The Seagate FireCuda 530R is an okay PS5 SSD, but its another victim of the ongoing RAM shortage

Date:
Mon, 19 Jan 2026 23:30:00 +0000

Description:
The Seagate FireCuda 530R with heatsink would be an okay option for PS5
owners if it was available at a reasonable price.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Seagate FireCuda 530R with heatsink: One-minute review

The Seagate FireCuda 530R with heatsink could be one of the best SSDs for PS5 but, at least for the moment, the pricing is out of control. The 1TB model is difficult to find, while the 2TB and 4TB variants come in at an eye-watering $365 / 220 and $599 / 539.99 respectively at third party sellers on sites
like Amazon and Newegg.

This makes it almost impossible to recommend at these prices, especially when alternatives like the WD Black SN850P and Lexar NM790 with Heatsink are in stock cheaper. Of course, this is entirely being driven by the ongoing RAM shortage (which also affects SSDs with DRAM chips), so I will look to update this review if and when they come down to more reasonable rates.

Pricing aside, the Seagate FireCuda 530R with heatsink is a solid, if
somewhat unremarkable, PS5 SSD. With quoted read speeds of up to 7,400 MB/s read and 7,000 MB/s write (for the 1TB model) its one of the fastest models
on the market on paper - though I found its performance to be less impressive in the real world than these figures would suggest. (Image credit: Future)

The 2TB model that I tested scored an underwhelming 6,030MB/s speed on the internal PS5 storage benchmark putting it behind both the WD Black SN850P and Lexar NM790 with Heatsink, not to mention the companys own officially
licensed Seagate Game Drive M.2 SSD for PS5 . Still, its comfortably above
the 5,500 MB/s speed recommended by Sony and doesnt increase loading times in any noticeable way.

As you would expect for a model marketed towards PS5 owners, the Seagate FireCuda 530R with heatsink comes with a chunky heatsink fitted out of the box. Its very similar to the one found on the Seagate Game Drive M.2 SSD - albeit with a colorful orange line graphic rather than a blue one. As is the case with that drive, I found it to be perfectly effective.

As a result, the Seagate FireCuda 530R with heatsink could be a great pick
for the right price. At the moment, I wouldnt rush to add it to your basket though given the inflated rates. (Image credit: Future) Seagate FireCuda 530R with heatsink: Price and availability 1TB is $130 / 145 / around AU$290, 2TB is $365 / 220 / around AU$440, 4TB is $599 / 539.99 / around AU$1080 Prices vary and are hard to pin down Stock is hard to find in the US and UK

In the US the Seagate FireCuda 530R with heatsink costs around $130 for the 1TB model - though I wasnt able to find any retailers carrying stock of that variant at the time of writing. 2TB and 4TB models are easier to find though with stock available at Newegg. There, 2TB goes for $365, while 4TB is $599. Both of these prices come from a third-party seller and are
disproportionately high, so I would avoid buying them for now.

In the UK its even harder to find, as its currently out of stock at Amazon. Historical price data shows that the 1TB model cost around 145, while the 2TB was 220 when both were in stock. The 4TB model is currently available at Overclockers UK, where it costs 539.99.

Seagate told me that a 1TB model of the drive is currently meant to cost $114.99 / 158.99, while 2TB and 4TB are supposed to be $194.99 / 271.99 and $394.99 / 516.99 respectively - though the representative was careful to clarify that SSD prices are currently very volatile and can change daily
(that latter part was even in bold for emphasis). Seagate FireCuda 530R with heatsink: Specs

Price

$130 / 145 / around AU$290 (1TB) / $365 / 220 / around AU$440 (2TB) / $599 / 539.99 / around AU$1080 (4TB)

Capacity

1TB / 2TB / 4TB

Quoted read speed

7,400 MB/s

Quoted write speed

7,000 MB/s

Durability

5,050 TBW

Warranty

5-year Seagate FireCuda 530R with heatsink: Design and features Chunky heatsink fitted out the box Readily PS5 compatible Good warranty coverage

The Seagate FireCuda 530R with heatsink looks remarkably similar to the Seagate Game Drive M.2 SSD for PS5, though with some small aesthetic differences. For starters, the chunky heatsink of the FireCuda bears a little FireCuda logo print and a subtle orange decal. Despite the size of the heatsink, this model easily fits into the PS5s storage bay.

It comes well-packaged in a plastic tray with a little foam insert to keep
the pins safe and a little pack of documentation. In there youll find an advert for Seagates Rescue data recovery service, a basic manual with some general advice on fitting the SSD, and information about the drives warranty.

In applicable regions you get five years of limited warranty coverage here, which should be enough to see you through the rest of the PS5s lifespan and
is on par with whats offered by the competition. The drives quoted 5,050 TBW durability is also excellent. (Image credit: Future) Seagate FireCuda 530R with heatsink: Performance Underwhelming benchmark score Decent real-world performance Heatsink seems effective

Despite the lofty quoted speeds, the Seagate FireCuda 530R with heatsink achieved quite an underwhelming result in the PS5s internal storage benchmark coming to just 6,030MB/s which is on the lower end of the results for SSDs that Ive tested. Still, this is more than fast enough for the PS5 and in my testing didnt impact playing in any noticeable way.

While the substantially cheaper Lexar NM790 with Heatsink caused occasional stutters in demanding games like Marvels Spider-Man 2 and Assassins Creed Valhalla , the Seagate FireCuda 530R with heatsink was silky smooth in every title that I tested.

Its performance in my usual real-world file transfer tests was also decent. Copy to the SSD from the PS5s internal storage, 68.75GB of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 took just 44 seconds to transfer. The drive performs very well with even larger file sizes too, with the 86.33GB Ghost of Yotei copied in just 45 seconds. A combination of both games totaling 154.7GB only took 1 minute and 24 seconds.

Smaller titles were a little bit slower, with the 16.85GB Wuchang: Fallen Feathers taking eight seconds and the tiny 1.2GB C Smash VRS taking just two.

Copying from the SSD back to the console, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
and Ghost of Yotei were ready in 4 minutes and 41 seconds and 6 minutes and 5 seconds respectively, while both at once took 10 minutes and 17 seconds. Finally, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers was ready to launch after 1 minute and 13 seconds while C Smash VRS took 13 seconds. These figures are all perfectly adequate, though realistically more dependent on the PS5s internal write
speed than anything else.

There was no noticeable slowdown throughout my testing, which would indicate that the chunky heatsink does its job well and curbs thermal throttling. (Image credit: Future) Should I buy the Seagate FireCuda 530R with heatsink? Buy it if...

You find it for the right price
The Seagate FireCuda 530R with heatsink is far too expensive for what it is
at the moment. Stock is also hard to find and Im hopeful that prices will become more reasonable when supply is a bit more plentiful.

Youre after a 4TB model
Unlike the companys officially licensed Seagate Game Drive M.2 SSD for PS5, the Seagate FireCuda 530R with heatsink is available in a 4TB model. This gives you a compelling reason to choose it, despite the lack of PlayStation branding, if you feel you need a hefty amount of storage space. Don't buy it if...

You want the fastest performance for your money
Drives like the Samsung 990 Pro with heatsink proved faster than the Seagate FireCuda 530R with heatsink in my testing - so Id recommend them instead if youre after the very top performance. Also consider...

After some alternatives to the Seagate FireCuda 530R with heatsink? Here are two to consider.

Seagate FireCuda 530R with heatsink

Lexar NM790 with Heatsink

WD Black SN850P

Price

$130 / 145 / around AU$290 (1TB) / $365 / 220 / around AU$440 (2TB) / $599 / 539.99 / around AU$1080 (4TB)

$94.99 / 74.99 (1TB) / $159.99 / 129.99 (2TB) / $269.99 / 233 (4TB)

$119.99 / 107.99 / AU$199 (1TB), $189.99 / 184.99 / AU$339 (2TB), $319.99 / 329.99 / AU$699 (4TB), $749.99 / 705.99 / around AU$1,170 (8TB)

Capacity

1TB / 2TB / 4TB

1TB / 2TB / 4TB

1TB / 2TB / 4TB / 8TB

Quoted read speed

7,400 MB/s

7,400 MB/s

7,300 MB/s (8TB: 7,200 MB/s)

Quoted write speed

7,000 MB/s



6,500 MB/s

6,600 MB/s

Durability

5,050 TBW

1000TBW (1TB) / 1500TBW (2TB) / 3000TBW (4TB)

600TBW (1TB)

Warranty

5-year

5-year

5-year

Lexar NM790 with Heatsink
Our current go-to budget pick is this drive from Lexar. Performance is less consistent than the Seagate FireCuda 530R with heatsink, but prices are substantially lower across the board - especially if youre shopping for a 4TB model.

For more information, check out our full Lexar NM790 with Heatsink review

WD Black SN850P
The WD Black SN850P is the way to go if youre after a super high capacity 8TB drive as one of the few models on the market of that size. Its perfectly speedy, though still quite expensive for what you get.

For more information, check out our full WD Black SN850P review How I tested the Seagate FireCuda 530R with heatsink Tested for a week Tried with multiple games Compared to other PS5 SSDs

I tested the Seagate FireCuda 530 with heatsink for a week, fitting it to my personal PS5 console. During that time I evaluated its performance with a range of copy tests, in addition to recording the consoles internal benchmark score and trying it with a range of installed games to determine whether the SSD would cause any impact on smoothness.

Throughout my time with the SSD I compared the experience to my hands-on testing of other models including the Samsung 990 Pro with Heatsink, WD Black SN850P, Lexar NM790 with Heatsink, Seagate Game Drive M.2 SSD for PS5, Lexar Play 2280 and more.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed January 2026



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/gaming/seagate-firecuda-530r-with-heatsink-review


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