Best hard drive (HDD) for gaming in 2022: reviews & our top picks
They'll be spinning rapidly to keep your data flowing
While it may seem redundant to some, there are still budget-focused PC builders that search for the best hard drive (HDD) for gaming. They don’t offer the same read and write speeds as their newer SSD counterpart or the same acoustic performance but they are incredibly affordable and reliable. This makes the best HDDs a viable option for many where speed isn’t the main priority in certain games and where you have a lot of media files/ data that needs to be stored or backed up.
In the following article, we have chosen five of the best HDDs available, catering to all needs and situations leaving no stone unturned. They range from Hybrid storage solutions to budget options with sizes varying from 500GB up to 14TB!
Without further ado let’s take a closer look.
Our Top Picks
In-depth Review
Seagate FireCuda (2TB)
Seagate FireCuda (2TB)
The Seagate Firecuda (2TB) takes our number one position in the best HDD for gaming list and for good reason… Not only does it have the hybrid technology many have come to love, but it also slots perfectly into your laptops and consoles if you require a capacity boost.
This 2.5-inch SSHD storage device may look like an ordinary mechanical hard drive but under the hood is something very different…
This is a hybrid hard drive that boasts much faster read and write speeds than your ordinary HDD’s – thanks to the 8GB NAND solid-state memory. It’s essentially a type of flash memory that could access speeds faster than regular hard drives.
It’s what makes it the best 2TB HDD for gaming and set’s it apart from the rest of the hard drives you’ve probably been looking at.
However this being said, it still doesn’t land a blow on the performance stats of SSD devices which are widely considered the new GO TO storage solution for gamers. It does however boast a much larger storage capacity than SSD at a much more affordable price.
We highly recommend you get this if you want faster boot and loading times on top of pure, raw storage space. Moreover, we also recommend this if you record videos and store large media files (4k films) on the sides.
If you think 2TB of SSHD storage is too much for what you really need, fret not as we have a number of different sized candidates yet to come.
Seagate Barracuda (3TB)
Seagate Barracuda (3TB)
Out of the 12 hard drives that we tested, we already anticipated that the Seagate Barracuda (3TB) was going to be one of the best HDD solutions on our list. But after doing the benchmarks and tests, we’re we extremely surprised to see what this HDD had to offer under the hood.
Here’s why:
The 2TB Seagate FireCuda may be 231% faster when it comes to 4K random write speeds but the 3TB Seagate Barracuda is still 10% faster in terms of real-world speed.
The 3TB storage capacity allows you to store a huge amount of modern games in your library. In fact, this is capable of holding all the games you could possibly have in your drive right now and still has enough room left to accommodate more.
A word that you need to keep in mind though is that this won’t fit in laptops and consoles since this is a 3.5-inch HDD. However, if that isn’t one of your goals then consider this the perfect all-round solution for you.
If you’re on the hunt for an HDD that you could fit on your laptop or console then our main choice would certainly be the Firecuda 2TB.
Western Digital 14TB Ultrastar HDD
Western Digital 14TB Ultrastar HDD
Many will say, upon seeing this in our best HDD’s list, that the 14TB Ultrastar from Western Digital isn’t considered a consumer level HDD… and they’d be half right in thinking that…
In all honesty, the main goal of this HDD is to be part of a NAS (Network attached storage device) which can be accessed by many PC’s simultaneously. However with the ever growing popularity of streaming and 4K we think this hard drive has a legitimate claim as our best large capacity storage solution.
Over the last 10 years we have seen the influx of streaming and 4k video content become part of our everyday viewing material. What some people probably aren’t aware of however is how much storage these things take up. Streaming and video editing require a great deal of storage capacity especially when you bring 4k into the equation, and for this reason we feel the 14TB Ultrastar HDD from Western Digital is a brilliant choice. Furthermore, this has a disk buffer rate of 512mb/s making it much faster than other large storage options in today’s market.
Let’s not forget the advancements in modern technology either, 8k will soon be widely available on all platforms and in hand will undoubtedly require more storage.
All being said, this is probably not your go to option right now, but if you’re looking to future proof your machine then why not consider this monster as an option.
Seagate FireCuda (1TB)
Seagate FireCuda (1TB)
There were a few candidates for the ‘best 1TB HDD for gaming’ number 1 spot but inevitably we had to go for Seagate’s Firecuda, and for good reason. The Firecuda, thanks to its hybrid features, stands alone at the top of the list and it’s hard to argue against it. This HDD is literally the best of both worlds, no compromises need to be made here.
The SSD and the HDD technologies were blended into one, meaning you get the kick of an SSD and the thick storage capacity of a regular mechanical hard drive. Gamers personally love this because 1TB storage capacity is more than enough for casual gamers.
The elevated speeds of boot and loading times make it a top pick that gamers just can’t resist. To top that off, this can be installed in laptops and consoles because it’s a 2.5” SSHD, meaning if you want to upgrade your laptop storage or improve your console gaming experience, here’s a choice we personally recommend.
If that’s not pleasing enough for you, the price is also considered extremely good value for money. Win-win!
WD Blue 500GB Hard Disk Drive
WD Blue 500GB Hard Disk Drive
Finally, we have our budget pick, which comes in the shape of the Western Digital 500GB HDD. You might be sat there asking yourself, why on earth would I get a 500GB HDD, what use will that be? and the answer is really simple, you just don’t have the funds to go for the other recommendations in this list. It’s not all bad though opting for a smaller HDD…
The great thing about storage in today’s market is how inexpensive they can be when you duck under 1TB of capacity. They are the perfect solution if you’re at the end of your build and find yourself a little too close to your monetary limit. Western Digital Blue series comes to the table at 7200RPM which is a step up from other cheap HDD that usually start at 5400RPM and has good solid build quality.
Ultimately this isn’t a long term solution if you’re a gamer. It’s going to fill up pretty quickly and you’re going to find yourself in a situation that requires uninstalling programs and games to accommodate for newer stuff. However, it will get you up and running until you have enough money to go for one of our better options above.
Final Word
Ultimately, everything comes down to what fits your budget and your needs. We have covered the best hard drives (HDD) for gaming here and tried to ensure we cater to everyone’s specific requirements.
If you’re squeezing performance-per-dollar to the max with a budget build, go with the Western Digital Blue (500GB).
If you’re still performance-per-dollar oriented but want some decent storage, go with the Seagate FireCuda(1TB). It offers a reliable 1TB of storage for under $50.
If you want faster loading times without severely sacrificing storage space, opt for one of the two Hybrid drives. Seagate FireCuda 2TB and Seagate FireCuda 1TB will both serve you well in that regard.
If budget isn’t a concern and you just want room for all of your games, buy the Seagate Barracuda 3TB. It’s a massive 3TB drive and should suit your needs fine.
Lastly, if you need large amounts of storage space, there is no better choice than the Western Digital 14TB Ultrastar.
Our pick is the Seagate FireCuda 1TB.
What’s yours? Let us know down in the comments.