performance increases to a maximum of 7,300 MB / s for sequential read and 6,900 MB / s for sequential write. The 1 million IOPS mark should be reached for random read / write. This clearly targets the top field of consumer SSDs.
Up to 4 TB with or without a cooler from EKWB
There is also more model selection and storage space: The FireCuda 530 is offered with 500 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB or 4 TB and with or without a heat sink. The FireCuda 520 has a maximum of 2 TB and a cooler is only available in the limited Cyberpunk Edition.
The cooling solution comes from the manufacturer EK Water Blocks (EKWB), which is actually known for water cooling. Seagate speaks of a “solid, high-quality aluminum block with a finely structured surface for maximum cooling performance“. The photos show that no massive cooler and no cooling fins contribute to a significant increase in the surface area. Basically, it is a slightly thicker sheet of aluminum. Therefore, no miracles are to be expected in terms of cooling performance.
Seagate FireCuda 530 SSD
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The slim design, however, makes it easier to use when space is limited, for example in a notebook or to expand the memory of the PlayStation 5. At least the format is reminiscent of the optional cooler of the WD Black SN850. The cooling block of the Corsair MP600 Pro, on the other hand, is significantly thicker.
Phison E18 accelerated with Micron’s 176-layer NAND
The Phison E18 is already used in various SSDs such as the Corsair MP600 Pro (test) or the Mushkin Gamma (test). The combination with Micron’s 176-layer NAND alias Micron B47R delivers even more performance. The memory is also used in the Crucial P5 Plus (test), but in combination with a Micron controller.
The new Micron NAND supports a 1,600 MT / s fast NAND interface, but in the case of the FireCuda 530 only be connected with 1,200 MT / s. Accordingly, potential was still wasted here.
Test pattern in detail
Seagate provided the FireCuda 530 with 2 TB of storage space and a cooler for the test. The sample is equipped on both sides with a total of eight NAND packages (IA7BG94AYA), which in turn combine 256 GB storage capacity. In addition to the E18 controller, which in this case has the Seagate branding and identifier STXZY01049E0 two 1 GB DRAM chips from SK Hynix, which are of the type DDR4-2666 (H5AN8G6NCJR-VKC), are installed.
Seagate FireCuda 530 SSD
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Key data of the test sample
Equipment and prices at a glance
Seagate offers its three year warranty in addition to the usual five year warranty Rescue Data Recovery Services for data recovery in an emergency. It is advertised with a “95% success rate in rescuing data after unexpected data loss“.
As usual, the guarantee expires prematurely if a certain write volume (“Total Bytes Written”, TBW) is exceeded beforehand. In the case of the FireCuda 530, however, only prolific writers have to fear this, because the TBW of 640 TB, 1,275 TB, 2,550 TB and 5,100 TB for the models with 500 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB and 4 TB are significantly above average. For comparison: Samsung and Western Digital have only estimated 1,200 TB TBW for the 2 TB variants of the 980 Pro and WD Black SN850 series. At 2,550 TB, the value for the FireCuda 530 is more than twice as high.
The Phison E18 actually offers data encryption according to AES-256 standard, but Seagate does not make use of this feature.
With generous values for performance and warranty, the prices of the FireCuda 530 are set correspondingly high. Currently, the minimum prices in online retail for the version without a cooler are around 121 euros, 210 euros, 423 euros and 890 euros. With a cooler, the prices of the FireCuda 530 go up to 146 euros, 220 euros, 460 euros and 920 euros.
The price per GB is consistently more than 20 cents. Some of the top models of the competition are also available for well below 20 cents per GB.
On the next page: benchmarks, cache analysis and temperatures
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