by 534 reviews.
BUFFALO DriveStation 4TB High Speed 7200RPM TAA Desktop External Hard Drive USB 3.2: A Comprehensive Review
When it comes to external hard drives, the BUFFALO DriveStation 4TB High Speed 7200RPM TAA Desktop External Hard Drive is a standout choice for anyone in need of reliable, fast, and secure data storage. Whether you're a professional, a creative, or just someone who needs extra space for your digital life, this external hard drive promises to deliver. But does it live up to the hype? Let’s dive into the details.
Why I Chose the BUFFALO DriveStation
I found myself in a common predicament: running out of space on my internal 1TB hard drive. After weighing the pros and cons of upgrading to a larger internal drive versus going external, I decided on the latter. The flexibility of being able to disconnect the drive and use it with other devices, like my router for streaming, was a major selling point. Plus, the BUFFALO DriveStation offered a 7200 RPM speed, USB 3.2 connectivity, and a sleek design that I couldn’t resist.
Pros and Cons: What Customers Are Saying
Design and Build Quality
Pros:
- Sleek and Stylish: Many users, including myself, appreciate the drive’s modern design. The matte black sides and high-gloss center strip give it a premium look that stands out on any desk.
- Durable Construction: The 3.5-inch mechanical hard disk is housed in a sturdy plastic case, making it both robust and stylish.
Cons:
- Plastic Build: While the design is sleek, some users noted that the plastic casing feels less premium compared to metal-bodied drives. However, this doesn’t seem to affect its durability.
Performance and Speed
Pros:
- Blazing-Fast Transfers: With a 7200 RPM hard drive and USB 3.2 (Gen 1) connectivity, file transfers are lightning-fast. Users report significant time savings when moving large files.
- Plug-and-Play Convenience: The drive is compatible with both PC and Mac, requiring no complicated setup. It’s ready to use right out of the box.
Cons:
- USB 2.0 Limitations: Some users noted that when using USB 2.0, the transfer speeds are slower, though still acceptable. However, this is more of a limitation of the USB 2.0 interface rather than the drive itself.
Features and Usability
Pros:
- Automatic Backups: The included Buffalo Backup Utility for PCs and Time Machine support for Mac make it easy to schedule automatic backups, ensuring your data is always protected.
- Energy Efficiency: The eco Manager tool helps conserve energy, making it an eco-friendly choice.
- Advanced Data Protection: Optional 256-bit AES hardware encryption provides an extra layer of security for sensitive files.
Cons:
- Excessive Software: Some users felt that the drive comes with too much pre-installed software, much of which they found unnecessary. However, the file transfer software was praised for its efficiency.
Durability and Reliability
Pros:
- Long-Lasting Performance: Many users reported that their BUFFALO drives have been running smoothly for years, even under heavy use.
- Two-Year Warranty: The extended warranty provides peace of mind, and users have found the customer service to be helpful and responsive.
Cons:
- Mechanical Noise: A few users mentioned a mechanical clicking noise during large file transfers, which can be concerning. However, this seems to be an isolated issue.
Real-World Usage
Pros:
- Versatile Connectivity: The drive works seamlessly with various devices, including routers for network storage. Users have successfully streamed HD videos wirelessly without any hiccups.
- Quiet Operation: Despite its high-speed performance, the drive operates quietly, making it suitable for use in quiet environments like bedrooms.
Cons:
- Initial Compatibility Issues: Some users experienced initial compatibility issues with Windows 10, though these were resolved by connecting the drive directly to the computer or using a USB hub.
Conclusion: Is the BUFFALO DriveStation Worth It?
The BUFFALO DriveStation 4TB High Speed 7200RPM TAA Desktop External Hard Drive is a solid choice for anyone in need of reliable, fast, and secure external storage. Its sleek design, high-speed performance, and user-friendly features make it a standout option in a crowded market. While there are minor drawbacks, such as the plastic build and occasional mechanical noise, the overall performance and durability more than make up for these issues.
Final Verdict: If you’re looking for a high-capacity, high-speed external hard drive that combines style, performance, and reliability, the BUFFALO DriveStation is an excellent choice. Whether you’re a professional needing secure storage or a casual user looking to expand your digital library, this drive has you covered.
Specification BUFFALO DriveStation 4TB High Speed 7200RPM TAA Desktop External Hard Drive USB 3.2:
Comments from Amazon:
I liked the one I purchased in August 2020 so much, that I just got 2 more. I use it on XP and Win 7 with no issues. I tried the 2 recent ones on XP, then Win 10 with no problems. The first time I tried the original one on Win 10, it didn't do anything, but now that one also works on Win 10. Someone smarter than me will have to explain why it works now: The 1st time, the USB cable used an extension and was plugged directly into the laptop. The 2nd time (that worked) I did not use a USB extension cable and plugged it into a USB hub.
I have bought many Buffalo products in the past, from flash drives to the 2TB version of this drive. Since my "old" computer doesn't have USB 3.0 capabilities, I can't comment on the performance of this drive with that interface. Under USB 2.0, file transfers are still quite fast. It's essentially plug-and-play, so minimal setup was required to actually begin using the drive. I have only 2 complaints about this drive. First, which applies to all such drives, is that it comes with excessive software that serves no real function. The exception to this is the file transfer software application, which is really quite a bit better than what comes standard with Windows 7. The second criticism I have, which I fear may apply only to my particular drive, it that when it stops a large file transfer, there's a mechanical clicking noise, which is worrisome. Again, I have a feeling that may be only the drive I bought. The delivery was really quick (3 days) since it came directly from Amazon.
I use a BUFFALO DriveStation Axis Velocity 2 TB USB 3.0 Desktop Hard Drive for an in-home DIY DVR using several video capture TV cards. Currently, at most I sometimes have TWO of the cards writing to this drive (two different TV channels) and I might be WATCHING (one read) and perhaps even reading yet another show that I've edited and processing to a different drive. Thus, in all, I might have two processes writing to the drive and two processes reading from the drive simultaneously. It's quite intensive. The little green light will flash almost straight on when all of this is happening. Of course sometimes There's nothing going on. But this is on 24/7 with hundreds of TV shows written to the drive and of course most of the shows watched. (I'm often a day behind on current news.) After a year the drive finally gave up. But with a two year warranty it was easy to get a replacement. Customer service was friendly, helpful. The RMA process requires you to call in. After looking around on their website for days and not finding a way to submit an RMA request I finally called. A few minutes on the phone and I have an RMA. I haven't actually received my replacement yet but they assure me that I will after they get my drive that I sent to them. I had no problem with their customer service. I say this because other people complained about this. I have numerous external drives. Lacie, Buffalo, Western Digital, Seagate, Dlink (RAID 1 NAS), and others I can't remember right now. (even more internal drive manufacturers.) And I've a lot of experience. I've had success and failures. So far Buffalo has been a success. Seriously - few homeowners utilize drives the way I do. I'm not trying to boast - I have at least 14 TB of storage online here - that's just a quick estimate. I'm disabled so I'm in bed a lot and watch a lot of news and other shows to distract me from pain. Anyway, a long review. I just wanted to throw in my "hat" to support a company that I've, so far, had good results from. I also own their BUFFALO DriveStation Axis Velocity 3 TB USB 3.0 Desktop Hard Drive currently in use here. If I have any problems then I'll update this review.
I chosed Buffalo again cos the first Hard Drive I bought years ago is still perfectly working. Have tried twice to buy a different brand Hard Drives but both times had troubles in short time. Thanks. Buffalo is my choice.
After buying a 4gb hdd from Amazon for nearly the same price as this one, I learned that my Bell Satellite receiver won't work with anything over 2gb. So I returned that and searched for a 1 or 2 gb hdd - which isn't easy to find without paying more for. I came across this and I'm super glad I did! All of my PVR frustrations are over. This set up super quick, was detected immediately, and has had no issues. My previous Lacie hdd had a power button and this one does not, which I prefer as when the power goes out, I don't have to manually turn it back on (which is helpful if the power goes out while I'm not home or overnight and I don't realize it, or remember to turn the hdd back on and lose my recordings). It is quiet, average sized and runs well. If you are a Bell customer and need a hard drive, I highly recommend this!
This is exactly what I needed for my bedroom to PVR some of my shows. I had ordered a similar item from another company but had to send it back because it was very loud when running. This one is quiet and works well!
Lets start with why I purchased this...well after running out of space on my internal 1TB SATA III Hitachi hard drive, I had to make a decision to either buy a second larger internal 2TB hard drive or go external to use for additional data storage. I weighed the benefits of getting an internal one...fast theoretical native SATA III 6Gbps interface speed, no desktop clutter/wires etc vs the disadvantages...fixed not removable/portable so cannot be connected to a router or laptop computer etc. I ultimately decided to go external because I definitely prefer the option of being able to disconnect the hard drive and connecting it to another computer or device such as a router for streaming/sharing. I'm aware that I also could share an internal hard drive over the network with other devices but that means 1) My computer needs to be on 2) My computer will slow down if another device is streaming content from it...been there done that. With an external hard drive I could just connect it to my router which has USB ports and it will automatically be accessible from other network devices without affecting my computer in any way. Not only that but when using USB 3.0 (5Gbps) and directly connected to a computer the theoretical transfer rate is not much slower than SATA III (6Gbps). Regardless the bottle neck will be the mechanical transfer speed of the hard drive which is around 125MB/s (1Gbps) anyway. Also even though the drive inside the Buffalo unit is a SATA II (3Gbps) model the mechanical transfer rate is still well below that interface's theoretical speed. Only when using Wi-Fi on my new Belkin AC1200 Dual Band Wireless AC Router does the theoretical transfer rate drop to 480Mbps but that's only because the router has USB 2.0 ports instead of 3.0. The router itself has a wireless theoretical 867Mbps data transfer rate on the 5GHz band. At the time of this writing this external hard drive was the same price as the non-Velocity model so to me it made so much more sense to get this one instead. The main differences between this DriveStation Axis Velocity and the non-Velocity model BUFFALO DriveStation Axis 2 TB USB 3.0 Desktop Hard Drive - HD-LB2.0TU3 is: 1. 7200 rpm hard drive vs 5400 rpm 2. 2 year warranty vs 1 year 3. Optional hardware encryption So with the technical talk out of the way lets move on to the design/styling which quite frankly I found to be utterly slick. In my opinion it's one of if not the most stylish plastic cased desktop hard drives on the market. It's one of those pieces of computer equipment that you'd want to display proudly instead of hiding it under the desk or in a drawer. Just as the pictures show the sides are matte black while the center "water fall" strip/panel is high gloss. The only other desktop drives that look just as good are the brushed metal Porsche Designs but those also cost more. The case also has stylishly designed vents along the perimeter of the body. I suspect that when this drive eventually gets full I'll get another one. The stylish exterior design works well when stood side by side or stacked. Finally with regards to function and performance, I've found it to be acceptably fast and quiet right out of the box even without installing any of the included software and despite only using a USB 2.0 connection. After installing the hard drive caching application Turbo PC EX which is included on the drive, transfer rates seem to improve when copying a large number of files. Since USB 2.0's theoretical transfer rate is lower than the hard drive's mechanical transfer rate I suspect using USB 3.0 will be quite a bit faster. Buffalo says real world speeds using USB 3.0 will be about 4-5 times faster than USB 2.0. Unfortunately at the time of this writing I do not have a computer with USB 3.0 ports so cannot test this claim..though there's no reason why it wouldn't hold true. When connected to my Belkin AC1200 router it worked fine as a NAS drive and I was able to stream HD 1080p videos contained on the hard drive wirelessly to my computer and even my iPhone 4 smoothly. On a related note one cool feature of this drive is the tri-color activity/power/locked LED. When in USB 1.1/2.0 mode it lights up green while in USB 3.0 it's blue. When using encryption mode the LED is red. Another nice feature of this drive is the option to install a cooling fan via a user removable mounting bracket on the back. This is a very "cool" option for situations where you're backing up lots of data which may take many hours to complete and where the ambient room temperature may already be warm or hot. Anyway for my mode of usage (media/file server) I did not enable the hardware encryption function nor did I install the RAMDISK or Back Up utility.