Seagate Backup Plus Fast 4TB USB 3.0 External HDD Review

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For the longest time, I have been waiting for someone to take 2.5-inch external storage to new heights in terms of capacity. Late last year, we finally were able to reach 2TB in a 12.5mm z-height, and now with the Seagate-Samsung division, we have the M9T, the thinnest 2.5-inch 2TB hard drive at only 9.5mm.

From what I have read and researched, the M9T is an OEM-only design, so you will have to start harvesting drives if you want one for another purpose. Here today, we have one such storage solution carrying the M9T, the Seagate Backup Plus Fast.

For those that want this drive for its intended design, you will be happy to know it features a bus-powered USB 3.0 design, of course, and features 4TB capacity, which is the most density on the market in this portable form factor.

Compatibility of the Backup Plus Fast extends from Microsoft Windows XP through 8.1 and OS X 10.6+. MSRP for the 4TB capacity is set at $269.99 with a three-year warranty.

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Scope of delivery for the Backup Plus Fast includes two USB 3.0 cables, one being a Y cable for extra power.

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The enclosure for the Backup Plus Fast is available in any color as long as it's black and carries a sleek design with the Seagate branding in the lower corner.

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On the edge of the enclosure, you will find the USB 3.0 connection.

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As stated in the introduction, the Backup Plus Fast houses dual Samsung M9T drives at 2TB each.

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The PCB for the Backup Plus Fast appears to be a custom design from Seagate that utilizes the ASMedia 1090R and 1053 to combine the capacity of the drives so the host OS sees them as one unit.

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No Seagate external storage solution is complete without the Dashboard software. Above, we find ourselves on the landing menu with the firmware version and capacity usage listed.

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Next we have the option to setup a backup plan for the drive.

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There is the additional option of setting up mobile backup via Seagate Agent.

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A unique feature here, the ability to share or download media to and from social media sites is present.

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Above, we have our first set of results from sequential testing. As you can see, the Backup Plus Fast is a very quick drive coming in at 244 MB/s read.

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Write speeds for the Backup Plus Fast came in at 267 MB/s.

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Price/Performance had the Seagate at the top of our chart here thanks to the great sequential performance.

Build quality for the Seagate Backup Plus Fast is pretty good; the enclosure carries durable materials and certainly feels like it could take a drop if it were to happen, but I am slightly concerned that having the drives back-to-back in the enclosure could cause issues in the event of a drop on a hard surface.

Performance of the Seagate Backup Plus Fast is quite impressive, and it takes top honors in our charts as the quickest 2.5-inch external solution coming in at 244 MB/s read and 267 MB/s write. Price/Performance also put the drive at the top of our charts due to the overall performance of the unit.

MSRP of the Seagate Backup Plus Fast is set at $269.99 with a three-year warranty. Current market pricing can be found below.

PRICING: You can find the Seagate Backup Plus Fast (4TB) for sale below. The prices listed are valid at the time of writing but can change at any time. Click the link to see the very latest pricing for the best deal.

United States: The Seagate Backup Plus Fast (4TB) retails for $269.99 at Amazon.

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