Buffalo DriveStation 400Gb

The DriveStation 400Gb is a large external hard disk; large in both the size of the disk and the size of the case that houses it.

The box trumpets that the disk spins at 7200rpm and that it uses a serial-ATA connection - a step up on many of what Buffalo’s competitors produce at the moment.

The question is whether or not either of these makes any difference. In our tests, the Buffalo DriveStation disk performed at much the same speed as most of its competitors that use a USB2 connection to the PC, transferring data at about 1Gb per minute.

There are several other features that make the disk worthwhile, however. The Secure Lock Ware program can encrypt data on the disk, while the auto-power-off means it will automatically power up and down with the PC (it still needs its own power supply).

There are several other sizes of disk available, and 400Gb is the largest.

This is a good disk, but some of Buffalo’s competitors make cheaper models that aren’t much different.