The 10 Best Hybrid Drives Of 2024, Tested By Our Experts

Tim Powers By, Tim Powers
Updated
Best Hybrid Drives
Best Hybrid Drives

The Rundown

1. Best Overall: SAMSUNG Hybrid Hard Drive

Samsung's Hybrid Hard Drive leads the way with a smart choice for outstanding SSD performance. Whether you need a boost for gaming or a seamless workflow for heavy graphics, the new Samsung 980 delivers value. Read Review

2. Best Bang For The Buck: Crucial Hybrid Hard Drive

Designed specifically for intensive workloads, high-quality creative content, and hardcore gaming, the Crucial P5 Plus SSD delivers remarkable speed and data protection with sequential reads up to 6600MB/s¹. Read Review

3. Best Choice: SAMSUNG SSD T7 Portable Hybrid Drive

With a sleek and shock-resistant design, the Samsung Portable SSD T7 is the next standard in external storage. With transfer rates up to 9.5x faster than traditional external hard drives and read/ write speeds up to 1050 MB/s, you can move massive files. Read Review

4. Best Quality: SAMSUNG 870 QVO Hybrid Drive

This Samsung 870 QVO hybrid drive provides up to 8TB of storage and features sequential Read/Write performance reaching up to 560/530 MB/s. You can upgrade your existing PC with the Samsung 870 QVO hybrid drive, which offers best-in-class performance. Read Review

5. Best Technology: Oyen Digital Helix Hybrid Hard Drive

The Oyen Digital Helix Hybrid Hard Drive is a hybrid drive to provide fast, silent, and durable performance. With up to 1050MB/s write/read speeds, this high-performance hard drive is designed for users who demand speed and reliability from their storage solution. Read Review

Advanced computer architectures, storage technologies, and operating systems have given us the ability to store more of everything — more photos, videos, files, and apps. But with so much content available on our devices, desktops and laptops; external hard drives; tablets, and smartphones, we need a way to make sure that everything we store is accessible whenever we need it. To do this efficiently and effectively, you need a hybrid drive that’s compatible with a wide range of operating systems.

Let's take a look at our top picks to find the best hybrid drives that fit your needs. 

After hours of research on customer feedback & product specifications, We've come up with the idea that the best hybrid drives are the SAMSUNG Hybrid Hard Drive. Samsung's Hybrid Hard Drive leads the way with a smart choice for outstanding SSD performance. Whether you need a boost for gaming or a seamless workflow for heavy graphics, the new Samsung 980 delivers value.

If you desire extra features not included in this model, you might look into another one: Crucial Hybrid Hard Drive. It could better suit your needs.

Our Top Picks

TOP Choice #1 SAMSUNG Hybrid Hard Drive
Our Score:
9.7
SAMSUNG

BUILT FOR THE LONG RUN With up to 600 TBW and the 980's optimized endurance comes with reliability

UPGRADE TO IMPRESSIVE NVMe SPEED Whether you need a boost for gaming or a seamless workflow for heavy graphics, the 980 is a smart choice for outstanding SSD performance

PACKED WITH SPEED 980 delivers value. 3,500MB/s Seq. reads, 3,000MB/s Seq. writes

KEEP MOVING WITH FULL POWER MODE Keep your SSD running at its peak with Full Power Mode, which drives continuous and consistent high performance

TOP Choice #2 Crucial Hybrid Hard Drive
Our Score:
9.6
Crucial

5-year limited warranty or up to the max endurance rating of 300 TBW

Built on our own leading Micron Advanced 3D NAND and innovative controller technology

PCIe 4.0 NVMe technology with up to 6600MB/s sequential reads, random read/write 360K/700K IOPS

Engineered for hardcore gamers, professionals, creatives who demand high-performance computing, works well with PS5 and has Heatsink compatibility

Rated at MTTF greater than 2 million hours for extended longevity and reliability

TOP Choice #3 SAMSUNG SSD T7 Portable Hybrid Drive
Our Score:
9.5
SAMSUNG

BUILT STRONG AND SECURE: Unlike HDDs, the Portable SSD T7 has no moving parts so it's more resistant to shock; Plus, its solid aluminum unibody construction adds further protection, keeping your data safe from falls of up to 6 ft and is backed by a 3-year limited warranty

FIND YOUR BEST FIT: Pick a color from classic gray to striking blue and red, and choose from three capacities to fit what your lifestyle demands: 500 GB, 1TB, or 2TB

RELIABLE THERMAL SOLUTION: The T7’s advanced thermal solution uses the Dynamic Thermal Guard to withstand and control heat, so the portable SSD stays at an optimal temperature even at fast speeds

TRANSFER IN A FLASH: Transfer massive files within seconds with the incredible speed of USB 3.2 Gen 2; Embedded PCIe NVMe technology delivers blazing fast sequential read/write speeds of up to 1,050/1,000 MB/s, respectively, making the T7 2x as fast as the previous T5 model

SLEEK AND COMPACT: Roughly the size of a credit card and only weighing 2 oz, the T7 fits comfortably in the palm of your hand and is light enough to take your files on the go

SIMPLE SETUP: The T7 comes embedded with software to help you set up a password to get the latest firmware updates for your PC, Mac, or Android devices; You can also download the mobile app for Android smartphones and tablets

PORTABLE STORAGE: The light, pocket-sized Portable SSD T7 delivers fast speeds with easy and reliable data storage for transferring large files, including crucial business documents, games, or movies

4 SAMSUNG 870 QVO Hybrid Drive
Our Score:
9.4
SAMSUNG

RELIABLE AND SUSTAINABLE: The capacity of the 8TB 870 QVO increases reliability up to 2,880 TBW using a refined ECC algorithm for stable performance

ENHANCED IN EVERY WAY: With an expanded, SATA interface limit of 560/530 MB/s sequential speeds, the 870 QVO improves random access speed and sustained performance

UPGRADE WITH EASE: Upgrading to 870 QVO is now easier than ever for anyone with a desktop PC or laptop that supports a standard 2.5 inch SATA form factor.SAMSUNG MAGICIAN SOFTWARE: Manage your drive and enhance its performance with tools that keep up with the latest updates and monitor the drive's health and status.FLASH MEMORY BRAND: All firmware and components, including Samsung's world renowned DRAM and NAND, are produced in house, allowing end to end integration for quality you can trust

BOOST CAPACITY: The 870 QVO is available in 1, 2, 4 and 8TB

GO BIG, DO MORE: The 870 QVO is Samsung's latest 2nd generation QLC SSD with up to 8TB of storage capacity

5 Oyen Digital Helix Hybrid Hard Drive
Our Score:
9.2
Oyen Digital

Write/Read speeds of up to 1050MB/s when using USB-C or Thunderbolt 3 & 4

Universally compatible with all USB and Thunderbolt 3 & 4 ports (not compatible with Thunderbolt 2)

4 Year Warranty

3D TLC NAND Flash, PCIe NVMe 3.0 x4

Includes: Helix Dura, USB-C cable, USB-C to 3.0 cable

6 WD 2TB Elements SE - Portable Hybrid Drive
Our Score:
9.0
Western Digital

Whether you're on the job or creating for pleasure, gain control of your content across laptop, desktop and other devices.

Accelerate your productivity with fast yet affordable SSD performance from a brand you can trust.

Seamlessly integrate the drive into your workflow with plug-and-play functionality that's ready to use right out of the box.

What’s in the Box: Portable SSD, USB 3.0 Cable, Safety and Warranty Guide

Read speeds up to 400MB/s let you move large files fast so you can get more done in your day. (1 MB/s = 1 million bytes per second. Based on internal testing; performance may vary depending upon host device, usage conditions, drive capacity, and other factors.)

A compact design and drop resistance up to 2 meters make this the perfect drive no matter where you are.

7 Crucial X8 2TB Portable Hybrid Drive
Our Score:
8.8
Crucial

Works with Windows, Mac, iPad Pro, Chromebook, Android, Linux, PS4, and Xbox One with USB-C 3.1 Gen2 and USB-A connectors

Durable design featuring an anodized aluminum core, drop proof up to 7.5 feet, extreme-temperature, shock and vibration proof

Backed by Micron, one of the largest manufacturers of flash storage in the world

Incredible performance with read speeds up to 1050 MB/s

8 Toshiba X300 8TB Hybrid Drive
Our Score:
8.7
Toshiba

High Performance with 7200 RPM and large cache size

Toshiba's cache technology to deliver high-level performance in real time

Designed for gaming PC and high-end desktop workstations

Ramp loading technology and shock sensor for reliability

Massive capacity to accommodate large gaming libraries

Get long-term peace of mind with the included five-year limited warranty

Choose from a variety of capacities for an optimized rig

Store games and play them faster with an internal SSHD drive delivering SSD performance and HDD capacities

Low power consumption means a more cost effective setup

Perfect for PC gaming and laptop gaming, this hybrid hard drive helps load maps and boot levels faster with flash enhanced speeds

Store games and play them faster with an internal SSHD drive delivering SSD performance and HDD capacities

Perfect for PC gaming and laptop gaming, this hybrid hard drive helps load maps and boot levels faster with flash enhanced speeds

Get long-term peace of mind with the included five-year limited warranty

Low power consumption means a more cost effective setup

Choose from a variety of capacities for an optimized rig

Product Images, Product Titles, Product Highlights from Amazon Product Advertising API

How to choose a good model of best hybrid drives

Choosing the best hybrid drives to buy might be difficult, but it is critical to locate a reputable brand that provides high-quality goods. This article will assist you in determining which is the greatest brand to purchase for high-quality items.

Before purchasing the best hybrid drives for your needs, there are several aspects to consider. The intended usage of the product is the most significant aspect. To avoid harming customers, the finest goods must be ensured on production materials. Here are some suggestions for purchasing the best hybrid drives.

Size Of The Disk

I understand that you are buying the hard disk in order to eliminate the need to delete some files when you install a new game or add modifications. Also, at a time when a single game can take up to 100GB, Call of Duty WWII is 90GB; it only makes sense that you select the hard disk that will allow you sufficient storage space.

Rotation Speed

Did you know that hard drives store information on spinning magnetic plates? The faster these plates spin, the faster the load and access time. The rotation is measured in RPM (Rotations per Minute), and although we recommend hard disks with 7200RPM, 5400RPM is still a good option.

Cache Memory

This is a cache that functions much like Computer RAM Memory. It stores important files temporarily so that it takes less time to access them on the disk. The larger the cache size, the faster the hard disk will be. However, the difference is not major, and as such, this should not be the biggest determiner.

Performance

Transfer speed is the feature that most people notice on a daily basis. We evaluated each drive with tests that replicated different real-world uses, and we focused on the drives that consistently outperformed the other contenders. Drives that did well on some tests but failed others were unreliable and not worth purchasing.

Reliability

All hard drives eventually die, and there’s no definitive answer on when that day will come. We recommend replacing your backup drives between the third and sixth years of use, if possible. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to get metrics on which hard drive models are more reliable over the long run, and even so, there will always be outliers and failures that occur sooner than expected.

Speed

HDDs, or hard drives, contain spinning disks that read and write your data. The faster these disks spin—rated in rotations per minute (RPM)—the faster the drive can access data and transfer it to your computer.

External Vs. Internal HDD

The main advantage of external hard disks is their portability. Which also makes them perfect backups in case your PC is compromised. Desktop PCs allow you room to add extra hard disks, but if you are using a laptop or other gaming device, you will have to replace your existing hard drive.

FAQs

Is A Hard Drive Good For Gaming?

Hard drives are relatively good for gaming. Multiple storage devices help to expand memory. However, there are some hard drive models that have enough capacity to store games. Today, most modern games can consume a lot of space. As a result, it will become difficult to keep it in some regular hard drive models.

What is a hybrid drive?

A hybrid drive is a storage device that combines traditional hard disk drive (HDD) storage with solid state drive (SSD) storage. This allows for faster access to frequently used files and a larger capacity for storing files.

How does a hybrid drive work?

A hybrid drive combines a hard drive and an SSD into one single device. The hard drive is used for storing large amounts of data, while the SSD is used for frequently accessed files. The drive will automatically detect which type of data is being accessed and prioritize the SSD for faster access.

What are the benefits of a hybrid drive?

Hybrid drives offer the speed and reliability of an SSD with the large storage capacity of a hard drive. They are also generally more affordable than buying both an SSD and a hard drive separately.

What are the drawbacks of a hybrid drive?

Hybrid drives are usually more expensive than standard hard drives, and the performance may not be as good as an SSD alone. Additionally, hybrid drives may not offer the same level of reliability and durability as an SSD.

Are there any downsides to using a hybrid drive?

The main downside to using a hybrid drive is that it is more expensive than a traditional hard drive. Additionally, the performance of a hybrid drive may not be as good as that of an SSD.

Conclusion

We hope that our helpful advice has assisted you in locating the best hybrid drives for your requirements. If you still can't locate one, contact the Seagate Exos Hybrid Hard Drive. If you encounter an issue, please contact us as soon as possible; we would be pleased to assist you with any questions or concerns. Now is an excellent moment to purchase!


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About Tim Powers

Tim Powers

Tim Powers is an audio equipment & home theater gadget reviewer and the editor of TheAudioInsights.com. He has been involved in the home theater hobby since the late 1990s when he purchased his first AV receiver. Tim is also a writer, with articles appearing in various online and print publications.