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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.
Your PC, Your Rules! �-�ï¸Ââ¡
– MSI Gaming USA (@msiUSA) September 23, 2024
Assemble the perfect budget system with our Barebone PC Kits + for a limited time get a free 500GB HDD! Check out the new Z790 kit with current deals up to $40 off ð ï¸Â CASE/MOBO/PSU/HDD
Grab it here �'� https://t.co/rqZdA1fB7M pic.twitter.com/gnY1zf2uEu
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.