Buffalo Technology DriveStation Axis 1TB Review

The Buffalo Technology DriveStation Axis 1TB is a family of desktop external hard drives that offers high performance and easy-to-use storage. It easily connects to your computer for additional storage or backup of data files, video, music and photos. Buffalo has a feature-rich software suite of tools designed to boost PC performance.

The Buffalo Hard Drive not only stores and backups your data easily but it also transports various files, including huge multimedia files that are too large to fit on a USB key. Simply plug the hard drive into your computer and it installs automatically with Windows 2000, XP, or OS-X computers. Fanless Heat Sink Chassis design lets the DriveStation run cool and quietly.

The storage device may be placed vertically or horizontally on the desktop. There is no cooling fan, even though there’s clearly an empty space for one, so you’ll need to keep the disk in a well-ventilated area.

When connected over USB3, the Buffalo DriveStation raced through our file transfer tests, writing large files at 105MB/s and reading them at just under 152MB/s, which makes this one of the fastest external hard disks we’ve seen. It wasn’t quite as table-topping when it came to small files, but it was still quicker than average with small file write speeds of 31MB/s and read speeds of 42.2MB/s.

Technical Details

  • Brand Name: Buffalo Technology
  • Model: HD-LX3.0TU3
  • Warranty: 2 year
  • Hard Disk Description: External
  • Weight: 2.9 pounds

Product Features

  • Secure storage and backup solution
  • Equipped with a high speed 7200 RPM hard drive
  • 256-bit AES encryption and USB 3.0/ 2.0 support
  • Horizontal and vertical form factor
  • Buffalo Tools
  • Eco Manager
  • Fanless Design
  • Product Dimensions: 3 x 8.9 x 8.7 inches; 2.2 pounds
  • Item model number: HD-LB1.0TU2

Pro’s:

  • Increase file transfer rates up to 5X* over USB 2.0 hard drives
  • Automatic 256-bit AES Full Disk Encryption (FDE) protects your data from unauthorized access
  • Compact and Sleek for ultimate portability
  • Compatible with USB 2.0
  • Works with PC (NTFS and HFS+ support) and Mac.
  • Preformatted hard drive is ready for immediate use with Windows and Mac
  • The Hard Drive can be positioned anywhere that suits you. It stands upright or lays flat for flexible placement in any environment
  • Fanless Design allows for quiet operation
  • Buffalo’s Backup Utility automatically backs up your Windows PC, protecting your data
  • Works perfectly with Time Machine to back up your Mac computer
  • Eco minded power management tool regulates power usage, conserving energy and battery consumption

Con’s:

  • Requires a mains adaptor
  • No fan, which means the drive may overheat.