Seagate 1TB Expansion Desktop Review

Final Score: 80 out of 100

Before we get down to the nitty gritty, we do need to make one thing clear. We have zero issues with the older ASM 1153 controller and the use of USB 3.0 (aka USB 3.1 gen 1) interface. A single HDD – no matter how high performance – is not going to saturate a 5Gbps bus. Opting for a newer USB 3.1 gen 2 controller would just needlessly add to the cost.

With that taken care of, Seagate’s older Expansion desktop HDD series is rather interesting. On the one hand it does have the form-factor of a full sized ‘desktop’ external storage solution, and generally speaking can offer very good (for a single external HDD device) levels of performance. On the other, it only provides 1TB of storage. That is rather small by today’s standards and is arguably a waste of what the 3.5-inch form-factor has to offer. Worse still is the larger 2TB to 4TB models may not offer the levels of performance this particular version has to offer. So if you need more capacity, or even just a lower price per TB ratio, there is almost no good reason to track this generation down and instead should turn your sights to the mega-capacity Expansion Desktop replacement series – with the 8TB being a good starting point.

Further muddying the waters is the fact that it is a plastic clad model with rather conservative styling. Some styling has been done to keep it from looking like a chunk of plastic, but it is best described as being conservative and/or utilitarian. So utilitarian that it makes its replacement almost look like elegant in comparison. So if that matters to you, the Expansion series may not be an optimal choice. We however do not mind utilitarian or ‘basic black’ as this chassis may be plastic but has been designed much better than some metal chassis. The drive itself comes attached to a nice aluminum heat spreader and the plastic chassis has plenty of air holes to promote passive cooling. That is a rather decent bordering on good combination to say the least.

Barring those niche, or edge cases, to us the real deciding factor for the average buyer is the price to performance ratio. While yes, there is no modern ‘Cuda Pro 7200rpm drive hidden inside here, it still is a darn decent single platter HDD. It does offer better than 2.5-inch HDD “portable” drive’s sequential and random R/W performance that is backstopped by a reasonable asking price of only $60. This to us means it actually is a pretty decent choice. It will not appeal to everyone, but it is a good ‘no frills’ option for those who need 1TB or less of external storage that will not break your budget. As long as you understand these limitations and fit inside its design envelope it might worth your time and money tracking down this 1TB variant. For everyone else, Seagate 2.5” HDD based Backup Plus, Lacie’s 3.5” HDD based ‘Big’ series, or Seagate’s mega capacity options that can net good performance via sheer brute force may be a better match for your needs. Choose wisely, but do not let the fact that this particular model is older steer you away from a potentially good deal.