Tom's Hardware Verdict

Seagate’s FireCuda X Vault is a gaming-focused 3.5-inch external drive with easily controlled RGB and a single USB-C cable for power and data.

Pros

+ Single USB-C cable for data and power

+ RGB can be controlled via Windows 11

+ Ships with 2 years of the company’s Data Recovery Service

Cons

- Requires a 15W-capable USB-C port

- Bulkier than it probably needs to be

Why you can trust Tom's Hardware

Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test .

External 3.5-inch-based hard drives for backup and expanded storage have been common for decades (I brought one with me to college in 2000). But they typically required large laptop-style external power bricks, were often painfully slow, and were prone to random data-eating failure (ask me how I know).…