Seagate has introduced the Lightsaber Collection Special Edition FireCuda, an NVMe SSD PCIe Gen4 with a unique theme and design, setting it apart from conventional SSDs. True to its name, this SSD features a Star Wars theme, specifically centered around the iconic Lightsaber weapon.
Available in capacities of 1TB and 2TB, if you’re a Star Wars enthusiast, you’ll want to delve deeper into what this unique storage solution has to offer.
Review of Seagate Lightsaber Collection Special Edition FireCuda
Performance – 10/10
Design – 9/10
Software – 8/10
Overall Rating: 9/10
Conclusion
The Seagate Lightsaber Collection Special Edition FireCuda not only presents a unique Star Wars-themed design but also delivers incredibly fast performance.
Liked
Reliable and adequate performance
Unique and stylish design
Interchangeable faceplates
Relatively cool temperature
Up to 5-year warranty
Disliked
Relatively high price
Requires a 5V header for RGB
How the Product is Reviewed
The Seagate Lightsaber Collection Special Edition FireCuda comes in an M.2 2280 form factor with dimensions of 80mm x 25mm. However, it includes an additional heatsink and lightsaber-inspired design, making it 19mm in height. This is something to be mindful of when fitting it into smaller casings.
As previously mentioned, the highlight of this SSD lies in its officially licensed Star Wars design. The top features a faceplate inspired by Star Wars: A New Hope and can be customized to match the desired theme.
Seagate offers three faceplates, featuring Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Vader, and Luke Skywalker. Each faceplate includes the character’s name at the bottom, along with a Lightsaber hilt corresponding to each character. Interestingly, behind each faceplate, there’s a quote, though it may not be visible once installed.
At the bottom of the faceplate, there’s an RGB lighting feature, the colors of which can be customized. The RGB settings, however, require a 5V header to be connected to the motherboard, which may not be present in all systems.
As mentioned earlier, this SSD comes equipped with an additional heatsink to help dissipate heat, ensuring optimal performance even during prolonged usage.
In terms of performance, the Seagate Lightsaber Collection Special Edition FireCuda boasts data transfer capabilities that leave no room for doubt. Testing the 2TB variant with CrystalDiskMark v8.0.4, this SSD achieved scores of 7,229.81 MB/s for Read and 6,850.74 MB/s for Write.
Meanwhile, the IOPS reached 6894.89 points for Read and 6533.37 points for Write. These figures are notably high for sequential testing, which represents an optimal scenario. Even for random scenarios, it performs admirably, competing with the typical sequential speeds of conventional HDDs.
The high performance of this SSD makes it a direct competitor to the WD_BLACK SN850X, falling within the same speed range. Naturally, this level of performance has a direct impact on various aspects, including game installation and loading processes.
As a result, game installation from Steam Backup takes a remarkably short amount of time, even for large-sized games. For instance, Final Fantasy XV only took 18 minutes and 1 second, while a conventional HDD might take over 50 minutes.
Similarly, Grand Theft Auto V took just 3 minutes and 45 seconds, and Shadow of The Tomb Raider only 1 minute and 20 seconds. Therefore, there’s no need to worry about long waiting times when installing games from Steam Backup, as this SSD drastically reduces the process.
The same efficiency is reflected in the time it takes to load a game from the main menu to the point where characters can be controlled. It only takes about 44 seconds for Final Fantasy XV, 17 seconds for Grand Theft Auto V, and 19 seconds for Shadow of The Tomb Raider.
These times can be even faster if you’re already in the game. Consequently, more time is spent playing rather than waiting at loading screens. Additionally, the gaming experience feels more stable.
Thanks to the heatsink, this special edition SSD maintains a stable temperature, ranging from 36°C during regular use to a maximum of 49°C during intensive tasks like moving a large number of files simultaneously while gaming.
While this SSD supports PCIe Gen4, it can still be used with older PCIe Gen 3 and Gen 5 interfaces with minimal compromise. Importantly, its endurance levels reach 2,550 TBW for the 2TB variant and 1,275 TBW for the 1TB variant. This is crucial if you plan to frequently swap games.
Moreover, it comes with a Rescue Data Recovery Service for three years and a limited warranty for five years. As for pricing, the Seagate Lightsaber Collection Special Edition FireCuda is priced at Rp5,118,000 for the 2TB capacity and Rp3,177,000 for the 1TB capacity.
This SSD is undoubtedly a great addition to any PC setup, particularly for Star Wars enthusiasts. The performance it offers optimizes system efficiency and provides a responsive user experience.