Seagate Innov8 8TB External HDD Review

[Guest]

The Seagate Innov8 uses high style to entice users to backup data to a massive 8TB desktop hard drive that takes advantage of a single cable to provide power and data.

Seagate Innov8 8TB External HDD Review : Read more

 

[Xajel]

So, if this get the power from the Type-C port, then I guess using a Type-A to Type-C cable won't do the trick...

 

[serendipiti]

The problem of powering through USB is that loses compatibilty with legacy USB. For that price, (8TB, with huge SSDs knocking at the door at affordable prices, is "mainstream") USB type C should not serve as a cutting corner, and an USB 2.0 adapter cable with the proper power supply should be included in the package...

 

[roberta]

No mention that it has a LiPo battery in the enclosure??
Please refer to:
Seagate Innov8 8TB Bus-Powered External HDD Review | AnandTech
http://www.anandtech.com/show/10335/seagate-innov8-8tb-buspowered-external-hard-drive-review

 

[redgarl]

The failure rate of these external drives are horrible. We are talking about 20+% for the first year.

 

[GMcC-UK]

I bought 2 of these to use with my MSI X-99A SLI MB. Total disaster. They won't work/boot when connected using the USB 3.1 ports using an A to C cable - they just show a red LED. So I bought a 2 port USB C PCI card. When connected to the 2 USB C ports on the card, only one drive will work at a time, and only when connected after the PC boots. If both are connected the PC hangs at POST. There are definitely power issues with these drives.

 

[GMcC-UK]

I bought 2 of these to use with my MSI X-99A SLI MB. Total disaster. They won't work/boot when connected using the USB 3.1 ports using an A to C cable - they just show a red LED. So I bought a 2 port USB C PCI card. When connected to the 2 USB C ports on the card, only one drive will work at a time, and only when connected after the PC boots. If both are connected the PC hangs at POST. There are definitely power issues with these drives. Be careful if you are thinking of purchasing.

 

[hannibal]

Ofcourse They don't because They need highpower USB port, not the one that has older power specks.
But ofcourse that has it own problems. You have to have very new Computer to run this device.

 

[nutjob2]

I bought 2 of these to use with my MSI X-99A SLI MB. Total disaster. They won't work/boot when connected using the USB 3.1 ports using an A to C cable - they just show a red LED. So I bought a 2 port USB C PCI card. When connected to the 2 USB C ports on the card, only one drive will work at a time, and only when connected after the PC boots. If both are connected the PC hangs at POST. There are definitely power issues with these drives. Be careful if you are thinking of purchasing.

That's what happens when you don't know what you're doing. USB 3.1/C provides higher levels of power than other versions. Always check the specifications before buying an unfamiliar standard if you don't want to end up in this situation.

 

[HERETIC-1]

Hi Chris,
"Seagate nestled a 5,400-RPM ST8000AS0002 8TB HDD"
Thought all slow Seagate's were 5,900 RPM...............
Do you think SMR is the reason for the lousy small file performance?????????

 

[DotNetMaster777]

I have read somewhere this hard has poor sustained write performance. However, there is not many compatible host devices on the market currently, so it is complicated to compare ...............................

 

[zodiacfml]

I don't think this is a good use as backup drive. The capacity is overkill to backup a single system unless one requires multiple versions of an imaged PC and its files.

The 8TB disk which is SMR has good use in a NAS device.

 

[spoin0815]

Why not using like super capacitors for buffering the current needed to spin the drive? Batteries can die..

Apart from that there are much better alternatives available. I recently bought three WD My Book 8 TB for 250 Euro each (should be around the same in Dollar) and they are smashing those Seagate SMR-Drives performance-wise and are even cheaper! Inside the case there are drives technically identical to HGST He8 but with reduced spindle speed of 5400 rpm. Also marketed as WD Red and WD Purple.

The drives use less power in idle and access because of the Helium and therefore they stay pretty cool and also very silent in idle. Performance is great, sequential transfer starting at ~193 MB/Sec. going down to like 95 MB/Sec. at the end. I have put all three of them in my Desktop and filled those empty My Book cases with old 2 TB Samsung 5400 rpm and Hitachi 7200 rpm drives i took out of my System after 6 years.

I guess i will never get warm with Seagate. The only Seagate drive i have is a external 2,5" USB3 HDD and its SMART Values (something with Calibration Retry Count) goes up like hell and the drive is clicking a lot in idle, even i didnt use it much at all.

Hitachi / HGST all the way for me, never failed me, exept those famous IBM / Hitachi "Deathstars DTLA-307030" with that very distinctive sound from Data-loosing-Hell.

Greetings from Germany
Thomas

 

[crystaldragon141]

FYI USB-A 3.1 supports the higher power requirements of this drive.

 

[kittle]

neat looking drive.

I wonder how many returns and dis-satisfied customers they are going to have because people dont have a newer USB type-C connector in their PCs

 

[dE_logics]

You didn't measure the seek times?

 

[TerraMaster_Mike]

USB 3.1 Type-C, that's awesome. I'd like to recommend you TerraMaster D2-310 also with USB 3.1 type-C port.