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Seagate FreeAgent Desk 1.5TB ST315005FDA2E1-RK: Review

Posted to Hard Drives 2009-04-12

Review: Seagate FreeAgent Desk 1.5TB ST315005FDA2E1-RK

The Seagate FreeAgent Desk 1.5TB ST315005FDA2E1-RK Hard Drive offers a great deal of storage in a sleek and sophisticated package. What draws most people into this device is the sheer amount of storage. What is disturbing about this product is that this Seagate 1.5 TB drive seems to be plagued by problems that make it completely undesirable. A slow start up, crashing problems and bad connections are just a few on the list of issues with this device when I did my research.

The Seagate FreeAgent Desk 1.5TB ST315005FDA2E1-RK hard drive comes standard with a USB 2.0 connection which makes data transfer comfortable. The device is also energy efficient and powers on and off automatically.

Rating:

2.6 out of 5

Performance

While the Seagate FreeAgent Desk 1.5TB ST315005FDA2E1-RK hard drive offers an incredible amount of storage at a nice price there have been significant reports of bad performance. There has been word that this drive is incredibly sensitive to knocks rendering it pretty much useless with a mild hit or drop.

There has also been significant trouble with the drive heads and the device flat out dying after a short period of time. Speed and noise are also reported issues with transfers being painfully slow in some cases and the noise emitted being unbearably loud.

Ergonomics

The Seagate FreeAgent Desk 1.5TB ST315005FDA2E1-RK external Hard drive is actually an incredibly good looking device. This unit can be used either horizontally or vertically. The weight is only around 2lbs so carrying it from place to place in a bag is not an inconvenience. The plugs are base mounted which helps with clutter. Most people can't afford anymore wires on their desk and this one keeps them hidden nicely and cleanly. Overall the entire device is designed with a streamlined and clean look. Seagate obviously put a good amount of time designing the exterior. It is just too bad they did not do the same with the interior.

Summary

The Seagate FreeAgent Desk 1.5TB ST315005FDA2E1-RK hard drive is a large drive that can store tons of data but its wonky performance and debated reliability makes it an iffy purchase. Consider this one an "at your own risk" purchase

Pros

Low Price and Large Capacity is a Nice Bargain
Lightweight makes it easy to take with you

Cons

High failure rate is a big red flag
Some units reported to be extremely loud
Sensitive device; light drops will cause failure.