MSI bundles free SATA HDD with barebones PC kits, but it should have been an SSD

A free spinning HDD is an odd choice in 2024

by · TechSpot

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Editor's take: MSI is giving away a free 500 GB hard drive with the purchase of a new barebones PC kit. The marketing ploy may seem attractive at first glance, but don't be fooled. The freebie isn't worth much, and arguably has no place in a modern gaming PC.

MSI Gaming USA recently advertised the offer on X. For a limited time, barebone PC kit buyers can get a free Seagate Barracuda 500 GB, 7,200 RPM 2.5-inch hard drive with their purchase. Amazon offers the same drive for $24.99, so we're not exactly dealing with a big ticket item here. Still, free is free, right?

While there's certainly nothing wrong with tossing the Seagate HDD into your new build as a backup or storage drive, the last thing you want to do is leverage it as your primary OS drive. Traditional hard drives are many times slower than flash-based solid-state drives. Running the operating system on an HDD is like stepping back in time, and performance is going to suffer at every avenue.

For your primary drive, an SSD should be your only consideration. Pricing has come down significantly since they first arrived on the scene. For example, you can get a 512 GB SATA SSD from a name-brand manufacturer for less than $30. Tack on another $10 and you can take home an M.2 drive that'll run circles around the SATA drive.

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As for MSI's barebones kits, there are currently five to choose from ranging in price from $197.99 to $339.99.

The entry-level kit includes a B650M Pro-VDH WiFi motherboard, a MAG Force 112R mid-tower chassis, and a MAG A650N 650-watt power supply. It's not a bad deal for the price, especially if you are building on a budget. The top-tier bundle comes with a Z790 Gaming Plus WiFi board, a Gungnir 210R case, and a MAG A850GL 850-watt PSU.

MSI's free HDD offer is valid for an undisclosed limited time so if you're interested, it'd probably be best to hop on it ASAP.