Buffalo DriveStation DDR

Bottom Line

The Buffalo DriveStation DDR external hard drive is incredibly fast, offering USB 3.0 data transfer speeds that rival -- and often trump -- the fastest Thunderbolt drives, but at a much lower cost. It's a single-volume drive, which means it shouldn't be the only place you stash your crucial files, but its price and performance make it one of the best desktop backup solutions we've found. Capacities include 3 TB and 2 TB (Est. $140).

Performance

Incredible speed. Experts agree the Buffalo DriveStation DDR offers stellar performance. CNET editor Dong Ngo calls the drive "just ridiculously fast." He adds that it's the "fastest single-volume external drive on the market," besting even the best Thunderbolt drives in the site's tests. Setup is straightforward for use with Windows machines -- just plug in power and a USB 3.0 cable and you are good to go.

The drive ships with several Windows-only utilities, but the external hard drive plays well with third-party software, including Apple's Time Machine. Speaking of Apple, while OS X is supported, the drive will need to be reformatted to work with Mac computers. The best performance is achieved with computers with USB 3.0 ports. USB 2.0 is supported, but transfer speeds become more pedestrian.

Reliability

Shouldn't be the only means of backup. Because the Buffalo DriveStation DDR external hard drive uses system memory as cache, it's prone to losing data in the event of a power failure during file transfer. StorageReview.com's Josh Shaman says this is because the buffer is nonpowered and recommends using "safe transfer policies" like copying files rather than moving them. This way, data lost in transit won't be fatal. It's also a single volume backup drive.

CNET's Ngo says this isn't a deal-breaker, but it does mean that it "is not suitable for storing the only copy of your important data." He suggests that, given its price, getting two for backup purposes is worth considering. The Buffalo DriveStation DDR is too new to have received much feedback from owners, though the few user reviews we've spotted are positive. A three-year limited warranty is included.

Value

Great performance for a competitive price. Experts agree that the Buffalo DriveStation DDR external hard drive presents top-shelf performance, yet it costs no more than other USB 3.0 desktop drives of similar capacity. CNET and Laptop Magazine both award it the external hard drive Editors' Choice award for value as well as performance. "This device is a bargain for multimedia hoarders and graphic artists," says Laptop's Michael A. Prospero.