Comparing: Seagate Momentus ST950032-5AS vs LITE-ON LST-16S9G 16GB

Specification Comparison Table

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Submission Comparison Table

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About Hardware Seagate Momentus ST950032-5AS

The Seagate ST9500325AS is a 500GB hard disk drive (HDD) with a 2.5-inch form factor, designed specifically for laptops, notebooks and portable devices. Utilizing a SATA II interface (3.0 Gbps) and a rotation speed of 5400 RPM, this hard drive offers a combination of low power consumption and sufficient performance for everyday computing needs, such as document storage, media, and light operating system installations.

Equipped with 8MB of buffer cache, the Seagate ST9500325AS is capable of handling basic read/write activities steadily, though not as fast as modern solid-state drives (SSDs). Nevertheless, it remains a popular choice for budget-conscious systems, secondary data storage, or upgrading storage capacity without high costs. Compared to 7200 RPM HDDs, 5400 RPM models like these also generate less heat and noise, making them suitable for laptops that prioritize comfort and power efficiency.

Technically, this HDD has an average seek time of about 12ms and is designed to support daily workloads with a high level of reliability. In our data transfer speed benchmark tests, the Seagate ST9500325AS performed as follows:

• Read Speed (Sequential Read): ~58 MB/s
• Write Speed (Sequential Write): ~62 MB/s

While its performance is far below that of SSDs, it is still relevant for basic use, especially on older systems or when large capacity is more important than speed. The Seagate ST9500325AS is also commonly found as built-in storage on previous generation laptops, and is still widely used for backups, large media file storage, and as a portable storage solution with external enclosures.

Device Test:

Device: Lenovo Sabine B475
CPU: AMD A6-3400M
GPU: IGP Radeon HD 6520G
RAM: 2GB DDR3

Thursday, 24 November 2022 09:14:30 | Update: 1 month ago

About Hardware LITE-ON LST-16S9G 16GB

The LITE-ON LST-16S9G 16GB M.2 SATA is a compact solid-state drive designed to meet the storage needs of devices with limited space, such as mini PCs, older laptops, or embedded systems. With an M.2 2242 form factor and a SATA III 6Gbps interface, this SSD delivers sufficient performance for basic needs, particularly as a boot drive or operating system medium. Despite its 16GB capacity, its internal components are of decent quality for an entry-level class.

This SSD uses the TOSHIBA TH58TEG7DDK8A4C NAND flash chip, known for its durability and stability, combined with SK hynix's DRAM cache (H5TQ1G63EFR) featuring 1GB DDR3 SDRAM specifications—a rare find in SSDs of its class. The use of the Silicon Motion SM2246EN controller adds further value, as it is widely recognized in the SSD world as a reliable and efficient controller for handling light to moderate read/write tasks. This combination makes the LITE-ON LST-16S9G sufficiently capable for tasks such as booting, running a lightweight OS, or storing system configurations.

Performance testing was conducted on a Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i 14ITL6 device with 12GB DDR4 dual-channel RAM and the Windows 11 22H2 operating system. The SSD was installed via an M.2 SATA-to-SATA adapter and connected via a USB 3.0 enclosure. Test results showed sequential read speeds of 280MB/s and write speeds of 45MB/s on the CrystalDiskMark benchmark, while AS SSD recorded read speeds of 279MB/s and write speeds of approximately 41.67MB/s. This performance is stable and consistent with the characteristics of a SATA SSD in the low-capacity class, although the write speed is relatively slow for large file transfers.

Despite its limitations, such as limited storage capacity and low write speeds, the LITE-ON LST-16S9G remains an attractive option for users needing a small SSD for specific purposes. It is suitable for use in lightweight operating systems like Linux, custom devices like routers or media players, and as an upgrade solution from an HDD in older systems that only require improved boot speeds and basic application responsiveness. With its generally affordable price and high-quality internal components, this SSD can be a cost-effective yet functional alternative in the world of digital storage.

Device Test (testbed) :

Adapter: M.2 SATA to SATA -> SATA to USB 3.0 (HDD Enclosure)
Device: Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i 14ITL6
CPU: i5-1135G7
RAM: 12GB DDR4 3200MHz Dual Channel (8+4)
OS: Windows 11 22H2

* I have tested this hardware in used condition, so its performance may have deteriorated.

Monday, 30 June 2025 20:45:05 | Update: 1 week ago