Seagate ships energy-efficient Barracuda drives

Seagate has started shipping its Barracuda LP family of desktop hard drives that boast high storage capacity and good power efficiency.

The firm said the 3.5in 5,900 RPM drives use as much as 50 per cent less electricity than other comparable desktop drives, run quieter and operate at lower temperatures - factors that should extend the life of the units.

“Growing demand for power-efficient computing systems is not just a datacentre phenomenon as more builders of external storage devices, desktop PCs and home networking systems work to provide customers with products that combine power-efficiency with rock-solid performance,” said Joan Motsinger, Seagate vice president of personal systems marketing and strategy.

“Seagate is pleased to deliver a new low-power product line in our Barracuda family that enables system builders and end users alike to attain a higher level of environmental friendliness while cutting costs.”

Ian D O'Leary, UK corporate communications director at Seagate, said that the devices may appeal to those enterprises that are looking to lower their environmental impact.

"Because of their low power requirements, our drives enable our customers to use less energy," he explained. "And, on average, 70 per cent of the materials used in one of our hard drives are recyclable. The reality is that green makes economic sense; it's win-win for our business, for our customers and for the planet. The Barracuda LP is perfectly aligned with this paradigm."

The Seagate Barracuda LP drives are available in 2TB, 1.5TB or 1TB versions. UK pricing has not yet been announced.