Storage parts & specifications

Performance Plus 4TB

$642–$710

Top 43% Storage2022High end?GixCore tierWhat a part was built to do — not what it costs.EntryBudgetMainstreamHigh endEnthusiastFlagship A part can be cheap because it is an ageing flagship, or because it is a current entry-level model. The tier tells you which. M.2

High-end Inland Performance Plus 4TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD with DRAM, 3D TLC, and 3000 TBW—great for boot, game libraries, editing, and PS5 expansion.

Gold S31 500GB

$95–$105

Top 45% StorageBudget?GixCore tierWhat a part was built to do — not what it costs.EntryBudgetMainstreamHigh endEnthusiastFlagship A part can be cheap because it is an ageing flagship, or because it is a current entry-level model. The tier tells you which. 2.5

SK hynix Gold S31 500GB (2019) is a DRAM-equipped 2.5-inch SATA SSD with 560/525 MB/s speeds and ~300 TBW—good for boot drives and budget upgrades.

‎870 EVO 1TB

Top 47% Storage2021Entry?GixCore tierWhat a part was built to do — not what it costs.EntryBudgetMainstreamHigh endEnthusiastFlagship A part can be cheap because it is an ageing flagship, or because it is a current entry-level model. The tier tells you which. 2.5

Samsung 870 EVO 1TB: entry-tier 2.5-inch SATA SSD with TLC NAND, DRAM cache, and 600 TBW—ideal for boot drives, game libraries, and budget upgrades.

870 EVO 2TB

$444–$49155% off

Top 47% Storage2021Budget?GixCore tierWhat a part was built to do — not what it costs.EntryBudgetMainstreamHigh endEnthusiastFlagship A part can be cheap because it is an ageing flagship, or because it is a current entry-level model. The tier tells you which. 2.5

Samsung 870 EVO 2TB (2021) SATA 2.5-inch SSD with DRAM and 1,200 TBW—reliable SATA-class boot/game drive for systems without NVMe.

870 EVO 4TB

$970–$1,072

Top 47% Storage2021Budget?GixCore tierWhat a part was built to do — not what it costs.EntryBudgetMainstreamHigh endEnthusiastFlagship A part can be cheap because it is an ageing flagship, or because it is a current entry-level model. The tier tells you which. 2.5

Samsung 870 EVO 4TB (Jan 2021) is a 2.5-inch SATA TLC SSD with DRAM, 560/530 MB/s and 2400 TBW—ideal for SATA boot drives and big game libraries.

870 QVO 2TB

$464–$512

Top 47% Storage2020Budget?GixCore tierWhat a part was built to do — not what it costs.EntryBudgetMainstreamHigh endEnthusiastFlagship A part can be cheap because it is an ageing flagship, or because it is a current entry-level model. The tier tells you which. 2.5

Samsung 870 QVO 2TB is a 2.5-inch SATA QLC SSD with DRAM cache and 720 TBW, ideal for budget SATA upgrades, boot drives, and large game libraries.

870 QVO 8TB

$1,406–$1,55438% off

Top 47% Storage2020Budget?GixCore tierWhat a part was built to do — not what it costs.EntryBudgetMainstreamHigh endEnthusiastFlagship A part can be cheap because it is an ageing flagship, or because it is a current entry-level model. The tier tells you which. 2.5

Samsung 870 QVO 8TB (2020) is a 2.5-inch SATA QLC SSD with DRAM cache and 2,880 TBW, ideal for massive game libraries and mass storage at SATA speeds.

BX500 1TB

$181–$200

Top 47% Storage2019Budget?GixCore tierWhat a part was built to do — not what it costs.EntryBudgetMainstreamHigh endEnthusiastFlagship A part can be cheap because it is an ageing flagship, or because it is a current entry-level model. The tier tells you which. 2.5

Crucial BX500 1TB is a budget 2.5-inch SATA SSD (540/500 MB/s, 360 TBW) released Oct 2019—best for boot drives and game libraries; still listed by Crucial.

MX500 2TB

$285–$315

Top 47% Storage2018Budget?GixCore tierWhat a part was built to do — not what it costs.EntryBudgetMainstreamHigh endEnthusiastFlagship A part can be cheap because it is an ageing flagship, or because it is a current entry-level model. The tier tells you which. 2.5

Crucial MX500 2TB (CT2000MX500SSD1) is a DRAM-equipped TLC SATA SSD from 2018, now discontinued, ideal as a budget boot/game drive or solid-state mass storage.

MX500 4TB

$475–$525

Top 47% Storage2021Budget?GixCore tierWhat a part was built to do — not what it costs.EntryBudgetMainstreamHigh endEnthusiastFlagship A part can be cheap because it is an ageing flagship, or because it is a current entry-level model. The tier tells you which. 2.5

Crucial MX500 4TB is a 2.5-inch SATA TLC SSD with DRAM and 1000TBW; great for SATA-only boot or game storage; launched 2021 and discontinued in 2024.

Ultra 3D NAND 4TB

$94–$104

Top 47% Storage2019Budget?GixCore tierWhat a part was built to do — not what it costs.EntryBudgetMainstreamHigh endEnthusiastFlagship A part can be cheap because it is an ageing flagship, or because it is a current entry-level model. The tier tells you which. 2.5

SanDisk Ultra 3D 4TB SATA 2.5-inch SSD (2019) with DRAM cache and 600 TBW, ideal for boot, game libraries, and bulk SSD storage.

WD Blue SA510 SATA 1TB

$266–$294

Top 47% Storage2022Budget?GixCore tierWhat a part was built to do — not what it costs.EntryBudgetMainstreamHigh endEnthusiastFlagship A part can be cheap because it is an ageing flagship, or because it is a current entry-level model. The tier tells you which. 2.5

WD Blue SA510 (2022) is a budget SATA TLC SSD; 1TB model rates 400 TBW, up to 560/520 MB/s, now discontinued (2026).

IronWolf 16TB

$750–$829

Top 65% StorageBudget?GixCore tierWhat a part was built to do — not what it costs.EntryBudgetMainstreamHigh endEnthusiastFlagship A part can be cheap because it is an ageing flagship, or because it is a current entry-level model. The tier tells you which. 3.5

Seagate IronWolf 16TB (2019) is a 3.5" 7200 RPM NAS HDD with SATA 6Gb/s, CMR helium design and 256MB cache—ideal for mass storage in 1–8‑bay NAS.

10TB WD Purple Pro

$502–$555

Top 67% Storage2021Workstation?GixCore tierWhat a part was built to do — not what it costs.EntryBudgetMainstreamHigh endEnthusiastFlagshipWorkstationWorkstation parts sit outside that ladder — built for sustained professional workloads rather than a price-for-performance rung. A part can be cheap because it is an ageing flagship, or because it is a current entry-level model. The tier tells you which. 3.5

10TB WD Purple Pro (WD101PURP) 3.5" SATA surveillance HDD, 7200 RPM CMR with 256MB cache and 550 TB/yr rating—best for always‑on mass storage.

10TB WD Red Plus

$522–$577

Top 67% Storage2020Mainstream?GixCore tierWhat a part was built to do — not what it costs.EntryBudgetMainstreamHigh endEnthusiastFlagship A part can be cheap because it is an ageing flagship, or because it is a current entry-level model. The tier tells you which. 3.5

10TB WD Red Plus (WD101EFBX) is a 7200‑RPM CMR NAS HDD launched Feb 2021; a mainstream mass‑storage option for up to 8‑bay NAS.

12TB WD Purple Pro

Top 67% Storage2021Workstation?GixCore tierWhat a part was built to do — not what it costs.EntryBudgetMainstreamHigh endEnthusiastFlagshipWorkstationWorkstation parts sit outside that ladder — built for sustained professional workloads rather than a price-for-performance rung. A part can be cheap because it is an ageing flagship, or because it is a current entry-level model. The tier tells you which. 3.5

12TB WD Purple Pro (WD121PURP) surveillance HDD: 3.5" SATA, 7200 RPM, 256MB cache, 550TB/yr—ideal mass storage for always‑on NVR/AI systems.

4TB WD Black

$266–$294

Top 67% Storage2018Budget?GixCore tierWhat a part was built to do — not what it costs.EntryBudgetMainstreamHigh endEnthusiastFlagship A part can be cheap because it is an ageing flagship, or because it is a current entry-level model. The tier tells you which. 3.5

WD Black 4TB (WD4005FZBX) 3.5-inch 7200RPM SATA HDD with 256MB cache, launched Feb 23, 2018; ideal for desktop game libraries and bulk storage.

8TB WD Red Plus

Top 67% Storage2022Entry?GixCore tierWhat a part was built to do — not what it costs.EntryBudgetMainstreamHigh endEnthusiastFlagship A part can be cheap because it is an ageing flagship, or because it is a current entry-level model. The tier tells you which. 3.5

WD Red Plus 8TB (WD80EFZZ) is a 3.5-inch CMR NAS HDD for up to 8-bay systems, 5640 RPM/128 MB cache, rated 185 MB/s and 180 TB/yr workload.

Arsenal 14TB

$360–$398

Top 67% Storage2021Workstation?GixCore tierWhat a part was built to do — not what it costs.EntryBudgetMainstreamHigh endEnthusiastFlagshipWorkstationWorkstation parts sit outside that ladder — built for sustained professional workloads rather than a price-for-performance rung. A part can be cheap because it is an ageing flagship, or because it is a current entry-level model. The tier tells you which. 3.5

Water Panther Arsenal 14TB 7200RPM 3.5" SATA HDD—recertified enterprise-class drive for DAS/JBOD mass storage and large game libraries.

BarraCuda 2TB

$144–$160

Top 67% Storage2018Budget?GixCore tierWhat a part was built to do — not what it costs.EntryBudgetMainstreamHigh endEnthusiastFlagship A part can be cheap because it is an ageing flagship, or because it is a current entry-level model. The tier tells you which. 3.5

Seagate BarraCuda 2TB 3.5-inch 7200RPM SATA HDD (ST2000DM008/DMZ08): budget mass storage using SMR, good for game libraries and general desktop capacity.

BarraCuda 8TB

$266–$294

Top 67% Storage2018Budget?GixCore tierWhat a part was built to do — not what it costs.EntryBudgetMainstreamHigh endEnthusiastFlagship A part can be cheap because it is an ageing flagship, or because it is a current entry-level model. The tier tells you which. 3.5

Seagate BarraCuda 8TB (ST8000DM004) is a 3.5-inch SATA 5400 RPM SMR HDD for affordable mass storage and game libraries, launched January 2018.

IronWolf 10TB NAS

$436–$482

Top 67% Storage2019Mainstream?GixCore tierWhat a part was built to do — not what it costs.EntryBudgetMainstreamHigh endEnthusiastFlagship A part can be cheap because it is an ageing flagship, or because it is a current entry-level model. The tier tells you which. 3.5

Seagate IronWolf 10TB (ST10000VN0008) NAS HDD: 7200 RPM CMR, 256MB cache, ~210 MB/s; mainstream 1–8‑bay mass storage with 180 TB/yr workload.

IronWolf 12TB

$427–$472

Top 67% Storage2017Budget?GixCore tierWhat a part was built to do — not what it costs.EntryBudgetMainstreamHigh endEnthusiastFlagship A part can be cheap because it is an ageing flagship, or because it is a current entry-level model. The tier tells you which. 3.5

Seagate IronWolf 12TB (ST12000VN0008) NAS HDD: 3.5-inch SATA, 7200 RPM, 256MB cache, ~210 MB/s CMR helium design for reliable 1–8‑bay NAS mass storage.

IronWolf 6TB NAS

$223–$247

Top 67% Storage2019Budget?GixCore tierWhat a part was built to do — not what it costs.EntryBudgetMainstreamHigh endEnthusiastFlagship A part can be cheap because it is an ageing flagship, or because it is a current entry-level model. The tier tells you which. 3.5

Seagate IronWolf 6TB (ST6000VN001) NAS HDD: 3.5" SATA CMR, 5400 rpm, 256MB cache—ideal for mass storage and game libraries in 1–8-bay NAS.

IronWolf 8TB

$313–$346

Top 67% Storage2018Mainstream?GixCore tierWhat a part was built to do — not what it costs.EntryBudgetMainstreamHigh endEnthusiastFlagship A part can be cheap because it is an ageing flagship, or because it is a current entry-level model. The tier tells you which. 3.5

Seagate IronWolf 8TB (ST8000VN004) NAS HDD: 7200 RPM CMR, 256MB cache, 1–8 bay NAS bulk storage with 180 TB/yr WRL and IHM support.

Skyhawk 4TB

$188–$208

Top 67% Storage2016Entry?GixCore tierWhat a part was built to do — not what it costs.EntryBudgetMainstreamHigh endEnthusiastFlagship A part can be cheap because it is an ageing flagship, or because it is a current entry-level model. The tier tells you which. 3.5

Seagate SkyHawk 4TB (ST4000VX007) surveillance HDD: 2016 launch, SATA 3.5-inch, 64MB cache, 190MB/s OD read, 180TB/yr—good for mass storage and cold game libraries.

Ultrastar DC HC530 14TB

$552–$610

Top 67% Storage2018Workstation?GixCore tierWhat a part was built to do — not what it costs.EntryBudgetMainstreamHigh endEnthusiastFlagshipWorkstationWorkstation parts sit outside that ladder — built for sustained professional workloads rather than a price-for-performance rung. A part can be cheap because it is an ageing flagship, or because it is a current entry-level model. The tier tells you which. 3.5

WD Ultrastar DC HC530 14TB helium enterprise HDD (SATA 6Gb/s, 7200 RPM, 512MB cache) launched April 2018; ideal for high‑density mass storage.

WD Black 2TB

Top 67% Storage2013Budget?GixCore tierWhat a part was built to do — not what it costs.EntryBudgetMainstreamHigh endEnthusiastFlagship A part can be cheap because it is an ageing flagship, or because it is a current entry-level model. The tier tells you which. 3.5

WD Black 2TB (WD2003FZEX) 7200 RPM 3.5-inch SATA HDD from 2013; a capacity-focused secondary drive for game libraries and mass storage, with StableTrac on 2TB+.

WD BLACK 8TB

Top 67% Storage2021Budget?GixCore tierWhat a part was built to do — not what it costs.EntryBudgetMainstreamHigh endEnthusiastFlagship A part can be cheap because it is an ageing flagship, or because it is a current entry-level model. The tier tells you which. 3.5

WD_BLACK 8TB (WD8002FZWX) 7200‑RPM 3.5-inch SATA HDD for game libraries and mass storage, launched in 2022 with 5‑year warranty and 128MB cache.

WD Blue 6 TB

$323–$357

Top 67% Storage2018Budget?GixCore tierWhat a part was built to do — not what it costs.EntryBudgetMainstreamHigh endEnthusiastFlagship A part can be cheap because it is an ageing flagship, or because it is a current entry-level model. The tier tells you which. 3.5

WD Blue 6TB (WD60EZAZ) is a 3.5-inch 5400 RPM SATA HDD from WD’s Blue line, released Feb 2019; SMR design suits bulk storage, not heavy write/RAID.

WD Purple Pro Surveillance HDD 18TB

Top 67% Storage2021Workstation?GixCore tierWhat a part was built to do — not what it costs.EntryBudgetMainstreamHigh endEnthusiastFlagshipWorkstationWorkstation parts sit outside that ladder — built for sustained professional workloads rather than a price-for-performance rung. A part can be cheap because it is an ageing flagship, or because it is a current entry-level model. The tier tells you which. 3.5

WD Purple Pro 18TB (WD181PURP) 3.5-inch SATA surveillance HDD, 7200 RPM, 512MB cache, 550TB/yr—built for 24/7 multi-bay NVR and analytics workloads.

WD Red Pro NAS 18TB

$560–$618

Top 67% Storage2020Workstation?GixCore tierWhat a part was built to do — not what it costs.EntryBudgetMainstreamHigh endEnthusiastFlagshipWorkstationWorkstation parts sit outside that ladder — built for sustained professional workloads rather than a price-for-performance rung. A part can be cheap because it is an ageing flagship, or because it is a current entry-level model. The tier tells you which. 3.5

WD Red Pro 18TB (WD181KFGX): 3.5" 7200 RPM CMR SATA NAS HDD, launched Sep 25, 2020; helium-filled and ideal for multi-bay NAS bulk storage and media libraries.