Those well-versed in computer hardware know that there are two major technologies used for hard drives: SSD drives, which use solid-state memory for faster seek times, and HDD drives, which use platters for more storage at lower prices. There are also major advantages and disadvantages to each. Seagate has combined the advantages of both technologies into a single hybrid drive called the Seagate Momentus XT, and the result it impressive.

Many desktop users use their SSD drive for the operating system and other frequently used files, and an HDD for storing large files or those less frequently used. The Momentus XT emulates this setup within a single drive. It has solid-state memory for storing frequently-used files, and platters for storing less-used and larger files. This really provides the advantages of both drives. You get the speed of SSD and the cheaper, larger storage of HDD.

Some users might be disappointed to find that you can’t control what gets written to the flash memory and what gets written to the platters. This is by design, however. Essentially, the drive learns what data is accessed most often, and manages the data for you appropriately. While this does potentially provide less control for the user, it also makes it easier to use for those who want the speed benefits without the need to spend a lot of time tweaking.

Speed tests have shown the Momentus XT’s performance to be faster than even the fastest platter-based drives, while being just a bit slower than dedicated SSDs. In some tests, the Momentus XT was able to boot Windows 7 in around 15 seconds, compared to 49 seconds on a slow HDD.

Overall, the Seagate Momentus XT is one of the first hybrid drives on the market, and we are likely to see even more in the future. Combining the two technologies offers great benefits while still keeping prices much lower, which is a definite win for consumers.