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Seagate combines dynamically cached SSD and HDD in single volume desktop drive

What happened

According to Blocks & Files on Tuesday, 10 Nov 2026, Seagate has launched the FireCuda Forge, a desktop external drive that combines a hard disk drive with a user-supplied SSD as a dynamic cache in a single volume. The product does not include a built-in SSD; users must source their own M.2 2280-format NVMe SSD supporting PCIe gen3 or higher, with DRAM cache and no heatsink and a recommended minimum capacity of 1 TB; installation requires unscrewing 4 screws on the enclosure base with a supplied screwdriver and applying Seagate-supplied thermal pads. Seagate's Alkemi software, running on an undisclosed SoC, uses machine learning in data placement decisions, putting high-access-rate files on the SSD and lower-rate ones or files larger than 1 TB on the disk drive, which can be 8 TB or 20 TB; the SSD acts as a dynamic cache and, although SSDs larger than 1 TB can be installed, the extra capacity is not used. The combo is presented as a single 8 TB or 20 TB volume to Windows 11 or later and macOS 26 or later hosts. The USB 4 (USB-C) connection limits speeds to up to 2,400 MB/s read and 2,000 MB/s write, though this is much faster than the <300 MB/s bandwidth of a 20 TB Seagate Exos X24 disk drive; Seagate's own FireCuda 530R SSD offers up to 7,400 MB/s read and 6,900 MB/s write. Seagate is certifying three other NVMe SSDs for installation in the Forge: Samsung's 990 Pro, Sandisk SN850X/GX Pro 850X and the SN710/GX7100. The FireCuda Forge is available now through the Seagate online store and authorized partners in 8TB and 20TB configurations, starting at $699 (8TB) and $899 (20TB), with product availability possibly varying by market; for comparison, a 20TB Seagate external disk drive costs up to $700 and an 8TB one up to $330 at retailers such as Amazon and Newegg. Seagate stated that by not including an SSD in the box it avoids bearing the stocking cost of the SSD and insulates itself from rising SSD prices. The source does not state any other cause beyond the product positioning.