Buffalo MiniStation Thunderbolt - Review & Custom Spec Results

[rw3]

USB 2.0 Benchmarks at the Bottom of Post

Specifications: http://www.buffalotech.com/products...portable-hard-drives/ministation-thunderbolt/

Well with the purchase of my rMBP, I was looking for a great external hard drive to carry with me that had Thunderbolt as well as USB 3.0/2.0 so that it could be used with previous generation machines, although at much slower USB 2.0 speeds. I saw that Buffalo Technology has released their MiniStation Thunderbolt and saw that it also had USB 3.0, I had to get one and do some testing on it. It was surprisingly in stock at my local Fry's and they had both the 500GB and the 1TB ($199.99 and $229.99 respectively).

So when I got home, I decided that the first thing I wanted to do was tear it apart to really see how it was put together. Well, there are no screws that hold the enclosure together. Instead, Buffalo decided that it would be a good idea to use super strength double sided tape that with a little bit of heat and muscle, the two halves would separate. The silver part of the enclosure is aluminum and the the rest is lots of plastic. There is a metal internal shield, but that's it.

I have a couple of Corsair Performance Pro 256GB SSDs that I will be using as a test for the speed of SSDs in this enclosure. I have tried the Seagate GoFlex Thunderbolt adapter and just don't like the bulk and I believe that Seagate could've done a much better job at it. Anyways, I digress. I will get USB 2.0 benchmarks posted this afternoon.

Benchmarks

First Test: MiniStation 1TB over USB 3.0 (Uses the Seagate/Samsung 1TB 5400RPM HN-M101MBB)

Disk Utility

BlackMagicDesign DiskSpeed Test
Results - Read: 108.2 Write: 108.3

AJA System Test
Results - Read 108.8 Write: 105.9

Second Test: MiniStation 1TB over Thunderbolt (Uses the Seagate/Samsung 1TB 5400RPM HN-M101MBB)

Disk Utility

BlackMagicDesign DiskSpeed Test
Results - Read: 108.6 Write: 96.1

AJA System Test
Results - Read 108.7 Write: 105.9

Third Test: MiniStation 256GB SATAIII SSD over USB 3.0 (Corsair Performance Pro SSD)

Disk Utility

BlackMagicDesign DiskSpeed Test
Results - Read: 258.9 Write: 255.6

AJA System Test
Results - Read 257.5 Write: 255.6

Fourth Test: MiniStation 256GB SATAIII SSD over ThunderBolt (Corsair Performance Pro SSD)

Disk Utility

BlackMagicDesign DiskSpeed Test
Results - Read: 360.8 Write: 313.1

AJA System Test
Results - Read 360.4 Write: 313.6

Fifth Test: MiniStation 1TB Seagate/Samsung HN-M101MBB over USB 2.0

BlackMagicDesign DiskSpeed Test
Results - Read 34.1 Write: 27.5

 

[Koodauw]

So USB 3.0 was slightly better all around the TB with the 5400rpm drive? Interesting.

 

[rw3]

Yeah, I think it has to do with how USB may buffer and TB doesn't....I don't know. It find it funny but then again, SSD is a lot faster on TB than USB 3.0.

 

[dearlaserworks]

These numbers lead me to believe that when Apple releases iMacs with USB 3.0, one could add an external SSD boot drive inside a USB 3.0 enclosure that supports SATA III (6Gb/s) for a lot less than the cost for Thunderbolt enclosure and cable or build-to-order internal SSD's.

 

[rw3]

The good thing about the MiniStation ThunderBolt is that it comes with a USB 3.0 cable and an 16" ThunderBolt Cable....not bad considering the cost. $300 for the enclosure and a good 128GB SSD...not too costly if you ask me.

 

[Richdmoore]

These one thunderbolt port solutions are kind of aggravating to us 21.5 iMac (1 thunderbolt port only) owners who may want to daisy chain in the future.

I guess at some point some either a thunderbolt hub or 2 port devices that can daisy chain will be made.

At the end of the day, thunderbolt will be great to use to add a ssd boot drive, without the problem of opening an iMac.

 

[dearlaserworks]

first thing I wanted to do was tear it apart to really see how it was put together. Well, there are no screws that hold the enclosure together. Instead, Buffalo decided that it would be a good idea to use super strength double sided tape that with a little bit of heat and muscle, the two halves would separate. The silver part of the enclosure is aluminum and the the rest is lots of plastic. There is a metal internal shield, but that's it.

Post a few pics of the disassembly, please.

 

[b0rg]

Could you tell me how to open this enclosure without breaking it?

 

[rw3]

To take the enclosure apart, use a hairdryer to heat up the bottom (part with the rubber C shaped feet). Then gently pry the white plastic away from the aluminum. It will take some muscle. The 1TB model came apart easy where as the 500GB model I got took about 10x more effort to get apart....pictures uploading now of the parts.

 

[rw3]

 

[dearlaserworks]

Thanks for the pics! If you do any testing with this unit as external boot device, I'm sure many would appreciate hearing how well this unit performs (boot times, app launch) over USB 3.0 vs. Thunderbolt compared to internal flash drive and even HDD if you test with an iMac or other Mac with an internal HDD. Does USB 3.0 latency offset the gains of SSD, for instance?

 

[plucky duck]

Would be nice to see buffalo come out with just the enclosure itself with tb and USB 3.0 options. As it stands you're looking at ~$100 for the drive and ~$100 for the enclosure. Not too shabby since the housing accommodates both USB 3 and tb.

 

[rw3]

Not only that but a Thunderbolt cable is included as well. Super flexible and 16-18"

 

[dearlaserworks]

Would be nice to see buffalo come out with just the enclosure itself with tb and USB 3.0 options. As it stands you're looking at ~$100 for the drive and ~$100 for the enclosure. Not too shabby since the housing accommodates both USB 3 and tb.

Yes, we all want to see an affordable Thunderbolt enclosure so we can drop an SSD or drive of choice in it.

Not only that but a Thunderbolt cable is included as well. Super flexible and 16-18"

Definite plus. The Seagate adapter is $99 then a cable $49, which means $150 w/o enclosure, whereas here we now have all for only $50 and a drive thrown in.

Too bad it's not easier to pop open, but it's easier and less scary than minor surgery to drop an SSD into an iMac.

 

[b0rg]

@RW3

Thanks for the pictures, to bad the drive is not available in Europe..

 

[KPOM]

Yeah, I think it has to do with how USB may buffer and TB doesn't....I don't know. It find it funny but then again, SSD is a lot faster on TB than USB 3.0.

So USB 3.0 was slightly better all around the TB with the 5400rpm drive? Interesting.

I noticed the same effect using the Seagate GoFlex Thunderbolt adapter vs. USB 3.0 enclosure with an SSD and HDD. USB 3.0 is slightly faster for the HDD, while Thunderbolt is faster for the SSD.

 

[jamswirl]

Awesome! looking at getting one of these. Any chance you could post a quick video of how to disassemble it?

 

[rw3]

Awesome! looking at getting one of these. Any chance you could post a quick video of how to disassemble it?

See post #9....the casing just pulls apart....

 

[b0rg]

@RW3

When you put the case together again does it still keeps everything oke?
Does it still need the double sided tape to keep the cases together?

 

[theSeb]

@RW3

Thanks for the pictures, to bad the drive is not available in Europe..

That is the only thing that upsets me about this product.

 

[rw3]

The double sided will always be there unless you remove it before putting it back together, hence needing something to keep the two halves together.

 

[g4cube]

The double sided will always be there unless you remove it before putting it back together, hence needing something to keep the two halves together.

I removed the double-sticky completely.

Rubber bands now seem to work well in keeping it all together.

there's not enough clearance for velcro inside.

 

[lozion]

I wonder what numbers you would get with a 7200rpm drive...

 

[spdntrxi]

so pretty much any sata drive can go in here... cool

also thinking 7200rpm or ssd/hybrid

 

[rw3]

You may see an additional 5-10MB/s with a 7200RPM drive. Where the 7200RPM is better than a 5400RPM is random reads and writes, not steady data. Density has gone up so speed differentials have decreased.