Cheap 2-bay simplicity or faster 4-bay futureproofing?

Display

Neither product has a display in the usual sense, so this category is really about front-panel usability and status feedback. The Buffalo LinkStation 220 keeps things very basic, which suits simple home storage but offers little in the way of diagnostics or user-friendly feedback. The Asustor AS5304T is a more premium NAS with a more modern interface and better management experience through its software ecosystem. Winner: Asustor AS5304T, because the overall interface and control experience is far more capable, even though neither unit has a screen.

Performance

This is where the gap becomes obvious. The Buffalo LinkStation 220 is a 2-bay NAS with included HDDs, so out of the box it is ready to use, but its hardware is aimed at light-duty file sharing, backups, and basic home cloud access. By contrast, the Asustor AS5304T has a 1.5GHz quad-core CPU, 4GB of DDR4 RAM, and dual 2.5GbE ports, which gives it much stronger throughput headroom for multiple users, Plex-style media serving, and heavier multitasking. The Asustor can also benefit from faster networking if your router or switch supports 2.5GbE, while the Buffalo is fundamentally limited by its simpler design. Winner: Asustor AS5304T, by a large margin.

Build quality and design

Buffalo’s LinkStation line is designed as a straightforward consumer NAS: compact, conservative, and easy to set up. The big advantage is that the 4TB of drives are already included, so there is no extra shopping or compatibility concern. However, the 2-bay layout limits growth and resilience options. The Asustor AS5304T is a more enthusiast-oriented chassis with 4 drive bays, which gives you more room to grow, better RAID choices, and more flexible storage planning. It is diskless, so the initial setup is more involved, but the hardware platform itself is clearly superior for anyone who expects to expand. Winner: Asustor AS5304T, because the 4-bay design is more robust and future-ready.

Battery life

Neither NAS has a battery, so this category does not really apply in the same way it would for a laptop or UPS-backed device. In practical home use, reliability here depends far more on your power protection than on the NAS itself. If you are worried about outages, you should budget for a UPS regardless of which model you buy. Winner: tie.

Price and value for money

On sticker price alone, the Buffalo LinkStation 220 wins because it costs £308.00 versus £435.04 for the Asustor, a difference of £127.04. More importantly, the Buffalo includes 4TB of HDDs, so it is a true out-of-the-box purchase with no extra drive cost. That makes it attractive for buyers who just want a simple shared folder, family backups, or a basic home cloud without spending more. However, the Asustor’s higher price buys a much stronger platform: 4 bays, 4GB DDR4 RAM, dual 2.5GbE ports, and a far better upgrade path. If you compare total capability rather than just initial spend, the Asustor offers better long-term value for serious NAS users. Winner: Buffalo LinkStation 220 for budget buyers; Asustor AS5304T for overall value.

Game library/features

Neither of these is a gaming device, so the phrase “gaming network attached storage” on the Asustor is more about enthusiast branding than actual game performance. What matters in real use is feature set: the Asustor’s stronger CPU, more RAM, and faster networking make it better for media streaming, Docker-style workloads, and multi-device access. The Buffalo is more limited and better suited to straightforward storage, backups, and simple home-cloud use. If you want to run apps, transcode media, or host more than a basic file share, the Asustor is the clear winner. Winner: Asustor AS5304T.

Overall user experience

The Buffalo LinkStation 220 is the easier purchase if you want something simple, complete, and relatively inexpensive. You plug it in, get 4TB included, and start using it as a home cloud or network storage device with minimal fuss. The Asustor AS5304T takes more effort because you must supply your own drives, but the payoff is much better performance, more storage bays, and a noticeably more capable platform for the future. For a family archive or basic backup box, Buffalo is perfectly fine. For Plex, multiple users, larger RAID arrays, and long-term expandability, the Asustor is the better NAS by a clear margin.

Overall summary: the Buffalo LinkStation 220 is the cheaper, simpler, all-in-one option, but the Asustor AS5304T is the better NAS in almost every technical respect. If you want the best long-term purchase and can afford the extra drives and higher upfront cost, buy the Asustor. If you just need a basic 4TB home NAS today and want to spend less, the Buffalo is the pragmatic choice.