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Amazon Black Friday 2023 NAS Deals Mega List

Par : Rob Andrews
20 novembre 2023 à 14:58

Discover Genuine NAS Deals for Amazon Black Friday 2023 – A Community Effort with Us

Hello to our NASCompares Community!

The time of year we’ve all been anticipating is upon us – Amazon Black Friday 2023. During this period, an abundance of deals flood our screens, making it a challenge to distinguish the exceptional from the mediocre. With this in mind, we’ve dedicated ourselves to crafting a carefully curated list of the most reliable and valuable offers, specifically tailored to those seeking a NAS purchase. This resource isn’t the product of a single author or a limited perspective. Instead, it is a collective effort by our devoted NAS community, respected NAS brands, and of course, your familiar guides, Robbie and Eddie, from NASCompares. Our primary focus is not sales, but to provide support and guidance in navigating the choppy seas of e-commerce!

If you want to skip ahead to the Deal List, just click below:

Unlike static deal listings, our compilation thrives on real-time updates. As the two-day Black Friday event unfolds, the list evolves and adapts, ensuring the inclusion of only the latest, most relevant deals. This eliminates any concerns about expired or invalid offers, providing a seamless, streamlined experience for everyone involved. As a member of the NAS community, your input is crucial in shaping this list. You can upvote an offer that you find particularly appealing or downvote one that you feel isn’t as valuable. Your engagement ensures that the best deals get the attention they deserve, and it aids fellow community members in making informed decisions. Please be aware that some offers may be region-specific. While we endeavour to redirect you to your region upon visiting a link, Amazon might change this, especially if an item is out of stock or an offer expires. Please bear with us in such instances.

Last but not least, we would like to clarify that any purchases made through the links will result in a small commission being sent to NASCompares. Far from filling our pockets, these funds are invested back into the community. They support our efforts in creating informative videos, writing detailed articles, maintaining the community forum, running the Discord server, and offering free advice. Events like Black Friday and Black Friday help us continue providing a valuable service, while simultaneously enabling you to secure the best NAS hardware deals. Join us as we embrace the spirit of community, collaboration, and genuine savings this Amazon Black Friday. We are in this together, every step of the way. Have a fantastic week!

Kind regards,

Robbie and Eddie, NASCompares Team

P.S. If you want to support us in what we do, but in other ways (passive or active, every little helps!), you can find out more HERE


 

Sharing is caring! Share your deals with NAS community! Get a notification when something new is added to the list!
Show Category:
Synology 2-Bay DiskStation DS223j NAS #PrimeNASAmazonUSA$154.99[LINK] 10th Oct
82%
6 Port 2.5G Umanaged Ethernet Switch, 4 x 2.5G Base-T Ports, 2 x 10G SFP $55.99 #PrimeSWHAmazonUSA$55.99[LINK] 10th Oct
86%
Samsung 980 PRO M.2 NVMe SSD MZ-V8P2T0BW £102.99 #PrimeSSDAmazonUSA2TB for £102.99[LINK] 10th Oct
100%
Seagate Desktop, 8 TB, External Hard Drive £125.99 #PrimeHDDAmazonUSA£125.99[LINK] 10th Oct
100%
Seagate IronWolf 8TB NAS Internal Hard Drive HDDMIXAmazonUSA$139.99[LINK] 23rd Nov
100%
QNAP QSW-2104-2S 2-port 10GbE £114.75 #PrimeSWHAmazonUSA£114.75[LINK] 10th Oct
100%
Synology DS223 24TB 2 Bay Desktop NAS Solution installed with 2 x 12TB HAT5300 DMIXAmazonUK15.73 OFF (WAS 1522)[LINK] today
Synology DS723+ 24TB 2 Bay Desktop NAS Solution, installed with 2 x 12TB HAT5300MIXAmazonUK602.46 OFF (WAS 1768)[LINK] today
QNAP TS-431XeU-2G 12TB 4 Bay Rack Solution | Installed with 4 x 3TB Western DigiMIXAmazonUK40.7 OFF (WAS 1299)[LINK] today
Synology RackStation RS1221+ - NAS server - 8 bays - rack-mountable - SATA 6Gb/sMIXAmazonUK35.25 OFF (WAS 1311)[LINK] today
Synology RX1217 - Storage enclosure - 12 bays (SATA-600) - rack-mountable - 2UMIXAmazonUK30.65 OFF (WAS 1335)[LINK] today
Synology 4-Bay RackStation RS822+ (Diskless)MIXAmazonUK4.33 OFF (WAS 1390)[LINK] today
QNAP 8-Bay NAS quad-core 1.7 GHz rackmount, TS-832PXU-RP-4GMIXAmazonUK24.32 OFF (WAS 1502)[LINK] today
QNAP Switch QSW-IM1200-8C 12P 10GbE RackMIXAmazonUK132.93 OFF (WAS 1688)[LINK] today
Synology HD6500 Rackmount ServerMIXAmazonUK7513.56 OFF (WAS 26912)[LINK] today
QNAP NAS compatible TS-873AeU-4G 0/8HDDMIXAmazonUK452.45 OFF (WAS 2000)[LINK] today
Synology DS423+ 16TB 4 Bay Desktop NAS Solution installed with 4 x 4TB HAT5300 DMIXAmazonUK13.2 OFF (WAS 1570)[LINK] today
Synology DS1522+ 5 Bay Desktop NAS Including Warranty Extension to 5 YearsMIXAmazonUK10.92 OFF (WAS 1131)[LINK] today
QNAP TS-431XeU-2G 32TB 4 Bay Rack Solution | Installed with 4 x 8TB Seagate IronMIXAmazonUK71.94 OFF (WAS 1676)[LINK] today
Synology RS1221RP+8 bay NAS 2.4Ghz Quadcore CPUMIXAmazonUK70.27 OFF (WAS 1673)[LINK] today
Synology DS923+ 16TB 4 Bay Desktop NAS Solution, Installed with 4 x 4TB HAT5300 MIXAmazonUK11.56 OFF (WAS 1646)[LINK] today
Synology DS1823xs+ 8 Bay NAS Desktop: High-Performance Storage SolutionMIXAmazonUK71.19 OFF (WAS 2070)[LINK] today
Serveur Nas Qnap TS-864EU-RP-8GMIXAmazonUK404.23 OFF (WAS 2238)[LINK] today
QNAP 12-Bay NAS quad-core 1.7 GHz rackmount (TS-1232PXU-RP-4G)MIXAmazonUK37.67 OFF (WAS 1953)[LINK] today
QNAP TS-673A-8G 18TB 6 Bay Desktop NAS Solution | Installed with 6 x 3TB WesternMIXAmazonUK35.25 OFF (WAS 1877)[LINK] today
QNAP HS-264-8G 16TB 2 Bay Desktop NAS Solution | Installed with 2 x 8TB Seagate MIXAmazonUK101.43 OFF (WAS 1223)[LINK] today
QNAP HS-264-8G 12TB 2 Bay Desktop NAS Solution | Installed with 2 x 6TB Seagate MIXAmazonUK96.13 OFF (WAS 1153)[LINK] today
Synology DS1821+8bay NAS V1500B Quad-Core 2.2 GHz,BlackMIXAmazonUK22.59 OFF (WAS 1051)[LINK] today
Synology 4 bay NAS 1.4Ghz Quadcore CPU - RS422+ Rack Station, BlackMIXAmazonUK28 OFF (WAS 703)[LINK] today
Synology DiskStation DS723+MIXAmazonUK4.8 OFF (WAS 451)[LINK] today
TS-262-4G 2 BAY 4 GB DDR 4MIXAmazonUK32.76 OFF (WAS 515)[LINK] today
Synology Disk Station DS620slim - NAS server - 6 bays - SATA 6Gb/s - RAID 0, 1, MIXAmazonUK30.63 OFF (WAS 518)[LINK] today
Synology DS223 Diskstation NAS (Realtek RTD1619B Quad-Core 2GB Ram 1xRJ-45 1GbE MIXAmazonUK180.04 OFF (WAS 666)[LINK] today
QNAP TS-431KX-2G 4 Bay Desktop NAS Enclosure - 2GB RAM, Annapurna Labs 4-core, 1MIXAmazonUK33.36 OFF (WAS 564)[LINK] today
Synology DS223 8TB 2 Bay Desktop NAS Solution installed with 2 x 4TB Western DigMIXAmazonUK19.45 OFF (WAS 586)[LINK] today
Synology DS423 4 Bay Desktop NAS Including Warranty Extension to 5 YearsMIXAmazonUK17.65 OFF (WAS 615)[LINK] today
QNAP TS-464-8G-US 4 Bay High-Performance Desktop NAS with Intel Celeron Quad-corMIXAmazonUK26.47 OFF (WAS 678)[LINK] today
Synology DS223 32TB 2 Bay Desktop NAS Solution installed with 2 x 16TB HAT5300 DMIXAmazonUK22.84 OFF (WAS 1922)[LINK] today
QNAP 20-Port 10GbE PoE++ and 2.5GbE PoE+ Managed Network Switch (QSW-M2116P-2T2SMIXAmazonUK22.58 OFF (WAS 1015)[LINK] today
QNAP TS-431X3-4G 4 Bay Desktop NAS Enclosure - 4GB RAM, Quad-core 1.7GHz ProcessMIXAmazonUK19.05 OFF (WAS 717)[LINK] today
Synology DS223j 2-Bay Diskstation NAS (Realtek RTD1619B 4-Core 1.7 GHz 1GB DDR4 MIXAmazonUK10.41 OFF (WAS 755)[LINK] today
Synology DS223 8TB 2 Bay Desktop NAS Solution installed with 2 x 4TB HAT5300 DriMIXAmazonUK15.45 OFF (WAS 802)[LINK] today
QNAP 4 Bay Home NAS with 4TB Storage Capacity, Preconfigured RAID 5 Seagate IronMIXAmazonUK35.82 OFF (WAS 902)[LINK] today
Synology DS923+ 4 Bay Desktop NAS Including Warranty Extension to 5 YearsMIXAmazonUK5.99 OFF (WAS 877)[LINK] today
Qnap TS-462-2G, 4 Bay NAS (Intel® Celeron® N4505 2-core, 2-strand processor, TMIXAmazonUK10.31 OFF (WAS 1091)[LINK] today
Synology RackStation RS1619xs+ - NAS server - 4 bays - rack-mountable - SATA 6GbMIXAmazonUK22 OFF (WAS 2132)[LINK] today
QNAP HS-264-8G 6TB 2 Bay Desktop NAS Solution | Installed with 2 x 3TB Western DMIXAmazonUK35.25 OFF (WAS 1008)[LINK] today
QNAP TVS-h674 6-Bay Core i5-12400 32GB NAS EnclosureMIXAmazonUK77.7 OFF (WAS 2490)[LINK] today
Synology RackStation RS3618XS - NAS server - 12 bays - rack-mountable - SATA 6GbMIXAmazonUK8.11 OFF (WAS 2708)[LINK] today
QNAP NAS TS-855eU-8G 8bay 2U Rackmount NAS with Short Installation Depth and 8-CMIXAmazonUK10 OFF (WAS 2943)[LINK] today
Synology RS3618XS/144TB-TE - RS3618xs/144TB-TE 12 Bay NASMIXAmazonUK71.7 OFF (WAS 5765)[LINK] today
Synology DS923+ 64TB 4 Bay Desktop NAS Solution, installed with 4 x 16TB HAT5300MIXAmazonUK40.16 OFF (WAS 3929)[LINK] today
QNAP TS-h987XU-RP-E2334-16G E-2334 9bay TS-h987XU-RP-E2334-16G Intel Xeon E-2334MIXAmazonUK154.64 OFF (WAS 4170)[LINK] today
Synology RS3621XS+ 2U 12BAY 2.1 GHZ 8C 8GB DDR4 4X 1GBE 2X 10GBE RPSMIXAmazonUK130.23 OFF (WAS 4442)[LINK] today
QNAP TL-R1620SDC EXPANSIONUNIT 3U 16BAY RPSMIXAmazonUK388.81 OFF (WAS 4830)[LINK] today
Synology RS3618XS/72TB-TE - RS3618xs/72TB-TE 12 Bay NASMIXAmazonUK268.13 OFF (WAS 4996)[LINK] today
Synology NAS RS4021xs+ 0/16HDD Rack 3HEMIXAmazonUK224.23 OFF (WAS 6398)[LINK] today
Synology 16 bay RackStation RS4021xs+ (Diskless)MIXAmazonUK210.89 OFF (WAS 5891)[LINK] today
Qnap NAS TS-h1290FX-7232P-64GMIXAmazonUK170.01 OFF (WAS 5881)[LINK] today
QNAP TS-877XU-RP-3600-8G AMD Ryz5 3600MIXAmazonUK4.5 OFF (WAS 3952)[LINK] today
Synology RS3618XS/168TB-TE - RS3618xs/168TB-TE 12 Bay NASMIXAmazonUK85.87 OFF (WAS 5953)[LINK] today
QNAP TS-h2477XU-RP-3700X-32G 24-bayMIXAmazonUK85.39 OFF (WAS 6396)[LINK] today
QNAP TS-h1887XU-RP-E2336-32G E-2336 18b TS-h1887XU-RP-E2336-32G Intel Xeon E-233MIXAmazonUK104.55 OFF (WAS 6478)[LINK] today
QNAP TS-h1277XU-RP-3700X-128GMIXAmazonUK355.83 OFF (WAS 7686)[LINK] today
QNAP TS-h2287XU-RP-E2336-32GMIXAmazonUK4.58 OFF (WAS 8278)[LINK] today
Synology SA3610 NAS 12Bay Rack Station 4xGbE 2x10GMIXAmazonUK6463 OFF (WAS 18506)[LINK] today
Synology DiskStation DS3622XS+ 12 Bay Desktop NAS Solution, Installed with 12 x MIXAmazonUK42.75 OFF (WAS 12371)[LINK] today
Synology SA SA3410 NAS/Storage Server Rack (2U) Ethernet LAN Black, Grey D-1541MIXAmazonUK1668.21 OFF (WAS 17347)[LINK] today
QNAP TS-H1886XU-RP-R2 NAS Rack (3U) Connecteur Ethernet intégré Noir, Gris D-1MIXAmazonUK38.51 OFF (WAS 4021)[LINK] today
Synology DS423 64TB 4 Bay Desktop NAS Solution installed with 4 x 16TB HAT5300 DMIXAmazonUK34.95 OFF (WAS 3655)[LINK] today
Synology RS2423+ 12 Bay Rack NAS Storage SolutionMIXAmazonUK35.25 OFF (WAS 2291)[LINK] today
Synology RS1619XS+/32TB-TE - RS1619xs+/32TB-TE 4 Bay NASMIXAmazonUK104.75 OFF (WAS 3008)[LINK] today
QNAP TS-673A-8G 48TB 6 Bay Desktop NAS Solution | Installed with 6 x 8TB SeagateMIXAmazonUK8.02 OFF (WAS 2377)[LINK] today
Synology 16 GB DDR4 memory expansion for DS3622xs+, DS2422+MIXAmazonUK8.58 OFF (WAS 383)[LINK] today
QNAP NAS TS-1264U-RP-8G 12bay 2U Quad-Core Rackmount NAS with Dual Port 2.5GbE aMIXAmazonUK331 OFF (WAS 3115)[LINK] today
Synology RS3621RPXS 2U 12BAY 2.2 GHZ 6C 8GB DDR4 4X 1GBE 2X USB3.2 RPSMIXAmazonUK586.84 OFF (WAS 3258)[LINK] today
CMS Distribution Synology RS1619xs+/16TB-IW 4 Bay NASMIXAmazonUK107.75 OFF (WAS 2800)[LINK] today
QNAP TVS-h874-i5-32G Intel Core i5 Processor, 32 GB RAM, PCIe Gen 4 expandabilitMIXAmazonUK213.91 OFF (WAS 2967)[LINK] today
QNAP TS-1273AU-RP-8GMIXAmazonUK30.09 OFF (WAS 2819)[LINK] today
Synology RS1619XS+/24TB-TE - RS1619xs+/24TB-TE 4 Bay NASMIXAmazonUK42.22 OFF (WAS 2832)[LINK] today
QNAP TVS-h874 NAS Tower Ethernet LAN BlackMIXAmazonUK246.59 OFF (WAS 3186)[LINK] today
Synology DVA3221/24TB IW 4 Bay DT NVRMIXAmazonUK217.38 OFF (WAS 3751)[LINK] today
Synology RS1619XS+/40TB-TE - RS1619xs+/40TB-TE 4 Bay NASMIXAmazonUK7.76 OFF (WAS 3098)[LINK] today
Synology DS423+ 48TB 4 Bay Desktop NAS Solution installed with 4 x 12TB HAT5300 MIXAmazonUK45.55 OFF (WAS 3056)[LINK] today
Synology Disk Station DS3622XS+ - NAS server - 12 bays - SATA 6Gb/s - RAID 0, 1,MIXAmazonUK94.52 OFF (WAS 3125)[LINK] today
Synology RS1619XS+/48TB-TE - RS1619xs+/48TB-TE 4 Bay NASMIXAmazonUK55.41 OFF (WAS 3131)[LINK] today
Synology DS923+ 48TB 4 Bay Desktop NAS Solution, installed with 4 x 12TB HAT5300MIXAmazonUK41.86 OFF (WAS 3095)[LINK] today
Synology RackStation RS2821RP+ - NAS server - 16 bays - rack-mountable - SATA 6GMIXAmazonUK474.29 OFF (WAS 3528)[LINK] today
QNAP TVS-h1288X-W1250-16G 12 Bay NAS – Intel Xeon W-1250 CPU, 16GB DDR4 ECC RAMIXAmazonUK174.44 OFF (WAS 3353)[LINK] today
Synology RS1619XS+/56TB-TE - RS1619xs+/56TB-TE 4 Bay NASMIXAmazonUK100.29 OFF (WAS 3335)[LINK] today
Synology - DDR4 - module - 16 GB - DIMM 288-pin - 2666 MHz / PC4-21300 - 1.2 V -MIXAmazonUK5.22 OFF (WAS 426)[LINK] today
QNAP QMiro-201W: WiFi Mesh Tri-Band Home SD-WAN RouterMIXAmazonUK5 OFF (WAS 215)[LINK] today
Synology DS224+ 2 Bay NAS Desktop: Efficient Storage SolutionMIXAmazonUK44.98 OFF (WAS 381)[LINK] today
Synology DiskStation DS620slim SAN/NAS Storage SystemMIXAmazonUSA59.3 OFF (WAS 613)[LINK] today
QNAP TS-433-4G-US 4 Bay NAS with Quad-core Processor, 4 GB DDR4 RAM and 2.5GbE NMIXAmazonUSA12.52 OFF (WAS 392)[LINK] today
QXG-25G2SF-E810 Two Port 25GbE Network Card with FEC ensuring Reliable Data TranMIXAmazonUSA60.6 OFF (WAS 460)[LINK] today
QNAP TS-431KX-2G 4 Bay High-Speed NAS with One 10GbE PortMIXAmazonUSA8.25 OFF (WAS 517)[LINK] today
Synology 1-Bay DiskStation DS124 with 1 x HAT3300-12TMIXAmazonUSA20 OFF (WAS 450)[LINK] today
Synology 2 Bay DiskStation DS223j with 2 x HAT3300-6TMIXAmazonUSA45 OFF (WAS 490)[LINK] today
QNAP TL-R400S 4 Bay 1U Rackmount SATA 6Gbps JBOD Storage Enclosure. PCIe SATA InMIXAmazonUSA22.32 OFF (WAS 550)[LINK] today
Synology 4-Bay DiskStation DS923+ (Diskless)MIXAmazonUSA11 OFF (WAS 516)[LINK] today
Synology 2 Bay DiskStation DS224+ with 2 x HAT3300-6TMIXAmazonUSA45 OFF (WAS 600)[LINK] today
Synology 1-Bay DiskStation DS124 with 1 x HAT3300-8TMIXAmazonUSA19.15 OFF (WAS 370)[LINK] today
QNAP TS-464-8G-US 4 Bay High-Performance Desktop NAS with Intel Celeron Quad-corMIXAmazonUSA27.51 OFF (WAS 639)[LINK] today
Synology 2 Bay DiskStation DS224+ with 2 x HAT3300-8TMIXAmazonUSA38.3 OFF (WAS 680)[LINK] today
Synology Deep Learning NVR DVA1622, W127023602MIXAmazonUSA49.94 OFF (WAS 790)[LINK] today
Synology 5-bay DiskStation DS1522+ (Diskless),BlackMIXAmazonUSA41.67 OFF (WAS 789)[LINK] today
Synology DS1522+ 5-Bay Desktop NAS Solution 5x3,5/2,5" SATA HDD/SSD, 2X M.2 2280MIXAmazonUSA53.51 OFF (WAS 820)[LINK] today
Synology 4-Bay DiskStation DS423 (Diskless) with 4 x HAT3300-6TMIXAmazonUSA90 OFF (WAS 970)[LINK] today
QNAP TS-873A-8G 8 Bay High-Performance NAS with 2 x 2.5GbE Ports and Two PCIe GeMIXAmazonUSA72.66 OFF (WAS 964)[LINK] today
QNAP QHora-301W Wi-Fi 6 IEEE 802.11ax Ethernet Wireless RouterMIXAmazonUSA35.01 OFF (WAS 404)[LINK] today
QNAP QSW-2104-2T 2-Port 10GbE RJ45 and 4-Port 2.5GbE RJ45 Unmanged SwitchMIXAmazonUSA23 OFF (WAS 370)[LINK] today
QNAP TL-D1600S 16 Bay SATA 6Gbps JBOD Storage Enclosure.PCIe SATA Interface CardMIXAmazonUSA18.01 OFF (WAS 999)[LINK] today
Synology RT2600AC IEEE 802.11ac Ethernet Wireless RouterMIXAmazonUSA18.1 OFF (WAS 165)[LINK] today
SFP+ to RJ45, 1.25g/2.5g/5g/10G-T Copper Transceiver Mod $35 #PrimeEXTAmazonUSA$35[LINK] 10th Oct
ZimaBoard 832 $183.99 #PrimeNASAmazonUSA$183.99[LINK] 10th Oct
2.5G USB to Ethernet Adapter $17.26 #PrimeEXTAmazonUSA$17.26[LINK] 10th Oct
[Dual 2.5GbE NIC] Mini PC $151.99 #PrimeEXTAmazonUSA$151.99[LINK] 10th Oct
WD Elements 20TBHDDAmazon.caOther29% off[LINK] 10th Oct
12TB WD Red PlusMIXWestern DigitalUSABuy 2 12TB drives for $379.98.[LINK] 22nd Nov
18TB WD Red ProMIXWestern DigitalUSABuy 2 18TB drives for $549.98.[LINK] 22nd Nov
QNAP QSW-2104-2T-A-US 6-Port 10GbE & 2.5GbE Plug & Play unmanaged Network SwitchMIXAmazonUSA12.99 OFF (WAS 162)[LINK] today
QNAP QXG-10G2T-X710 Two Port 10GbE Network Card with SR-IOV and iSCSI, Block-BasMIXAmazonUSA7.93 OFF (WAS 352)[LINK] today
QNAP TR-002 2 Bay USB Type-C Direct Attached Storage (DAS) with Hardware RAID (DMIXAmazonUSA10.44 OFF (WAS 174)[LINK] today
Synology 1-Bay DiskStation DS120j with 1 x HAT3300-6TMIXAmazonUSA22.5 OFF (WAS 250)[LINK] today
QNAP TR-004 4 Bay USB Type-C Direct Attached Storage (DAS) with Hardware RAID (DMIXAmazonUSA8.56 OFF (WAS 290)[LINK] today
Synology 1-Bay DiskStation DS120j with 1 x HAT3300-8TMIXAmazonUSA19.91 OFF (WAS 291)[LINK] today
Synology 1-Bay DiskStation DS124 Bundle with 1 x HAT3300-4TMIXAmazonUSA8.91 OFF (WAS 280)[LINK] today
QNAP TS-233-US 2 Bay Affordable Desktop NAS with ARM Cortex-A55 Quad-core ProcesMIXAmazonUSA42.84 OFF (WAS 341)[LINK] today
Synology 2-Bay DiskStation DS224+ (Diskless)MIXAmazonUSA9 OFF (WAS 309)[LINK] today
Synology 1-Bay DiskStation DS124 with 1 x HAT3300-6TMIXAmazonUSA22.5 OFF (WAS 330)[LINK] today
Synology DS120j/10TB N300 1 Bay DesktopMIXAmazonUK19.01 OFF (WAS 357)[LINK] today
QNAP TS-832PX-4G 8 Bay High-Capacity NAS with 10GbE SFP+ and 2.5GbEMIXAmazonUSA53.45 OFF (WAS 996)[LINK] today
Synology 8 Bay DiskStation DS1821+ (Diskless), 8-bay; 4gb ddr4MIXAmazonUSA43.76 OFF (WAS 1055)[LINK] today
Synology SA6400 12-Bay Rackmount NAS with Redundant Power (Diskless)MIXAmazonUSA1439.84 OFF (WAS 11912)[LINK] today
QNAP TS-h3087XU-RP-E2378-64G-US 30 Bay NAS 4U Rackmount Hybrid NAS with Intel® MIXAmazonUSA126.63 OFF (WAS 8461)[LINK] today
Synology 24 Bay FlashStation FS3600 (Diskless), 24-Bay; 16GB DDR4MIXAmazonUSA943.4 OFF (WAS 11374)[LINK] today
Synology 12-Bay Rackmount NAS SA3610 (Diskless)MIXAmazonUSA181 OFF (WAS 9266)[LINK] today
TS-h1290FX-7302P-256G-US QNAP 12-Bay All-Flash Desktop NASMIXAmazonUSA60.06 OFF (WAS 10166)[LINK] today
Qnap NAS TS-h1290FX-7232P-64GMIXAmazonUSA19.2 OFF (WAS 9452)[LINK] today
Synology 12-Bay Active-Active Dual Controller SAN UC3400 (Diskless)MIXAmazonUSA1442.54 OFF (WAS 11705)[LINK] today
Synology 12-Bay Active-Passive Dual Controller NAS SA3400D (Diskless)MIXAmazonUSA226.05 OFF (WAS 10752)[LINK] today
Synology High Density HD6500MIXAmazonUSA98.39 OFF (WAS 20142)[LINK] today
QNAP TS-h2490FU-7232P-64G 24 Bay Dual Node NAS with Two Dual-Port 25GbE SmartNICMIXAmazonUSA2534.65 OFF (WAS 10829)[LINK] today
QNAP QSW-1105-5T 5-Port Unmanaged 2.5GbE Switch Broadcom BCM53161 ChipsetMIXAmazonUK5.01 OFF (WAS 95)[LINK] today
Makita FS2500/1 110V Tek ScrewdriverMIXAmazonUK22.69 OFF (WAS 128)[LINK] today
Synology Mesh Router MR2200ac, MR2200ACMIXAmazonUK7.77 OFF (WAS 153)[LINK] today
QNAP TR-002 2 Bay Hard Drive Enclosure Direct Attached Storage (DAS) with HardwaMIXAmazonUK37.79 OFF (WAS 195)[LINK] today
QNAP NAS TS-133 0/1HDD TowerMIXAmazonUK4.64 OFF (WAS 170)[LINK] today
Synology RT2600ac – 4x4 dual-band Gigabit Wi-Fi router, MU-MIMO, powerful pareMIXAmazonUK35.14 OFF (WAS 207)[LINK] today
NVIDIA Shield TV | 4K HDR Streaming Media PlayerMIXAmazonUSA-8% $164.99[LINK] 12th Oct
50%
QNAP QXG-10G2T carte réseau Interne Ethernet 10000 Mbit/sMIXAmazonUK95.38 OFF (WAS 319)[LINK] today
Synology 4-Bay DiskStation DS423 (Diskless) with 4 x HAT3300-8TMIXAmazonUSA76.6 OFF (WAS 1130)[LINK] today
Synology 12bay Dual Controller SAS NAS SA3200D (Diskless)MIXAmazonUSA512.65 OFF (WAS 8360)[LINK] today
Synology 12 Bay Unified Controller UC3200 (Diskless)MIXAmazonUSA76.34 OFF (WAS 6755)[LINK] today
Synology DS923+ 4-Bay Diskstation NAS (AMD Ryzen™ 4 Threads R1600 Dual-Core 4GMIXAmazonUSA25.64 OFF (WAS 2486)[LINK] today
QNAP TL-R1200S-RP 12 Bay 2U Rackmount SATA 6Gbps JBOD Storage Enclosure with RedMIXAmazonUSA9.12 OFF (WAS 1299)[LINK] today
Serwer NAS TS-464eU-8G 4x0HDD 1U Intel Celeron N5105/N5095 8GMIXAmazonUSA8.03 OFF (WAS 1480)[LINK] today
QNAP TS-1232PXU-RP-4G 12 Bay High-speed SMB Rackmount NAS with two 10GbE and 2.5MIXAmazonUSA24.37 OFF (WAS 1499)[LINK] today
Synology RX1223RP 12-Bay Redundant Power Expansion Unit (Diskless)MIXAmazonUSA209.43 OFF (WAS 2209)[LINK] today
Synology 8-Bay DiskStation DS1823xs+ (Diskless) & M.2 2280 NVMe SSD SNV3410 800GMIXAmazonUSA22 OFF (WAS 2102)[LINK] today
QNAP TVS-h474-PT-8G Intel Pentium Gold Processor, 8GB RAM, PCIe Gen 4 expandabilMIXAmazonUSA121.71 OFF (WAS 2343)[LINK] today
Synology 12-Bay Rackmount NAS SA3410 (Diskless)MIXAmazonUSA7.4 OFF (WAS 6648)[LINK] today
Synology Disk Station DS2422+ - NAS Server - 12 Bays - SATA 3Gb/s - RAID 0, 1, 5MIXAmazonUSA5.7 OFF (WAS 2785)[LINK] today
QNAP 12-Bay NAS Quad-core 1.7 GHz rackmount (TS-1232PXU-RP-4G)MIXAmazonUSA5.4 OFF (WAS 2630)[LINK] today
QNAP TVS-h674-i3-16G Intel Core i3 Processor, 16 GB RAM, PCIe Gen 4 expandabilitMIXAmazonUSA196.31 OFF (WAS 3318)[LINK] today
QNAP TS-877XU-RP-8G 8 Bay Rackmount NAS with Two 10GbE Ports and Redundant PSUMIXAmazonUSA10.46 OFF (WAS 3633)[LINK] today
Synology RackStation, 12-Bay NAS Quad core, 2.1GHz CPU, RS3617XS (Quad core, 2.1MIXAmazonUSA7.59 OFF (WAS 3741)[LINK] today
QNAP TS-1273AU-RP-8GMIXAmazonUSA412 OFF (WAS 4471)[LINK] today
Synology 12 bay RackStation RS3621xs+ (Diskless)MIXAmazonUSA205.07 OFF (WAS 4712)[LINK] today
TS-h1677XU-RP-3700X-32G-US QNAP 3U 16-Bay QTS Hero NAS/iSCSI IP-SANMIXAmazonUSA1910.56 OFF (WAS 6689)[LINK] today
Serwer NAS TS-H987XU-RP-E2334-16G Xeon E-2334 4C 8T 16GBMIXAmazonUSA2518 OFF (WAS 8277)[LINK] today
QNAP TS-h3088XU-RP-W1270-64G-US 2U 30-Bay 2.5" SATA 6Gbps All-Flash NASMIXAmazonUSA382.89 OFF (WAS 6977)[LINK] today
WD SN850x 4 TBSSDAmazonEUUsual price 340EU, now 265[LINK] 10th Oct
0%
Seagate IronWolf, 8TB ST8000VN002 £185HDDAmazonUSA£185[LINK] 10th Oct
0%
QNAP Turbo NAS TS-462-2G SAN/NAS Storage SystemNASAmazonUSA398 was 469[LINK] 13th Aug
33%
SHIELD Android TV ProMIXAmazonUSA-11% £178.99[LINK] 12th Oct
33%
Synology 5-bay DiskStation DS1522+ (Diskless),BlackNAShttps://www.amazon.com/b/ref=dp_bc_aui_C_5?ie=UTF8&node=20941687011USA15% Off[LINK] 10th Oct
0%

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Finally, for free advice about your setup, just leave a message in the comments below here at NASCompares.com and we will get back to you. Need Help? Where possible (and where appropriate) please provide as much information about your requirements, as then I can arrange the best answer and solution to your needs. Do not worry about your e-mail address being required, it will NOT be used in a mailing list and will NOT be used in any way other than to respond to your enquiry. [contact-form-7] TRY CHAT Terms and Conditions
If you like this service, please consider supporting us. We use affiliate links on the blog allowing NAScompares information and advice service to be free of charge to you.Anything you purchase on the day you click on our links will generate a small commission which isused to run the website. Here is a link for Amazon and B&H.You can also get me a ☕ Ko-fi or old school Paypal. Thanks!To find out more about how to support this advice service check HEREIf you need to fix or configure a NAS, check Fiver Have you thought about helping others with your knowledge? Find Instructions Here  
 
Or support us by using our affiliate links on Amazon UK and Amazon US
    
 
Alternatively, why not ask me on the ASK NASCompares forum, by clicking the button below. This is a community hub that serves as a place that I can answer your question, chew the fat, share new release information and even get corrections posted. I will always get around to answering ALL queries, but as a one-man operation, I cannot promise speed! So by sharing your query in the ASK NASCompares section below, you can get a better range of solutions and suggestions, alongside my own.

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Recommended Cheap NAS to Buy in 2023/2024

Par : Rob Andrews
21 novembre 2023 à 15:00

A Guide to the Best Low-Price NAS Drives to Buy Right Now

It would be an understatement to say that the sheer range and affordability of private server devices that even the most cash-strapped user can buy have grown exponentially over the last few years. It seems almost insane to think that you can pick up a NAS device from some of the biggest brands in the market for as little as $89 (see Synology DS120j NAS here on Amazon!), brand new and running the very latest software. Over the years, the argument to switch from public subscription cloud services like Google Drive and Dropbox has been mainly based on cost, with most NAS devices costing triple figures. On day one, subscription cloud services set you back between $2 and $10 per month. However, all too quickly the months turn into years, and you suddenly find that you have paid hundreds of dollars for your cloud subscription services. And you either have to continue paying for those cloud services indefinitely or bite the bullet and buy some physical local storage anyway! So why not just cut to the chase and buy the NAS device on day one and therefore not only have long-term storage for your data in-house but also have full control over remote access, local access, and the scalability of your data completely in your hands. That is why the increasing affordability of, and the sheer range of different NAS drives that you can pick up for as little as $100 to $200 is so impressive! So today I want to go through the four best NAS that you can pick up for a bargain in 2023. Likewise, you will all too often find that most NAS brands (such as Synology, QNAP and Asustor) will have more Cheap solutions than any other tier – it is THAT much of a popular hardware choice. So, with a new year around the corner, I wanted to make it easier for you and highlight the best three Low-Cost NAS systems to consider, right now in 2022 and in 2023.

Best NAS of the Year

What do all the Best Cheap NAS Drives Have in Common?

It is worth remembering that although there are ALOT of different affordable NAS drives available to buy, they are by no means created equal! With numerous super-budget brands popping up online, it can be tempting to consider these alongside the premium NAS brands. However, all too often they offer solutions righty seem ‘too good to be true’ and then are gone from the web before your warranty even gets cold! So, whether you are looking at the three best Cheap solutions that I am recommending below OR are looking at another budget friendly NAS you saw on offer/recommended elsewhere – the best NAS system ALWAYS includes the following software and services:

  • Combined Hardware & Software Solution – That means that you are buying the hardware, but it ALSO includes a web browser GUI, mobile apps and desktop client apps (including backup, media, streaming, surveillance and file management software)
  • All NAS systems in this guide are compatible with (and can be accessed by) Windows, Mac, Android and Linux operating systems
  • All NAS Solutions arrive with between 2-3 years Warranty (with the option to extend to 5 years)
  • All NAS drives can be accessed locally over the network, as well as secure remote access is possible with brand-supported services (at no additional cost)
  • The most modern and regularly updated NAS systems will support the very latest 20TB NAS hard drives (such as the Seagate Ironwolf 22TB and WD Red 22TB)
  • All the recommended solutions support multiple drive configurations (RAID) for drive failure protection and performance enhancements
  • All solutions receive regular updates to their security, features and services
  • All recommended NAS drives can connect and synchronize with cloud services (Google Drive, DropBox, OneDrive, etc), as well as Business/Enterprise services such as AWS, Azure, Backblaze and more
  • All NAS solutions (regardless of brand) feature the ability to host a shared drive on your PC/Mobile/Laptop systems that are synchronized with the NAS via the network/internet, but is shown in your native operating system file manager (i.e Mac Finder or Windows Explorer)
  • All the NAS solutions listed can be accessed DIRECTLY via an ethernet/network cable being connected from your PC/Mac system, to the NAS RJ45 port for 100MB/s and higher connectivity
  • All the best NAS solutions (regardless of brand) feature backup and sync tools that can be installed on your local client computer and allow regular backups of your files and system data

So, make sure that if you are looking at a NAS solution that is NOT recommended below, that it includes all of the above as these are some of the clearest areas that brands all too often cut orders to produce cheaper by ultimately inferior NAS servers for home and business. So, let’s discuss the very best and cheapest NAS to buy now in 2022/2023.


Most Affordable NAS, Honourable Mention: The Terramaster F2-212 NAS

0-44TB, Realtek RTD1619b 4-Core ARMv8 CPU, M.2 NVMe 2280, CPU, GB Memory, Gbe Port, yr Warranty

Current Price/Availability on Amazon – $160

Hardware Review – LINK

YouTube Video Review – Watch

What I said in my review Sept ’23:

If you look at the Terramaster F2-212 in the wrong light, you aren’t really going to appreciate what has been crafted here. If you expect this device to perform as well as devices two to three times its price in the marketplace, you’re bound to be disappointed! While this might be the lowest-priced, fully-featured NAS I’ve reviewed here, it’s indisputable that compromises had to be made to achieve this price point. This is not a NAS for someone wanting everything done instantly for them and 50 of their friends. The Terramaster F2-212 offers an affordable entry point into the world of NAS for those transitioning from third-party clouds to self-hosted remote storage. In that context, if you’re only going to use baseline applications for small groups of users and services, this system will excel. However, if you’re seeking more advanced applications, business or enterprise-level services, or lack patience when the system requires time to manage its memory cache for the long-term, this might not be the system for you.

Above all, small enhancements to the Terramaster F2’s hardware configuration could have made a significant difference. The default and non-upgradable 1GB of memory is a limiting factor, with a significant portion consumed by the standard operation of TOS in the background. An additional $10 or $20 to bolster the base memory could have truly made an impact. Likewise, many of Terramaster’s notable advancements to their platform may not be fully realized on this modest 2-bay system due to its physical scale or architecture. Features like RAID, AI photo recognition, and Docker might seem out of reach. But that’s not the point; this is an entry-level system. Concerns about expandability and adapting storage to multi-client setups are primarily for users who might consider investing more in their NAS solutions. If you recognize the Terramaster F2-212 for the budget, entry-level NAS it’s designed to be, it offers solid value for its cost. However, remember it comes with inherent limitations right out of the box.

SOFTWARE - 6/10
HARDWARE - 6/10
PERFORMANCE - 5/10
PRICE - 10/10
VALUE - 8/10


7.0
PROS
👍🏻Affordable price.
👍🏻ARM-based CPU ensures energy efficiency and reliable performance.
👍🏻TOS 5.1 software has seen significant improvements, bringing it closer to industry standards.
👍🏻Flexible upgrade options with USB to 2.5G network adapters.
👍🏻TRAID Flexible RAID is great stuff!
👍🏻Good CPU for the Price Point
👍🏻Supports Current 22TB HDDs from WD and Seagate
👍🏻Snapshot Replication
👍🏻BTRFS Support if preferred
👍🏻4K Video natively
CONS
👎🏻Limited 1GB of non-upgradable memory.
👎🏻Only a single 1G network connection.
👎🏻Lacks M.2 SSD ports and PCIe upgrade options.
👎🏻Although TOS 5 has seen some big improvements and more AAA+ apps and services added, it is still not as polished as DSM or QTS from their competitors
DEAL WATCH Is It On Offer Right Now?


These Offers are Checked Daily

 


Best Low-Cost NAS for Software – The Synology DS223j 2-Bay

0-44TB (24TB with Synology HDDs), Realtek RTD1619b 4-Core 64bit v8 ARM CPU, 1GB Memory, 1x 1Gbe Port, 2yr Warranty, Supports DSM 7.2

Current Price/Availability on Amazon – $179

Hardware Review – LINK

YouTube Video Review – Watch

What I said in my review July ’23:

Overall, in this analogy, you get what you pay for with the DS223J NAS. Synology is not pretending that this is some kind of powerhouse system and is quite clear in all of their advertising and data sheets that this is a system designed for efficiency and as an entry point into DSM. In that mission, it 100% succeeds and I don’t think anyone could accuse Synology of mis-selling this system as anything more than that. However, it’s easy to imagine that a lot of users, who have been researching this purchase and looking exclusively at the brand and software, rather than any hardware restrictions or more affordable systems, might stumble and buy this system with expectations that are far beyond its capabilities.

To those users, the user experience from day one will always feel a little lacking. Therefore, it’s important to view the Synology DS223J in the correct context of its design and target market. So, if you’re looking for the best possible entry point into the world of Synology and DSM, at a price point that won’t break the bank, and you have low to middle expectations and demands of the software, I can certainly recommend this NAS to you. For everyone else, I recommend you shell out a few extra dollars and opt for a plus series model.

SOFTWARE - 9/10
HARDWARE - 8/10
PERFORMANCE - 6/10
PRICE - 9/10
VALUE - 9/10


8.2
PROS
👍🏻Supports MOST of the Synology App Suite
👍🏻Very Affordable
👍🏻Support of SHR, BTRFS and Snapshots
👍🏻Low Power Consumption
👍🏻Lovely Compact Design and Noise Level
👍🏻Large HDD & SSD Compatibility
👍🏻Three USB Ports & Copy Button
👍🏻The warranty can be extended
👍🏻Very Capable, despite ARM CPU
CONS
👎🏻1x 1GbE ONLY, 5Gb/s USB & No NIC Upgrade Support at all!
👎🏻1GB Memory is fixed
👎🏻No expansion Support

 

DEAL WATCH Is It On Offer Right Now?

Synology 2-Bay DiskStation DS223j NAS #Prime Amazon usa USA $154.99 [LINK]
Synology 2 Bay DiskStation DS223j with 2 x HAT3300-6T Amazon usa USA 45 OFF (WAS 490) [LINK]
Synology DS223j 2-Bay Diskstation NAS (Realtek RTD1619B 4-Core 1.7 GHz 1GB DDR4 Amazon UK UK 10.41 OFF (WAS 755) [LINK]

These Offers are Checked Daily

 


Best Low Price NAS for Hardware – The QNAP TS-133 / TS-233 Server

0-22TB / 44TB (1 vs 2 Bay), Cortex 1.8-2.0Ghz Quad Core v8 ARM CPU + AI NPU Engine, 2GB Fixed DDR4 Memory, 1x 1Gbe Port, 2yr Warranty

Current Price/Availability on Amazon – $129

Hardware Review – LINK

YouTube Video Review – Watch

What I said in my review March ’22:

As long as you keep your feet on the ground a little and stay realistic, the QNAP TS-133 NAS Drive is indeed a very impressive piece of kit. We are talking about a combined hardware and software solution that you can purchase with a 4TB drive from the likes of Seagate or WD inside all in for a little over $200. It can run plex media server, it has surveillance software included in QVR Elite, AI-powered photo recognition (with the system featuring a dedicated AI engine for these tasks), multi-tiered backup handing in Hybrid Backup Sync 3, host a DLNA media server, connect and synchronize with cloud services in a bunch of ways, access to a bunch of tailored mobile apps and a whole lot of other services that would take too long to mention. Also, the TS-133 NAS is the first system in the commercial NAS market to feature this new Cortex A55 processor, as well as twice (and in some cases) four times the memory of alternative systems in the same tier with it’s 2GB DDR4 RAM.

As long as you have realistic expectations about how busy you are going to be, how hard you intend to push the device and how much you expect it to do at any one time, I think the QNAP TS-133 NAS is easily the most powerful and capable 1-Bay NAS in the market to buy right now. The non-upgradable memory is a pain, the lack of 2.5GbE is perplexing and the continued appearance of USB 2.0 is a tad infuriating, but the TS-133 seemingly makes up for it with a wide variety of applications supported, a remarkably subtle and discreet deployment and in the hands of the right low-level user, this might well be the best NAS QNAP have produced in the value tier for years!

SOFTWARE - 8/10
HARDWARE - 7/10
PERFORMANCE - 8/10
PRICE - 9/10
VALUE - 9/10


8.2
PROS
👍🏻Currently the most powerful 1-Bay NAS Drive in the market
👍🏻A 1-Bay with 2GB of DDR4 Memory is pretty rare in the Value tier
👍🏻
👍🏻Exceptionally low noise and power use
👍🏻
👍🏻Runs the latest version of QTS 5
👍🏻
👍🏻First Value Tier NAS in the market to use the Cortex A55 Processor
👍🏻
👍🏻Quad-Core Processor is a nice bonus
👍🏻
👍🏻Inclusive AI-powered component built into the hardware
👍🏻
👍🏻Support for NAS-to-NAS/USB/Cloud backups and also supported Hybrid Storage and mounting
CONS
👎🏻1GbE in 2022 event at the value tier is underwhelming
👎🏻USB 2.0 Ports is equally underwhelming
👎🏻
👎🏻Lack of RAID will put some users off (applicable to all 1-Bay’s though)

 

DEAL WATCH Is It On Offer Right Now?


These Offers are Checked Daily

Best Value Low Priced NAS – The Lincplus N1 NVMe NAS

0-32TB M.2 NVMe + 10TB SATA HDD / 16TB SATA SSD, 4+2-Bays, 4xM.2 NVMe 2280, Intel N5105/N5095 CPU, 16GB Memory, 2.5Gbe Port, HDMI+DP 1.4 60FPS 4K, UnRAID License Inc, 2yr Warranty

Current Price/Availability on Amazon –$250-300 (TBC)  (Currently in Crowdfunding)

Hardware Review – LINK

YouTube Video Review – Watch

What I said in my review Oct 16 ’23:

When evaluating the Lincplus N1 NAS, context is paramount. Keeping in mind its price point and the brand’s objectives, as well as understanding how an SSD-centric system can fit into this mold, you’ll likely be thoroughly pleased with this NAS. For a mere $279, it offers an unmatched combination of hardware capabilities. The silent operation, bundled UnRAID software, two-tier storage, and genuine turnkey out-of-the-box deployment culminate into a device brimming with potential. It caters to both newcomers to private server ownership and seasoned home lab enthusiasts. Certain concessions were inevitable to attain this attractive price. Seasoned flash industry professionals might bemoan the absence of ECC memory, the use of a consumer-grade CPU, and limitations placed on the bandwidth and speeds for the m.2 NVMe slots. Even though the software is genuinely turnkey and the system is ready to run immediately after unboxing, UnRAID does come with its learning curve. It might be more user-friendly compared to other container-based GUIs, but there’s still a learning curve. Additionally, the default UnRAID settings could be better tailored to this SSD-driven system.

Hopefully, future firmware updates might address this. Such discrepancies are expected when the hardware is developed by one entity and the software by another. This dichotomy can lead to inconsistencies, such as those seen in drive monitoring results, raising questions about the demarcation of responsibility between the two entities. However, overlooking these minor points, the N1 stands out as a commendable alternative to a full DIY approach. It not only saves money and time but also offers a ready-to-use, compact solution. Provided you acknowledge and accept the inherent compromises, the N1 emerges as a notable midpoint in the burgeoning server market, bridging the gap between custom-built and all-inclusive turnkey solutions.

SOFTWARE - 9/10
HARDWARE - 8/10
PERFORMANCE - 7/10
PRICE - 10/10
VALUE - 10/10


8.8
PROS
👍🏻Very Affordable at $279 (IndieGogo Price)
👍🏻Exceptional Value
👍🏻Genuinely Silent Operation
👍🏻16GB Memory is GREAT
👍🏻Includes UnRAID License
👍🏻100% Turnkey and 1st Time Boot Setup
👍🏻Plenty of Passive Cooling
👍🏻Very Low Power Consumption
👍🏻Attractive Design
👍🏻Exceptionally Portable
👍🏻Very competitive First NAS
👍🏻WiFi 6 and Bluetooth Support
👍🏻No Barriers in UnRAID + ZFS Support
CONS
👎🏻UnRAID is not Tweaked for this SSD Focused System
👎🏻1x 2.5GbE feels supremely limiting
👎🏻PCIe limits impact the system...
👎🏻...Which are understandable, but annoying


Need More Help Choosing the right NAS?

Choosing the right data storage solution for your needs can be very intimidating and it’s never too late to ask for help. With options ranging from NAS to DAS, Thunderbolt to SAS and connecting everything up so you can access all your lovely data at the touch of a button can be a lot simpler than you think. If you want some tips, guidance or help with everything from compatibility to suitability of a solution for you, why not drop me a message below and I will get back to you as soon as possible with what you should go for, its suitability and the best place to get it. This service is designed without profit in mind and in order to help you with your data storage needs, so I will try to answer your questions as soon as possible. Just enter in a few details of your setup, storage requirements and (in the case of buying a new solution) your budget – then me and Eddie the Web guy can help you with your question. This is a completely free service, is NOT provided with profit in mind and is manned by two humans (no bots, no automated replies, etc). Assistance might take an extra day or two (the service gets a lot of visitors) but we do try to answer every message. If you want to support this service, you can find out how to donate HERE. Otherwise, you can still just message us for free advice anyway!

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This description contains links to Amazon. These links will take you to some of the products mentioned in today's content. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Visit the NASCompares Deal Finder to find the best place to buy this device in your region, based on Service, Support and Reputation - Just Search for your NAS Drive in the Box Below

Need Advice on Data Storage from an Expert?

Finally, for free advice about your setup, just leave a message in the comments below here at NASCompares.com and we will get back to you. Need Help? Where possible (and where appropriate) please provide as much information about your requirements, as then I can arrange the best answer and solution to your needs. Do not worry about your e-mail address being required, it will NOT be used in a mailing list and will NOT be used in any way other than to respond to your enquiry. [contact-form-7] TRY CHAT Terms and Conditions
If you like this service, please consider supporting us. We use affiliate links on the blog allowing NAScompares information and advice service to be free of charge to you.Anything you purchase on the day you click on our links will generate a small commission which isused to run the website. Here is a link for Amazon and B&H.You can also get me a ☕ Ko-fi or old school Paypal. Thanks!To find out more about how to support this advice service check HEREIf you need to fix or configure a NAS, check Fiver Have you thought about helping others with your knowledge? Find Instructions Here  
 
Or support us by using our affiliate links on Amazon UK and Amazon US
    
 
Alternatively, why not ask me on the ASK NASCompares forum, by clicking the button below. This is a community hub that serves as a place that I can answer your question, chew the fat, share new release information and even get corrections posted. I will always get around to answering ALL queries, but as a one-man operation, I cannot promise speed! So by sharing your query in the ASK NASCompares section below, you can get a better range of solutions and suggestions, alongside my own.

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QNAP NAS Deals on Black Friday 2023

Par : Rob Andrews
22 novembre 2023 à 15:00

Black Friday Bargains on QNAP NAS & Switches This Black Friday 2023

Black Friday 2023 – Both home and business users alike often take this opportunity to upgrade or improve upon their existing data storage setup, and it should come as no surprise that several of the top-tier data storage and network tech providers in the world get involved with this annual mega sale. Unlike the likes of Black Friday, which is a longer and more widely spread bargain extravaganza, Amazon Black Friday is a shorter affair and therefore the time afforded to most buyers to make a decision on whether to buy or not can be criminally short. Today I want to highlight as many QNAP Black Friday deals (live NOW and later this week, region dependant) that we can find below as possible. Alongside the deals that we (me and Eddie, working double time) find on network and data storage products during the event, I have also included a list of recommended hardware that you should keep an eye out for during this short sale event that is likely to spring up on lightning deals. 

Important – Me and Eddie (the chaps that run NASCompares) have been running these deal-hunting pages every Back Friday, searching and sharing the deals we find that WE would 100% personally buy! If it’s not something we consider a deal/bargain, we won’t add it. Additionally, users can add their own deals to the list (using the gadget below). Ultimately, we do this for a mixture of reasons. We want to help people get the best storage and/or network solution for their needs, but also because by choosing to visit Amazon via the links to the deals below, any purchase you make results in a small commission fee being sent right back to us at NASCompares (which goes directly back into making great content every day). We see Black Friday and Black Friday as a means of fundraising for the site and still helping people get the best possible deal they can. If you need help choosing the right solution for your needs (and want to be 100% sure before you pull the trigger and spend anything), you can use our Free Advice service right here.

Recommended QNAP NAS 2023/2024

————–  Useful Links  —————

US Amazon Amazon USA Black Friday Official PageAmazon UK Black Friday Official Page

Amazon Warehouse (20% Off Everything on Black Friday)

USA – UK – Germany

Synology NAS to Watch this Black Friday – Here

Amazon Black Friday 2023 NAS Deals Mega List – HERE

Still unsure of what you need – use the Free Advice Section here on NASCompares.


Best 2-Bay QNAP NAS Deal – The TS-264

QNAP TS-264 NAS

CPU: Intel N5105 4-Core Celeron
Memory:Bays: 4-16GB / 8GB (Different Versions Available)
M.2 NVMe Bays: 2x m.2 NVMe, Caching and Storage Pools
Network Ports: 2x 2.5GbE
USB: USB 3.2 Gen 2 x3
KVM: Yes
Network Upgrade: Yes
The TS-264 boasts exceptional hardware for its tier in the NAS market, a strength that QNAP has consistently demonstrated. Even when looking back just 5 years, the level of hardware scalability and ease of upgradability offered by the TS-264 is impressive and remains largely unmatched in 2023. The 2-Bay NAS is a logical choice for those looking to move away from the limitations of subscription-based cloud services like Google, OneDrive, and Dropbox, and instead, opt for a more flexible and fully-featured private server. The TS-264 offers unbeatable value for the money in terms of hardware. In terms of software, the situation is less clear-cut. QTS 5 is a feature-rich operating system that can be accessed via a web browser, with multiple mobile and desktop clients, and hundreds of apps that can be easily installed. However, it can be a steep learning curve for some users, and its interface can be overwhelming. For those who desire a highly customizable system that can present data in various ways, and offers a wide range of third-party support, QNAP and QTS 5 offer unique services that are not available elsewhere. Keep in mind that setting up and customizing the system will require some time and effort.
Links

 

—- AMAZON PRICE HISTORY —-

DEAL WATCH Is It On Offer Right Now?

QNAP TS-264-8G-24S-US 2 Bay High-Performance Desktop NAS with 4TB Storage Capaci Amazon UK UK 5.94 OFF (WAS 576) [LINK]

These Offers are Checked Daily

 


Best 4-Bay QNAP NAS Deal – The TS-464

QNAP TS-464 NAS

CPU: Intel N5105 4-Core Celeron
Memory:Bays: 4-16GB
M.2 NVMe Bays: 2x m.2 NVMe, Caching and Storage Pools
Network Ports: 2x 2.5GbE
USB: USB 3.2 Gen 2 x3
KVM: Yes
Network Upgrade: Yes
The TS-464 comfortably arrives with the best hardware in its tier of the NAS market and that is something that QNAP has always been quite good at. Even if you rewind just 5 years, the level of hardware scalability and ease of upgradability that the TS-464 provides is frankly incredible and, fast forward to 2022, is still pretty unmatched. A Desktop 4-Bay NAS (eg Prosumer RAID 5 storage) has always been the next confident step for users who are tired of their hands being tied by subscription cloud services from Google, OneDrive and DropBox, who are looking for their own competent, flexible and fully-featured private server. In the TS-464 NAS, you find a system that is unquestionable the best hardware for your money you can possibly get right now. In software, things are a little less straightforward. QTS 5, although massively software and service-rich, arrives as a complete operating system in your web browser with multiple mobile/desktop clients and hundreds of applications and apps that can be installed at the touch of a button – which can all too often be something of a steep learning curve for many. Lacking the chewable, user-friendly nature of many of their rivals, QNAP and its software/service still have a tendency to be a bit of an information overload that can quickly intimidate the novice. However, for those that are looking for a system that is completely customizable in how/when/where you want data presented to you, as well as a wide degree of 3rd party support, QNAP and QTS 5 still manages to provide a huge degree of brand-unique service that are simply not available elsewhere. Just be prepared to invest your time wisely in its setup and more time ensuring the system is perfect for your needs.
Links

 

—- AMAZON PRICE HISTORY —-

DEAL WATCH Is It On Offer Right Now?

QNAP TS-464-8G-US 4 Bay High-Performance Desktop NAS with Intel Celeron Quad-cor Amazon usa USA 28.06 OFF (WAS 639) [LINK]
Serwer NAS TS-464eU-8G 4x0HDD 1U Intel Celeron N5105/N5095 8G Amazon usa USA 15.4 OFF (WAS 1480) [LINK]
QNAP TS-464-8G-US 4 Bay High-Performance Desktop NAS with Intel Celeron Quad-cor Amazon UK UK 35.27 OFF (WAS 678) [LINK]
QNAP TS-464-8G-44S-US 4 Bay High-Performance Desktop NAS with 12TB Storage Capac Amazon UK UK 26.24 OFF (WAS 883) [LINK]
QNAP TS-464U-8G | 4-Bay, 2.5GbE, 1U Rackmount NAS Amazon UK UK 98.7 OFF (WAS 1394) [LINK]

These Offers are Checked Daily

 


Best Value QNAP NAS Deal – The TS-262

QNAP TS-262 NAS

CPU: Intel N5105 4-Core Celeron
Memory:Bays: 4-16GB / 8GB (Different Versions Available)
M.2 NVMe Bays: 2x m.2 NVMe, Caching and Storage Pools
Network Ports: 2x 2.5GbE
USB: USB 3.2 Gen 2 x3
KVM: Yes
Network Upgrade: Yes

The QNAP TS-262 NAS is a substantial update on the QNAP TS-251D (even worth considering for those who opted for the TS-251D or TS-251B previously) that features a more modern CPU that allows increased internal performance. This translates in hardware to M.2 NVMe SSD support, a larger bandwidth PCIe Upgrade slot, USB 3.2 Gen 2 10Gb/s connectivity and 2.5GbE by default. Some areas of the device are less compelling, such as that fixed 4GB of memory meaning that the price needs to reflect the extra RAM on day 1, but you also cannot scale that extra memory further as your processes grow years from now. The limiting of those M.2 NVMe SSD bays to PCIe Gen 3×1 makes alot of sense, giving the range of this PCIe3 Celeron CPU makes sense, but is nonetheless going to annoy some users. lastly, the hardware gains in the system featuring much, MUCH more powerful and visually appealing HDMI 2.1 is a fraction let down by the HD Station software getting fewer and fewer feature-rich updates (outside of stability and performance fixes). As far as running the QNAP QTS EXT4 software platform on the TS-262, you will have little to no co.mplaints, as it can run the bulk of the 1st/3rd party applications available to the software, just remember that you are running a dual-core and two thread processor – so the glass ceiling in terms of hardware resources is going to be a pinch lower than some of their Pentium, Intel Core or Xeon systems of course. After a bumpy start to 2022, with the brand needing to win alot of users back after being targetted by ransomware groups and missteps in communication, fast forward to the start of 2023 and you have a much more secure, closed and layered QNAP NAS platform here

 Links

 

Choosing the QNAP TS-262 NAS over the increasing range of 2-Bay’s in the brand’s portfolio is a little less straightforward, with the TS-262 nestled somewhere between the TS-253E, TS-264, HS-264 and TS-364 (with several more 2-Bay options in the TS-x51+, TS-31P3 AND TS-31K still listed on their official site). I also think the TS-262 would do better to have been released alongside the TS-264 (and the rest of the x64 range), when the portfolio was a little less clustered and its status as an affordable alternative to the TS-262 made alot more sense! The QNAP TS-262 is designed for users looking to spend a little less on base hardware, whilst still buying a device that can be scaled in storage, network bandwidth and more down the line. QTS still continues to be fully featured and has a great many new security and access defaults/settings introduced to limit novice users leaving doors open, but still has a fractionally steeper learning curve than many of its competitors, often trying to do too many things at once (or at least not stopping an end user doing too much at times), which can lead to occasionally bumps in the road when using their platform on a more modest system as this. The QNAP TS-262 is a great 2-Bay NAS and a solid refresh/update on the TS-251D, but if you can stretch your budget a fraction more, I recommend opting for the TS-462 or TS-264 ($100-200 more) as much like this device doubles down on it’s predecessor hardware, so do those two NAS ram things up further for your money. A good NAS indeed, that lives a tad in the shadow of it’s own brothers and sisters!

—- AMAZON PRICE HISTORY —-

DEAL WATCH Is It On Offer Right Now?

Qnap TS-262 2-Bay (Intel Celeron 2-Core 2.9 GHz, 4GB Ram, 1x 2.5Gbe, 2X M.2 Slot Amazon usa USA 33.29 OFF (WAS 557) [LINK]
QNAP TS-262-4G-24S-US 2 Bay Multimedia Desktop NAS with 4TB Storage Capacity, Pr Amazon UK UK 6.58 OFF (WAS 517) [LINK]

These Offers are Checked Daily

 


Confirmed Deals on QNAP Switches – QSW-1105-5T,  QSW-1108-8T and QSW-2104-2S

Three separate 2.5GbE switches from QNAP’s range of ever evolving network management devices are posied to be on offer this Black Friday (details and specs below), but which is best fo you and your needs? When comparing the QSW-1105-5T, QSW-1108-8T, and QSW-2104-2S network switches, several key differences and similarities emerge, making each suitable for specific networking needs. All three models are unmanaged switches with similar design aesthetics, indicating ease of use and consistency in form factor. The QSW-1105-5T, with its 5 ports, offers a total non-blocking throughput of 12.5Gbps and a switching capacity of 25Gbps, making it suitable for smaller networks or home use. It consumes a maximum of 12W power, which is efficient for its scale. In contrast, the QSW-1108-8T, with 8 ports, steps up the game by offering a total non-blocking throughput of 20Gbps and a switching capacity of 40Gbps. This model is more suited for small businesses or advanced home networks, offering higher capacity and throughput for more connected devices. Its power consumption is slightly higher at 18W, reflecting its increased capabilities. The QSW-2104-2S stands out with its advanced network specifications, featuring 6 ports with a remarkable total non-blocking throughput of 30Gbps and a switching capacity of 60Gbps. This model is particularly notable for its 10GbE SFP+ and 2.5GbE (RJ45) support, making it ideal for medium-sized businesses or networks requiring higher bandwidth and advanced network features. Like the QSW-1105-5T, it consumes 12W power but offers significantly higher performance. While the QSW-1105-5T and QSW-1108-8T are more aligned with smaller-scale networking needs, the QSW-2104-2S is the go-to choice for more demanding network environments, offering higher throughput, advanced port options, and greater switching capacity.

Switch Model QSW-1105-5T QSW-1108-8T QSW-2104-2S
Number of Ports 5 8 6
10GbE SFP+ 0 0 2
2.5GbE (RJ45) 5 8 4
     
Management Type Unmanaged Unmanaged Unmanaged
Power Supply Description Adapter Adapter Adapter
Max. Power Consumption 12 W 18W 12W
Input Power Type DC DC DC
Input Voltage Range 12V 12V/1.5A 12V/1A
MAC Address Table 16K 16K 16K
Total Non-Blocking Throughput 12.5Gbps 20Gbps 30Gbps
Switching Capacity 25Gbps 40Gbps 60Gbps
Fanless? Yes  No  No
Supported Standards IEEE 802.3 Ethernet

IEEE 802.3u 100BASE-T

IEEE 802.3ab 1000BASE-T

IEEE 802.3bz 2.5GBase-T

IEEE 802.3x Full-Duplex Flow Control
IEEE 802.3 Ethernet

IEEE 802.3u 100BASE-T

IEEE 802.3ab 1000BASE-T

IEEE 802.3bz 2.5GBase-T

IEEE 802.3x Full-Duplex Flow Control
IEEE 802.3u 100Base-TX Fast Ethernet

IEEE 802.3ab 1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet

IEEE 802.3bz 2.5G/5GBase-T

IEEE 802.3an 10GBase-T

SFP Transceiver 1000BASE-SX

SFP Transceiver 1000BASE-LX

SFP Transceiver 1000BASE-T Copper RJ45 GBIC
DEAL WATCH Is It On Offer Right Now?

QNAP Switch QSW-IM1200-8C 12P 10GbE Rack Amazon UK UK 120.04 OFF (WAS 1555) [LINK]

These Offers are Checked Daily

 


The Best QNAP 10GbE NAS Deal – The TS-h973X SATA and U.2 9 Bay NAS

QNAP TS-h973AX NAS

CPU: AMD Emb. Ryzen V1500B 4-Core/8-Thread
Memory:Bays: 8-32GB (ECC Not Inc, but supported)
Storage Bays: 5x SATA 3.5″, 2x 2.5″ SATA and 2x U.2 SSD 2.5″
Network Ports: 1x 10GbE and 2x 2.5GbE
USB: USB 3.2 Gen 2 x2
I have seen a lot of network-attached storage over the years and the TS-h973AX brings a lot of colour to what was fast becoming a somewhat grey landscape. In short, QNAP has gone and done it again by proving they are the hardware innovators of this industry and have managed to provide a genuinely unique solution here. When they first revealed their new Hero ZFS operating system last year, you could not help but get the impression that only top-end enterprise businesses with £10K starting budgets were ever going to benefit. The TS-h973AX desktop NAS is solid evidence that QNAP will share the wealth and that this is the start of a whole new series of affordable ZFS solution from the brand. That isn’t to say that this system is perfect and pernickety points about a lack of HDMI or LCD may put off some users, and the compact 9 bay chassis that will attract some will no doubt deter others. Ultimately though QNAP has succeeded in creating what they sought out here and what we find is one of the best examples of hardware and software meeting in the middle, while still arriving with a price tag in 3 figures. In the current absence of a straight forward QuTS license purchase option for existing QNAP NAS systems right now, this is a solution that serves as a good alternative to a number of 4 and 6 Bay solutions in their portfolio. Though, make sure you upgrade that memory on day one! 
Links

 

—- AMAZON PRICE HISTORY —-

 

DEAL WATCH Is It On Offer Right Now?



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The Best Hard Drives for Your NAS – 2023/2024

Par : Rob Andrews
23 novembre 2023 à 02:00

Choosing the Best Hard Drives for your NAS

If you’re considering a NAS server for your home or business, selecting the appropriate hard drive is crucial. Just as each utensil in a cutlery set serves a unique purpose, NAS drives are designed for specific scenarios. Using unsuitable drive media in your NAS can significantly affect its performance and efficiency. In the past years, hard drive manufacturers have developed server-tailored hard drives (including SSDs) that cater to the unique demands of NAS systems. These drives are designed for sporadic access patterns, continuous operation (24×7), quick read/write cycles, and enhanced durability required in NAS environments.

As of late 2023, the market has seen an evolution in storage capacity, with commercial hard drives reaching up to 22TB and data centers testing drives between 24-30TB. This increase in capacity reflects the growing data storage demands in both personal and professional settings. However, the abundance of options, with more than fifteen top-tier NAS and Data Center class drives available, can make the selection process overwhelming. In this guide, I aim to simplify this process. Below, you’ll find a breakdown of eight different NAS/Server architectures along with the most suitable hard drive options for each, updated to reflect the latest advancements in technology and market trends as of 2023/2024.

Note – Use our Best Price Per TB Calculator tool HERE in order to get the best value storage for your needs. It includes filters for NAS size, redundancy, budget and capacity needs too!

Recommended NAS Hard Drives

Key Considerations in Buying Hard Drives for Your NAS

Before selecting the right NAS hard drive, it’s essential to grasp some key terms in the data storage industry. This knowledge ensures that the drive you choose meets your requirements to the highest standard. Here are some crucial terms you need to know, updated for 2023/2024, to decode the marketing jargon and understand the strengths and weaknesses of each drive:

RAID – Standing for Redundant Array of Independent Disks, RAID is a method of using multiple NAS HDDs simultaneously to enhance capacity, speed, and, most importantly, data safety. Unlike backups, RAID 0 combines total storage for high performance but lacks a safety net if a drive fails. RAID 1 cuts your total storage in half but provides a one-drive safety net. RAID 5 and RAID 6 offer one or two disk safety nets, respectively, and support much larger storage arrays. Other RAID levels exist, but these are the most widely used.

SATA – Despite it’s age, SATA still remains the most popular connection of HDDs in 2023/2024 (despite the rise of M.2 NVMe SSD use in NAS). SATA allows up to 6 Gigabits per second throughput. However, mechanical HDDs rarely exceeded 280MB/s. By 2023/2024, while SATA remains prevalent, advancements in connections like SAS, NVMe, and U.2, particularly in SSDs, have become more significant in enterprise settings.

Saturation – This term refers to the amount of data flowing through an interface/bandwidth. For instance, a SATA HDD might allow up to 600MB/s, but most NAS HDDs achieve around 180-280MB/s due to their mechanical design. Therefore, the saturation for a single drive is lower, at 180/280MB/s.

Platters – These are the disks inside the HDD that store data. Higher capacity drives feature more platters. Although compression techniques can increase space, there’s a limit to their effectiveness.

Rotation Speed – This indicates how fast the platters spin, enabling the arm/actuator to locate and write data magnetically.

Cache – This memory area on the NAS hard drive compiles and distributes data being processed by the disk. Larger capacity NAS hard drives typically have a larger cache, as do drives using Shingled Magnetic Recording (SMR), which requires more handling space due to its unique writing style.

Terabytes Written (TBW), AKA ‘Workload Rating’– A metric often given annually, TBW indicates the amount of data a NAS Hard Drive can handle in a year while maintaining performance. This figure considers the potential for repeatedly filling and emptying the drive, common in data centers or tiered backups. Standard NAS hard drives usually have a TBW of around 180TBW, Pro series around 300TBW, and Enterprise-class HDDs 550TBW or more. This is often referred to as the workload rating.

Magnetic Recording – This refers to how data is stored on the platters. As of 2023/2024, there are several prevalent types: SMR (Shingled Magnetic Recording), PMR/CMR (Perpendicular/Conventional Magnetic Recording), EAMR (Energy Assisted Magnetic Recording), and HAMR (Heat Assisted Magnetic Recording). Each type has its pros and cons, but PMR/CMR remains the most popular for NAS hard drives.

Warranty Length – This is the period during which the manufacturer will repair or replace a NAS hard drive if it fails due to manufacturing issues. Warranties typically range from 3 to 5 years.

These terms are essential for choosing the best NAS hard drive for your system in the context of 2023/2024. Next, we’ll examine different NAS hardware environments and recommend the best NAS hard drive for each.

Best Hard Drives for an Affordable RAID 6 Desktop 6/8-Bay NAS – Seagate Ironwolf (non-Pro)

1-12TB, 5900-7200RPM, 64-256MB Cache, 180TBW, 3yr Warranty, Rescue Data Recovery Services Included $50-229 

For those who are looking at a NAS server for business, or are home users who have made the enterprising move into the Prosumer bracket, then a 6-Bay or 8-Bay desktop NAS solution will become incredibly attractive. At this storage tier, we find a number of very cool and incredibly useful features become more widely available. For a start, we find the utility of RAID 6 (the 2 disk safety net configuration) much more palatable, as it makes less of a dent on our total available storage. Additionally, at this storage size, we start to see much more powerful processors, such as the Intel Core (i3, i5, etc) series arrive, AMD Ryzen and even Xeons. This combined with huge expandability of both memory internally and storage externally and generally with 10Gbe included as standard or available as an upgrade. So, at this scale of NAS storage, the hard drive choice becomes more important, as you do not want to create an internal bottleneck. For this tier of storage, I recommend the Seagate Ironwolf range of NAS drives. They arrive with a large number of 7200RM drives (with 5400RPM in the smaller capacities), a 180 terabytes per year guaranteed workload and the Seagate Rescue service. For those that are not aware, the Seagate Rescue+ package is a data recovery service that is included with your Ironwolf and Ironwolf Pro drives that, alongside your 3 year warranty, includes an additional 3 years of data recovery services.

What that means is that if your drive fails through no fault of your own within reason (so, no, not smashing it with a hammer), you can send the drive off to the Seagate recovery labs and they will try to get that data back. From accidental deletion, all the way through to mechanical and forensic level recovery, this is an impressive inclusion! You should still factor other safety nets in your architecture (backups, UPS, RAID, etc) but given the cost of data recovery services (costing anything from hundreds to thousands of pounds), this is a very, VERY useful inclusion when you need it. Additionally, Seagate Ironwolf hard drives sill manage to be the most affordable NAS drives on the market compared with their competitors, even when including the Rescue recovery included. They are also the only 3rd party NAS hard drive brand that has a tool to monitor drive health available on practically ALL the NAS software GUIs in the market, in Seagate Ironwolf Health Management.

+ Excellent Price Point

+ Rescue Data Recovery Services

+ Seagate Ironwolf Health Management

+ ONLY CMR/PMR Drives in their NAS Range

– Max Drive Capacity is 12TB (Pro Series go up to 22TB)

– Noisier General Operation than WD Red Drives

DEAL WATCH Is It On Offer Right Now?

Seagate IronWolf, 8TB ST8000VN002 £185 Amazon usa USA £185 [LINK]
Seagate IronWolf 8TB NAS Internal Hard Drive HDD Amazon usa USA $139.99 [LINK]
Synology DS120j 3TB 1 Bay NAS Solution, installed with 1 x 3TB Seagate Ironwolf Amazon UK UK 5.01 OFF (WAS 241) [LINK]
QNAP 4 Bay NAS with 12TB Storage Capacity, Preconfigured RAID 5 Seagate IronWolf Amazon UK UK 11.03 OFF (WAS 939) [LINK]

These Offers are Checked Daily

Best Hard Drives for a Small NAS Drive – WD Red & WD Red Plus

1-14TB, 5400/7200RPM (higher Caps = 7200RPM), 64-256MB Cache, 180TBW, 3yr Warranty, WD Red 1-6TB (SMR), WD Red Plus 1-14TB (CMR) $69-379

If you are looking to populate a compact, modestly powered, desktop NAS system (so a 1-Bay or 2-Bay NAS drive), then you have quite a large range of Hard Drives on offer. It is worth highlighting though that larger and more enterprise drives (i.e faster and longer warranty) will be noticeably noisier. Additionally, you will need to factor in that your maximum storage is going to be capped at either a single drive OR (in a 2-Bay NAS with RAID 1)  your storage halved to maintain redundancy. Finally, you will need to factor in that most 2-Bay NAS devices will either have a smaller external network connection (1/2.5Gbe) or are not really capable of saturating a full connection externally. So, baring these factors in mind, I would recommend the WD Red series of NAS hard drives for small NAS systems. They do not typically have more aggressive hardware internally, so the ambient noise when these drives are running will be remarkably low.

The performance, due to the lower rotations per minute (RPM) and cache might not seem spectacularly high, but in a 1-Bay or 2-Bay NAS, you likely could not push much performance externally anyway, so why spend much more on something that in most cases you will not be able to take advantage of. Be warned though, as you reach the much higher capacities above 8TB, the general background noise of the drives will increase incrementally.

+ Affordable Price Tag

+ Low Noise and Power Consumption in 24×7 Use

+ Good base level of Capacities Available

– Some Drive feature Shingled Magnetic Recording (SMR)

– Performance is fairly average in the smaller capacities

DEAL WATCH Is It On Offer Right Now?

12TB WD Red Plus Western Digital usa USA Buy 2 12TB drives for $379.98. [LINK]
18TB WD Red Pro Western Digital usa USA Buy 2 18TB drives for $549.98. [LINK]

These Offers are Checked Daily

Affordable Hard Drives for a RAID 5 Desktop 4-Bay NAS – Toshiba N300

4-18TB, 7200RPM, 128-512MB Cache, 180 TBW, 3yr Warranty, 1-1.2M MTBF Rating $250-450  

A 4-Bay NAS drive is generally when home and small/medium business users start to take their storage seriously. There are such a wide variety of hardware options that arrive at this storage tier, ranging from powerful Intel/AMD processors and DDR4 memory, to 10Gbe and PCIe upgrades. This arrives with the utility if RAID 5, that allows users to have a much larger potential capacity and performance, but still have a single drive of redundancy to fall back on in the event of drive failure. At this degree of NAS storage, you have a much greater potential to not only largely saturate a 10Gbe connection, but alternatively, you can also look into installing 2.5Gbe and 5Gbe upgrades and fill multiple plus gigabit connections directly or via a switch.  In order to maximize this connection, but to also not max out your budget, I recommend the Toshiba N300 range of Hard Drives. Although they are a brand that is generally held commercially in the 3rd place when it comes to NAS media drives, their N300 range arrives at a similar/lower price point than Seagate Ironwolf and WD Red, but also arrives with 7200RPM on all capacities, with the lowest capacity arriving with 128MB caching and scaling up to 256MB quickly in the series. The increase in RPM will increase the background clicks, hums and whirs of the drive, but at 4-Bays, this is something that the NAS enclosure itself will begin to generate too. A high performing and often overlooked drive that, at the top capacity, can hit performance of up to 274MB/s.

+ Well Priced for a 7200RPM and 128/256/512 Cache Drive

+ Available in up to 18TB, even in non-Pro N300 Series

+ Error Recovery Control

– Will Generate More Noise at 7200RPM

– Not As Widely Available

– Not as well regarded as Seagate or WD

The 3.5-inch N300 NAS Hard Drive offers unprecedented reliability for NAS and other high-performance storage systems. It is optimized to meet the reliability, endurance, performance and scalability requirements of 24-hour x 7-day high-capacity storage for personal, home office and small business use. The N300 is available in capacities of up to 18 TB.

DEAL WATCH Is It On Offer Right Now?


These Offers are Checked Daily

Best Hard Drives for a Small Rackmount NAS – WD Red Pro

2-22TB, 7200RPM, 128-512MB Cache, 300TBW, 5yr Warranty $85-429 

Now we move onto the Rackmount NAS compatible hard drives, we have to start looking squarely at two main factors – Performance and Durability. If you are a business or established Prosumer user, then chances are that your NAS system is going to be used for a much larger % per day than most average users. Whether it is for surveillance, virtual machines, business file-sharing or just a combination of all of them every day, you want drives that are going to give you a good level of performance internally AND externally. Likewise, as the hard drives in even a modest rackmount NAS will be on for extended periods, you need to know that the drive can maintain the promising performance indefinitely AND without braking. This is where we start to look at specifications such as TBW (Terabytes Written), Mean time between failure, workload cycles and the warranty in more detail. For those looking at 10Gbe equipped or at least ’10Gbe Ready’ modest rackmount systems, I would recommend the WD Red Pro series of compatible NAS hard drives. Generally, one of the first Pro series NAS hard drives to arrive on the market, the WD Red Pro series is designed for NAS systems up to 24Bays and is available up to 18TB currently.

What did we say about the WD Red Pro 22TB highest tier model? We reviewed it back on September ’22 and whichever way you look at it, the WD Red Pro 22TB Hard drive is a stone-cold WINNER of a drive – both in terms of what it brings to the end user AND what this new 10-platter/OptiNAND drive design means for the future of the WD drive line up. WD does not over promise with this drive (with performance exceeding the brands reported benchmarks in almost every one of my tests, even using mid-range equipment) and they even nailed the price point in line with previous drives in the portfolio (though there is simply no avoiding that you are going to need deep pockets to fully populate any system with these 22TB drives). That said, much like any other WD Red Pro drive, the more industrial architecture still leads to a slightly higher running temp, noisier operation and slight increased power use. This is to be expected, but with no non-Pro alternative available at this capacity, the feasibility of fully populating a smaller scale system with the WD Red Pro 22TB is going to be both expensive AND noisy. I definitely recommend this drive to larger-scale NAS and SAN environments that need sustained RAID performance, high capacity and storage reliability – just maybe buy some earplugs if you plan on working in the same room as them.

Certainly one of the most expensive NAS HDDs out there, but provides a very good level of storage, performance, durability and overall is a very dependable drive for SMB users (Small/Medium Business) that want a drive they can rely on.

+ Top Tier NAS Drive Performance

+ 300TB/Y Workload

+ Build for up to 24-Bay Servers

– Certainly Noiser than non-Pro equivalents

– More Expensive than the Seagate Pro Option

DEAL WATCH Is It On Offer Right Now?

18TB WD Red Pro Western Digital usa USA Buy 2 18TB drives for $549.98. [LINK]

These Offers are Checked Daily

Best Hard Drives for an SMB Rackmount NAS 12-Bay – Seagate Ironwolf Pro

4-22TB, 7200RPM, 256MB Cache, 300 TBW (Newer NT version rates at 550TBW), 5yr Warranty, Rescue Data Recovery Services Included $79-399 

When it comes to the move into Rackmount storage for businesses (novices stop here) then not only do you have to only consider Pro/Enterprise-class drives only, but you can also start to look at drives that include certain business level advantages in terms of coverage and service. Much like the non-PRO series of hard drives mentioned earlier, the Seagate Ironwolf Pro series of HDDs include the Rescue+ data recovery services but also includes an impressive 5 years of the manufacturers warranty. However, it is in terms of performance, capacity and durability that the difference between these two ranges become apparent. For a start, the Ironwolf Pro HDD range arrives in capacities of up to 18TB (20TB promised for later in 2021 thanks to Energy Assisted Magnetic Recording), with ALL drives in the PRO range arriving with 7200RPM and 256/512MB of cache. The result is that these drives will hit up to an impressive 260MB/s, which even in smaller RAID 5 groups will easily saturate a 10Gb connection with just 4-5 drives.I performed te sts on 64MB, 256MB, 1GB and 4GB test files, as well as mixed 70/30% R/W. The results were consistent and largely lived up to Seagate’s claims here.

What did we think of the Seagate Ironwolf Pro larger capacities? We reviewed the new NT series (higher durability at 550TBW over 300TBW in the previous revisions) 20TB version and Straight out the gate, the Seagate Ironwolf Pro 20TB HDD comfortably delivers on it’s promises of performance. This alongside full tested and confirmed compatibility with Synology and QNAP NAS devices means that you have a drive here that can turn any 4-Bay NAS into a 60TB RAID5 Storage colossus – let alone once you start thinking about rackmounts and hyperscale. The pricing at the time of writing is a little muddled (the result of having two SKUs/Model IDs floating around in the market and eTailers having to play catch up) but that should hopefully iron out over time. I particularly appreciate that the workload discussion surrounding ‘Pro’ Class drives at 300TB/yr vs rapid HDD capacity growth is being addressed here with a 550TB/yr version to rival that of ‘Ent’ class drives – whatever the reason/motivation. The value of the Ironwolf Health Management tool is going to be something of debate and the inclusion of 3yrs data recovery services is a nice extra that (with any luck) few will need to use – but having them included in a 20TB HDD that still manages to maintain a similar level of Price per TB vs the bulk of NAS HDDs in the Pro tier increases the value notably. As HDDs continue to increase in scale and Seagate (among other brands) continues to outline their plans to hit 50TB by the end of the decade, the Seagate Ironwolf Pro ST2000NT001 is another good example of an HDD that finds a sweet spot between price, durability and value. Just be aware that this is a drive designed for large-scale use and that means high operational noise and higher than typical power use than non-Pro and smaller cap drives!

In recent years we have seen Seagate reshuffle their range of available capacities to align the capacities from 1-12TB to arrive in the standard Ironwolf range and Capacities of up to 18TB and 22TB to arrive on the PRO series (likely due to those larger capacity options requiring the more enterprise hardware as standard and making a non-PRO version impossible without purposely nerf’ing the lesser drives intentionally. There is crossover in 4-12TB models in between, however, the distinction in RPM, cache, build design and TBW rating is wide enough to justify this. The noise level of the Ironwolf HDD series in PRO is noticeable higher, but given these are designed for larger arrays, this noise increase will be less noticeable over the ambient noise of the whole system generally.

+ Excellent Price Point vs Ironwolf NON-Pro in the Portfolio

+ Rescue Data Recovery Services

+ New NT Version Available with 550 TB Annual Workload

+ Seagate Ironwolf Health Management

+ ONLY CMR/PMR Drives in their NAS Range

– Smallest Drive Capacity is 4TB

– Noticeable Boot Up Noise

DEAL WATCH Is It On Offer Right Now?

Seagate IronWolf, 8TB ST8000VN002 £185 Amazon usa USA £185 [LINK]
Seagate IronWolf 8TB NAS Internal Hard Drive HDD Amazon usa USA $139.99 [LINK]
Synology DS120j 3TB 1 Bay NAS Solution, installed with 1 x 3TB Seagate Ironwolf Amazon UK UK 5.01 OFF (WAS 241) [LINK]
QNAP 4 Bay NAS with 12TB Storage Capacity, Preconfigured RAID 5 Seagate IronWolf Amazon UK UK 11.03 OFF (WAS 939) [LINK]

These Offers are Checked Daily

 

Best Hard Drives for an Enterprise Rackmount NAS Server – Seagate EXOS

1-24TB, 72000RPM, 256-512MB Cache, SAS & SATA Options, 550 TBW, 5yr Warranty, $99-519   

Now we finally move into the class of hard drive that is more classically defined at ‘Data Center’ and/or Hyperscale environments. Often choosing between a PRO class and Enterprise-class drive can be ticky at a glance. However, Pro class drives generally arrive with a much longer terabytes written rating per year (ie the amount of data that can be written to the drive throughout its lifespan per annum), arrive in numerous interfaces (so both SAS and SATA generally) and typically arrive with numerous format and encryption standard versions available. These are available because some industries and organizations insist on drive media that features in-built protection and secure erase on the drive itself. Of all the enterprise and data centre-class media in the market, I generally recommend the Seagate EXOS series for any hyper scale system environment. They are very, VERY closely followed by the Western Digital UltraStar class of drives, but the Seagate EXOS series is a little clearer to understand, has larger capacity options available earlier, will hopefully release Mach2 version drives in 2021 (dual actuator/arm SATA drives at 400MB/s+) and generally arrive a pinch lower in price too in like-for-like comparisons against the Ultrastar.

Sound Test Video Live Soon (Below)

Recent changes by Synology in their newest 2021 series of rackmounts systems to ONLY support their own range of HDD media has led to their own drives featuring on their own respective hardware, so make sure to check that your intended NAS rackmount system supports Seagate EXOS drives before you head to checkout!

+ Huge Range of Architecture Options (FIPS, Military Encryp, 4KN, SED, SAS and more)

+ Constantly Evolving (Mach 2 versions, x14, x16 & x18 etc)

+ Comparatively Lower in Price vs Ultrastar

+ New 24TB Model (X24) Version Available in 2024

– Range Can Be Confusing

– Availability Can Be Difficult + Some Models Are ‘Bulk Purchase’ Only

– Noisy!

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Best Hard Drives for a Business Synology NAS – Synology HAT5300

8-18TB, 7200RPM, 256/512MB Cache, 550TBW, 5yr Warranty, Synology System ONLY, Firmware Control on Synology DSM $199-599 

Arriving on the scene in Jan 2021, the Synology branded range of Hard drives for enterprise server use took ALOT of people by surprise! Synology has always had a long-standing reputation with the production of network-attached storage, so in efforts to produce a complete first-party storage system that includes the software, the network hardware AND the media inside is very what their brand has been all about. In their defence too, these are not just cash-grab drives and are in-fact enterprise-class drives that are being priced at PRO series drives (so an Ultrastar/EXOS drive that is at the price tag of a WD Red or Ironwolf Pro). The drives themselves arrive (at launch anyway) with just three capacities available (8TB, 12TB and 16TB) and the architecture of them is quite eye-catching. A 550TBW per year rating, a 2.5Million MTTF, 256/512MB cache and performance ranging across the capacities from 230MB/s to a reported 270MB/s+. The drives are originally Toshiba M06/07/08 Enterprise drives that have a tweaked Synology NAS firmware onboard, so they are geared specifically towards utilization inside the Synology ecosystem. You can even check and upgrade the individual drive firmware directly from with the Synology DSM graphical user interface too, which is quite a unique and convenient feature for those larger arrays with differing drive versions being installed throughout your server’s lifespan.

You cannot really question the quality of the hardware architecture featured on the Synology HAT5300 range of hard drives. We clearly find here a range of drives that have been designed by Toshiba (an HDD vendor with decades of experience and Synology are not being coy about highlighting the partnership on this media), combined with one of the biggest providers of modern NAS in Synology, with media that is tweaked for use within their NAS systems and despite arriving at a Pro series price tag, arrive with hardware far more comparable to that of Seagate EXOS and Western digital Ultrastar hard drives. With a terrifically impressive annual workload, an approach to drive firmware and upgrades relatively unseen from any other drive for NAS’ and remarkable transparency from Synology in the marketing of these drives on day one certainly needs to be acknowledged. Moreover, Synology is not the first brand to champion the use of locked hard drive media in their service systems and they certainly won’t be the last. Overall, I am happy with the new Synology hard drives and despite possible reservations about where the logic of locked drives and exclusivity on this product and range will be extended to in the future (standard class versions?), I still happily recommend the Synology HAT5300 media series alongside other champions of NAS hard drive in 2021.

The move towards hard drive locking by Synology is something that has impressed some and disappointed others – but if you were going to be installing drive media inside a NAS system for business anyway, then ultimately these are still a very solid and well-performing product for you.

+ Enterprise Drives at a PRO class Price

+ 550TBW on ALL Capacities

+ Drive Firmware can be Updated from within the Synology DSM GUI

– Using them in not Synology NAS Hardware is not Supported

– More Expensive than other Enterprise Class HDDs from Seagate & WD

– Noisy Operation

DEAL WATCH Is It On Offer Right Now?

Synology DS223 16TB 2 Bay Desktop NAS Solution installed with 2 x 8TB HAT5300 Dr Amazon UK UK 176.34 OFF (WAS 1161) [LINK]
Synology DS723+ 16TB 2 Bay Desktop NAS Solution, installed with 2 x 8TB HAT5300 Amazon UK UK 26.87 OFF (WAS 1403) [LINK]
Synology DS423+ 16TB 4 Bay Desktop NAS Solution installed with 4 x 4TB HAT5300 D Amazon UK UK 164.91 OFF (WAS 1568) [LINK]
Synology DS223 32TB 2 Bay Desktop NAS Solution installed with 2 x 16TB HAT5300 D Amazon UK UK 14.04 OFF (WAS 1899) [LINK]
Synology DS423+ 32TB 4 Bay Desktop NAS Solution installed with 4 x 8TB HAT5300 D Amazon UK UK 350.29 OFF (WAS 2345) [LINK]

These Offers are Checked Daily

Best Hard Drives for a Business QNAP NAS – WD Ultrastar

1-18TB, 7200RPM, 256-512MB Cache, 550TBW, 5yr Warranty, FIPS and SED Options, SATA, SAS and U.2 NVMe SSD Options $70-550  

Finally, we move onto possibly the most well known of the enterprise-class of Hard Drives on the market. When it comes to data center and hyper-scale storage environments, Western Digital’s UltraStar range has the same reputation and long-running recognition as IBM has in the computer industry. They have been the go-to drive media of choice in the huge storage environment’s for years, thanks in large part to the fact they have been designed, developed and improved at the same time as the systems they were going into. In recent years, competitors have taken chunks of the market from them (as they are a larger and slightly slower behemoth to suddenly change tactic) and feature larger product runs that have to last extensive lengths of time to facilitate data center replacement media as needed. Nevertheless, in recent years the Ultrastar brand under WD has diversified hugely and alongside the popular WD Gold label has branched into a vast array of interface types, form factors, media variants and scales. Typically the first drive series to crack into a new capacity tier (the first to crack 20TB too).

Sound Test Video Live Soon (Below)

The Ultrastar series of hard drives will often be compared against the WD Red Pro range of NAS hard drives when considering populating a server. It is worth remembering that the Ultrastar series is designed for both a higher performance AND a much more enduring performance – i.e it can maintain that level, as well as switch between processes, for much longer. Indeed in testing, the Ultrastar even features a much higher Read and Write performance than pretty much any other drive that peaks as high as 280MB/s in our ATTO DiskBenchmark testing below with just a single HDD. Even the IOs (IOPS_ went as high as 19,000, which although low when compared with modern high-end SSDs, for a single HDD is really impressive).

The drives themselves are fantastically dull in appearance of course, as one might expect from the enterprise tier and also feature quite an aggressive spin up noise. However, in much larger scale environments, you will almost certainly not hear the drive media over the ambient system fan noise. Overall still an oldie but a goodie!

+ Consistently High Performance

+ Well-established HDD Drive and Brand

+ Numerous Interfaces, in-Drive Encryption Systems and Choices

– DEFINITELY one of the most confusing product ranges

– Noticeably Noisy at boot

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Best Hard Drives for a Home or Small Business 2023/2024 Gen Synology NAS – Synology HAT3300 Plus Series

4/6/8/12TB, 5900-7200RPM, 64-256MB Cache, 180TBW, 3yr Warranty, Synology NAS Designed, Firmware Update in DSM $109-189 

There is most certainly a clear design choice here to mirror that of the existing regular-class server drives on the market right now. The Synology HAT 3300+ series has been reported several times, not just here on the blog, to be built using Seagate Iron Wolf drive media with specific Synology firmware on board. Arriving with 180-terabyte annual workloads, 5400rpm, 256-megabyte cache, arriving in a CMR architecture and air-sealed – the specifications we see here are all quite standard. The 12TB benefits from an increased RPM and helium sealing, as per most 12 TB drives in the market, but apart from that the Synology Plus hard drive series are going to run quieter than most pro or enterprise-class drives, as well as have a slightly lower power consumption, but are also going to have a slight performance decrease than that of the HAT5300 and HAT3300. But that is only going to be of significance in larger RAID configurations realistically.

The differences between the Synology HAT3300, HAT5300/HAS5300 are pretty much exactly as you would find if you compared WD Red and Seagate IronWolf versus that of Seagate Exos and WD Ultrastar. Indeed, I am a little surprised that Synology has not introduced a middle ground in the form of a pro series drive, but perhaps this is something that will roll out later down the line. Nevertheless, this results in quite a void of performance, durability, and scale between these two ranges when compared to long-term established server hard drive ranges from these other companies filling the gaps of capacity and pro middle ground choices. It should be immediately highlighted that regardless of which Synology hard drive you opt for, you still benefit from firmware updates being actionable from within the Synology DSM software, easier and more streamlined warranty support, and firmware optimization that is specifically tailored towards Synology hardware deployment. We have discussed this at length previously when discussing the Synology enterprise hard drives and SSDs, and although you pay a premium for Synology’s own branded drives when compared to third-party alternatives that people have been using for decades, there are nonetheless merits in using drives specifically geared towards your NAS system rather than requiring a slightly broader design that suits more diverse servers. Here is how the Synology enterprise SATA, enterprise SAS, and mid-range plus hard drives differ in their specifications:

 
Classification Enterprise SATA Enterprise SAS Domestic SATA
Series Name Enterprise/XS Enterprise/XS PLUS
Model HAT5300 HAS5300 HAT3300
Interface SATA 6Gb SAS 12Gb SATA 6Gb
Recording CMR/PMR CMR/PMR CMR/PMR
Capacity (5/23) 4/8/12/16/18TB 8/12/16/18TB 4/6/8/12TB
RPM 7200RPM 7200RPM 5400RPM (7200 on 12TB)
Cache 256/512MB 256/512MB 256MB
Sector Size 512e 512e 512e
Max Transfer Speed (Capacity Dependant) 254/260/253/274/281MB/s 241/253/274MB/s 202/240MB/s
Drive Sealing AIR/AIR/Helium/Helium/Helium AIR/Helium/Helium/Helium AIR/AIR/AIR/Helium
Power Use (Idle) 4.07/5.61/4.25/4.00/4.16W 6.62/4.36/4.46W 3.96/3.4/3.4/5.07W
Power Use (Active) 7.76/9.29/7.83/7.63/8.35W 9.87/7.80/8.12W 4.85/5.3/5.3/8.33W
Load/Unload Cycles 600K 600K 600K
Workload Rating 550TB (Annual) 550TB (Annual) 180TB (Annual)
MTBF (Hrs) 2.0/2.5Million 2.5Million 1Million
Warranty 5 Years 5 Years 3 Years

+ Much more affordable than the HAT5300 Series

+ Better range off smaller capacities than HAT5300

+ Drive Firmware can be Updated from within the Synology DSM GUI

– Not Supported on Bigger Synology NAS Systems (eg XS or SA Series)

– Lacks Data Recovery Service of Seagate Ironwolf HDDs

– 12TB Maximum Capacity (at time of writing)

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IMPORTANT! Compatibility of Hard Drives with Synology NAS Systems

An increasingly important factor when selecting NAS hard drives is their compatibility with specific NAS systems. Over the last 18-24 months, there has been a noticeable trend, especially with Synology, towards reducing the range of compatible, supported, or verified HDDs. Synology has shown a preference for their own HAT3300 and HAT5300 drives, somewhat limiting the choice for users of their systems. This shift marks a departure from the traditionally open approach where most NAS brands, including Synology, supported a wide range of third-party drives.

This change in policy is significant for users needing specific storage solutions or those accustomed to a broader choice of drives. It contrasts with other NAS brands, which continue to support a variety of third-party drives, including the latest high-capacity models. When choosing a NAS hard drive in 2023/2024, it’s crucial to consider not just the drive’s specifications but also its compatibility with your NAS system. This ensures that you can take full advantage of the NAS’s features and avoid potential compatibility issues.

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Black Friday 2023 – Synology NAS Deal Checker

Par : Rob Andrews
23 novembre 2023 à 15:00

Synology NAS Bargains and Deals this Black Friday 2023

Black Friday is here again and for many of you, this is the final decider on whether you are going to finally buy your very own Synology NAS or upgrade that old DS411+ or DS216+ that is starting to show its age. Synology has been focusing considerably more on rackmount NAS solutions in 2023 and the few desktop (Diskstation) NAS solutions that have arrived on the market have been either fantastically enterprise or currently regional exclusives at this time. This means that the majority of their desktop NAS solutions have been on the market now for more than a year each (some in the 18+ series have been around for quite a while longer!) and therefore there is considerable scope for the current range to have a number of great discounts available in the Black Friday 2023 sale. We predict that the likes of the DS423+ and DS923+ all-rounder NAS’ will likely be the star of the show in terms of deals, but given that the DS118, DS218 and DS418 were recently refreshed with 2023/2024 models, these might also be very discounted at e-retailers to clear stock. Below I have detailed the Top 3 Synology NAS for backups, plex, business, surveillance and value. Each with links to amazon and their discount warehouse (which will be on an extra 20% discount during Black Friday 2023). Alongside this, I will also be updating this page regularly during Black Friday adding links to deals as they go live throughout the week of Black Friday, from Tuesday 11th October to Wednesday 12th October 2023.

Recommended Synology NAS 2023/2024

————–  Useful Links  —————

US Amazon Amazon USA Black Friday Official PageAmazon UK Black Friday Official Page

Amazon Warehouse (20% Off Everything on Black Friday)

USA – UK – Germany

Still unsure of what you need – use the Free Advice Section here on NASCompares.


TOP Synology NAS Deals to Watch Out For on Black Friday 2023

Below are the three Synology entries that are almost certain to be on sale this Black Friday at your normal online shop (not just Amazon).

  • Synology DS923+ NAS Drive – Released at the tail end of 2022, the Synology DS923+ is pretty much the tipping point NAS for users looking at the Synology NAS platform that want scalability, upgradability and performance BUT do not want to go nuts on the price, physical size and impact in their home or office. The follow-up to the remarkably popular DS920+, the DS923+ is a NAS that focuses more on performance inside and out, as well as supporting the FULL rang of DSM 7.2 services!. Find it HERE.
  • Synology DS220+ NAS – Originally released in summer 2020, the Synology DS220+ was one of the stand-out popular NAS choices of that series, as it presented affordable access to the Synology DSM Platform, Plex 4K performance and in a compact/low-impact design, whilst still doing so without the compromise that is generally associated with more affordable solutions. However, in the years that have passed, Synology have refreshed this model with the newer DS224+  and this will almost certainly result in stock of the DS220+ being reduced in price, with Black Friday 2023 being a great time to do so! Find it HERE.
  • Synology DS118, DS218 & DS418 NAS – The standard/value series from Synology (the Realtek 64bit family) has been in circulation as far back as 2017 and is long overdue for a refresh. That said, Synology has continued to support it, providing it with DSM 7.2, BTRFS at the 2GB level and it can still handle Plex, backups, surveillance and native 4K transcoding well in 2023. However, in early 2023, we saw Synology begin to refresh all of these models with a new 2023/2024 series (the DS223, DS423 and DS124) and that means that all these devices, running on a still very capable CPU+Memory combo, will see discounts in order to clear stock. Additionally, these devices will still support DSM 7.2 for many years to come! A real potential bargain! Find it HERE.
Synology DS923+ NAS Drive

Synology DS224+ NAS

Synology DS118, DS218 & DS418 NAS


Black Friday 2023 – Synology NAS Drives for PLEX

One of the big appeals of a Synology NAS drive is to use it as a Plex Media Server. Plex (if you didn’t know) is just as slick, fast and beautiful in design as Netflix, Prime Video and HBO Now, but instead of streaming/renting your content, you play the movies, tv shows and music that you own! Having your own Plex Media Server Synology NAS is fantastically appealing and a much more financially appealing choice than paying monthly for content you do not get to own. Below are the best 3 Synology NAS deals this Black Friday for a Plex Media Server in 2023.

Synology DS423+ 4-Bay NAS

There are two ways we need to look at the Synology DS423+ NAS. In one way, the Synology DS423+ DOES support all of the features and services that users demanded in a fully-featured home/prosumer solution. It features an Intel Quad Core processor with embedded graphics, DDR4 memory, multiple gigabit ports, wide HDD/SSD compatibility and m.2 NVMe SSD support. These are all things popular and most certainly what users would want/expect in a fully featured home/prosumer solution (aka SOHO). Then, when you roll in DSM 7 and it’s enormous range of software and services, the DS423+ is an excellent NAS solution that counters a broad range of criticisms that were leveled at the DS923+ at launch. However, there is, of course, the unavoidable way that most long-term Synology users and those looking to upgrade an existing 2016/2018 Diskstation are going to look at the DS423+ – a Synology DS920+ with less memory and no expandability! For those that skipped the DSx20+ generation, the DS423+ is going to feel decidedly underwhelming at best and hugely disappointing at worst! Synology has made no bones that they prioritize their software and services, with hardware being an important but nevertheless secondary concern. The main criticism is that CPU being the same processor used in the 3 years previous generation. Intel has moved production away from the J4125 themselves several times (with most other NAS brands using the N5105 or J6412 right now) and although Synology has been known to move CPU architecture down through the generations previously, this is a particularly egregious example. Overall, this si still the best affordable option right now for users looking at an all-encompassing Plex Media Server NAS solution from Synology in a compact form.

DEAL WATCH Is It On Offer Right Now?

Synology 4-Bay DS423+ Diskstation Amazon usa USA 69.4 OFF (WAS 622) [LINK]
Synology DS423+ 16TB 4 Bay Desktop NAS Solution installed with 4 x 4TB HAT5300 D Amazon UK UK 164.91 OFF (WAS 1568) [LINK]
Synology DS423+ 32TB 4 Bay Desktop NAS Solution installed with 4 x 8TB HAT5300 D Amazon UK UK 350.29 OFF (WAS 2345) [LINK]
Synology DS423+ 72TB 4 Bay Desktop NAS Solution installed with 4 x 18TB HAT5300 Amazon UK UK 583.58 OFF (WAS 4422) [LINK]

These Offers are Checked Daily

 


Synology DS1821+ 8-Bay NAS

I have always been a long-term fan of the Synology brand as a whole, applauding their recent moves towards Ryzen processors and range-wide adoption of dedicated M2 NVMe cache bays. However, the Synology DS1821+, much like the DS1621+, is a giant leap in many ways and the smallest of stumbles in others. The switch from Atom to Ryzen embedded processor needs to be recognised for both the big jump it is from a brand that typically errs on the side of caution in hardware. Likewise, the inclusion of ECC memory, massive potential-filled PCIe expandability at PCIe 3 x8 and support of popular services like Synology Hybrid RAID (SHR) are certainly a plus. But many buyers will be put off by the continued adoption of 1Gbe as standard and the limitation of those NVMe bays to caching ONLY and not raw storage pools. With a price tag without storage media at around £1,000 (give or take), this is a big ask to pay for something that has lucrative software potential but arguably lesser hardware potential. In short, I do really like the Synology DS1821+ NAS, I just don’t know how long I could be in love with it long-term, as the rest of my network hardware environment embraces faster connectivity.

DEAL WATCH Is It On Offer Right Now?


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Synology DS1621xs+ 6-Bay NAS

Whatever way you look at it, you cannot what question the sheer level of hardware value present in the DS1621xs+, especially compared with other similarly priced Synology NAS. In the DS1621xs+, you find one of the best performing internal and external NAS systems in the entire Synology portfolio, as well as providing you with an enterprise rackmount grade solution in a desktop form. I know it seems like a big statement, but this could genuinely be one of the best examples of what Synology provide to business users and certainly reorganises the portfolio for small and medium business users for the better in 2023/2023. Is it perfect, of course not, few things ever can be. But if your budget can extend to it, the Synology DS1621xs+ easily represents the very best of everything that Synology has to offer, while still maintaining a fantastic high standard to third-party software users worldwide.

DEAL WATCH Is It On Offer Right Now?


These Offers are Checked Daily

 


Black Friday 2023 – Lowest Priced Synology NAS Drives

If you are new to Synology NAS and don’t want to spend much this Black Friday, then that’s ok. Synology has a great selection of fantastically low price NAS available to buy this Black Friday in 1 hard drive, 2 hard drive and 4 hard drive sizes. Below is the best 3 Budget NAS that Synology features this Black Friday 2023:

Synology DS120J 1-Bay NAS

With the release of the new DS120j NAS, when it comes to buying your first network-attached storage device there are several reasons why the Synology range appeals to many. With a diverse range of hardware and storage options across a wide series of uses, as well as an impressive range of first-party applications, Synology has fast become one of the biggest names in the NAS. However, so many users have one tiny problem with most Synology devices, namely the price tag. In terms of overall price, you will find that a Synology NAS typically is around 15 to 20% more expensive than most other brands with the same hardware (we will leave software out of the equation for a bit). Added to this is the fact that most buyers looking to buy their first unit are nervous in spending large sums of money on a largely unexplored area of technology. Luckily Synology has already addressed this problem before with the inclusion of a budget range of devices that serves as a fantastic introduction point to network-attached storage and the Synology Diskstation Manager (DSM) system software.

DEAL WATCH Is It On Offer Right Now?

Synology DS120j 4 TB 1 Bay NAS Solution | Installed with 1 x 4 TB Western Digita Amazon UK UK 65.56 OFF (WAS 332) [LINK]
Synology DS120j/10TB N300 1 Bay Desktop Amazon UK UK 8.47 OFF (WAS 344) [LINK]

These Offers are Checked Daily

 


Synology DS223J 2-Bay NAS

The Synology DS223j NAS is not the most powerful NAS drive, or the most fully-featured NAS drive – but the point is that it is not trying to be! Synology has held an exceptionally good reputation in the world of network-attached storage for a decade and if a new NAS buyer wanted to cautiously invest in a new piece of equipment in this area, then despite their modest budget, they will want to get the best they can for their money, from a brand with an established pedigree – THAT is what the Synology DS223j NAS is trying to achieve and for the most part, it completely succeeds! Aside from the memory being a touch light on the ground and the white chassis not being to everyone’s taste, in almost every other regard the DS223j is a great little NAS drive that any first time NAS users, or those making the jump from subscription cloud services like Google Drive and DropBox, are going to enjoy. Just keep an eye on the number of active users and tasks at any given time and you will be on to a winner here. Bonus, this system arrives with twice the amount of memory than previous releases in the 2 Bay J family (more than a decade long!).

DEAL WATCH Is It On Offer Right Now?

Synology 2-Bay DiskStation DS223j NAS #Prime Amazon usa USA $154.99 [LINK]
Synology DS223J 2 Bay Desktop NAS, White Amazon UK UK 8.75 OFF (WAS 175) [LINK]
Synology DiskStation DS223J Network Storage Drive (White) Amazon UK UK 4.53 OFF (WAS 316) [LINK]
Synology DS223j 2-Bay Diskstation NAS (Realtek RTD1619B 4-Core 1.7 GHz 1GB DDR4 Amazon UK UK 7.62 OFF (WAS 594) [LINK]
Synology DS223j 2-Bay Diskstation NAS (Realtek RTD1619B 4-Core 1.7 GHz 1GB DDR4 Amazon UK UK 9.38 OFF (WAS 744) [LINK]

These Offers are Checked Daily

 


Synology DS420J 4-Bay NAS

Although this device will only cost you around £465 ex.VAT with 4x 2TB hard drives (Seagate Ironwolf NAS Drives) included, it can still perform the bulk of the standard tasks that are available in modern NAS and if you are looking for a universally supported DLNA or backup device, this is the one for you. Though definitely not aimed at the NAS experienced or 2nd-time buyers, or those looking for a solid foundation to build a business around where the customer data is critical. If you are looking for a network-attached storage device to act as a network backup or just want a simple NAS to do basic tasks such as media and protecting the data on your other devices, I recommend the Synology DS420j NAS

DEAL WATCH Is It On Offer Right Now?


These Offers are Checked Daily

 


Black Friday 2023 – Synology NAS Drives for Photo and Video Editing

Storing your photography or Video Editing archive for post-production on a Synology NAS is something taht has grown in popularity in the last few years. Now in 2023, not only can a Synology NAS be used to store your photos/video, but with upgraded connections to 10Gbe, Thunderbolt 3 to 10Gbe Adapters and link aggregation becoming more affordable, buying a Synology NAS this Black Friday 2023 for your post-production and live editing is easier than ever before Below are three great options for editors looking for a Synology NAS Deal from Amazon today.

Synology DS1522+ 5-Bay NAS

The Synology DS1522+ is a good NAS drive and most business-focused users are going to appreciate what this newer configuration of hardware is able to provide. There was never any doubt in the extent to which this new NAS would support DSM7, and given its architecture, there is virtually nothing in the popular NAS software that this system cannot do. Likewise, having the option of 10GbE on a Diskstation of this scale will be hugely attractive to some, though the proprietary means with which you need to upgrade is arguably less desirable. The R1600 CPU is a good choice of processor for file handling and simultaneous tasks, as is the 8GB of memory that this system arrives with, plus the potential to ramp it up to 32GB. After that though, the desirability of this system to home users and multimedia users is a little less compelling and with such a large audience of users who look at NAS for their media streaming, the DS1522+ not featuring a more graphically enabled chip will leave them somewhat underwhelmed. Bottom line, the DS1522+ is a solid and full DSM7 supporting system here and you cannot fault the design, internal/external performance and ease of use of this Synology NAS. However, there will always be users wondering why this NAS never arrived with an Intel chip.

DEAL WATCH Is It On Offer Right Now?

Synology 5-bay DiskStation DS1522+ (Diskless),Black https://www.amazon.com/b/ref=dp_bc_aui_C_5?ie=UTF8&node=20941687011 usa USA 15% Off [LINK]
Synology 5-bay DiskStation DS1522+ (Diskless),Black Amazon usa USA 89.49 OFF (WAS 789) [LINK]
Synology DS1522+ 5-Bay DiskStation NAS AMD Ryzen R1600 8GB Ram 4xRJ-45 1GbE LAN Amazon UK UK 29.2 OFF (WAS 2325) [LINK]

These Offers are Checked Daily

 


Synology DS1621+ 6-Bay NAS

The Synology ‘Plus’ series of devices has long held a reputation for providing mid-range hardware to mid-range business customers. Because of this, the DS1621+ needs to balance a fine line between providing fast and reliable hardware, whilst still maintaining a price point that won’t intimidate the average small-medium business user. In this regard, I think the Synology DS1621+ NAS gets it right, finding an impressive halfway point between these two factors. However, it is important for buyers to understand what they are buying and where the price point for the Synology DS1621+ is being aimed. Although it seemingly lacks some of the multimedia and prosumer features of ‘cheaper’ NAS devices in the Synology portfolio, it doubles down on more business and enterprise-level features in efforts to support that core audience. It’s about getting the right tool for the job and in that area, Synology almost completely succeed. The lack of above gigabit connectivity afforded to a NAS unit at this price point, compared with their competitors, may put some users off, but on the whole, you are getting good performance and excellent value on this combined hardware and software solution with some excellent scalability.

DEAL WATCH Is It On Offer Right Now?

Synology 6 bay NAS DiskStation DS1621+ (Diskless) Amazon usa USA 40.25 OFF (WAS 954) [LINK]

These Offers are Checked Daily

 


Black Friday 2023 – Synology NAS Drives for 4K Video Streaming

4K TVs and High Definition media production have now reached a point that buying the right Synology NAS for storing, watching and adapting 4K Ulta High definition media in 2023 can be alot of work. True 4K media arrives in HUGE file sizes and you will need a more powerful Synology NAS drive to handle this kind of media all the way from the hard drives inside, to pumping it out to your 4K Display. Luckily a few of the more powerful Synology NAS solutions are on offer this Black Friday and if you are lucky enough to get a deal on one of these three, you will have a great NAS to enjoy 4K in your home or business environment.

Synology DS923+ 4-Bay NAS

Synology has clearly made something of a gamble in the release of the Synology DS923+ NAS. There is no avoiding that making the switch from the Intel Celeron that has historically been the build choice of this product family and opting for the AMD Emb.Ryzen has ruffled some feathers! On the face of it, the R1600 here has a heck of alot of going for it over the previous generation! Higher clock speed, greater PCIe Gen 3 Support throughout, that 4-32GB of DDR4 memory in such a compact system and just generally giving you a lot more horsepower to play with, as well as better bandwidth potential inside and out! But at what cost? The 1GbE standard connectivity in the base model leaves alot to be desired, the proprietary 10Gb upgrade (though incredibly handy) limits the upgradability a tad and the lack of an integrated graphics processor is likely going to result in many long-term Synology advocates to skip this generation. Synology Diskstation Manager (DSM 7.1 at the time of writing) still continues to impress and although the brand still continues to heavily push their 1st party priorities, they have left a little more wriggle room in DSM 7.1 than DSM 7 before it in terms of media compatibility. In terms of design, I cannot fault Synology on this as the DS923+ chassis still arrives as one of the best-looking and still exceptionally well-structured devices at this physical scale and storage level. As always, a Synology NAS is more about the software than the hardware (and the DS923+ delivers in spades on the software side!) and with DSM 7.2 around the corner improving things. Just always keep in mind that the Synology DS923+ NAS is a system that arrives with the slight emphasis on having to do many things ‘their way’. If you are less technically versed, then you will definitely appreciate this level of user-friendly design and assistance, but more technically minded admins’ main strain a pinch! In short, the DS923+ IS a good NAS drive, but its focus has certainly ebbed more towards the business user this generation than the home.

DEAL WATCH Is It On Offer Right Now?

Synology DS923+ 4-Bay Diskstation NAS (AMD Ryzen™ 4 Threads R1600 Dual-Core 4G Amazon usa USA 7.63 OFF (WAS 764) [LINK]
Synology DS923+ 4-Bay Diskstation NAS (AMD Ryzen™ 4 Threads R1600 Dual-Core 4G Amazon usa USA 42.62 OFF (WAS 1642) [LINK]
Synology DS923+ 4 Bay NAS enclosure Amazon UK UK 8.97 OFF (WAS 590) [LINK]
Synology DS923+ 32TB 4 Bay Desktop NAS Solution, Installed with 4 x 8TB Seagate Amazon UK UK 176.71 OFF (WAS 1637) [LINK]

These Offers are Checked Daily

 


 

Synology DS423+ 4-Bay NAS

There are two ways we need to look at the Synology DS423+ NAS. In one way, the Synology DS423+ DOES support all of the features and services that users demanded in a fully-featured home/prosumer solution. It features an Intel Quad Core processor with embedded graphics, DDR4 memory, multiple gigabit ports, wide HDD/SSD compatibility and m.2 NVMe SSD support. These are all things popular and most certainly what users would want/expect in a fully featured home/prosumer solution (aka SOHO). Then, when you roll in DSM 7 and it’s enormous range of software and services, the DS423+ is an excellent NAS solution that counters a broad range of criticisms that were leveled at the DS923+ at launch. However, there is, of course, the unavoidable way that most long-term Synology users and those looking to upgrade an existing 2016/2018 Diskstation are going to look at the DS423+ – a Synology DS920+ with less memory and no expandability! For those that skipped the DSx20+ generation, the DS423+ is going to feel decidedly underwhelming at best and hugely disappointing at worst! Synology has made no bones that they prioritize their software and services, with hardware being an important but nevertheless secondary concern. The main criticism is that CPU being the same processor used in the 3 years previous generation. Intel has moved production away from the J4125 themselves several times (with most other NAS brands using the N5105 or J6412 right now) and although Synology has been known to move CPU architecture down through the generations previously, this is a particularly egregious example. Overall, this si still the best affordable option right now for users looking at an all-encompassing Plex Media Server NAS solution from Synology in a compact form.

DEAL WATCH Is It On Offer Right Now?

Synology 4-Bay DS423+ Diskstation Amazon usa USA 69.4 OFF (WAS 622) [LINK]
Synology DS423+ 16TB 4 Bay Desktop NAS Solution installed with 4 x 4TB HAT5300 D Amazon UK UK 164.91 OFF (WAS 1568) [LINK]
Synology DS423+ 32TB 4 Bay Desktop NAS Solution installed with 4 x 8TB HAT5300 D Amazon UK UK 350.29 OFF (WAS 2345) [LINK]
Synology DS423+ 72TB 4 Bay Desktop NAS Solution installed with 4 x 18TB HAT5300 Amazon UK UK 583.58 OFF (WAS 4422) [LINK]

These Offers are Checked Daily

 


Black Friday 2023 – Synology NAS Drives for Business

Businesses in 2023 are producing so, SO MUCH DATA! Customer information, Web site images, legal documents, online marketing, internal communication, surveillance and security – it all adds up! With the majority of this data being highly confidential, copywrite or both, it is imperative that a business has a secure place to keep this data. Synology NAS drives have been used in business for a number of years and Diskstation Manager (DSM) arrives with every NAS, packed with applications and licenses for those enterprise applications (Synology Active Backup, Surveillance, Virtual Machine Manager, Drive, Office, Chat, Calendar, mail and more). Below are the best Synology NAS drive deals this Black Friday for those who want to invest in a business class server to protect their data and ensure high productivity in 2023.

Synology DS3622xs+ 12-Bay NAS

Unsurprisingly, the Synology DS3622xs+ is by FAR the most powerful and capable desktop NAS solution that the brand has ever produced – and that is not even a close-run thing. But we are still talking about a £2,500 box here (unpopulated) and you are going to expect that there is some serious horsepower here – So are you getting the most for your money here? Almost completely, yes. There are a few lingering things that some buyers will still not be in love with, such as the lack of M.2 caching bays, the lack of SAS support or the reduced support of 3rd party drive and network upgrade compatibility, but they do not undercut that this is a genuinely groundbreaking solution from Synology that provides the ultimate base to enjoy and make the most of the Synology DSM 7 platform in 2022 onwards. Once you breakdown everything included in this package, from DSMs software and services, to the tremendous bandwidth available here internally and externally, this compact tank-like NAS server is an absolute beast and a must for those that are keen on fully integrating a private cloud network and subscription-free SaaS-level setup across their company.

DEAL WATCH Is It On Offer Right Now?


These Offers are Checked Daily

 


 

Synology DS1821+ 8-Bay NAS

DS1821+ is an 8-bay desktop NAS providing superior performance with great expandability, allowing for seamless expansion and upgradability to satisfy your growing business needs. DS1819+ comes with four Gigabit Ethernet ports and one PCIe expansion slot, providing great configuration flexibility, thereby satisfying your intensive workload demands. Synology Office is a collaboration package combining the convenience and usability of public clouds with the data privacy and security guaranteed by private clouds. It allows you to work seamlessly together on documents and spreadsheets in a protected environment

DEAL WATCH Is It On Offer Right Now?


These Offers are Checked Daily

 


Synology RS1619xs 4-Bay NAS

RS1619xs+ is a high-performance and scalable 1U rackmount NAS designed with upgradable memory and M.2 SSD cache configuration to meet the needs of modern businesses that require a flexible, reliable, and efficient storage solution. Synology’s 5-year limited warranty provides hardware replacement and technical support via email and telephone services, maximizing your enterprises’ return on investment.  Synology iSCSI storage supports most virtualization solutions including VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, Citrix Xen Server, and OpenStack Cinder, to enhance work efficiency. Create and manage virtual machines running multiple operating systems such as Windows, Linux, and DSM using Virtual Machine Manager.

DEAL WATCH Is It On Offer Right Now?

Synology RackStation RS1619xs+ - NAS server - 4 bays - rack-mountable - SATA 6Gb Amazon UK UK 67.93 OFF (WAS 2126) [LINK]
Synology RS1619XS+1U 4 BAY 2.2 GHZ QC Amazon UK UK 340.19 OFF (WAS 2504) [LINK]
Synology RS1619XS+/56TB-TE - RS1619xs+/56TB-TE 4 Bay NAS Amazon UK UK 64.98 OFF (WAS 3275) [LINK]
Synology RackStation RS1619XS+ NAS Rack (1U) Ethernet LAN Aluminium, Black D-152 Amazon UK UK 383.8 OFF (WAS 5815) [LINK]

These Offers are Checked Daily

 


Synology RS2423RP+ 10GbE 12-Bay NAS

It is reasonable to say that when it comes to having a huge storage array, competent hardware and business class software, that the Synology RS2421RP+ does deliver on a number of its promises. Indeed, despite the huge similarity in internal hardware between the RS2421RP+ and other recent rackmount releases in 2023, the RS2423RP+ manages to still stand out with its unparalleled level of storage against the majority of solutions in the Synology portfolio. The price tag, edging closer to a number of Xeon powered solutions, may seem a touch high for some and given the difference between this 16-bay and the £1200+ 12-bay being relatively small – that price tag does seem a tad overly ambitious. That said, much like other rackstation NAS solutions of late, the jump from Intel Atom C3538 to embedded Ryzen V1780B was long overdue and although may seem fairly predictable and pedestrian now in, still remains a firm favourite. If the software and services of Synology Diskstation Manager appeal to you, you need storage in the hundreds of terabytes and you need a solution that is both scalable and centralised, you would be hard pushed to find a better solution from Synology right now without spending £5,000-10,000 without drives. Then, of course, there is the fact that the latest 2023 generation of rackmount NAS in the Plus series seem to arrive with 10GbE as standard (from this system upwards!) – whilst still also providing the PCIe Gen 3×8 slot for further upgrades.

DEAL WATCH Is It On Offer Right Now?


These Offers are Checked Daily

 


Hot Tips when you Buy a NAS this Black Friday 2023

In order for you to get the very best NAS deals this Black Friday, here are some hot tips that I have personally used for the last few years to get the very best deals.

Amazon Warehouse Deals are 20% lower

For those that aren’t aware, Amazon has a whole section of their website that is dedicated to pre-owned and opened items. This includes both NAS, hard drives, SSD and more for your storage. During Amazon Black Friday 2023, the discount on these broken-seal items will be increased by an additional 20% and for those looking for an insane bargain, this will be irresistible.

Another tip when buying NAS or Hard Drives from Amazon Warehouse is that although (as they are broken seal/used/returned items) they have a shorter warranty from Amazon, you will almost certainly be able to claim the FULL warranty coverage from Synology, QNAP, WD or Seagate. They just want your serial number and a receipt of purchase – this will not state the amazon reduced warranty.

Amazon Warehouse for different countries can be found below:

 

Amazon Warehouse USA

Amazon Warehouse UK

Amazon Warehouse Germany

Latest Deals Update and Notifications

If you want to make sure you see the LATEST Black Friday deals for NAS (as new ones are added every hour) then I would recommend checking the official Amazon Prime page regularly. It will also include the very latest Lightning Deals too

US Amazon Amazon Deals Page

UK Amazon Amazon Deals Page

Amazon Prime for FREE

The prices listed on Amazon for NAS during the Black Friday event are only available to Prime members. If you are not a member, don’t worry, as you can use the 30-Day free trial to sign up for a Prime, or just pay for 1 month of Prime as a student and get it at 50% off. Then after you finish your purchase, you can cancel your subscription. The other bonus of this is that you will qualify for fast, next day delivery for free. I would recommend however that you do not cancel your subscription until you have received your order and tested your item.

As then you will still be able to take advantage of the fast and free return policy extended to Prime members. This is especially useful when buying NAS Hard Drives and you are worried about broken drives!

Improved Delivery on your NAS Black Friday Deal

It is a well-known fact that Amazon Prime membership includes free next day delivery and Amazon has even upped the stakes by stating that they will be providing the fastest-ever Black Friday delivery of just 14 minutes between the cart and the courier, last year we saw and heard numerous examples of delivery issues with Black Friday deals, adding 2-3 days on supposed next-day shipping.

If any of your Amazon Prime delivery dates are not the 24 hours turn around that they promise, then definitely complain to Amazon after you receive your goods (not before) as they will almost certainly have a deluge of customer enquiries after Black Friday 2023 and  in an effort to conclude the matter, you might get an additional discount, a gift vouchers or more. Currently, the trending ‘gesture of goodwill’ gift is a free month of Prime membership.

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This description contains links to Amazon. These links will take you to some of the products mentioned in today's content. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Visit the NASCompares Deal Finder to find the best place to buy this device in your region, based on Service, Support and Reputation - Just Search for your NAS Drive in the Box Below

Need Advice on Data Storage from an Expert?

Finally, for free advice about your setup, just leave a message in the comments below here at NASCompares.com and we will get back to you. Need Help? Where possible (and where appropriate) please provide as much information about your requirements, as then I can arrange the best answer and solution to your needs. Do not worry about your e-mail address being required, it will NOT be used in a mailing list and will NOT be used in any way other than to respond to your enquiry. [contact-form-7] TRY CHAT Terms and Conditions
If you like this service, please consider supporting us. We use affiliate links on the blog allowing NAScompares information and advice service to be free of charge to you.Anything you purchase on the day you click on our links will generate a small commission which isused to run the website. Here is a link for Amazon and B&H.You can also get me a ☕ Ko-fi or old school Paypal. Thanks!To find out more about how to support this advice service check HEREIf you need to fix or configure a NAS, check Fiver Have you thought about helping others with your knowledge? Find Instructions Here  
 
Or support us by using our affiliate links on Amazon UK and Amazon US
    
 
Alternatively, why not ask me on the ASK NASCompares forum, by clicking the button below. This is a community hub that serves as a place that I can answer your question, chew the fat, share new release information and even get corrections posted. I will always get around to answering ALL queries, but as a one-man operation, I cannot promise speed! So by sharing your query in the ASK NASCompares section below, you can get a better range of solutions and suggestions, alongside my own.

☕ WE LOVE COFFEE ☕

 

This description contains links to Amazon. These links will take you to some of the products mentioned in today’s video. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases

CONFIRMED Black Friday Deals – NAS, DAS, Hard Drives, SSDs, Switches, etc

Par : Rob Andrews
23 novembre 2023 à 19:02

Black Friday 2023 – Deals in Storage and Networking

Black Friday 2023 – Both home and business users alike often take this opportunity to upgrade or improve upon their existing data storage setup, and it should come as no surprise that several of the top-tier data storage and network tech providers in the world get involved with this annual mega sale. Unlike the likes of Black Friday, which is a longer and more widely spread bargain extravaganza, Amazon Black Friday is a shorter affair and therefore the time afforded to most buyers to make a decision on whether to buy or not can be criminally short. Today I want to highlight as many Amazon Black Friday deals that I can find below as possible. Alongside the deals that we (me and Eddie, working double time) find on network and data storage products during the event, I have also included a list of recommended hardware that you should keep an eye out for during this short sale event that is likely to spring up on lightning deals. 

Recommended Deals

Useful Links



Router Deal – Synology RT2600ac – $119 During Cyber Monday


Synology NAS Deals

Synology 2-Bay DiskStation DS224+  -15% $254.99GO TO DEAL


Synology BeeDrive 2TB -15% $169.95GO TO DEAL


Synology DS923+ 4-Bay NAS Enclosure $479.99 Reg Price $599.99 GO TO DEAL

 


Synology DiskStation DS224+ 2-Bay NAS $254.99 Reg Price $299.99 GO TO DEAL

 


Synology DiskStation DS223j 2-Bay NAS $151.99 Reg Price $189.99 GO TO DEAL


Recommended Synology NAS 2023/2024


Discounts on UnRAID Licenses, Paid Support and License Upgrades (10-20& Off) GO TO DEAL


QNAP NAS Deals

QNAP TS-264-8G 2-Bay NAS  GO TO DEAL


QNAP TS-462-4G-US 4 Bay NAS  -20% $391.00GO TO DEAL


QNAP TS-262-4G Home Media NAS  GO TO DEAL


QNAP TS-h973AX-8G 9 Bay Desktop Hybrid Storage NAS  GO TO DEAL

 


QNAP TS-462 4-Bay NAS $375 Price $469 GO TO DEAL


QNAP TVS-472XT 4-Bay NAS $1,274 Price $1,499 GO TO DEAL


QNAP TR-004 4-Bay USB 3.2 Gen 1 RAID Expansion $175 Price $219 GO TO DEAL


 

Recommended QNAP NAS 2023/2024


Other NAS Deals

TERRAMASTER T9-423 9-Bay  GO TO DEAL


TERRAMASTER U8-423 2.5GbE NAS Rackmount 2U 8-Bay  GO TO DEAL

 


Asustor Lockerstor 4 AS6604T 4-Bay NAS $499 Price $549 GO TO DEAL


Asustor AS5304T 4-Bay NAS Enclosure $419 Price $459  GO TO DEAL


NAS Hard Drive Deals

Western Digital 22TB WD Red Pro NAS HDDs  -44% $334.99GO TO DEAL


Seagate 20TB Exos X20 HDD – $349.99 Reg Price $599

 GO TO DEAL


Recommended NAS Hard Drives


Network Switch Deals

SODOLA 6 Port 2.5G Umanaged Ethernet Switch,4X 2.5GBASE-T Ports,2X 10G -20% $47.99GO TO DEAL


NICGIGA 4 Port 2.5G Ethernet Switch and 2x10G SFP Uplink, 6 Port Switch  GO TO DEAL


TP-Link TL-SG108-M2 | 8 Port Multi-Gigabit Unmanaged Network Switch -30% $139.99GO TO DEAL


SODOLA 8 Port 2.5G Ethernet Switch with 10G SFP -25% $69.99GO TO DEAL


Tenda SG105, 5-Port Gigabit Switch -44% $8.99GO TO DEAL


QNAP QSW-2104-2T 6-port 10GbE and 2.5GbE Unmanaged Switch   GO TO DEAL


SSD Deals

Crucial P5 Plus 2TB Gen4 NVMe M.2 SSD  GO TO DEAL

 


WD_BLACK 4TB SN850X SSD -21% $229.99GO TO DEAL


SAMSUNG 990 PRO SSD 4TB -28% $249.99GO TO DEAL


External HDD/SSD Deals

Seagate One Touch, 4TB USB Drive   GO TO DEAL


WD 18TB Elements Desktop External Hard Drive   GO TO DEAL


ORICO USB4 40Gbps M.2 NVMe SSD Enclosure -29% $99.99GO TO DEAL


Seagate 5TB USB Expansion $99.99 Price $124.99 GO TO DEAL


IP Camera Deals

REOLINK Argus Eco+SP – 2K Solar WiFi Security Camera -53% $66.49GO TO DEAL


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Get an alert every time something gets added to this specific article!


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This description contains links to Amazon. These links will take you to some of the products mentioned in today's content. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Visit the NASCompares Deal Finder to find the best place to buy this device in your region, based on Service, Support and Reputation - Just Search for your NAS Drive in the Box Below

Need Advice on Data Storage from an Expert?

Finally, for free advice about your setup, just leave a message in the comments below here at NASCompares.com and we will get back to you. Need Help? Where possible (and where appropriate) please provide as much information about your requirements, as then I can arrange the best answer and solution to your needs. Do not worry about your e-mail address being required, it will NOT be used in a mailing list and will NOT be used in any way other than to respond to your enquiry. [contact-form-7] TRY CHAT Terms and Conditions
If you like this service, please consider supporting us. We use affiliate links on the blog allowing NAScompares information and advice service to be free of charge to you.Anything you purchase on the day you click on our links will generate a small commission which isused to run the website. Here is a link for Amazon and B&H.You can also get me a ☕ Ko-fi or old school Paypal. Thanks!To find out more about how to support this advice service check HEREIf you need to fix or configure a NAS, check Fiver Have you thought about helping others with your knowledge? Find Instructions Here  
 
Or support us by using our affiliate links on Amazon UK and Amazon US
    
 
Alternatively, why not ask me on the ASK NASCompares forum, by clicking the button below. This is a community hub that serves as a place that I can answer your question, chew the fat, share new release information and even get corrections posted. I will always get around to answering ALL queries, but as a one-man operation, I cannot promise speed! So by sharing your query in the ASK NASCompares section below, you can get a better range of solutions and suggestions, alongside my own.

☕ WE LOVE COFFEE ☕

 

Cyber Monday 2023 Deals in Storage – Synology, QNAP, Terramaster, WD, Seagate and More

Par : Rob Andrews
26 novembre 2023 à 15:00

Cyber Monday Bargains on Synology, QNAP, Seagate, WD, Sabrent and More to Watch For

Cyber Monday 2023 – Both home and business users alike often take this opportunity to upgrade or improve upon their existing data storage setup, and it should come as no surprise that several of the top-tier data storage and network tech providers in the world get involved with this annual mega sale. Unlike the likes of Cyber Monday, which is a longer and more widely spread bargain extravaganza, Amazon Cyber Monday is a shorter affair and therefore the time afforded to most buyers to make a decision on whether to buy or not can be criminally short. Today I want to highlight as many Amazon Cyber Monday deals that I can find below as possible. Alongside the deals that we (me and Eddie, working double time) find on network and data storage products during the event, I have also included a list of recommended hardware that you should keep an eye out for during this short sale event that is likely to spring up on lightning deals. 

Recommended Synology NAS 2023/2024

Recommended QNAP NAS 2023/2024

Important – Me and Eddie (the chaps that run NASCompares) have been running these deal-hunting pages every Back Friday, searching and sharing the deals we find that WE would 100% personally buy! If it’s not something we consider a deal/bargain, we won’t add it. Additionally, users can add their own deals to the list (using the gadget below). Ultimately, we do this for a mixture of reasons. We want to help people get the best storage and/or network solution for their needs, but also because by choosing to visit Amazon via the links to the deals below, any purchase you make results in a small commission fee being sent right back to us at NASCompares (which goes directly back into making great content every day). We see Cyber Monday and Cyber Monday as a means of fundraising for the site and still helping people get the best possible deal they can. If you need help choosing the right solution for your needs (and want to be 100% sure before you pull the trigger and spend anything), you can use our Free Advice service right here.

————–  Useful Links  —————

US Amazon Amazon USA Cyber Monday Official PageAmazon UK Cyber Monday Official Page

Amazon Warehouse (20% Off Everything on Cyber Monday)

USA – UK – Germany

Synology NAS to Watch this Cyber Monday – Here

Amazon Cyber Monday 2023 NAS Deals Mega List – HERE

Still unsure of what you need – use the Free Advice Section here on NASCompares.

Router Deal – Synology RT2600ac – $119 During Cyber Monday


Best 2-Bay QNAP NAS Deal – The TS-264

QNAP TS-264 NAS

CPU: Intel N5105 4-Core Celeron
Memory:Bays: 4-16GB / 8GB (Different Versions Available)
M.2 NVMe Bays: 2x m.2 NVMe, Caching and Storage Pools
Network Ports: 2x 2.5GbE
USB: USB 3.2 Gen 2 x3
KVM: Yes
Network Upgrade: Yes
The TS-264 boasts exceptional hardware for its tier in the NAS market, a strength that QNAP has consistently demonstrated. Even when looking back just 5 years, the level of hardware scalability and ease of upgradability offered by the TS-264 is impressive and remains largely unmatched in 2023. The 2-Bay NAS is a logical choice for those looking to move away from the limitations of subscription-based cloud services like Google, OneDrive, and Dropbox, and instead, opt for a more flexible and fully-featured private server. The TS-264 offers unbeatable value for the money in terms of hardware. In terms of software, the situation is less clear-cut. QTS 5 is a feature-rich operating system that can be accessed via a web browser, with multiple mobile and desktop clients, and hundreds of apps that can be easily installed. However, it can be a steep learning curve for some users, and its interface can be overwhelming. For those who desire a highly customizable system that can present data in various ways, and offers a wide range of third-party support, QNAP and QTS 5 offer unique services that are not available elsewhere. Keep in mind that setting up and customizing the system will require some time and effort.
Links

 

—- AMAZON PRICE HISTORY —-

DEAL WATCH Is It On Offer Right Now?

QNAP TS-264-8G-US 2 Bay High-Performance Desktop NAS with Intel Celeron Quad-cor Amazon usa USA 36.08 OFF (WAS 475) [LINK]

These Offers are Checked Daily

 


Will Synology NAS be in the Cyber Monday 2023 Sale and Which Solutions?

Synology of currently midway through their latest generation of hardware releases and because of this we think during Cyber Monday there will be a good mix of the familiar hardware that has featured in previous sales over the last 12 months, as many of the 2020 and 2021 generation of NAS in the brand’s portfolio (such as the DS220j/DS220+/DS420+) is still available yet also starting to look a tad dated. These big sale events always tend to result in the lowest end of the Synology range (the cost-effective J series, DS220j and DS420j) appearing on limited offers. Finally, with new releases appearing gradually in the 2023 and 2024 generation, I think we will see Cyber Monday deals on their home and prosumer 2/4 bay solutions. Last year’s Cyber Monday AND Cyber Monday saw the DS920+ appear on a limited offer of £55/$75 off the RRP of this device (likely in efforts to clear stock before the DDS923+ launch) and now other 2020 series devices are 3 years old, they will almost certainly reappear during the Cyber Monday Sale again. Additionally, we have definitely anticipate a couple of their home/smaller-SB solutions in the 2023/2023 range to be on a lightning deal.  Here are the solutions I recommend you check on intermittently if you are looking for a Synology bargain:

Synology DS223j Budget-Friendly NAS

Realtek CPU + 1GB + 2-Bay

Synology DS423 Cost-Effective NAS

Realtek CPU + 2GB + 4-Bay

Synology DS423+ Media & Business NAS

Intel CPU + 2/6GB + 4-Bay


Best 4-Bay QNAP NAS Deal – The TS-464

QNAP TS-464 NAS

CPU: Intel N5105 4-Core Celeron
Memory:Bays: 4-16GB
M.2 NVMe Bays: 2x m.2 NVMe, Caching and Storage Pools
Network Ports: 2x 2.5GbE
USB: USB 3.2 Gen 2 x3
KVM: Yes
Network Upgrade: Yes
The TS-464 comfortably arrives with the best hardware in its tier of the NAS market and that is something that QNAP has always been quite good at. Even if you rewind just 5 years, the level of hardware scalability and ease of upgradability that the TS-464 provides is frankly incredible and, fast forward to 2022, is still pretty unmatched. A Desktop 4-Bay NAS (eg Prosumer RAID 5 storage) has always been the next confident step for users who are tired of their hands being tied by subscription cloud services from Google, OneDrive and DropBox, who are looking for their own competent, flexible and fully-featured private server. In the TS-464 NAS, you find a system that is unquestionable the best hardware for your money you can possibly get right now. In software, things are a little less straightforward. QTS 5, although massively software and service-rich, arrives as a complete operating system in your web browser with multiple mobile/desktop clients and hundreds of applications and apps that can be installed at the touch of a button – which can all too often be something of a steep learning curve for many. Lacking the chewable, user-friendly nature of many of their rivals, QNAP and its software/service still have a tendency to be a bit of an information overload that can quickly intimidate the novice. However, for those that are looking for a system that is completely customizable in how/when/where you want data presented to you, as well as a wide degree of 3rd party support, QNAP and QTS 5 still manages to provide a huge degree of brand-unique service that are simply not available elsewhere. Just be prepared to invest your time wisely in its setup and more time ensuring the system is perfect for your needs.
Links

 

—- AMAZON PRICE HISTORY —-

DEAL WATCH Is It On Offer Right Now?

QNAP TS-464-8G-US 4 Bay High-Performance Desktop NAS with Intel Celeron Quad-cor Amazon usa USA 21.56 OFF (WAS 611) [LINK]
Serwer NAS TS-464eU-8G 4x0HDD 1U Intel Celeron N5105/N5095 8G Amazon usa USA 15 OFF (WAS 1449) [LINK]
QNAP TS-464-8G-US 4 Bay High-Performance Desktop NAS with Intel Celeron Quad-cor Amazon UK UK 20.73 OFF (WAS 651) [LINK]
Qnap TS-464-4G NAS & Storage Server Tower Built-in Ethernet Port Black Amazon UK UK 30 OFF (WAS 738) [LINK]
QNAP TS-464U-8G | 4-Bay, 2.5GbE, 1U Rackmount NAS Amazon UK UK 71.56 OFF (WAS 1279) [LINK]

These Offers are Checked Daily

Will QNAP NAS be in the Cyber Monday 2023 Sale and Which Solutions?

QNAP has revealed noticeably more of their latest generation hardware than its big competitor Synology, however, the brand is still periodically offering promotions online for their 2020 generation of hardware at a large number of retailers for its TS-x53D and TVS-X72 series, almost certainly in efforts to reduce stock levels in the run-up to newer and better premium solutions soon. Now that the QNAP TS-464 and TS-453E NAS systems are widely available and with the summer holiday just around the corner, there will be an inevitable new product push that these products tend to receive in the last quarter of the year (starting typically around September/October), I can definitely see QNAP listing their more affordable desktop ranges in Amazon’s Cyber Monday sale. QNAP’s range of NAS solutions is easily one of the most diverse of any NAS brand and although it is highly unlikely that any of the TS-x64 series will be on sale this Cyber Monday, I DO think we will see the likes of the QNAP TS-453D, TS-233 and TS-251D appear on sale. These solutions are a good mix of old but solid, as well as new but ‘value’ series. QNAP tend to be more engaged with Cyber Monday than Cyber Monday typically, but this event is arriving at an important crossroads in the release of new hardware, so it would be a good opportunity for them to clear old-generation devices that still run their QTS/QuTS 5.1 software.

QNAP TS-233 Cost-Effective NAS

ARM v8 + 2GB + 2-Bay

QNAP TS-464 Prosumer 4K NAS

Intel CPU + 4/8/16GB + 4-Bay + 2.5G

QNAP TS-453E

New Intel CPU + 8GB + 2x M.2 + 2.5G


One of the big appeals of a Synology NAS drive is to use it as a Plex Media Server. Plex (if you didn’t know) is just as slick, fast and beautiful in design as Netflix, Prime Video and HBO Now, but instead of streaming/renting your content, you play the movies, tv shows and music that you own! Having your own Plex Media Server Synology NAS is fantastically appealing and a much more financially appealing choice than paying monthly for content you do not get to own. Below are the best 3 Synology NAS deals this Cyber Monday for a Plex Media Server in 2023.

Synology DS423+ 4-Bay NAS

There are two ways we need to look at the Synology DS423+ NAS. In one way, the Synology DS423+ DOES support all of the features and services that users demanded in a fully-featured home/prosumer solution. It features an Intel Quad Core processor with embedded graphics, DDR4 memory, multiple gigabit ports, wide HDD/SSD compatibility and m.2 NVMe SSD support. These are all things popular and most certainly what users would want/expect in a fully featured home/prosumer solution (aka SOHO). Then, when you roll in DSM 7 and it’s enormous range of software and services, the DS423+ is an excellent NAS solution that counters a broad range of criticisms that were leveled at the DS923+ at launch. However, there is, of course, the unavoidable way that most long-term Synology users and those looking to upgrade an existing 2016/2018 Diskstation are going to look at the DS423+ – a Synology DS920+ with less memory and no expandability! For those that skipped the DSx20+ generation, the DS423+ is going to feel decidedly underwhelming at best and hugely disappointing at worst! Synology has made no bones that they prioritize their software and services, with hardware being an important but nevertheless secondary concern. The main criticism is that CPU being the same processor used in the 3 years previous generation. Intel has moved production away from the J4125 themselves several times (with most other NAS brands using the N5105 or J6412 right now) and although Synology has been known to move CPU architecture down through the generations previously, this is a particularly egregious example. Overall, this si still the best affordable option right now for users looking at an all-encompassing Plex Media Server NAS solution from Synology in a compact form.

DEAL WATCH Is It On Offer Right Now?

Synology 4-Bay DiskStation DS423+ (Diskless) Amazon usa USA 45.79 OFF (WAS 560) [LINK]
Synology DS423+ 48TB 4 Bay Desktop NAS Solution installed with 4 x 12TB HAT5300 Amazon UK UK 22.55 OFF (WAS 3025) [LINK]

These Offers are Checked Daily

Synology DS1821+ 8-Bay NAS

I have always been a long-term fan of the Synology brand as a whole, applauding their recent moves towards Ryzen processors and range-wide adoption of dedicated M2 NVMe cache bays. However, the Synology DS1821+, much like the DS1621+, is a giant leap in many ways and the smallest of stumbles in others. The switch from Atom to Ryzen embedded processor needs to be recognised for both the big jump it is from a brand that typically errs on the side of caution in hardware. Likewise, the inclusion of ECC memory, massive potential-filled PCIe expandability at PCIe 3 x8 and support of popular services like Synology Hybrid RAID (SHR) are certainly a plus. But many buyers will be put off by the continued adoption of 1Gbe as standard and the limitation of those NVMe bays to caching ONLY and not raw storage pools. With a price tag without storage media at around £1,000 (give or take), this is a big ask to pay for something that has lucrative software potential but arguably lesser hardware potential. In short, I do really like the Synology DS1821+ NAS, I just don’t know how long I could be in love with it long-term, as the rest of my network hardware environment embraces faster connectivity.

DEAL WATCH Is It On Offer Right Now?

Synology 8 Bay DiskStation DS1821+ (Diskless), 8-bay; 4gb ddr4 Amazon usa USA 23.5 OFF (WAS 1075) [LINK]
Synology DS1821+8bay NAS V1500B Quad-Core 2.2 GHz,Black Amazon UK UK 12.99 OFF (WAS 971) [LINK]

These Offers are Checked Daily

NAS Upgrades to look for this Cyber Monday

Perhaps you already own a NAS Drive from Synology or QNAP, but are considering using the promotional available this Amazon Cyber Monday to upgrade your existing server network. Most NAS drives released in the last 10 years that arrive built on x86 64bit architecture (i.e Intel Celeron, Pentium, Xeon or AMD Ryzen, Embedded Ryzen or Radeon Powered onboard) have the facility to upgrade several internal components, or even simply add further network or storage modules to the device in order to improve performance and allow it to be more future proof. Not every NAS owner takes advantage of this, as it more often than not requires a little bit of opening the NAS up, but more modern NAS releases have SIGNIFICANTLY reduced the necessity of this (often with upgrade slots/bays being accessible externally or via the main storage bays). The improvements of increasing your memory, adding SSD caching support, improving your network connectivity and/or adding an expansion are pretty huge and particularly business users with higher frequency ad volume of connections 24×7 will see AND feel the benefits. There are ALOT of 1st and 3rd party upgrades available, so it is important to check that 1) you are opting for an upgrade that is compatible with your system and 2) that you are remaining in the warranty/support area of your NAS manufacturer. If in doubt, you can ask me and Eddie HERE about an upgrade and it’s suitability in the free advice section, but otherwise here are the four upgrades that I recommend you look for this Amazon Cyber Monday.

CRUCIAL DDR4 Module

Value Memory Upgrade

Sabrent 3200Mhz Heatshield Memory

Highest Performance & Design

Startech 10GbE Upgrade

VERY Affordable 10G

Seagate Ironwolf 510 SSD

Best Price vs Durability Cache Drive

 

Will Terramaster NAS be in the Cyber Monday 2023 Sale and Which Solutions?

Terramaster NAS, frankly, ALWAYS appears on sale during Cyber Monday and Cyber Monday events on Amazon with exclusive deals for their more cost-effective value series of NAS devices. They are a brand that more often than not will provide a NAS solution that is comparable in hardware to Synology and QNAP, but significantly more affordable. Much like their competitors, Terramaster is in the process of rolling out their x43 2022/2023 generation of hardware and we have already started seeing reductions in price on the 2022 generation of devices in the FS-421 and FS-422 range of solutions. Of course, the brand also provides a range of thunderbolt raid solutions, and even though I anticipate some of the NAS hardware to pop up briefly in the sales, I think it is more likely that we will see their thunderbolt RAID solutions appear more prominently. Terramaster were one of the first to show off their 2023 series of devices and will be less keen for this hardware to appear in the Cyber Monday sale, however, thunderbolt 4 has begun to gain traction in the post-production world and therefore TerraMaster’s thunderbolt 3 hardware is in danger of looking a little outdated and is almost certainly due an upgrade in the near future. Therefore, keep an eye out for this brand’s Thunderbolt RAID hardware this Cyber Monday.

Terramaster F2-212 Low Price NAS

4-Core ARM v8 + 1GB + 2-Bay

Terramaster F4-423 Budget Media NAS

Intel CPU + 2/8GB + 5-Bay + 1G

Terramaster F5-422 Affordable 10G NAS

Intel 4-Core CPU + 4/8GB + 5-Bay + 10G

Will we see many NAS Hard Drive Deals this Cyber Monday from Seagate and WD?

Every Amazon Cyber Monday we see the two big hard drive manufacturers, Seagate and WD, throw all manner of storage media deals out to the general public. More often than not, these are external hard drives and USB storage for the most part, but they always include a few hard drive offerings too. Continued hardware shortages that date back all the way to early 2020 caused by everything from the pandemic to cryptocurrency and the impact of international conflict, likely mean that much larger capacity hard drives above 10TB will either not be featured in the sale at all or be in such low quantities that you will almost certainly miss them. However, deals on WD Red and Seagate Ironwolf drives at these big promo events do still appear and more often than not at the 4TB, 6TB and 8TB levels. If you are looking at populating your brand new NAS Drive or look into upgrade your existing storage, these may well be the ones for you.

Note – Use our Best Price Per TB Calculator tool HERE in order to get the best value storage for your needs. It includes filters for NAS size, redundancy, budget and capacity needs too!

Recommended NAS Hard Drives

NAS Hard Drives & SSD to Look for this Amazon Cyber Monday

WD Red HDD

5400RPM / 1-16TB

Seagate Ironwolf HDD

5900RPM / 1-14TB (up to 22TB in IW Pro) / Data Recov

WD Red SSD

SATA, M.2 SATA & PCIe3 NVMe

Seagate Ironwolf SSD

SATA, M.2 SATA & PCIe3/4 NVMe

Recommended IP Cameras, Web Cameras, PoE NVR and Surveillance Equipment the Cyber Monday

Not a single Cyber Monday goes by without a huge range of IP cameras from hundreds of different surveillance brands flooding the special offers page. Thanks to efficient software controllers and much more affordable lenses being developed, you generally cannot move for IP cameras arriving on Amazon. If you are looking at starting your own surveillance setup (such as with a Synology or QNAP NAS Drive or without using a complete NVR Solution) or simply looking to expand across an existing NVR or CCTV operation you have in place, be sure to look out for Riolink and D-Link this Cyber Monday as these two brands provide an extensive range of very well built cameras that tend to regularly appear on Amazon’s lightning deals and occasional promotional events. Otherwise, be sure to look for any camera that supports ONVIF, to ensure that you are not locked in to any first party, cloud or subscription storage.

Surveillance/Camera Brands to watch this Amazon Cyber Monday

Reolink Surveillance

Smart Cameras, Value Cameras, Dual Lense

D-Link Surveillance

Cost-Effective, Wide Range, AI Services

Annke Surveillance

Excellent Nightvision Cameras – Affordable

ONVIF CAMERAS for NAS

Cameras for Synology/QNAP

Recommended Network Switches to keep an eye on this Amazon Cyber Monday

It has taken a while, but the affordability of 2.5GbE and even 10GbE has finally reached a point where not only are they accessible to the average John Doe/Joe Blogs, but they regularly appear on seasonal promotions. During Cyber Monday there will be significant savings to be made on managed and unmanaged switches from the likes of Netgear, D-Link and QNAP, who have been bolstering their portfolio to rise to the demand of remote/home works and evolved networks during the difficult first year of the pandemic as office workers evolved. Even if you are not interested in these greater than gigabit network solutions, Netgear regularly reduce the price point of their 5/8 Ports 1 GbE switches during Cyber Monday to just a few quid (last year there was one for a frankly comedic £6) and you will really not find a better time to start improving upon your network environment and wired land than during this event.

Switches to Look for this Amazon Cyber Monday

QNAP Network Switches

Smart Cameras, Value Cameras, Dual Lense

D-Link Network Switches

Cost-Effective, Wide Range, AI Services

Netgear Network Switches

Excellent Nightvision Cameras – Affordable

PS5 SSD Upgrades to Look for the Amazon Cyber Monday

It is almost a year now since Sony enabled the storage upgrade capabilities of the PlayStation. 5 and in that time we have seen a huge number of SSD manufacturers, big and small, release countless SSDs that all promise to be the perfect storage upgrade for your new next-gen console. In the past year or so I have conducted and published hundreds of SSD PS5 tests and during that time identified what I believe to be the very best drives for your PS5 that you should consider buying this Cyber Monday. Much as I mentioned earlier with larger capacity hard drives, SSDs are also suffering something of a hardware shortage and it is the bigger companies such as WD and Seagate that appear to be suffering the most as they are the ones held in the highest demand. Therefore, during Cyber Monday, it presents a fantastic opportunity for less high-profile brands to provide much more flexible promotional pricing and during Cyber Monday, you can bet your bum that there will be a wide variety of PCIe 4 NVMe M2 SSDs on offer. Remember – Resist the marketing of any brand that is not prepared to publish its performance figures and also factor in that you are going to need a heat sink for this super-fast but also high-temperature SSD for your PlayStation upgrade. Here are the SSDs I recommend that you look out for this Cyber Monday for your PS5.

WD Black SN850 – For Value

500GB – 2TB, Heatsink Option

Seagate Firecuda 530 – For Speed/Durability

500B – 4TB, Heatsink Option. Data Recov

Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus – Best All-Round

1TB-8TB, PS5 Design H/S, 176L NAND

GAMMIX XPG X70 – Price + Design

INNOGRIT CONT, 2 H/S Options Inc

 

DON’T FORGET YOUR HEATSINK!!!

Sabrent PS5 Design H/S ElecGear PS5 Designed H/S Generic M.2 Heatsink ($10-12)
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Synology DS923+ vs DS423+ NAS – Which Should You Buy?

Par : Rob Andrews
27 novembre 2023 à 15:00

Synology DS423+ vs DS923+ NAS – Which Should You Buy

Buying your first network-attached storage device can be really intimidating! If you have spent the better part of a decade storing your personal or business data on public cloud services or in a drawer full of USB drives, but have now taken the grown-up decision to go ahead and migrate over to your own private network-attached storage (NAS). You might have done this for reasons of cost, centralization or perhaps for security, whatever the reason for your data migration, there is simply no denying that the world of NAS can be a fraction complex and confusing early doors. Like any kind of modern computer appliance, you want to make sure you buy right the first time and when it comes to choosing between two of the latest generations of Synology NAS devices, these two incredibly similar four-bay devices might be two of the most different solutions I have ever compared. The Synology DS423+ is a home and small business-focused compact NAS designed to leverage an affordable price point between reasonable hardware and reasonable software and abilities. The slightly older Synology DS923+, on the other hand, has much of a high and even in some places entry enterprise-level focus about its architecture and is needless to say the more expensive of the two. Nevertheless, both of these Synology NAS devices can be picked up for around $450 to $600 (without drives), the contrast between their pricing, are actually very different beasts. Therefore, for users that don’t quite know their AMD embedded from their Celeron integrated processors, or who aren’t sure of the benefits that ECC can bring, today I want to compare the Synology DS423+ and Synology DS923+ and help you decide which one best deserves your data!

Just before we get into the meat and potatoes of this comparison, it is worth highlighting that regardless of whether you buy the Synology DS923+ or DS423+, you are guaranteed to get a system that can perform all of the following:

  • Both units feature x86 processors, which allow a wide degree of app/services to run well and are a good price vs hardware balance
  • Both the DS923+ and DS423+ are constructed of plastic desktop compact chassis, thereby reducing power consumption, noise and heat generated
  • Both can Stream 1080p HD or 4K media, with superior performance natively and mid-range performance in Plex
  • Both the Synology DS923+ and DS423+ NAS support AI-supported photo and ‘thing’ recognition supported to a very high degree from the free branded software included
  • For Business users who currently enjoy the use of Google Workspace or Office 365, both of these NAS provide excellent means to backup your mass cloud accounts (as well as natively sync, dupe and configure rules on the fly)
  • Both the DS423+ NAS and DS923+ NAS support snapshots, for more incremental and version protecting failsafe in efforts to protect you from Malware and Ransomware attacks, by allowing multi-versioning storage history to browse through and restore
  • Both units are DLNA certified so can be accessed, browsed and played from by popular DLNA devices, such as Amazon Firestick, Alexa, Google Home Chromecast, Apple TV, Bose, Sonos, iPads, etc, as well as connectivity between these platforms with IFTTT
  • Both are multi-bay, RAID enabled devices NAS devices that support JBOD, RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 6 and RAID 10 (as well as Synology Hybrid RAID too for their Plus series range), though it is worth highlighting the DS923+ is the only one that supports an expansion and therefore also can support RAID 5, RAID 6, RAID 10 and SHR-2 over an expansion (more on that later)
  • Both devices run on their own proprietary operating system that can be accessed remotely or locally. These include regular updates to the firmware, security patches, applications and more. Ranging from multimedia, home and multi-tiered backup applications, to more business end tools such as Surveillance software, Virtual Machine deployment and business-class backup and synchronization tools.
  • Both the DS423+ and DS923+ use and can be accessed equally by a multitude of mobile applications such as DS File, DS Video, DS Photo, DSCam and DS Music that are created by and constantly improved by Synology.
  • Both NAS are completely compatible with Windows, Android and Mac systems, as well as acting as a bring between software platforms to share and distribute files for migration and file sync]
  • Both units can be used as a mail and/or business servers, providing excellent 3rd party CRM and first-party CMS systems, as well as the fantastic Synology collaboration Suite of applications Chat, Drive, Mail, Calendar, Office and Active Backup Suite
  • Both systems will support DSM 7.1 or DSM 7.2 out the box, as well as support software updates (security and feature) for many years moving forward
  • Both systems support the Synology Surveillance Station applications, support numerous cameras and arrive with 2 camera licenses with your purchase

But you didn’t come to this comparison page to find out what they had in common, you wanted to know what makes them different and which one best suits your needs, so let’s crack on with this comparison.

Synology DS423+ vs DS923+ NAS – Price and Value

Now, for those of you that are keeping a very close eye on the budget, it will already be clear to you that the Synology DS423+ is the lower-priced NAS of the two, by quite a considerable margin! Arriving, depending on where you are in the world, for around $449 to $499, it will immediately look more appealing to those on a tight budget when compared against the $549 to $599 of the DS923+. And that is before you’ve gone ahead and purchased any storage media too, so that’s saving of $100 to $150 could go a long way to further bolstering your network-attached storage setup. So, if the most important thing to you right now is remaining within a tight budget, then it might be worth seeing to read the rest of this article as when comparing DS423+ and DS923+, we have to look considerably more at the subject of value, not price. Price. Both of these devices arrive with the same software, Synology DSM 7.2, as well as both systems being two drive NAS solutions that support nearly identical ranges of storage media too, but more on that later. In terms of physical size, the range of components, they are pretty darn similar at a casual glance. However, it is in terms of the individual hardware components and scalability where the Synology DS923+ shows its worth, which we will cover shortly in the hardware section. But at least in terms of numerical value, the Synology DS423+ carries the lead. However, the reality isn’t quite that simple:

This is because the Synology DS923+ was released approx than half a year earlier than the DS423+ (Nov 2022 vs April 2023) and because of its wider availability and longer presence in the market, it has been featured in numerous special offers throughout that time. We saw this near $500 NAS on a few considerably impressive special offers throughout Amazon Prime day and other smaller eShop-specific events. So, yes, the DS423+ is the lower-priced NAS of the two, but do make a point of checking your local online retailer to see if the DS923+ is on special offer right now!

Synology DS423+ vs DS923+ NAS – Hardware and Connections

The hardware architecture of the DS423+ and DS923+ clearly have two very different target audiences in mind. The DS423+ has more of a home and multimedia feel about it, while the DS923+ feels substantially more like a business solution. This is reflected in numerous areas such as the distinct differences in CPU, memory specifications, and potential for growth. Even if you were to take into account the affordability of the DS423+, it has to be said that in the majority of hardware available, the DS923+ is significantly more powerful and scalable in practically every way. Here is a brief summary of the key hardware highlights of either system, side-by-side:

Synology DS423+ vs DS923+ NAS Hardware Comparison
Synology NAS
Amazon Price: $479 (Amazon 21/07/23)

$599 (Amazon 21/07/23)

Processor model Intel Celeron J4125 (2019 Gen) AMD Ryzen R1600 (2020 Gen)
processor architecture 64-bit 64-bit
processor clock 4-core 2.0 (base frequency) / 2.7 (burst frequency) GHz 2-core 2.6 (base frequency) / 3.1 (max overclock) GHz
Integrated Graphics Yes (250-750Mhz) No
Hardware encryption engine (AES-NI) Yes Yes
system memory 2 GB DDR4 non-ECC 4 GB DDR4 ECC
Pre-installed memory modules Yes 4GB (4GB x 1) via SODIMM
Total number of memory slots 1 2
Maximum memory capacity 6 GB (2 GB + 4 GB) 32GB (16GB x 2)
The maximum number of disk slots for an expansion unit N/A 7 (DX517 x 1)
M.2 drive bay N/A 2 (NVMe, PCIe 3×1)
Compatible Disk Type
  • 3.5″ SATA HDD
  • 2.5″ SATA SSD
  • 3.5″ SATA HDD
  • 2.5″ SATA SSD
  • M.2 2280 NVMe SSD
Disk hot-plug support* Yes Yes

So first and foremost, we need to discuss the main differences between the CPUs available here. The Intel Celeron found inside the DS423+ is a four-core, four-thread processor with a clock speed of 2.0 GHz that can be burst to 2.7 GHz when needed. However, despite the age of this CPU, which was released towards the end of 2019, it is the integrated graphics of this processor that gives it a slight edge for some users in terms of NAS deployment- especially those looking at multimedia use for their system. For users that are looking at the manipulation of graphical data, or more commonly are using the NAS as a multimedia server and wish to convert dense multimedia into something more manageable locally (for example, converting a dense 4K file into a much smaller and portable version to watch on the phone whilst commuting to work, on the fly), integrated graphics allow the NAS to perform this task with much lower overall resource consumption.

Thanks to it having a more specialized tool to get this job done. The embedded Ryzen R1600 processor on the other hand, lacks the integrated graphics and is a dual-core processor instead of a quad-core. However, it substantially makes up for this by being a much more powerful dual-core processor, with four threads that allow the system to assign system resources in a similar way to that of having multiple cores. Equally, the clock speed is noticeably higher here with the DS923+ CPU having a 2.6 GHz base power that can be burst when needed to 3.1 GHz. It is true that in cases of graphical manipulation or multimedia conversion, the AMD CPU here will be far less efficient and capable. However, in practically every other way, it is superior to that of the J4125 inside the DS423+. And if you are more concerned with traditional file transfer speeds internally and externally, the DS923+ will comfortably be the better-performing NAS.

 

The CPU choices in the DS423+ and DS923+ also result in very different memory architectures in each device, which will undoubtedly result in different scalability in the long term. The DS423+ arrives with 2GB of 2666Mhz memory, soldered to the main controller board, which can be further expanded via an available SODIMM memory slot to 6 GB total. This may be a little disheartening when you find out that the CPU here is actually capable of supporting 8 GB maximum memory. However, due to that initial 2GB memory being fixed internally, you cannot officially exceed 6 GB physically. This shortfall is considerably magnified when you bring into comparison the DS723’s memory structure. It arrives with 4GB of DDR4 3200Mhz memory which can be expanded to a whopping 32 GB total across two available SODIMM slots. Additionally, the system arrives with error-correcting code (ECC) memory, which ensures that data that passes through the memory during write operations will have its integrity checked by a separate module on the memory of the system. If any irregularities or inconsistencies are spotted, that data will be repaired. This goes a long way to reassure any doubts around the integrity of long-term archival data and susceptibility to things like bit rot. This is one of the main reasons why the DS923+ is considered much more of a business solution overall.

Much like the memory choices by Synology in these two NAS devices, the ports and connections of them both are similar, but one is definitely more scalable than the other. Both systems arrive with standard gigabit ethernet connectivity, with two available ports that each will provide up to a maximum 109 megabytes per second. Both systems also arrive with USB 3 connectivity, but it is only 5GB gen 1 USB. However, it is from here onward that the DS723 massively upscales things:

Model ID Synology DS423+ Synology DS923+
Synology NAS
RJ-45 1GbE LAN port* 2 (Supports Link Aggregation / Failover) 2 (Supports Link Aggregation / Failover)
USB 3.2 Gen 1 port* 2 2
eSATA port 0 1
USB Copy Yes (inc. Physical Button) Yes
PCIe expansion N/A 1 x Gen3 x2 LAN card slot
system fan 92 mm x 92 mm x 2 pcs 92 mm x 92 mm x 2 pcs
fan mode
  • full speed mode
  • low temperature mode
  • silent mode
  • full speed mode
  • low temperature mode
  • silent mode
Front panel LED indicators with adjustable brightness Yes Yes
Noise value* 19.8dB(A) 22.9 dB(A)
wake on lan Yes Yes
Power Supply / Transformer 90W 100W
AC input voltage 100V to 240V AC 100V to 240V AC
current frequency 50/60 Hz, single frequency 50/60 Hz, single frequency
Power consumption 28.3 W (access)
8.45 W (disk hibernation)
35.51 W (access)
11.52 W (disk hibernation)

For a start, the DS923+ features an eSATA external port that is used to connect the official Synology 5-bay expansion device, the DX517. This means that while the DS423+ has a maximum long-term capacity of four SATA drives, the DS923+ allows you to expand your storage down the line by an additional five SATA bays (so 9 Bays total). This can be done gradually and this storage can either mirror the original NAS or extend the storage pool across both devices.

Scalability and expandability do not stop there though, with the DS923+ also having the option to add a network adapter upgrade module (the E10G22-T1-MINI) to increase your network bandwidth to 10GbE. This is going to be incredibly useful for users who plan on taking advantage of SSDs or plan on having a much busier network environment between the NAS and multiple users and tasks at any given time. And it doesn’t stop there! Though BOTH systems also features two SSD bays on its base for installing M.2 2280 SSD modules (which can be used for caching or as raw storage pools, depending on which drive you use), the DS423+ is a Gen 2 PCIe lane system, whilst the DS923+ is a Gen 3 system – resulting in double the bandwidth per lane (ultimately, the difference between 500MB/s max per SSD on the DS423+ and 1,000MB/s on the DS923+). This is a feature that, although growing more common across Synology’s NAS portfolio, it is still unavailable on many of their lower tier/affordable systems (such as the DS224+) and, alongside the lack of storage expansion support, the gen2 speeds on these bays will place limits the storage potential long term on the more affordable NAS.

Finally, we need to discuss storage media compatibility, as this has grown to be another thing that has changed the way in which a user can populate their NAS quite a lot in recent years. On the list of storage media that they are prepared to verify as compatible with their systems. Although technically, one could say that any SATA media drive would be compatible with a SATA NAS, there are still a few incredibly isolated examples of compatibility, durability and stability. Synology requires that all drives need to be officially checked and verified before they’re prepared to add them to their list in order to truly guarantee that a user will get the promised Synology experience from their hardware with that media. As questionable as this might sound, the result is that the list of compatible storage media for both of these devices, despite their incredible similarities, is actually pretty darn different. Take a closer look at the slideshow below of compatible HDDs from WD and Seagate on these two NAS systems (from 21st July 2023) and see if you can spot an odd inconsistency:

In the case of the DS423+, we see a smaller pool of supported storage media, as well as a lower list of larger capacity drives being featured also. The DS923+, on the other hand, seemingly has a larger pool of more high capacity drives added and available to it, as well as a larger range of Synology’s own drives available for use with that system that includes the higher end options in the HAT5300 range. Synology has clearly prioritized higher-end drives for more advanced Synology systems, but for those that like to use their system clearly and rigidly within the defined parameters of a brand to maintain their warranty/guarantee, this is going to be a little disheartening to see the smaller pool of verified compatible storage media on the more affordable NAS solution. This is something that may well change over time as more drives are added to verified compatibility lists, but Synology has not exactly been putting their foot on the gas here. Given how close these two systems have been released side by side and the large disparity between their compatibility lists, I can’t see a huge amount of change happening anytime soon. It is absolutely no surprise that the more expensive Synology NAS has a better degree of hardware options in the long term. Though, it should be highlighted that a lot of the real benefits available in the DS723 are optional extras, long-term scalability and upgrades that are not necessarily available in the default model. It could be very easily argued that you are paying for entry to then pay extra for delivering upgrades, SSD upgrades, storage scalability, and increasing your memory years from now. Nevertheless, the fact that the baseline memory is ECC and the AMD CPU is indeed more powerful in most ways, does make up some of that additional cost and ultimately mean that in terms of hardware and connectivity, the DS923+ is the better of the two.

Synology DS423+ vs DS923+ NAS – Software and Services

At the risk of being incredibly repetitious, both of these devices are remarkably similar in what they can do in Synology’s premium DSM software platform, but the scalability and scope provided by the DS923+ inevitably leads to that more expensive system, ultimately giving you just more resources with which DSM can utilize. In terms of the actual range of applications, services supported on either system and scope for use right out of the box, both the DS423+ and DS923+ have got more than enough to run every single available app and tool available in DSM 7.2. Despite their rather modest scale, both systems can run multiple virtual machines, host a fantastically capable surveillance solution with numerous cameras, both can provide an excellent Plex media server experience (with a slight edge to the DS423+ in terms of conversions and transcoding when needed), and in terms of backups, both systems support the full range of services from Hyper Backup and Active Backup Suite. If you are a small business or just a small group of users who are going to be interacting with either of these NAS units fairly regularly, you’re going to have a largely identical experience in either one of these two systems using the baseline default hardware. However, things will change as soon as you start moving into larger simultaneous access, more high-volume application exchanges between the system and client hardware, and the scope of each one of those individual processes growing over time. In terms of the escalation of accessing the services of DSM and long-term future-proofing of a system running at top speed, despite growing requirements and demands of the system, the DS923+ comfortably wins.

Synology NAS Synology DS423+ Synology DS923+
Maximum single volume capacity* 108TB 108TB
Maximum number of storage spaces 64 64
M.2 SSD volume support* Yes Yes
SSD Read/Write Cache (White Paper) Yes Yes
SSD TRIM Yes Yes
Support RAID disk array type
  • Synology Hybrid RAID
  • Basic
  • JBOD
  • RAID 0
  • RAID 1
  • RAID 5
  • RAID 6
  • RAID 10
  • Synology Hybrid RAID
  • Basic
  • JBOD
  • RAID 0
  • RAID 1
  • RAID 5
  • RAID 6
  • RAID 10
file agreement SMB/AFP/NFS/FTP/WebDAV SMB/AFP/NFS/FTP/WebDAV
Maximum simultaneous SMB/AFP/FTP connections 500 1000
Maximum number of simultaneous SMB/AFP/FTP connections (with extended memory) 1500 2000
Windows Access Control List (ACL) Integration Yes Yes
NFS Kerberos authentication Yes Yes
Maximum number of local user accounts 2048 2048
Maximum number of local groups 256 256
Maximum number of shared folders 256 512
Maximum Shared Folder Sync Tasks 8 16
VMware vSphere with VAAI N/A Yes
Windows Server 2022 N/A Yes
Citrix Ready N/A Yes
OpenStack N/A Yes
Media Server Yes Yes
DLNA compatible Yes Yes
Synology Photos Yes Yes
face recognition Yes Yes
Snapshot Replication Yes Yes
The maximum number of snapshots supported by a single shared folder 1024 1024
Maximum number of system snapshots 65536 65536
Surveillance Station Yes Yes
The maximum number of cameras supported (camera authorization is required) 40 (including 2 sets of free licenses 40 (including 2 sets of free licenses
Frames per second (FPS) (H.264) 1200 FPS @ 720p (1280×720)
800 FPS @ 1080p (1920×1080)
350 FPS @ 3M (2048×1536)
280 FPS @ 5M (2591×1944)
170 FPS @ 4K (3840×2160)
1200 FPS @ 720p (1280×720)
1050 FPS @ 1080p (1920×1080)
600 FPS @ 3M (2048×1536)
360 FPS @ 5M (2591×1944)
200 FPS @ 4K (3840×2160)
Frames per second (FPS) (H.265) 1200 FPS @ 720p (1280×720)
1200 FPS @ 1080p (1920×1080)
600 FPS @ 3M (2048×1536)
480 FPS @ 5M (2591×1944)
200 FPS @ 4K (3840×2160)
1200 FPS @ 720p (1280×720)
1200 FPS @ 1080p (1920×1080)
1000 FPS @ 3M (2048×1536)
600 FPS @ 5M (2591×1944)
300 FPS @ 4K (3840×2160)
Synology Drive Yes Yes
Recommended number of clients that can sync simultaneously 350 (the number of devices that can be connected at the same time when the recommended number of stored files is reached) 350 (the number of devices that can be connected at the same time when the recommended number of stored files is reached)
Recommended number of files to store 5,000,000 (Applicable to files indexed or belonging to Synology Drive , files accessed through other protocols, please refer to the file service in the above field) 5,000,000 (Applicable to files indexed or belonging to Synology Drive , files accessed through other protocols, please refer to the file service in the above field)
Synology Office Yes Yes
Maximum number of users 1200 1200
Video Station Yes Yes
Virtual Machine Manager Yes Yes
Recommended number of virtual machines 2 (see more) 4 (see more)
Recommended number of Virtual DSMs (licensing required) 2 (including 1 set of free licenses) 4 (including 1 set of free licenses)
VPN Server Yes Yes
Maximum number of connections 40 40
Synology High Availability Yes Yes
log center Yes Yes
Number of logs received per second 800 800
Backup folders and packages Yes Yes
backup the whole system Yes Yes
Remark Full system backup requires DSM 7.2 or later. Full system backup requires DSM 7.2 or later.
Maximum number of Hybrid Share folders 10 10

Notwithstanding that the system has a much higher clock speed CPU that, despite only being a dual-core processor, features a four thread architecture with DSM, allowing a lot of the spreading of resources normally associated with cores to be made available with vCPU allocation (containers, virtual machines and just natively). Then there is the scope for the larger overall capacity available to be upgraded towards in terms of memory, with the rather modest 6GB of memory on the DS423+ looking quite underwhelming when compared against the whopping 32 GB maximum memory that is scalable on the DS923+. That ultimately adds up to the more expensive NAS system having a better opportunity to grow alongside a more demanding data storage network of connected devices and users over time. And we haven’t even touched on the performance benefit in DSM and all of the first and third party applications when we factor in support of Gen3 SSDs for caching or storage pools in the DS923+, both of which are going to allow much better, long-term utilization and overall, a much smoother experience for a considerably longer amount of time than that of the DS423+. Ultimately, if you think your utilization of the NAS is going to grow steadily and increasingly over time, the DS923+ is the better choice here in terms of software, in and out of DSM.

Synology DS423+ vs DS923+ NAS – Conclusion and Verdict

Unsurprisingly, what we have here is an old-fashioned case of getting what you pay for. The DS423+ is a very solid, and reliable NAS solution and is definitely more than capable of running the bulk of modern NAS hardware needs, also, remaining pretty flexible in the resources available to it on day one to get the job done. Equally, for home users and particularly those seeking a more flexible approach to multimedia, the DS423+ does bring a decent amount of bang for buck when you compare it against the bulk of other Synology solutions in the brand’s portfolio. But it just pales in comparison to the sheer scope of scalability, upgrade options and flexibility long-term that the DS923+ provides. And regardless of whether you’re a business user or a home user that may perhaps be looking to do something more aggressive with their storage down the line, the DS923+ justifies a lot of the extra expense, simply by the weight of it having that ECC memory, twice the default memory on day 1, Gen3 SSD NVMe storage options, expandability, 10G as an optional extra and the scale of how far you can upgrade the memory. As mentioned earlier, we have to at least acknowledge that a lot of these advantages that the DS923+ presents compared with the DS423+ are ones that you will only really take advantage of if you spend a little bit more money, but having the option for that scalability down the line for many users is going to be worth the investment on day one. Side by side, in most cases, the DS923+ will comfortably outperform the DS423+ even in the default model, so you still aren’t losing out just because you’re paying extra for upgrade options you may not use later down the line.

Synology NAS
Amazon Price: Synology DS423+ NAS

$479 (Amazon 21/07/23)

Synology DS923+ NAS

$599 (Amazon 21/07/23)

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Need Advice on Data Storage from an Expert?

Finally, for free advice about your setup, just leave a message in the comments below here at NASCompares.com and we will get back to you. Need Help? Where possible (and where appropriate) please provide as much information about your requirements, as then I can arrange the best answer and solution to your needs. Do not worry about your e-mail address being required, it will NOT be used in a mailing list and will NOT be used in any way other than to respond to your enquiry. [contact-form-7] TRY CHAT Terms and Conditions
If you like this service, please consider supporting us. We use affiliate links on the blog allowing NAScompares information and advice service to be free of charge to you.Anything you purchase on the day you click on our links will generate a small commission which isused to run the website. Here is a link for Amazon and B&H.You can also get me a ☕ Ko-fi or old school Paypal. Thanks!To find out more about how to support this advice service check HEREIf you need to fix or configure a NAS, check Fiver Have you thought about helping others with your knowledge? Find Instructions Here  
 
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New Synology CC400W Camera Revealed

Par : Rob Andrews
29 novembre 2023 à 08:59

Synology Reveal a New CC400W Compact IP Camera for Surveillance Station

Synology has revealed a new, more compact entry, into its range of surveillance cameras, the CC400W. This less industrial alternative to the bulkier metallic PoE BC500 bullet and TC500 turret-style cameras that were launched earlier in 2023 is seemingly designed for more internal building and day to day use, though seemingly still IP67 weatherproof – so it’s not limiting itself much in terms of deployment. Sporting a similar 4MP and 30FPS recording maximum to the other two cameras, this camera has a slightly larger 125 degrees of view (vs 110 degrees of the other two high/ceiling placement cams) and is more desktop stylized. Additionally, it will definitely be a camera that does not require a license for use in surveillance station (i.e removing the need to use one of your inclusive 2x Synology licenses that 99% of all Synology NAS arrive with and/or just meaning you can expand your surveillance setup without costly $35-50 surveillance station camera licenses). Let’s discuss everything we know so far.

Hardware and Software Highlights of the Synology CC400W AI IP Camera

The Synology CC400W IP camera features a 4MP resolution at 30 FPS recording and a 125° HFoV wide-angle lens, providing clear recording images. It includes integrated 2-way audio with a microphone and speaker. The camera is IP67 certified, making it resistant to dust and water, and it also meets the US NDAA/TAA Act standards for recording data security and confidentiality.

  • Key Specifications:
  • 4 MP resolution with 30 FPS recording.
  • 125-degree Horizontal Field of View (HFoV) wide-angle lens.
  • Integrated 2-way audio with a microphone and speaker.
  • Includes 1 microSD card slot.
  • IP67 certification and compliance with US NDAA/TAA Encryption/Security.
  • Does not require a License in Synology Surveillance Station
  • Capability to detect people and vehicles.
  • Intrusion detection.
  • Instant search feature for quick incident investigation.
  • References to use/suitability for Suitable for meetings and conferences.
  • Possible integration with Synology Chat and references to ‘Synology Meeting’ – TBC
Credit to 張 舒豪 , on Facebook – https://scontent.fbqh1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/406319299_10230546092733381_8216619821148617916_n.jpg?stp=cp6_dst-jpg&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c42490&_nc_ohc=QUzMxeHdt_gAX8Ng9RU&_nc_ht=scontent.fbqh1-1.fna&oh=00_AfA_fTTqVVr1ts_p4cEriLkvSBJkA0PbXFA8fP2CMmLiZQ&oe=656BE72E

In terms of AI integration, the CC400W camera offers several functionalities. It can detect people and vehicles in its monitoring area, assisting in the identification of potential security threats. The camera’s intrusion detection feature alerts users to unauthorized access in the monitored area. Additionally, the instant search function allows users to locate specific video segments by time, subject, or event, facilitating efficient investigation of incidents. This would be the third camera that Synolgoy has rolled out, following the BC500 and TC500 PoE cameras that were launched in the first quarter of 2023. This camera, though still clearly having possible business applications, is a much more modest scaled system and although is IP67 weatherproof rated (TBC -conflicting reports)

Credit to Nhipsongkinhte.toquoc.vn – http://nhipsongkinhte.toquoc.vn/synology-va-chien-luoc-phat-trien-tai-viet-nam-20231129081801644.htm – HERE[/caption]

Synology Surveillance Station Software and Synology Cameras – Any Good?

The Synology CC400W camera is designed to work seamlessly with Synology Surveillance Station, version 9.1, offering advanced features compared to non-edge-AI-recognition and third-party cameras.

Used with Surveillance Station, the CC400W camera allows multiple camera feeds to be viewed simultaneously and offers side-by-side viewing of live and recorded footage.

Surveillance Station also supports privacy masks, watermarks, and integration with mapping services like Google Maps.

Beyond camera support, Surveillance Station controls IP speakers and other peripherals, accessible via mobile app or as an additional camera feed with Synology Live Cam. It offers alerts, push notifications, and analytical reports.

Additional add-ons include YouTube Live Streaming, video integrity tools, and IFTTT/Webhook services.

Key features include motion detection, missing object detection, and area tagging. Access is available through web, desktop, and mobile clients.

Smart Lapse creation condenses lengthy recordings, and cloud recording is available with Synology C2 Surveillance.

Home Mode automates camera schedules based on user presence.

The CC400W camera supports AI detection techniques like people, vehicle, and intrusion detection, and Smart Search for specific incidents.

Vehicle detection alerts for unexpected entries during off hours.

Advanced intrusion detection marks specific areas off-limits.

Crowd and loitering detection trigger alerts based on predefined criteria.

Smart Search focuses on specific areas within recorded feeds.

The CC400W camera, while advanced, does not support database storage for specific people or faces. For more advanced functionality, systems like Synology DVA1622 2-Bay or DVA3221 4 Bay are required.

Recordings are securely encrypted, and the camera is NDAA and TAA compliant. Despite limitations, the CC400W Camera’s unique features make it a valuable choice.

Which AI Services Are Included with the Synology CC400W, BC500 and TC500 Cameras (and which ones are not)?

Now, despite the Synology newer CC400W and older BC500 and TC500 Surveillance Cameras arriving with onboard hardware for AI-powered recognition tasks, it is worth highlighting that using them is NOT the same as using the Deep Video Analysis (DVA) series of NAS servers in Synology’s portfolio. These operations are managed from inside the camera and the alerts are handled and actioned by the NAS after the camera sends the appropriate alert – and these cameras so NOT have the same level of hardware as the DVA1622 and DVA3221 inside each of them! Additionally, whereas the DVA series manages multiple tasks internally from multiple cameras, only using the camera hardware as a life ‘feed’, these cameras cannot run deeper AI tasks that involve counting, internal database management and keeping records of AI referral data internally – they do not have the storage or processing power for that. So more complex people counting and specific facial recognition will not be immediately available to your PLUS series Diskstation, just because you are using the CC400W/BC500/TC500. Here is a breakdown of the services available to users with either Synology Cameras or a Synology DVA NAS:

AI Service Case Use CC400W / BC500 / TC500

DVA1622 & DVA3221

People / Vehicle/Loitering Detection Reduce false alarm and protect against loitering YES YES
Crowd Detection Monitor public safety or quality of service YES YES
Intrusion Detection Protect perimeter and restricted area YES YES
Instant Search Investigate incidents quickly after they happen YES NO
People/Vehicle Counting Calculate occupancy in shops, food courts, or parking lots with aggregated counting of people and vehicles entering and leaving NO YES
Face Recognition Automate personnel identification and prevent unauthorized access NO YES
License Plate Recognition Identify license plates and set up triggers based on configurable allow or block lists NO YES

If you are unaware of the Synology Deep Video Analysis NAS system, you can find out more about it in the video reviews of the hardware and software below from our YouTube channel:

When will the Synology CC400W Camera Be Released and the Price?

Synology did not give a particularly large amount of information on the commercial release of the WCC400W Camera at the time of writing, but the few indications online all seem to indicate ‘H1 2024’, so that means within the first three months of 2024. Not a particularly concise release window, but still – not hugely far away in the overall scheme of things. Expect pricing to be confirmed alongside bundle deals at launch.

What do you think of the Synology CC400W? Let us know below in the comments below. We pool the comments on this article and the videos that are featured in it to keep all the relevant comments in one place, so take a look and see if your POV is the same as everyone else’s.

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Need Advice on Data Storage from an Expert?

Finally, for free advice about your setup, just leave a message in the comments below here at NASCompares.com and we will get back to you. Need Help? Where possible (and where appropriate) please provide as much information about your requirements, as then I can arrange the best answer and solution to your needs. Do not worry about your e-mail address being required, it will NOT be used in a mailing list and will NOT be used in any way other than to respond to your enquiry. [contact-form-7] TRY CHAT Terms and Conditions
If you like this service, please consider supporting us. We use affiliate links on the blog allowing NAScompares information and advice service to be free of charge to you.Anything you purchase on the day you click on our links will generate a small commission which isused to run the website. Here is a link for Amazon and B&H.You can also get me a ☕ Ko-fi or old school Paypal. Thanks!To find out more about how to support this advice service check HEREIf you need to fix or configure a NAS, check Fiver Have you thought about helping others with your knowledge? Find Instructions Here  
 
Or support us by using our affiliate links on Amazon UK and Amazon US
    
 
Alternatively, why not ask me on the ASK NASCompares forum, by clicking the button below. This is a community hub that serves as a place that I can answer your question, chew the fat, share new release information and even get corrections posted. I will always get around to answering ALL queries, but as a one-man operation, I cannot promise speed! So by sharing your query in the ASK NASCompares section below, you can get a better range of solutions and suggestions, alongside my own.

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Recommended 2-Bay NAS of the Year – 2023/2024

Par : Rob Andrews
1 décembre 2023 à 18:00

The Ultimate Guide to Selecting Top 2-Bay NAS Drives for 2023-2024

In the quest for a new data storage solution, a 2-drive NAS often emerges as an ideal balance of cost and storage, particularly for beginners or first-time personal server owners. Overcoming the initial limitation of a 50% storage reduction (due to RAID 1 across two hard drives), recent years have seen remarkable advancements in 2-bay NAS systems. Previously underestimated until around 2017-2018 due to their limited capacity and throughput, these systems have significantly evolved. The latest 2-Bay NAS models, including those released in the last year, boast impressive features like 10GbE support. Additionally, with NAS-specific hard drives like Seagate Ironwolf and WD Red now offering up to 20-22TB, these compact servers are not just powerful but also offer substantial storage capacity. This article aims to guide you through the best 2-Bay NAS drives of this year, helping you find the perfect fit for your home or business, with a focus on the best in software, hardware, and combined offerings.

Best 2-Bay NAS of the Year

What Sets Apart the Top 2-Bay NAS Drives?

Despite the wide range of 2-Bay NAS drives available, not all are created equal. The market is flooded with budget options that may initially seem attractive but often fall short in quality and reliability. Here are key features that distinguish the best NAS systems, applicable whether you’re considering our top three recommendations or exploring other options:

Certainly! Here’s a revised version of the key features section with individual bullet points for clarity:

  • Integrated Hardware and Software: Includes the physical NAS device along with a comprehensive software suite that features a web browser interface, mobile apps, and desktop client apps. This suite covers various functionalities like backup, media streaming, surveillance, and file management.
  • Compatibility Across Operating Systems: All recommended NAS systems are designed to work smoothly with multiple operating systems, including Windows, Mac, Android, and Linux.

  • Standard Warranty with Extension Option: These NAS drives typically come with a 2-3 year warranty, which can be optionally extended up to 5 years.

  • Local and Remote Network Access: Each NAS drive supports local network access, and secure remote access is facilitated through brand-supported services without additional costs.

  • Support for Large Hard Drives: The top NAS systems are compatible with the latest high-capacity NAS hard drives, like the Seagate Ironwolf 22TB and WD Red 22TB.

  • Multiple Drive Configuration Support: These NAS drives offer support for various RAID configurations, enhancing both performance and data protection.

  • Regular Software Updates: Expect regular updates for the NAS systems, enhancing their security features, overall functionality, and service offerings.

  • Cloud and Business Service Synchronization: The NAS solutions are compatible with popular cloud services (Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive) and business/enterprise services (AWS, Azure, Backblaze, etc).

  • Shared Drive Hosting Capability: Allows for hosting a shared drive on your PC, mobile, or laptop, which is synchronized with the NAS and appears in your native file manager (like Mac Finder or Windows Explorer).

  • Direct Access via Ethernet/Network Cable: These NAS solutions can be accessed directly through an ethernet/network cable connection from your computer system to the NAS, supporting 100MB/s speeds or higher.

  • Backup and Synchronization Tools Included: The NAS drives come with backup and synchronization tools that can be installed on your local computer, allowing regular backups of files and system data.

With these features in mind, you can confidently choose a 2-Bay NAS drive that meets your home or business needs in 2023-2024.

Remember, if you’re considering a NAS not covered here, ensure it includes these features to avoid settling for an inferior product. Now, let’s explore the best 2-Bay NAS drives to buy in 2023-2024.


Honourable Mention: Terramaster F2-423 NAS

0-44TB, 2-Bays, M.2 NVMe 2280 x2, Intel N5105 Celeron CPU, 4-32GB Memory, 2x 2.5Gbe Port, 2yr Warranty

Current Price/Availability on Amazon – $379

Hardware Review – LINK

YouTube Video Review – Watch

What I said in my review 4th Feb ’23:

Terramaster still continues to be the most affordable fully-featured provider of the whole NAS market and although a number of their solutions have always felt a little rough around the edges, you always got the impression that you were getting a good deal for the hardware that was available from QNAP and Synology. Now in 2022/2023, the same continues to be true but in the F2-423 NAS’ case, you are actually getting some pretty top tier (for the Home/Prosumer) market at a price tag that is really tough to argue with. Terramaster has clearly been watching their bigger competitors and cherry-picked the features that people have been asking for (2.5GbE, USB 3.2 Gen 2, M.2 NVMe SSD bays, etc) for this new generation. In terms of software, things are a little less convincing and although TOS 5 (currently in Beta at the time of writing) still continues to evolve into something genuinely fully featured and impressive, TOS 4 that the F2-423 includes at launch is usable (if unexciting) platform that provides the base level services that a new NAS user would want, but lacks killer apps that their competitors are offering right now (File Streaming, AI photo recognition, Surveillance, etc).

Most of these ARE included in TOS5, but until it arrives much later in 2022 in a full release, the F2-423 feels like a powerful NAS that doesn’t have the software to show off its strengths yet. If you are reading this later in 2022 or 2023, this might well be irrelevant though, as the brand rolls out their bit firmware update to ALL Terramster NAS devices. Overall, I definitely CAN recommend the F2-423 NAS for its hardware, for Plex Media server or as an affordable multi-tier backup solution, but if you are looking for a NAS for more tailored data access or in a much more fully-featured package – hold out a little longer till TOS 5 gets released first.

SOFTWARE - 7/10
HARDWARE - 9/10
PERFORMANCE - 8/10
PRICE - 9/10
VALUE - 9/10


8.4
PROS
👍🏻2.5GbE at the Price of 1GbE
👍🏻TRAID Flexible RAID is great stuff!
👍🏻Good CPU for the Price Point
👍🏻Supports Current 22TB HDDs from WD and Seagate
👍🏻VERY easy TrueNAS installation is possible
👍🏻USB 3.2 Gen 2 is very forward-thinking for local backups
👍🏻Great RAID Options
👍🏻Snapshot Replication
👍🏻BTRFS Support if preferred
👍🏻Supports Plex and all 1080p Transcoding
👍🏻4K Video transcoding natively
👍🏻A large amount of maximum memory supported (16-32GB - TBC)
👍🏻Includes two M.2 NVMe SSD Bays that can be used for storage or caching
CONS
👎🏻HDMI Currently Unsupported
👎🏻Although TOS 5 has seen some big improvements and more AAA+ apps and services added, it is still not as polished as DSM or QTS from their competitors
DEAL WATCH Is It On Offer Right Now?


These Offers are Checked Daily

 


Asustor Nimbusor 2 Gen 2 NAS – Best 2 Bay NAS for Storage

0-44TB, 2-Bays, 4x M.2 NVMe 2280, N5095/N5105 4Core 2.9Ghz CPU, 4-16GB Memory, 2x 2.5Gbe Port, HDMI 2.0b, USB 10Gb/s, 3yr Warranty

Current Price/Availability on Amazon – $340

Hardware Review – LINK

YouTube Video Review – Watch

What I said in my review of the Nimbustor 2:

In terms of hardware, I am genuinely astounded at how much Asustor have crammed into the Nimbustor 2 NAS. Arriving at a comparable price point to other featured 2 Bays in the market, this is a very, VERY impressive selection of hardware at this price point. Even WITHOUT the 2.5Gbe, it still arrives at a price lower than the Synology DS224+ and QNAP TS-262 NAS – neither of which have the N5105 CPU and 4GB DDR4 Memory combination that the Asustor AS5302T have. Add to this that buying the Nimbustor 2 means you are using a network connection 2.5x larger in speed (potentially 5x with Link Aggregation) and you are looking at some seriously affordable NAS with serious future proofing for things like Plex Media Server, inclusive surveillance, true 4K playback and media enjoyment in many forms too. But the real show stealer is the additional 4x Gen 3 M.2 SSD Bays, effectively making this a 6 Drive NAS System!

Nothing is perfect of course. Little things that can be overlooked, like an LCD panel on the front and/or the ability to upgrade with a PCIe slot would be nice, but at this price point, it makes it very hard to complain about these physical issues. Just remember that to take advantage of the 2.5Gbe increased network coverage, you will need to upgrade your network to 2.5Gbe or 10Gbe over copper (RJ45) accordingly.

SOFTWARE - 7/10
HARDWARE - 8/10
PERFORMANCE - 7/10
PRICE - 8/10
VALUE - 8/10


7.6
PROS
👍🏻Best Price Vs Hardware right now
👍🏻2.5Gbe Speeds
👍🏻Best Mid-Range CPU
👍🏻Great Plex Media Server Hardware
👍🏻HDMI 2.0a = 4K 60FPS
👍🏻Dedicated HDMI (Asustor Portal)
👍🏻Huge USB Peripheral Support
👍🏻BTRFS Support
👍🏻Cloud/NAS/USB Backup Support
👍🏻1Gbe and 10Gbe Compatible
👍🏻Great VM Support
CONS
👎🏻No PCIe Upgrade Option
👎🏻No M.2/NVMe Bays
👎🏻2-Bay features 2-Core J4005 CPU instead
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QNAP TS-264 NAS – Best 2-Bay NAS for Hardware and Expandability

0-44TB, 2-Bays, 2x Gen 3×1 M.2 NVMe 2280, Intel N5105 Celeron CPU, 8GB Memory, PCIe 3×2 Slot, 2x 2.5Gbe Port, HDMI 4K 60FPS, 3yr Warranty

Current Price/Availability on Amazon – $450

Hardware Review – LINK

YouTube Video Review – Watch

What I said in my review April ’22:

The TS-264 boasts exceptional hardware for its tier in the NAS market, a strength that QNAP has consistently demonstrated. Even when looking back just 5 years, the level of hardware scalability and ease of upgradability offered by the TS-264 is impressive and remains largely unmatched in 2023. The 2-Bay NAS is a logical choice for those looking to move away from the limitations of subscription-based cloud services like Google, OneDrive, and Dropbox, and instead, opt for a more flexible and fully-featured private server. The TS-264 offers unbeatable value for the money in terms of hardware. In terms of software, the situation is less clear-cut. QTS 5 is a feature-rich operating system that can be accessed via a web browser, with multiple mobile and desktop clients, and hundreds of apps that can be easily installed.

However, it can be a steep learning curve for some users, and its interface can be overwhelming. For those who desire a highly customizable system that can present data in various ways, and offers a wide range of third-party support, QNAP and QTS 5 offer unique services that are not available elsewhere. Keep in mind that setting up and customizing the system will require some time and effort.

SOFTWARE - 8/10
HARDWARE - 9/10
PERFORMANCE - 9/10
PRICE - 8/10
VALUE - 8/10


8.4
PROS
👍🏻Very compact chassis design, despite large storage potential
👍🏻A BIG jump in hardware and scale from the TS-253Be and TS-253D
👍🏻Easily one of the most hardware-packed SMB/Mid-range 2-Bay on the market
👍🏻8GB Memory in the base model will certainly appeal to some users looking at pimping this system out fully in terms of hardware upgrades and storage
👍🏻m.2 NVMe SSD Bays AND a PCIe Upgrade Slot (no need to choose one upgrade path)
👍🏻8x Included Camera Licenses
👍🏻Includes Anti-virus, Firewall Tool, VPN client tools, Malware Remover, network manager and Security Councilor Tool
👍🏻3 Different Container/VM tools that also feature image download centers
👍🏻10Gb/s (1,000MB/s) USB Ports will be incredibly useful
👍🏻Large range of expansion options in the TR/TL series in 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12 Bays
👍🏻HDMI 2.1 Support in the 2-Bay, whereas the 4/6-Bay still runs HDMI 2.0 (released in Spring \'22)
CONS
👎🏻The PCIe Slot is PCIe 3x2 and the M.2 SSD Bays are PCIe 3x1 (likely limitations of all this H/W on a Celeron+chipset
👎🏻Default 8GB of memory (again, down to global memory shortages) does increase the base price and is non-upgradable too
👎🏻The software can be a little inconsistent under excessive use and features a steeper learning curve than Synology
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Synology DVA1622 NAS – Best 2-Bay for NAS Software

0-44TB, 2-Bays, Dedicated NVR HDMI/KVM Output, 8 Camera Licenses, Intel J4125 CPU, 6GB Memory, 1x 1Gbe Port, DSM & Surveillance Station 9, AI Surveillance Tasks and Analysis,  3yr Warranty

Current Price/Availability on Amazon – $550-559

Hardware Review – LINK

YouTube Video Review – Watch

What I said in my review June ’23:

In conclusion, the Synology DVA1622 makes a compelling case for being the best 2-Bay NAS from Synology, despite its price increase over the DS720+ and DS723+. Its ability to run DSM 7.2 on par with its counterparts, while also executing Surveillance Station exceptionally well, sets it apart from the crowd. The added benefits of AI recognition, live AI analysis of recordings, people counting, and intelligent intrusion guidelines are features that can be invaluable to businesses and home users who prioritize their security. Along with these perks, the 8 included surveillance licenses, a significant bump from the 2 that come with other Synology NAS devices, provide excellent value, considering they would cost around $200-250 on their own. The integrated graphics within its CPU offers enhanced multimedia playback capabilities, not only in DSM but also in HEVC recordings in Surveillance Station 9.1. Additionally, the local HDMI/KVM support grants standalone surveillance access, a feature rarely found in other Synology NAS devices. The DVA1622 outclasses the DS720+ by coming with 6GB of memory in its default model, compared to their 2GB. This robust offering, combined with the excellence of Surveillance Station 9.1, one of the world’s best surveillance software, enables the DVA1622 to deliver one of the best experiences of this software. Access to both DSM and Surveillance Station on the DVA1622 equips you with a full suite of NVR/CCTV services, as well as the backup, syncing, sharing, and security capabilities of DSM 7.2.

However, the device isn’t without its limitations. It has only two USB ports, which may limit your flexibility for KVM setup with the HDMI and other USB-dependent tasks. Its single 1GbE port could potentially bottleneck your network, especially when running extensive camera setups and other network-heavy tasks. Additionally, the maximum memory of 6GB could hit a ceiling if you are running several services in DSM 7.2, operating 16 cameras, and managing 2 AI tasks simultaneously, considering the CPU supports up to 8GB. The lack of expandability with the Synology DX517 expansion chassis also limits storage potential, with a 2-Bay NAS typically implying a RAID 1 setup and halving the possible maximum storage. Despite these limitations, the DVA1622 stands as an excellent choice for a 2-Bay NAS. It is highly recommended for both surveillance and standard Synology DSM usage. However, it is essential to remember its lack of local connectivity and scalability when compared to the DS723+, which offers 32GB maximum.

SOFTWARE - 10/10
HARDWARE - 8/10
PERFORMANCE - 8/10
PRICE - 9/10
VALUE - 9/10


8.8
PROS
👍🏻Runs BOTH Surveillance Station + DSM
👍🏻All the DVA Task for fraction of DVA3221 Price
👍🏻Supports Local KVM Standalone Access
👍🏻8 Camera Licenses Included
👍🏻No HDD Compatibility Limits
👍🏻Run VERY Quietly
👍🏻MASSIVE IP Camera Support List
👍🏻Easily the \'BEST\' Synology 2-Bay
👍🏻Surveillance Station 9.1 Is Still BRILLIANT
CONS
👎🏻Cannot be Expanded
👎🏻6GB Default/Max Memory is Weird
👎🏻CPU is a little old
👎🏻No M.2 NVMe SSD Support
👎🏻Only 2x AI Tasks at once
👎🏻Only 1x Network Port (no failover)

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Need More Help Choosing the right NAS?

Choosing the right data storage solution for your needs can be very intimidating and it’s never too late to ask for help. With options ranging from NAS to DAS, Thunderbolt to SAS and connecting everything up so you can access all your lovely data at the touch of a button can be a lot simpler than you think. If you want some tips, guidance or help with everything from compatibility to suitability of a solution for you, why not drop me a message below and I will get back to you as soon as possible with what you should go for, its suitability and the best place to get it. This service is designed without profit in mind and in order to help you with your data storage needs, so I will try to answer your questions as soon as possible. Just enter in a few details of your setup, storage requirements and (in the case of buying a new solution) your budget – then me and Eddie the Web guy can help you with your question. This is a completely free service, is NOT provided with profit in mind and is manned by two humans (no bots, no automated replies, etc). Assistance might take an extra day or two (the service gets a lot of visitors) but we do try to answer every message. If you want to support this service, you can find out how to donate HERE. Otherwise, you can still just message us for free advice anyway!

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Need Advice on Data Storage from an Expert?

Finally, for free advice about your setup, just leave a message in the comments below here at NASCompares.com and we will get back to you. Need Help? Where possible (and where appropriate) please provide as much information about your requirements, as then I can arrange the best answer and solution to your needs. Do not worry about your e-mail address being required, it will NOT be used in a mailing list and will NOT be used in any way other than to respond to your enquiry. [contact-form-7] TRY CHAT Terms and Conditions
If you like this service, please consider supporting us. We use affiliate links on the blog allowing NAScompares information and advice service to be free of charge to you.Anything you purchase on the day you click on our links will generate a small commission which isused to run the website. Here is a link for Amazon and B&H.You can also get me a ☕ Ko-fi or old school Paypal. Thanks!To find out more about how to support this advice service check HEREIf you need to fix or configure a NAS, check Fiver Have you thought about helping others with your knowledge? Find Instructions Here  
 
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Synology Stopping Support of EXT4 on RackStation DSM 7.2 – Should You Be Worried?

Par : Rob Andrews
4 décembre 2023 à 15:00

Synology DSM 7.2 Update for RackStation Removes EXT4 Support

Synology’s latest update to DSM 7.2 (brings a significant shift in the file system landscape for its NAS devices. This update not only enhances the functionality of the Storage Manager but also marks a crucial transition from EXT4 to BTRFS file systems for many of its models. This article delves into the specifics of this update, the differences between EXT4 and BTRFS file systems, and guides you on how to navigate these changes, including reverting to older firmware versions for EXT4 support.

What is Changing in Synology DSM 7.2 and EXT4 Support?

The DSM 7.2 1.0.0-0017 Storage Manager Update introduces several key changes:

– **Storage Manager Modularization**: Aims to improve system maintenance and update flexibility.
– **Automatic Firmware Updates**: Synology drives will now receive firmware updates during DSM updates.
– **Discontinuation of EXT4 Volume Creation**: Rackmount models will no longer support the creation of new EXT4 volumes.
– **Termination of WDDA Support**: The Western Digital Device Analytics hard drive monitoring function is discontinued.

Learn more about why WDDA has been removed HERE in our Video and HERE in our Article.

Differences Between EXT4 and BTRFS on a Synology NAS?

Though Synology has supported EXT4 for a considerably longer time than BTRFS (as the latter is comparably new in the file system market vs many others), they have gradually grown towards BTRFS more and more. With many applications such as Synology Virtual Machine Manager strictly functioning only with BTRFS volumes, as well as the general hardware level of even affordable systems now having more memory, the move by the brand towards abandoning EXT4 support isn’t hugely surprisingly. On the face of it, BTRFS brings a lot of feature advantages over EXT4 (a more pure, but bare bones file system), such as:

Feature EXT4 BTRFS
Data Integrity Basic Journaling Advanced with checksums and self-healing
Snapshots Not Supported Supported with low overhead
File System Expansion Limited Up to 1 PB
Performance Generally faster Slightly slower but more features
Data Scrubbing Not Supported Supported
User Quotas Limited Advanced, per-folder quotas
Compatibility Broader, older models Modern, higher-end models

EXT4 offers basic data protection with journaling and is known for its performance, making it suitable for older or entry-level NAS models. BTRFS, on the other hand, brings advanced features like data integrity checks, snapshots, and efficient storage management, making it ideal for critical data storage and enterprise use. Their biggest competitor QNAP on the other hand provides support of EXT4 on their rackmount and desktop devices (as well as ZFS on their business and enterprise systems), but nevertheless still supports snapshots, scrubbing, integrity checks, deduplication and other features that EXT4 was not specifically designed with. So, how does QNAP offer these, without BTRFS?

How Does QNAP use EXT4 volumes, but still have snapshots, data scrubbing, expansions and integrity checks?

QNAP, another leading NAS (Network Attached Storage) brand, provides functionality such as snapshots, data scrubbing, volume expansion, and integrity checks even though it primarily uses the EXT4 file system instead of BTRFS. This is achieved through a combination of software solutions and file system enhancements that work alongside EXT4. Here’s how QNAP incorporates these features:

1. **Snapshots**:
– QNAP implements a snapshot feature on EXT4 through its proprietary snapshot technology. This technology allows the NAS to capture and save the state of a file system at a specific point in time.
– It uses a block-based approach, meaning that only changes (or deltas) since the last snapshot are saved, which makes this process efficient in terms of storage space.

2. **Data Scrubbing**:
– Data scrubbing (or integrity checking) is a process that QNAP implements at the software level.
– The system periodically scans the storage to check for inconsistencies or errors and attempts to correct them, thus ensuring the integrity of the data stored on the NAS.

3. **Volume Expansion**:
– EXT4 file systems on QNAP devices support dynamic expansion, allowing users to increase their storage capacity by replacing existing drives with larger ones or by adding new drives to the system.
– QNAP provides an easy-to-use interface for managing this process, ensuring data is kept safe and accessible during the expansion.

4. **Integrity Checks**:
– QNAP utilizes a combination of RAID configurations and additional software mechanisms to ensure data integrity.
– RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) configurations like RAID 5 or RAID 6 provide redundancy, protecting data against drive failures.
– Additional software checks and balances are implemented to detect and correct data corruption.

While QNAP NAS devices primarily use the EXT4 file system, they incorporate additional proprietary software solutions and techniques to provide advanced features typically associated with file systems like BTRFS. This combination allows QNAP to offer robust data protection and management capabilities while leveraging the performance and compatibility advantages of EXT4.

How to Install Old Firmware Updates via the Synology /download Area to Still Have EXT4 Volume Creation Support?

If you need to maintain EXT4 support, you can revert to an older firmware version:

1. **Visit Synology Download Center**: Go to [Synology’s official download center](https://www.synology.com/en-global/support/download).
2. **Select Your NAS Model**: Find and select your specific NAS model.
3. **Choose Older Firmware**: Look for firmware versions prior to DSM 7.2.
4. **Download and Manual Update**: Download the desired firmware and use the DSM interface to manually update your NAS.

Remember, reverting to an older firmware may limit access to newer features and updates.

Which Synology NAS Devices are Affected?

The DSM 7.2 update affects a range of rackmount models, particularly in their ability to create new EXT4 volumes. The affected series include:

– **FS Series**: FS6400 to FS1018
– **HD Series**: HD6500
– **SA Series**: SA6400 to SA3200D
– **23 to 16 Series**: Various models like RS2423RP+ and RS18016xs+

The Full List is:

  • FS series: FS6400, FS3600, FS3410, FS3400, FS3017, FS2500, FS2017, FS1018
  • HD series: HD6500
  • SA series: SA6400, SA3610, SA3600, SA3410, SA3400, SA3400D, SA3200D
  • 23 series: RS2423RP+, RS2423+
  • 22 series: RS822RP+, RS822+, RS422+
  • 21 series: RS4021xs+, RS3621xs+, RS3621RPxs, RS2821RP+, RS2421RP+, RS2421+, RS1221RP+, RS1221+
  • 20 series: RS820RP+, RS820+
  • 19 series: RS1619xs+, RS1219+, RS819
  • 18 series: RS3618xs, RS2818RP+, RS2418RP+, RS2418+, RS818RP+, RS818+
  • 17 series: RS18017xs+, RS4017xs+, RS3617xs+, RS3617RPxs, RS3617xs
  • 16 series: RS18016xs+, RS2416RP+, RS2416+

Existing EXT4 volumes on these models will continue to function normally, but new EXT4 volume creation is no longer supported.

Why Would Synology Cease Support of EXT4 Volume Creation in DSM 7.2?

Synology’s decision to cease supporting the creation of new EXT4 volumes in DSM 7.2 for certain models, especially rackmount NAS devices, is likely driven by several strategic and technical considerations:

1. **Advanced Features of BTRFS**: BTRFS (B-tree File System) offers advanced features that EXT4 lacks. These include built-in data protection mechanisms like snapshot support, data integrity checks, and self-healing capabilities. By focusing on BTRFS, Synology can provide more robust and advanced data management and protection features to its users.

2. **Data Integrity and Reliability**: BTRFS has superior data integrity features compared to EXT4, such as checksums for data and metadata, and the ability to automatically detect and correct data corruption. This is particularly important for enterprise environments where data reliability and integrity are critical.

3. **Snapshot and Replication Features**: BTRFS supports efficient snapshot and replication features, which are essential for modern data backup and recovery strategies. These features are more storage-efficient and less performance-intensive on BTRFS compared to similar functionality implemented on EXT4.

4. **Future-Proofing the Technology**: Focusing on BTRFS can be seen as a move to future-proof Synology’s technology. BTRFS is a newer file system with ongoing development and support, ensuring that Synology NAS devices remain compatible with future storage technologies and features.

5. **Market Positioning**: By aligning more closely with BTRFS, Synology may be aiming to position its products more strongly in the enterprise and professional market segments, where these advanced features are in higher demand.

6. **Simplifying Software Maintenance and Updates**: Supporting fewer file systems can streamline software development, testing, and maintenance for Synology. This focus can lead to quicker updates and potentially more stable and secure software releases.

7. **Performance Considerations**: While EXT4 is known for its performance, BTRFS has made significant strides in this area. For many applications, the performance difference may be negligible, while the data protection and management benefits of BTRFS are considerable.

It’s important to note that while creation of new EXT4 volumes is being phased out in certain models, existing EXT4 volumes continue to be supported. This approach helps Synology transition to newer technology without disrupting existing users who rely on EXT4.

Conclusion – Should You Be Worried?

The Synology DSM 7.2 update marks a significant transition from EXT4 to BTRFS file systems, affecting several NAS models. This change underscores Synology’s focus on advanced data integrity and storage features offered by BTRFS. Users needing to maintain EXT4 can revert to older firmware versions, but this comes at the cost of missing out on new features and improvements. This update is a strategic step by Synology, aligning its products with future-focused storage technology.

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Need Advice on Data Storage from an Expert?

Finally, for free advice about your setup, just leave a message in the comments below here at NASCompares.com and we will get back to you. Need Help? Where possible (and where appropriate) please provide as much information about your requirements, as then I can arrange the best answer and solution to your needs. Do not worry about your e-mail address being required, it will NOT be used in a mailing list and will NOT be used in any way other than to respond to your enquiry. [contact-form-7] TRY CHAT Terms and Conditions
If you like this service, please consider supporting us. We use affiliate links on the blog allowing NAScompares information and advice service to be free of charge to you.Anything you purchase on the day you click on our links will generate a small commission which isused to run the website. Here is a link for Amazon and B&H.You can also get me a ☕ Ko-fi or old school Paypal. Thanks!To find out more about how to support this advice service check HEREIf you need to fix or configure a NAS, check Fiver Have you thought about helping others with your knowledge? Find Instructions Here  
 
Or support us by using our affiliate links on Amazon UK and Amazon US
    
 
Alternatively, why not ask me on the ASK NASCompares forum, by clicking the button below. This is a community hub that serves as a place that I can answer your question, chew the fat, share new release information and even get corrections posted. I will always get around to answering ALL queries, but as a one-man operation, I cannot promise speed! So by sharing your query in the ASK NASCompares section below, you can get a better range of solutions and suggestions, alongside my own.

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Jonsbo N2 vs Fractal Design Node 304 NAS Case – Which DiY NAS Case Should You Buy?

Par : Rob Andrews
4 décembre 2023 à 18:00

Jonsbo N2 vs Fractal Node 304 NAS Case Comparison

If you’ve been in the market to buy yourself a desktop NAS enclosure on your road towards building the perfect private cloud that is completely under your control, then there is a pretty good chance that you have looked at the Jonsbo N2 case and the Fractal Node 304 NAS enclosure. These are 2 DIY NAS cases that have been released around a decade apart, yet they are both among the most popular and most recommended desktop cases in the market. It’s surprising how 10 years can pass, yet these two server cases still hold prominence. This prominence leaves you with the ultimate question: which one is best suited to your rather compact private server needs? That is what we’re covering in today’s article. We are going to compare these cases, their strengths and weaknesses, and hopefully, by the end of it, you’ll know which one is going to proudly house your future data storage cloud.

Jonsbo N2

Fractal Node 304

Amazon Check $149 (Check Amazon HERE) $89 (Check Amazon HERE)
AliExpress Check $76 (Check Aliexpress HERE) $109 (Check Aliexpress HERE)
Storage Potential – Supports 5 traditional HDDs and 1 SATA SSD. – Can accommodate 6 drives with more flexibility.
– Modern ejectable storage bays. – Older design, non-ejectable drive caddies.
CPU & Mobo Support – Limited CPU cooler height up to 65mm. – Ample space for CPU coolers up to 160mm.
– More compact design for motherboard support. – Horizontal motherboard placement at base.
PCIe Upgrades – Supports only specific dimensions for PCIe cards. – Highly flexible, supporting most PCIe cards.
– Limited to half-height, 3/4 length cards. – Space and design born from the GPU boom era.
Ventilation – Single fan behind storage bays. – Enhanced ventilation with multiple fan setups.

Jonsbo N2 vs Fractal Node 304 NAS Case – Specifications Compared

Before we go any further, it’s worth quickly comparing the specifications of these two cases. As mentioned earlier, private NAS server components have been in development from hundreds of brands across thousands of products for many years now, and it can be easy to accidentally choose an incompatible piece of hardware. Therefore, I recommend you take the time to quickly check the specifications below, just to double-check that the Jonsbo N2 and Fractal Node 304 are definitely going to be compatible with your CPU, motherboard, or PSU of choice.

Specification/Feature Jonsbo N2

Fractal Node 304

Dimensions 222.5mm(W) x 222.5mm(D) x 224mm(H) 250mm (W) x 210mm (H) x 374mm (D)
Material External: 2.0mm Aluminum alloy; Internal: 1mm Steel Not specified
HDD/SSD Positions 1 x 2.5″ SSD, 5 x 3.5″ HDD 6 (3.5″ / 2.5″)
Motherboard Compatibility ITX Mini ITX, Mini DTX
PCI Expansion Slots 1 x Low profile single slot 2
Front Ports 1 x USB 3.0 / USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C, Audio+Mic (Combined) 2x USB 3.0, 1x 3.5 mm audio in, 1x 3.5mm audio out, Power button with LED, HDD LED
PSU Compatibility SFX (≤150mm) ATX (up to 160 mm in length)
Max. CPU Cooler Height ≤65mm 165mm
GPU Max Length ≤197mm (Low profile) 310mm (restrictions apply)
Cooling System 1 x 12015mm fan (built-in) Front: 2x 92mm, Rear: 1x 140mm
Weight 2.9kg 4.9kg
Warranty Not specified 2 Years

Even a casual glance at the specifications side by side will give you a decent understanding of the slightly different target audience that these two systems have in mind. The Jonsbo N2 appears to be a more compact solution, while the Fractal Node 304 definitely seems bulkier of the two. With that said, let’s move on to our first section: design.

Jonsbo N2 vs Fractal Node 304 NAS Case – Design

One of the clearest and most obvious distinctions between the N2 and the Node 304 is the sheer physical size difference. Even though both of these systems offer a somewhat similar level of hardware support and internal cavities for different utilities, there’s a significant distinction between them in terms of physical space.

A large part of this difference stems from how each system is oriented in terms of its intended use. The Fractal Node 304 is much more focused on storage than on other cloud server applications. This orientation allows the system to be considerably more compact, emphasizing ventilation, with the storage cavity occupying roughly 30 to 40% of the entire enclosure’s physical space.

The Fractal Node 304, on the other hand, strikes a balance between storage, utilities, and support for numerous PCI upgrades in the future. Although both systems support only M-ITX motherboards, the Node 304 provides significantly more space for all internal components.

Both chassis predominantly feature a metal-based material design, with a smattering of plastic around the edges and front panel. They are available in both black and white color options, and neither have immediately visible LED indicators. The front panel of the Fractal Node 304 exhibits a brushed steel effect, with ventilation primarily around the edges rather than the front. The N2, however, boasts more ventilation around its front panel’s lower half, an aspect we’ll delve into shortly.

A notable distinction lies in their USB connectivity. The Fractal Node 304 offers two USB 3.2 Gen 1 5Gb/s Type A connections, whereas the newer N2 provides a mix of USB Type A and Type C, alongside 10 gigabit USB 3.2 Gen 2 connections. It’s essential to ensure that your ITX motherboard has the appropriate front panel connectors (or you have an adapter card). This difference is one of the subtle quality-of-life enhancements resulting from the N2’s more recent release.

A decade ago, the Fractal Node case was a standout. Most DIY NAS cases back then were either slightly tweaked standard PC towers or bulky, outdated modded shuttle cases. These didn’t quite match the style of turnkey NAS solutions from brands like Synology or QNAP. Fast forward to 2023, and there’s a plethora of stylish and contemporary NAS enclosures for DIY enthusiasts. This change in landscape explains the surge in popularity for cases like the Jonsbo N2, known for their robust construction and tailored design for private server use. Aesthetically, I have a preference for the Jonsbo N2 due to its compact nature. But how does this more discreet and compact design fare? Up next, we’ll explore the ventilation and cooling aspects of these two NAS enclosures.

Jonsbo N2 vs Fractal Node 304 NAS Case – Ventilation and Cooling

To say that these two devices have approached the subject of ventilation in entirely different manners would be a significant understatement! This discrepancy is particularly striking given the vast differences in size between the two units. Even with a cursory look, it’s evident that the older Fractal Node 304 has superior ventilation.

The newer Jonsbo N2, with its more compact design, arguably offers a streamlined ventilation approach due to the significant space occupied by the 3.5″ bays. In the N2, most ventilation can be channeled along a singular path. As long as there are ample spaces between components, the fans can efficiently direct airflow through these cavities, exiting through passive ventilation outlets. Specifically, the N2 offers ventilation on both sides, across the top (directly above the motherboard and CPU fan), and at the rear where a large 120mm fan is positioned behind the storage drives.

In contrast, the Fractal Node 304 adopts a more expansive approach. While its front remains flat without any storage, ventilation surrounds its edges, complemented by a mesh vent at the top. Inside, two 92mm fans draw air in, channeling it towards an even more massive 140mm fan at the rear. These silent-design fans, despite numbering three, collaboratively minimize operational noise, a fact attested by multiple reviews over the years. Moreover, given the Node 304’s capacity to accommodate a wider range of internal components, additional passive ventilation and mesh panels are present on both sides, plus a removable mesh vent panel beneath the motherboard. With support for larger PCIe cards and power supplies, the Node 304’s side ventilation panels are also more expansive and include dust-capturing vents.

It’s reasonably expected for the larger case to have more ventilation and space for extra fans. Yet, considering both these systems support MITx motherboards and have a slight difference in SATA drive count, the stark difference in ventilation, especially given a similar price point, is surprising. In some places, the more extensive and better-ventilated Node 304 even offers more value for money. Furthermore, given the N2’s tightly packed hardware, one may wonder if its single fan and current ventilation strategy would suffice for more demanding builds. While the Jonsbo is undoubtedly a feast for the eyes and likely benefits from subsequent years of NAS case R&D, the Fractal Node remains the frontrunner in terms of superior ventilation and active cooling capabilities.

Jonsbo N2 vs Fractal Node 304 NAS Case – Storage Potential

Assessing the storage potential of both the N2 and Node 304 requires considering multiple aspects, such as the inherent storage capabilities and the potential for expansion. Both systems offer roughly similar SATA storage capacities, with each claiming support for six drives. In the N2’s case, this translates to five traditional hard drives and one SATA SSD drive. When incorporating the potential of upgradable PCIe cards (a topic we will delve into in more detail later), the Node 304 clearly allows users to attach a greater number of m.2 SSD drives via compatible expansion cards.

That said, it’s crucial to acknowledge that the decade-old Fractal Node 304 employs a somewhat outdated and intricate method for its SATA storage bays. Modern NAS cases generally favor hot-swappable storage bays and trays. These enhance the user experience by permitting the addition of new drives during an existing drive failure without powering down the system. This convenience leads to shorter RAID rebuilds and resync durations and demands less maintenance. This feature is especially valuable for premium business servers that cannot afford extended downtimes or for larger RAID configurations. The latter group avoids powering down and restarting existing storage pools, lest another faulty drive activates. Despite the Node 304’s enduring appeal since its launch, its design—featuring protruding drive caddies and requiring individual cable connections to motherboards or PCIe cards—feels dated. Consequently, the now-standard ejectable storage bays on the N2 appear far more attractive.

The N2 boasts somewhat unconventional yet user-friendly rubber-handled storage drive bays. Additionally, its internal backplane has all five combined SATA and power connectors directly soldered and aligned with the corresponding drive slots. Users will still need to connect each of these SATA drives to the motherboard via angled SATA cables through a dedicated space in the side of the enclosure. However, this configuration results in a much smoother drive installation process, which has been the preferred approach in most NAS server designs over the years.

Over the decade since the Fractal Node 304’s introduction, enthusiasts have created numerous modifications and 3D printed plans for improved storage brackets for this case. Some have even designed third-party SATA backplanes tailored for those protruding drive caddies, simplifying the task of connecting multiple drives. Nevertheless, in its original form, the Node 304’s drive bays come across as remarkably archaic, especially when juxtaposed with the direct-injection storage ease offered by the N2.

Jonsbo N2 vs Fractal Node 304 NAS Case – CPU and Mobo Support

Both the Jonsbo N2 and Fractal Node 304 NAS enclosures cater to DIY builders and are compatible with MRTX and DTX motherboards. The larger Node 804 accommodates m-ITX, attracting numerous users. However, MITx technology has witnessed significant advancements over recent years. Today, you can easily find ITX motherboards that support the most current Intel Core and IMD processors. This progress effectively negates any past limitations these compact motherboards may have posed. Within the context of the N2 and Node 304, the motherboard placement varies considerably.

The Fractal Node 304 positions the motherboard horizontally at the base of the case, complemented by the aforementioned ventilation panel underneath. Conversely, the N2 places the motherboard closer to the case’s top, yet it still maintains horizontal alignment. While both designs allow for the attachment of a PCIe card without necessitating a riser or sister board, the varied placements result in considerable differences in CPU cooler support. CPU fans, heat sinks, or coolers—regardless of terminology—are indispensable for 24/7 server operation. The more robust your CPU, the more substantial and sophisticated your cooling solution must be. If your system involves a moderate setup, like a top-tier Celeron or Pentium, the issue is less pressing. Many motherboards in this category come with an attached micro CPU fan or are compatible with horizontally-positioned CPU fans that are around an inch in height. However, advanced processors require more intricate coolers with integrated fans, copper piping, and a design that sits slightly above the motherboard to ensure optimal airflow.

Unfortunately, the Jonsbo N2 has a height restriction for CPU coolers at 65mm. Though coolers fitting this specification for contemporary processors do exist, they often carry a premium price due to their incorporation of more copper piping and multiple smaller fans. Moreover, a cooler’s efficacy increases when aligned with the case’s passive/active ventilation—a feature the N2 somewhat lacks. The N2’s singular fan is situated behind the storage bays, and there isn’t a dedicated fan space for the motherboard and CPU. In contrast, the Jonsbo N3 case can accommodate two 80mm fans, while the N2 lacks the space or the necessary mounting brackets.

On the other hand, the Node 304 not only includes two 92mm fans and a larger 140mm rear-mounted fan but also accommodates CPU coolers with a height of up to 160mm. Owing to the motherboard’s base-level positioning within the chassis, even after installing larger PCIe cards and hard drives, there remains ample space for the market’s most substantial CPU coolers—ideal for high-performance server configurations.

In summary, regarding motherboard and CPU installation, the Fractal Node 304 offers notably more space and cooling versatility than the N2, notwithstanding the decade gap in their respective release dates. Up next, we’ll explore PCIe installation, highlighting another key distinction between the two models.

Jonsbo N2 vs Fractal Node 304 NAS Case – PCIe Upgrades

Long-term scalability and upgrades of your NAS server aren’t considerations exclusive to businesses. Even the most casual enthusiast should factor in potential future changes. Whether you’re contemplating upgrading your local area network, enhancing your private server with lightning-fast m.2 SSD storage, or even venturing into adding a graphics card down the line, PCIe upgrade slots on your chosen NAS server will undoubtedly be a critical aspect, whether on day one or day 1,000. Choosing the appropriate NAS case, ensuring it allows you to effectively scale via PCIe expansions, is a foundational decision. It’s a choice that, years down the line, you’ll either commend or regret. The N2 seems to offer fewer considerations for PCIe upgrades, which is surprising given the decade difference in release dates compared to the Fractal Node 304.

The Fractal Node 304 can accommodate virtually any PCIe card, regardless of its height, length, or depth. Designed during the peak of GPU cryptocurrency mining, the Node 304 mitigates the single PCIe slot limitation inherent in M-ITX motherboards by providing ample space for almost any card—eliminating the need for a riser or expander card. This flexibility is not just due to its generous physical dimensions but also its thoughtful design: the side housing the PCIe slots boasts a large, ventilated, mesh-protected panel, which significantly boosts active airflow.

In contrast, the Jonsbo N2, while able to house a single PCIe card, imposes far more restrictions on card dimensions. Practically speaking, the N2 confines users to half-height, 3/4 length, and single-depth cards (owing to the lower cavity at the case’s top). Consequently, a majority of graphics cards are incompatible. Additionally, while single and dual-port cards will fit, quad-port cards—typically full-height—are incompatible. Another potential hurdle is the single card depth, which, though seldom an issue for network expansion cards, might become problematic for aggressive m.2 storage expander cards that come equipped with sizable heat dissipation panels.

For many, these limitations might not deter them from selecting the Jonsbo N2, which remains an excellent choice for a DIY NAS enclosure. However, it’s undeniable that the seasoned Fractal Node 304 provides more space and versatility for expansions.

Conclusion: Jonsbo N2 vs Fractal Node 304 NAS Case

After a detailed analysis of the Jonsbo N2 and the Fractal Node 304 NAS cases, it becomes clear that each offers unique advantages tailored to specific user needs. For the modern enthusiast or DIY builder who values sleek design and appreciates newer features like direct-injected storage bays, the Jonsbo N2 is a fantastic choice. Its design, though limiting in some aspects like PCIe upgrades, still offers sufficient versatility for those who don’t require expansive graphics or connectivity solutions. It’s well-suited for users who desire a NAS for standard use without aggressive expansion plans.

On the other hand, the Fractal Node 304, with its decade-old legacy, stands out for users prioritizing versatility and upgradability. Despite its older design, it offers more room for CPU coolers, greater flexibility in PCIe card selection, and superior ventilation—making it ideal for power users and those looking to build more aggressive server setups. Moreover, businesses and hobbyists inclined towards regular expansions will find the Node 304’s forward-thinking design a significant boon. Ultimately, choosing between the two boils down to individual requirements. The N2 serves as a modern, efficient solution for standard builds, while the Node 304 caters to those seeking maximum flexibility and growth potential.

Jonsbo N2

Fractal Node 304

Amazon Check $149 (Check Amazon HERE) $89 (Check Amazon HERE)
AliExpress Check $76 (Check Aliexpress HERE) $109 (Check Aliexpress HERE)
Storage Potential – Supports 5 traditional HDDs and 1 SATA SSD. – Can accommodate 6 drives with more flexibility.
– Modern ejectable storage bays. – Older design, non-ejectable drive caddies.
CPU & Mobo Support – Limited CPU cooler height up to 65mm. – Ample space for CPU coolers up to 160mm.
– More compact design for motherboard support. – Horizontal motherboard placement at base.
PCIe Upgrades – Supports only specific dimensions for PCIe cards. – Highly flexible, supporting most PCIe cards.
– Limited to half-height, 3/4 length cards. – Space and design born from the GPU boom era.
Ventilation – Single fan behind storage bays. – Enhanced ventilation with multiple fan setups.

This table succinctly encapsulates the strengths and weaknesses of both NAS cases, aiding potential buyers in making an informed decision based on their specific needs.

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Recommended 4-Bay NAS of the Year 2023/2024

Par : Rob Andrews
6 décembre 2023 à 18:00

A Guide to the Best 4-Bay NAS Drives to Buy Right Now

For professionals transitioning from cloud services to private servers, the 4-Bay NAS market is often the preferred starting point in 2023-2024. With NAS hard drives reaching capacities of 22TB and soon 24TB, combined with enhanced redundancy features for data safety, these 4-disk servers stand out for their superior internal and external hardware. The evolution of NAS technology has significantly raised the quality of prosumer and small-business 4-Bay NAS systems, maintaining a consistent price point across different tiers. As an experienced reviewer of numerous NAS devices over the past few years, I can confidently state that the 2023-2024 period is one of the most competitive yet. The latest developments include widespread adoption of M.2 NVMe SSDs for caching and storage in all major NAS brands, the expansion of 2.5GbE networking, introduction of new processors enabling higher internal bandwidth, and the continuous enhancement of NAS software, making these devices more versatile and powerful than ever. So, let’s explore the best 4-Bay NAS drives available as we head into 2023-2024.

Best 4-Bay NAS of the Year

What Have All the Best 4-Bay NAS Drives Have in Common?

While there’s a vast array of 4-Bay NAS drives available as we head into 2023-2024, it’s crucial to recognize that their quality and features vary significantly. The market is awash with budget options, but these often lack the durability and performance of premium brands. In your search for the ideal 4-Bay NAS, whether it’s among my top recommendations or elsewhere, look for systems that consistently provide the following key features:

  • Combined Hardware & Software Solution: This includes the NAS hardware and a comprehensive software suite with a web browser GUI, mobile apps, and desktop client apps for various functionalities including backup, media streaming, surveillance, and file management.
  • Support for Both SATA and M.2 NVMe SSD Bays: All top 4-Bay NAS drives this year feature this essential hardware capability.

  • Compatibility Across Multiple Operating Systems: Each NAS system should work seamlessly with Windows, Mac, Android, and Linux.

  • Warranty of 2-3 Years, Extendable to 5 Years: A standard warranty period with an option for extension.

  • Local and Secure Remote Network Access: Capability for local network access and secure remote access via brand-supported services, at no extra cost.

  • Support for Latest Large Capacity Hard Drives: Modern NAS systems should support up to 20TB NAS hard drives, such as Seagate Ironwolf 22TB and WD Red 22TB.

  • Multiple Drive Configurations (RAID): These enhance both performance and data safety.

  • Regular Security and Feature Updates: Ensuring the NAS system stays up-to-date and secure.

  • Cloud and Business Service Synchronization: Compatibility with services like Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, AWS, Azure, and Backblaze.

  • Shared Drive Hosting Capability: The ability to host a shared drive on PC, mobile, or laptop systems, synchronized with the NAS and displayed in the native file manager.

  • Direct Access via Ethernet/Network Cable: For high-speed connectivity, direct access through an ethernet/network cable to the NAS is essential.

  • Backup and Sync Tools: These should be available for installation on local client computers, facilitating regular backups of files and system data.

Ensure that any 4-Bay NAS you are considering possesses these features, as they are critical for a quality NAS experience. Now, let’s delve into the top 4-Bay NAS drives to invest in for 2023-2024.


Honourable Mention: QNAP TVS-474 NAS

0-88TB, 4-Bays, 2x Gen 3 x2 M.2 NVMe 2280, Intel Pentium Gold G7400 2-core/4-thread 3.7 GHz CPU, Intel Embedded UHD Graphics 710, 8-128GB DDR4 Memory, 2x 2.5Gbe Port, PCIe Gen 4 x16 + PCIe Gen 3 x2, USB 10G, HDMI 2.0B, 3-5yr Warranty

Current Price/Availability on Amazon – $1,199

Hardware Preview – LINK

YouTube Video Review – Watch

What I said in my Preview Sept ’22:

As previously mentioned, the QNAP TVS-h474, TVS-h674 and TVS-h874 are the follow-ups to the popular TVS-472XT, TVS-672XT and TVS-872XT released in the closing stages of 2018. In the 4 years since their initial release, that thunderbolt 3 product series ended up being diversified into a standalone 10GbE version and a 5GbE version – all of which using 2/4/6 Core, 8th Gen Intel Core processors and PCIe 3 architecture. The newer 4, 6 and 8-Bay x74 series have pretty much ramped up every element of their predecessor’s architecture (even the USB ports) and although the CPU is the main reason for this tremendous upscaling of the result of the hardware architecture, you do still get some fantastic hardware under the bonnet generally. That said, it’s worth highlighting that the scaling of the hardware between each capacity tier (and even sub-versions at each tier) means that depending on which system in the series you choose, some hardware options might not be available. The TVS-h874-64GB 8-Bay version is the full Intel i9 16 Core version with full PCIe4 support and 10GbE, whereas the most affordable tier is the TVS-h474-8G 4-Bay with PCIe 3/4 architecture, a Dual Core Pentium Gold and 2.5GbE. Let’s quickly compare the hardware architecture of the three NAS systems and their sub-versions:

So, let’s dig a little deeper into those CPUs.  With QNAP slowly revealing more and more PCIe 4 upgrade and expansion cards (such as the 2x10GbE+2xPCIe4 NVMe Combo card QM2-2P410G2T and the Dual Port 100GbE QXG-100G2SF-CX6), the necessity for their business class and desktop enterprise solutions to utilize these cards is going to be tremendously important. However, PCIe 4 bandwidth is what makes these cards possible, as a single PCIe4 lane provides approx 2,000MB/s compared with the 1000MB/s of PCIe3 – even when you add x4 or x16 lane multipliers that form the architecture of PCI slots, that still means a difference of 16GB vs 32GB of potential bandwidth. The barrier for many though is that PCIe4, although established in many motherboards and accessories, is not quite as widely supported in server-class CPUs till around 2021 onwards. This (alongside a hugely powerful onboard embedded graphics component) is what continues to push QNAP to utilize the Intel Core family of CPUs in this product tier over the years. With CPUBenchmark scoring for these CPUs ranging from 6,600+ to 36,000+, you have some series Xeon/EPYC challenging processors here and when you consider these are DESKTOP solutions, not rackmount, that is especially impressive!

SOFTWARE - 9/10
HARDWARE - 10/10
PERFORMANCE - 10/10
PRICE - 7/10
VALUE - 8/10


8.8
PROS
👍🏻ZFS and EXT4 Support
👍🏻Pentium Gold Processor 4-Bay - NICE
👍🏻Graphics Card Support
👍🏻PCIe Gen 4 Lanes and a 4x16 Slot
👍🏻2.5GbE by default
👍🏻Massive Memory Support
👍🏻LCD Panel Always Useful
👍🏻USB 10G Ports
👍🏻m.2 NVMe SSD Slots for Caching OR Storage Pools
👍🏻Best Plex 4-Bay NAS in 2022/2023 by a good distance!
CONS
👎🏻Expensive!
👎🏻Still waiting for an I3 option
👎🏻Power Hungry and a pinch noisy in operation
DEAL WATCH Is It On Offer Right Now?


These Offers are Checked Daily

 


Lowest Priced Plex 4-Bay NAS Drive – Terramaster F4-423 NAS

0-88TB, 4-Bays, 2x Gen 3 x1 M.2 NVMe 2280, Intel N5105 Celeron CPU Quad-Core Integrated Gfx CPU, 4-16GB Memory, 2x 2.5Gbe Port, 3yr Warranty

Current Price/Availability on Amazon – $460

Hardware Review – LINK

YouTube Video Review – Watch

What I said in my review May’22:

Terramaster still continues to be the most affordable fully-featured provider of the whole NAS market and although a number of their solutions have always felt a little rough around the edges, you always got the impression that you were getting a good deal for the hardware that was available from QNAP and Synology. Now in 2022/2023, the same continues to be true but in the F4-423 NAS’ case, you are actually getting some pretty top tier (for the Home/Prosumer) market at a price tag that is really tough to argue with. Terramaster has clearly been watching their bigger competitors and cherry-picked the features that people have been asking for (2.5GbE, USB 3.2 Gen 2, M.2 NVMe SSD bays, etc) for this new generation.

In terms of software, things are a little less convincing and although TOS 5 (currently in Beta at the time of writing) still continues to evolve into something genuinely fully featured and impressive, TOS 4 that the F4-423 includes at launch is usable (if unexciting) platform that provides the base level services that a new NAS user would want, but lacks killer apps that their competitors are offering right now (File Streaming, AI photo recognition, Surveillance, etc). Most of these ARE included in TOS5, but until it arrives much later in 2022 in a full release, the F4-423 feels like a powerful NAS that doesn’t have the software to show off its strengths yet. If you are reading this later in 2022 or 2023, this might well be irrelevant though, as the brand rolls out their bit firmware update to ALL Terramster NAS devices. Overall, I definitely CAN recommend the F4-423 NAS for its hardware, for Plex Media server or as an affordable multi-tier backup solution, but if you are looking for a NAS for more tailored data access or in a much more fully-featured package – hold out a little longer till TOS 5 gets released first.

SOFTWARE - 5/10
HARDWARE - 8/10
PERFORMANCE - 8/10
PRICE - 10/10
VALUE - 8/10


7.8
PROS
👍🏻2.5GbE at the Price of 1GbE
👍🏻Good CPU for the Price Point
👍🏻USB 3.2 Gen 2 is very forward-thinking for local backups
👍🏻Great RAID Options
👍🏻Snapshot Replication
👍🏻BTRFS Support if preferred
👍🏻Supports Plex and all 1080p Transcoding
👍🏻4K Video transcoding natively
👍🏻A large amount of maximum memory supported (16-32GB – TBC)
👍🏻Includes two M.2 NVMe SSD Bays that can be used for storage or caching
CONS
👎🏻Default 4GB memory is 2133Mhz
👎🏻HDMI Currently Unsupported
👎🏻Until TOS5 is Fully Released, TOS Software feels a little empty of Killer-Apps (AI photo recognition, Surveillance, etc)
DEAL WATCH Is It On Offer Right Now?


These Offers are Checked Daily

 


Best Software 4-Bay NAS Drive – Synology DS923+ NAS

0-88TB, 4-Bays, 2x PCIe Gen 3 M.2 NVMe 2280, Dual Core AMD Emb.Ryzen R1600 CPU, 4-32GB DDR4 ECC Memory, 2x 1Gbe Port, 10GbE Optional Upgrade Slot, 3-5yr Warranty

Current Price/Availability on Amazon – $550+

Hardware Review – LINK

YouTube Video Review – Watch

What I said in my review Nov’22:

Synology has clearly made something of a gamble in the release of the Synology DS923+ NAS. There is no avoiding that making the switch from the Intel Celeron that has historically been the build choice of this product family and opting for the AMD Emb.Ryzen has ruffled some feathers! On the face of it, the R1600 here has a heck of alot of going for it over the previous generation! Higher clock speed, greater PCIe Gen 3 Support throughout, that 4-32GB of DDR4 memory in such a compact system and just generally giving you a lot more horsepower to play with, as well as better bandwidth potential inside and out! But at what cost? The 1GbE standard connectivity in the base model leaves alot to be desired, the proprietary 10Gb upgrade (though incredibly handy) limits the upgradability a tad and the lack of an integrated graphics processor is likely going to result in many long-term Synology advocates to skip this generation. Synology Diskstation Manager (DSM 7.1 at the time of writing) still continues to impress and although the brand still continues to heavily push their 1st party priorities, they have left a little more wriggle room in DSM 7.1 than DSM 7 before it in terms of media compatibility.

In terms of design, I cannot fault Synology on this as the DS923+ chassis still arrives as one of the best-looking and still exceptionally well-structured devices at this physical scale and storage level. As always, a Synology NAS is more about the software than the hardware (and the DS923+ delivers in spades on the software side!) and with DSM 7.2 around the corner improving things. Just always keep in mind that the Synology DS923+ NAS is a system that arrives with the slight emphasis on having to do many things ‘their way’. If you are less technically versed, then you will definitely appreciate this level of user-friendly design and assistance, but more technically minded admins’ main strain a pinch! In short, the DS923+ IS a good NAS drive, but its focus has certainly ebbed more towards the business user this generation than the home.

SOFTWARE - 10/10
HARDWARE - 7/10
PERFORMANCE - 9/10
PRICE - 8/10
VALUE - 9/10


8.6
PROS
👍🏻DSM 7/7.1 (and DSM7.2 Around the corner) still continues to be an absolute tour-de-force of NAS Software
👍🏻This latest generation expandable 4-Bay arriving with a 10G Upgrade Option is fantastic
👍🏻ECC Memory Support and scalability to 32GB is completely unparallel at this price point
👍🏻The design of the DS923+ NAS still continues to be market-leading
👍🏻The New CPU architecture allows great PCIe3 bandwidth to be afforded to the rest of the hardware, inside and out
👍🏻Low Noise, Low Physical Impact and Intelligent Automatic Power Use Adjustment Settings
👍🏻Increased Support for macOS in Synology Drive and Active Backup Suite (DSM 7.2)
👍🏻Synology C2 Cloud Services, 1st Party Backup/Sync Tools and Collaboration Suite App = Complete 1st Party Eco-system that can rival Office365 and Google Workspace
👍🏻PCIe Gen 3 M.2 NVMe SSD Support as Storage Pools!!! FINALLY!
👍🏻Tremendously User-Friendly!!!
CONS
👎🏻The AMD Emb.Ryzen instead of a Intel Celeron (with Integrated Graphics) will be a dealbreaker for alot of users
👎🏻The default 1GbE ports that the system arrives with are tremendously dated
👎🏻The USB ports on the system are older gen USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gb/s) and their support/usability have been quite pared back in recent DSM releases
👎🏻The continued moves by Synology to prioritize 1st party hardware and software services may put some users off
👎🏻Plex Support on the Synology DS923+ is still great for native playback, client-side handling and client devices with relevant multimedia licenses in place, but if server-side media conversions are needed - this system will struggle in comparison with the DS920+ before it
DEAL WATCH Is It On Offer Right Now?

Synology 4-Bay DiskStation DS923+ (Diskless) & PNY CS900 1TB 3D NAND 2.5" SATA I Amazon usa USA 18 OFF (WAS 680) [LINK]
Synology 4-Bay DiskStation DS923+ (Diskless) Amazon UK UK 6 OFF (WAS 555) [LINK]
Synology DS923+ 32TB 4 Bay Desktop NAS Solution, Installed with 4 x 8TB Seagate Amazon UK UK 6.83 OFF (WAS 1465) [LINK]
Synology DS923+ 64TB 4 Bay Desktop NAS Solution, installed with 4 x 16TB HAT5300 Amazon UK UK 26.15 OFF (WAS 3741) [LINK]

These Offers are Checked Daily

 


Best All Round 4-Bay NAS Drive – QNAP TS-464 NAS

0-88TB, 4-Bays, 2x PCIe Gen 3×1 M.2 NVMe 2280, Intel Celeron N5105 CPU, 4-16GB Memory, 2x 2.5Gbe Port, 1x PCIe Gen 3×2 Slot, 1 HDMI 2.0 4K 6-FPS, 3-5yr Warranty

Current Price/Availability on Amazon – $550

Hardware Review – LINK

YouTube Video Review – Watch

What I said in my review April ’22:

The TS-464 comfortably arrives with the best hardware in its tier of the NAS market and that is something that QNAP has always been quite good at. Even if you rewind just 5 years, the level of hardware scalability and ease of upgradability that the TS-464 provides is frankly incredible and, fast forward to 2022, is still pretty unmatched. A Desktop 4-Bay NAS (eg Prosumer RAID 5 storage) has always been the next confident step for users who are tired of their hands being tied by subscription cloud services from Google, OneDrive and DropBox, who are looking for their own competent, flexible and fully-featured private server. In the TS-464 NAS, you find a system that is unquestionable the best hardware for your money you can possibly get right now. In software, things are a little less straightforward. QTS 5, although massively software and service-rich, arrives as a complete operating system in your web browser with multiple mobile/desktop clients and hundreds of applications and apps that can be installed at the touch of a button – which can all too often be something of a steep learning curve for many.

Lacking the slightly chewable, user-friendly nature of many of their rivals, QNAP and its software/service still have a tendency to be a bit of an information overload that can quickly intimidate the novice. However, for those that are looking for a system that is completely customizable in how/when/where you want data presented to you, as well as a wide degree of 3rd party support, QNAP and QTS 5 still manages to provide a huge degree of brand-unique service that are simply not available elsewhere. Just be prepared to invest your time wisely in its setup and more time ensuring the system is perfect for your needs.

SOFTWARE - 8/10
HARDWARE - 10/10
PERFORMANCE - 9/10
PRICE - 8/10
VALUE - 9/10


8.8
PROS
👍🏻Very compact chassis design, despite large storage potential
👍🏻A BIG jump in hardware and scale from the TS-453Be and TS-453D, but with a largely identical RRP at launch
👍🏻Easily one of the most hardware packed SMB/Mid-range 4-Bay on the market
👍🏻Up to 16GB of Memory is fantastic
👍🏻m.2 NVMe SSD Bays AND a PCIe Upgrade Slot (no need to choose one upgrade path)
👍🏻8x Included Camera Licenses
👍🏻Includes Anti-virus, Firewall Tool, VPN client tools, Malware Remover, network manager and Security Councilor Tool
👍🏻3 Different Container/VM tools that also feature image download centers
👍🏻10Gb/s (1,000MB/s) USB Ports will be incredibly useful
👍🏻Large range of expansion options in the TR/TL series in 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12 Bays
CONS
👎🏻The PCIe Slot is PCIe 3×2 and the M.2 SSD Bays are PCIe 3×1 (likely limitations of all this H/W on a Celeron+chipset
👎🏻QNAP Has had 3 ransomware hits in 2019-2021 (Qlocker, Qsnatch and Deadbolt). Lots of Security app/changes since, but people remember and QNAP needs to win back that trust in 2022/2023
DEAL WATCH Is It On Offer Right Now?

QNAP TS-464-8G-US 4 Bay High-Performance Desktop NAS with Intel Celeron Quad-cor Amazon usa USA 21.99 OFF (WAS 611) [LINK]
Serwer NAS TS-464eU-8G 4x0HDD 1U Intel Celeron N5105/N5095 8G Amazon usa USA 93.71 OFF (WAS 1298) [LINK]
QNAP TS-464-8G-US 4 Bay High-Performance Desktop NAS with Intel Celeron Quad-cor Amazon UK UK 60.25 OFF (WAS 650) [LINK]
QNAP TS-464U-8G | 4-Bay, 2.5GbE, 1U Rackmount NAS Amazon UK UK 58.74 OFF (WAS 1208) [LINK]

These Offers are Checked Daily

 


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QNAP TVS-h874T Thunderbolt4 NAS Review – Editing Perfection?

Par : Rob Andrews
8 décembre 2023 à 15:00

The QNAP TVS-h874T NAS Drive Review

The unveiling of the TVS-H874T at Computex in summer 2023 marked an important update to the existing TVS-h874 model. This system, positioned in the higher end of the market with a launch price between $2999 and $3499, caters to a niche yet demanding audience. Aimed at content creators, 4K video editors, and those involved in production, the TVS-H874T is designed to meet the intensive demands of high-resolution content management and creation. As the fourth, or by some measures, the fifth generation of Thunderbolt NAS technology, the TVS-H874T raises important considerations for potential users. It represents a significant investment in network storage technology, particularly for professionals who need high-capacity and high-speed storage solutions. This launch prompts several critical questions: Will the TVS-H874T truly benefit content creators and post-production users who are considering it? Does it justify its high price tag in comparison to the capabilities it offers? And, in the evolving landscape of digital storage, are users better off investing in this advanced NAS system, or might traditional Thunderbolt DAS devices suffice for their needs? The answers to these questions will determine the real-world impact and success of the TVS-H874T in a highly specialized market.

QNAP TVS-h874T NAS Highlights

  • Intel 12th Gen i7 or i9 Configuration Options, in 12 Core and 16 Core Versions (20/24 Thread Respectively) with Integrated UHD Graphics 770
  • 32-64GB DDR4 Memory (128GB in Testing)
  • PCIe Gen 4 Architecture (PCIe 4×6 PCIe Upgrade Slot and PCIe 4×4 M.2 NVMe)
  • 8x SATA Bays, Supporting the latest 20TB & 22TB Hard Drives
  • Thunderbolt 4 Connectivity
  • 350W Internal PSU (Graphics Cards Supported)
  • HDMI/KVM Support with USB 3.2 Gen 2 10Gb Connections, Type C and Type A
  • Choice of ZFS or EXT4 System Software and File System

QNAP TVS-h874T NAS Review – Quick Conclusion

In summarizing the capabilities and potential of the QNAP TVS-h874T NAS, released as a late 2023 update to its predecessor, it’s clear that this system represents a significant leap forward in desktop NAS technology. Priced over £2500, it’s a substantial investment, designed with future-proofing in mind. The TVS-h874T not only maintains the longevity and high-end status of the TVS-h874 but also brings to the table enhanced direct data access through Thunderbolt 4 integration. This advancement, supporting IP over Thunderbolt protocol, significantly boosts connectivity and speed, making the system an ideal choice for demanding tasks such as 8K video editing and high-performance computing needs in business environments.

However, the question of whether Thunderbolt NAS is the right fit for all users remains. For those requiring high-speed, multi-user access and scalability, the TVS-h874T is a strong contender. Its support for the latest PCIe 4 standards ensures compatibility with high-performance upgrades, reinforcing its position as a future-proof investment. The software, featuring QTS and QuTS, might require some acclimatization, particularly for those familiar with simpler systems like Synology’s DSM. Yet, the benefits, especially for ZFS enthusiasts, are undeniable, offering advanced RAID management and a plethora of applications and services.

The TVS-h874T’s stance on open hardware and software compatibility is a significant plus in an industry increasingly leaning towards proprietary systems. It accommodates a range of third-party hardware and software, adding to its versatility. In the face of growing concerns over NAS security, the system is well-equipped with comprehensive tools and settings for enhanced security and data protection, addressing the pressing issue of ransomware attacks. In conclusion, the QNAP TVS-h874T stands out as an exceptional choice for businesses and power users who require a robust, scalable, and secure NAS solution. It offers an excellent balance of price, performance, and features, making it a worthy investment for those seeking top-tier server-side capabilities. However, for users with simpler storage needs or those not requiring the advanced features of Thunderbolt NAS, traditional Thunderbolt DAS devices might be a more suitable and cost-effective option. The TVS-h874T, with its advanced capabilities, is undoubtedly a powerhouse in NAS technology, but its full benefits will be best realized by those whose requirements align closely with what this advanced system has to offer.

SOFTWARE - 9/10
HARDWARE - 10/10
PERFORMANCE - 10/10
PRICE - 7/10
VALUE - 7/10


8.6
PROS
👍🏻Only brand rolling out i9 Turnkey NAS
👍🏻Only NAS Rolling out Thundebrolt4 NAS (for now!)
👍🏻Upto 20 Cores, 24 Threads and High End Integrated Graphics
👍🏻PCIe Gen 4 x16 Upgrade Slot for 10/25/100GbE Cards and 2x PCIe Gen 4 x4 M.2 NVMe Slots for 7GB SSDs
👍🏻No Obstinant 3rd Party Hardware Limitations on Support or Compatibility
👍🏻Much larger support of 3rd Party Software Services than most other NAS Brands
👍🏻10Gb/s USB Connectivity, in Type A and Type C
👍🏻Upto 64GB of Memory
👍🏻ZFS or EXT 4 File System Choice
👍🏻M.2 NVMe SSD Bays can be used for Storage or Caching
👍🏻Volume Encryption, SED SSD Support and WORM
👍🏻Enhanced AI Surveillance Services, with opt to upgrade with $30 Google TPU
👍🏻AI Photo Management Tool (QuMagie) Includes Thing Recognition and works offline
👍🏻ALL the ZFS Benefits, whilst also the GUI and App benefits of a Linux Software Platform in one
CONS
👎🏻No Smaller 4-Bay Version
👎🏻QVR Elite (not QVR Pro) only has 2 Cam Licences
👎🏻Lack of ECC Memory will annoy some users
👎🏻10Gbe is Missing (so no TB-TO-10GbE Pass-through)
👎🏻Too Many licenses on Enterprise Tools (Drive Analyzer, Face Tiger, etc) with too few free licenses
DEAL WATCH Is It On Offer Right Now?


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QNAP TVS-h874T NAS Review – PACKAGING & ACCESSORIES

The retail box of the QNAP TVS-874 NAS is fairly standard and pretty much the same as the bulk of other devices in this tier of storage. Large brown box, big sticker denoting the device inside and it’s architecture – all pretty normal (if a little dull) stuff. That said, I am always very interested in the actual protection that is afforded to these devices in transit in terms of protection from shock, motion and pressure damage. Despite the QNAP TVS-874 NAS arriving unpopulated (i.e. no drive media included), there are still quite fragile devices that are susceptible to silent damage (cracks on the internal boards, loosening of connectors internally, dislodging of transistors or chips that often you do not realise happened till months/years down the line). In the case of the QNAP TVS-874 NAS, this device has a fantastically dense level of protection.

The unit is encased in a rigid hard foam that 100% prevents the device moving in transit, as well as absorbing the bulk of any physical or shock-based impact when in transit (built in Taiwan, these devices will travel more than half the globe easily). The accessories kit is held tightly in a pre-cut panel in the foam and that is pretty much it! Unless a forklift truck arm manages to punch a pallet of these in a warehouse, this is pretty much as good a level of protection as you can get. Indeed, there is enough protection here that I would ship this fully populated with little to no concern frankly. Let’s discuss what is included in the QNAP TVS-874 retail kit.

There is actually not too much in the way of accessories included with the QNAP TVS-874 NAS. No external PSU (it is a chunky internal 350W), only one ethernet cable (CAT 5e), screws for 3.5 and 2.5″ media (despite the trays being click-and-load), keys for the bays, external mains lead and docs related to the product. Not a vast amount, but pretty much everything you are going to need.

The included documents are a first-time setup manual (very light on details and far more recommended to use online resources), information on the included 3 years warranty and details on how to extend that warranty to 5 years. The cost of adding two additional years of warranty is typically relative to the cost of the device. So, for example, a TS-464 that costs around £550 will cost around £89 to add 2 more years, whereas the £2500 TVS-h874T i7 version will cost you £599. The extra warranty is purely optional and although it took QNAP longer than many wanted to create a much more user-friendly warranty support system (they now have the colour-coded system), its good to have that choice available. Extra warranty used to only be an option that could be applied in the first 60 days of ownership, but has been extended recently to within the first 9 months for a limited time. Otherwise, you still have the 3 years of hardware warranty and effective product-lifespan support in software (generally around 8-10 years depending on the device) in firmware updates that include security and service extras.

Another very, very small extra in the accessories pack that I am both happy (and sad) about is the inclusion of a couple of adhesive heatsinks that you can attach to drives installed in the two M.2 NVMe 2280 bays. Now, on the one hand, this is good because it is surprising how few brands/devices that feature M.2 NVMe SSD bays (most NAS’ these days actually) do NOT include heatsinks in the NAS retail kit, despite M.2 NVMe SSDs getting very hot during sustained access – something that forms a big part of SSD caching. So, I AM chuffed they are included (they are not expensive and show the brand is aware of this temp factor), however they are pretty small! I know that the only component you should worry about really is the SSD Controller (it will bottleneck/throttle when too hot), as the storage NAND works better when warm – but it would have been nice if QNAP included full-length 2280 Hheatsinks (they are like $10) instead. Still, better to have them than not at all!

That said, the fact the system does not arrive with a Thunderbolt 4 Cable is a little disappointing. I can appreciate that USB-C Thunderbolt 4 certified cables are not cheap, but nor is the TVS-h874T and unlike a mains power cable, ethernet cable or a USB cable, Thunderbolt 4 cables are not so common. This is additionally exacerbated by the fact that there is a non-Thunderbolt version of this device (the TVS-h874), so it is not as if someone will choose this version unless they specifically want to use Thunderbolt 3/4.

The accessories included with the QNAP TVS-874 are fairly standard stuff, which is not a bad thing. The protection afforded to it in transit is first class and although the retail packaging itself is a bit bland (again, enterprise product that is bought over the internet – so why make it ‘snazzy’), overall QNAP TVS-874 NAS presentation is pretty spot on – it’s just a shame about the lack of a TB4 cable. Let’s discuss the design of the system itself.

QNAP TVS-h874T NAS Review – Design

The design of the QNAP TVS-h874T chassis is very similar to that of the TVS-872XT, which is unsurprising as that was the debut for this NAS design and one that has continued in most of the brand’s high-profile releases in the 5 years. It is pretty much the classic 8 SATA bay shape you would expect, but there are a few elements that are seemingly still quite unique to QNAP. As you might expect, the chassis design is largely metal throughout (with areas of the front panel and trays in plastic) that aids heat dissipation in this 24×7 server, with ventilation on practically all sides working in conjunction with a more enterprise internal fan arrangement (more on that later). Although the bulk of the physical space is dedicated to those storage bays, this system is still a bit deeper than many 8-Bay devices on the market (such as the Synology DS1821+ and Lockerstor 8), which is largely down to a larger degree of internal cooling, aggressively sized CPU heatsink and larger PCIe expandability.

Of course, one physical design feature on the TVS-h874T that is slowly growing out of fashion (but still, in my opinion, has tremendous utility) is the front visible LCD panel that gives you realtime information about the system operation, along with navigation buttons. Now, on the face of it, an LCD panel on a network/remote access storage device seems a bit redundant. However, speaking on behalf of the IT storage community, having that extra option to visible SEE the nature of an alert (RAID degradation, temp sensor, etc) without the need to log in, go through 2-step authentication and access the logs is a nice extra feature. The same goes for the ability to cycle through the device’s LCD options to find out the IP and identity of the device, so you can go straight in without having to use network scanners to locate the device. It’s a small extra and although it is by no means worth the price of admission on this £2.5K NAS, I am glad it is still there in the 2023 generation.

Another thing this device needs to take ALOT more seriously than many other NAS devices of the same storage scale is ventilation. The system TECHNICALLY has 4 fans! 1 PSU fan (doesn’t really count), two large 120m fans on the rear and an additional 80mm fan beside them. This large arrangement of fans runs in conjunction with heatsinks that are arranged across the main controller boards (with the CPU heatsink being especially large). Given this system will be running a hugely powerful CPU, PCIe 4 M.2 SSDs (notorious for getting quite hit in operation at peak), those two PCIe slots (Gen 4 and Gen 3) AND 8 bays of SATA storage – cooling in 24×7 deployment is going to be CRUCIAL! I was always impressed by the cooling system on the TVS-872XT/X, but there is no avoiding that this is not exactly going to be a whisper-quiet system! Indeed, those content creators and editors in post-production that are considering this system for editing on PCIe4 Storage over 10GbE (or scaling up towards 25/40Gb on SFP or Thunderbolt) should be aware that close proximity to the device is going to be hard going! Again, at this scale of storage and level of design, this should come as no surprise – but it is still worth noting.

The eight storage bays of the TVS-h874T use QNAP’s plastic click-n-load plastic trays. Nicely designed, rigid and is not going to be affected by heat. The trays support toolless 3.5″ media installation (as well as holes for screwing in 2.5″ media). The TVS-h874T can be populated with a little as a single HDD/SSD if you choose (which would be odd!), but partial population is growing in popularity these days, thanks to larger 20TB, 22TB and even 24TB NAS Hard Drives arriving.

On that subject, the QNAP TVS-h874T does not have any perceived unreasonable limitations on hard drive compatibility and support (something, their biggest rival Synology has been debating with its user base about throughout 2022), meaning that by current commercial HDD compatibility in December 2022, the TVS-h874T can support (in it’s base, not expanded form) 176TB of raw storage. I mention expandability because the TVS-h874T can be expanded using two of any of the range of QNAP expansion devices (scaling from 2-Bays all the way to 12/16-Bays), as well as more if you use the SAS expander options. Expansion on the software side is a little less comprehensive, with your native storage expansion method (i.e just increasing the storage pool with more drives and expanding volumes) still being less smooth/possible in the ZFS QuTS setup than on the EXT4 QTS setup (which you cannot switch between after initialization without formatting the system). Still, this is a huge amount of storage expandability to have, whether you are considering Day 1 partial population or adding new expansion chassis’ later.

Each of the bays is SATA 6Gb/s, with most current enterprise-gen HDDs hitting 260-270MB/s or so (which promised 400-450MB/s HDDs from Seagate in their Mach2 still being rolled out slowly, plus their NVMe HDD EXO series still at the private testing phase at larger data centers at the time of writing). The connections are clean, wire-free combined DATA+Power connectors inside an aluminium cage. The system (depending on whether you opt for QuTS ZFS or QTS EXT4 at start up) supports numerous RAID configurations in RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50 and 60, as well as RAIDZ and especially business-centric triple parity configs. Opting for ZFS as your file system at initialization also allows you to benefit from considerably faster RAID build speeds (as the traditional volume layer is absent), RAID resilvering (ie re-introducing drives that have the same party/raid-group data that were cloned or accidentally ejected, is dramatically reduced in rebuild time to minutes, not hours), and other benefits towards inline data compression and deduplication (covered later).

Whereas the EXT4 setup, though lacking these ZFS advantages, DOES allow you to expand storage on the fly more easily and also allows you to take advantage of the QTier combined storage media pools (again, more on that later). The only thing missing for me is a fluid RAID system (such as Synology’s SHR, Drobo’s BeyondRAID or Terramaster’s TRAID) that allows you to use HDD/SSDs of different capacities in a single RAID and be able to take advantage of the higher capacities. I am still kinda surprised that they have yet to introduce this in their software and services. Still, this is a very minor blip on an otherwise great selection of storage services and support.

Alongside the LCD Panel mentioned earlier, the TVS-h874T also has numerous LEDs that denote system activity (much like other NAS brands that ditched LCD panels) These cover the individual eight storage bays health and activity, the system access activity, network status, USB access and even dedicated LEDs for the M.2 NVMe SSD Bays inside. These LEDs (and the LCD in fact) can have their brightness decreased or deactivated if you want.

The system also has a front-mounted USB Copy Button and USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gb/s) port for local backups. QNAP was the first to include these faster USB 10Gb ports to their systems (as far back as 2017 in fact), and alongside the port, there are also two more on the rear of the device. QNAP also has one of the broadest ranges of compatible USB devices (storage, 2.5/5G network adapters, wireless adapters, office peripherals, remote controls, tuners and more), as well as allowing you to assign them to virtual machines. I know one-touch copy buttons are a little old hat (local in a remote access world), but speaking as someone who have never REALLY trusted ‘autosave’ in software, the idea that my local USB backups can be triggered automatically, on a schedule OR MANUALLY by hand, is a range of choice I will always appreciate!

Overall, although very little has changed in the external design of the TVS-h874T compared with the 4-5 years older TVS-872XT, that is not a bad thing. They have clearly refined the cooling in this time, adapted a few new hardware upgrades into an existing framework and it still continues to be a remarkably well-built chassis in 2022/2023. Let’s discuss the external connectivity of the TVS-h874T NAS.

QNAP TVS-h874T NAS Review – Ports & Connections

The connectivity that the QNAP TVS-h874T NAS arrives with is all good, if fairly standard stuff (unless you opt for the Intel i9 version – more on that later). As mentioned earlier, there are a plethora of fans on the rear of this 8-Bay, but when it comes to the default connections on offer, there is only really three. It is in it’s long term scalability that the connections of the QNAP TVS-h874T that things start to get a little spicy.

Despite this being a desktop NAS, an external PSU Is completely out of the question. Even if you only factor in the eight SATA bays and core CPU/Memory setup, this would still push the required base power needed to make an internal PSU largely inevitable. However, once you factor in the Gen 4 PCIe slots and Gen 4 M.2 NVMe slots, we are talking hundreds of watts potentially being needed. The QNAP TVS-h874T NAS has an internal chunky 350W PSU that, although relatively easy to replace later down the line through QNAP or 3rd parties, is going to be a small pain to actually get to. Not a big issue, but one worth factoring in, as the PSU is the 2nd most fragile part of any NAS system. This system also has the support of some GPU cards, though the PSU lacks any additional power connectors for beefier upgrade cards.

The default network ports of the QNAP TVS-h874T NAS are 2.5GbE, with the system arriving with two ports. Using Link Aggregation/Port Trunking or SMB Multichannel in supported setups to hit between 279MB/s and 558MB/s. This eight-bay NAS will EASILY saturate this kind of bandwidth (even with rather domestic class storage media), but it is when you start to factor in upgrades towards 10GbE and 25GbE ports on this system that you will really see it stretch it’s muscles!

The QNAP TVS-h874T-i9-64G version of this series arrives with two 10GbE ports by default (something that I think is a bit of an oversight on the i5 and i7 models) but even then, the combination of 8 bays of SATA storage, 2x M.2 NVMe PCIe Gen 4 Bays and potential to add PCIe 4 NVMe storage and/or Network combo cards means that this system has TENS OF THOUSANDS of Megabytes of internal performance potential. So how much of that can actually be realized externally? Well, going by QNAP’s published performance figures (as I personally simply do not have the hardware environment to simulate this), we can see the following:

In short:

  • 2.5GbE x1 = 295MB/s Sequential Read, 295MB/s Sequential Write
  • 2.5GbE x2 = 590MB/s Sequential Read, 590MB/s Sequential Write
  • 10GbE x1 = 1179MB/s Sequential Read, 21179MB/s Sequential Write
  • 10GbE x2 = 2344MB/s Sequential Read, 2344MB/s Sequential Write
  • 25GbE x1 = 2948MB/s Sequential Read, 2954MB/s Sequential Write
  • 25GbE x2 = 3313MB/s Sequential Read, 3231MB/s Sequential Write

Note – RAID Volume: RAID 50 (8 bay and above), RAID 5 (4 bay to 6-bay), RAID 1 (2 bay), Single (1 bay). SSD / HDD : Fully populated, Samsung 860 EVO 1TB SATA SSD / Seagate ST1000NM0033 1TB HDD / Samsung PM9A1 960GB M.2 NVMe PCIe Gen4 / Samsung PM9A3 (MZQL2960HCJR-00A07) 960GB U.2 NVMe PCIe Gen4

However, the above stats have seen an upgrade, since the release of newer high-performance media, improved network adapters and how the system can bond multiple connections. The QNAP TVS-h874T benefits from the advancement in this technology in the year since the non-Thunderbolt version arrived with the following performance over 25GbE optional network adapters:

RAID 50, Fully populated, Samsung 860 EVO 1TB SATA SSD / Seagate ST1000NM0033 1TB HDD / Samsung PM9A1 960GB M.2 NVMe PCIe Gen4 / Samsung PM9A3 (MZQL2960HCJR-00A07) 960GB U.2 NVMe PCIe Gen4

Obviously, these are official stats and your own individual performance is going to be different (different storage media, RAID config, client hardware, file sizes, etc), but given these figures are based on SATA storage and do not even factor in the performance of storage pools made of those M.2 NVMe SSDs over PCIe 4×4 (so 6-7GB performance potential, which is where 100GbE cards start to become useful), these are still incredible performance figures!

The QNAP TVS-h874T also arrives with an HDMI output that can be used in conjunction with QNAP HD Station to create a completely parallel external GUI. This GUI has its own range of 1st and 3d party applications available that span a large number of services – Multimedia, office work, surveillance, standalone PC use and more. All the while, with QuTS/QTS running on the NAS with ALL its services still running. Oddly, the HDMI port is HDMI 1.4b, which means that although it will output 1080p at 60FPS, it will cap 4K at 30FPS. This aside, the QNAP TVS-h874T also benefits from HD Station, a parallel GUI that runs with QTS/QUTS to deploy numerous applications with a visual output. There are several key applications in the QNAP lineup that can take advantage of this feature, such as Photo, Music and Video station, as well as allowing a standalone Surveillance station with KVM support and even running a standalone PC with a connected keyboard and mouse. This is joined with several 3rd party apps for multimedia, office tools and communication. This combined with the wide range of unofficial third-party tools in the homebrew site ‘QNAP Club’ results in a tremendously versatile additional use for your NAS.

That said, HD Station in QTS/QuTS has received fewer improvements in recent years compared with other apps in the brand’s lineup, leading to several apps becoming less stable or simply unusable when connected with QTS/QuTS (eg QuMagie on QuTS and Photo Station on HD Station being largely uncommunicative). Its a shame, because aside from Asustor, QNAP is still one of the few brands to offer this feature on their platform and for those of you looking to directly output the media to a 4K TV (with a remote control over IR, USB or over the network with QRemote) it will result in a less polished experience. Alongside the HDMI output, the NAS also features USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gb/s) ports. This means that alongside the support of a wide range of accessories and expansion devices,  you can connect 1,000MB/s external storage – VERY useful for those that want to add a convenient and affordable USB backup to their existing multi-tier backup strategy. Indeed, the range of expansions that are supported by the QNAP TVS-h874T NAS are pretty broad, ranging from 2-Bays, all the way upto mixed media 16-Bays!

However, the biggest potential upgrade/scalability element of the QNAP TVS-h874T NAS that we still need to discuss is the PCIe Upgrade slots. Thanks to the 12th gen Intel Core that this NAS arrives with, the main PCIe upgrade slots are PCIe Gen 4×4 and (wait for it) PCIe Gen 4 x16!!! This means that one slot has a potential 8,000MB/s of bandwidth available to a connected card, and the other has a staggering 32,000MB/s available. Just to put that in perspective, a 10GbE will need 1000MB/s of bandwidth to allow full saturation. You could install a dual port 100GbE network upgrade card in this slot and there would STILL be more than a third of the available bandwidth potential remaining untapped!

The support of PCIe Gen 4 in the QNAP TVS-h874T NAS is something that puts this system into a whole different tier of storage compared with all other 8-Bay Desktop NAS systems right now, with the bulk of them arriving with PCIe Gen 3 or even PCIe Gen 2. These two PCIe 4 upgrade slots AND the two M.2 NVMe PCIe4 M.2 NVMe slots mean that you have the potential to comfortably hit internal performance numbers with those two SSD drives that dwarf anything the eight SATA drives (even with SSDs) could ever hit. For video editors that are considering a NAS for post-production in multiple 4K video edits and/or beginning with 8K in their workflow, this is the kind of setup that you need to be looking at!

This is made even easier to achieve when you loo through the official QNAP QM2 upgrade card range. The cards, with several new PCIe4 entries, allow to to scale things up in your storage even further with some featuring 4x PCIe 4×4 M.2 NVMe SSD bays or even a 2x 10GbE and 2x PCIe4 M.2 NVMe SSD Combo card. Currently there is no sign of a Thunderbolt 3 or Thunderbolt 4 Card (as seen in the TVS-872XT or TVS-h1288X), but this might well be down to the continued shortage of Thunderbolt components right now (as the Intel Core 12th Gen family has complete TB4 Compatibility).

Overall, when it comes to the connectivity of the QNAP TVS-h874T NAS, the default range of external connections are actually quite pedestrian when compared against other QNAP NAS released in the last 1-2 years, with the lack of 10GbE on the default model (aside from the Intel i9 having 2x 10GBASE-T at a premium) is pretty surprising/disappointing. That said, the scalability and upgradability that the QNAP TVS-h874T affords the end user are pretty incredible and unparalleled on ANY other desktop NAS right now. Let’s get our screwdriver and take a good look at the inside of this NAS.

The WORLD’S FIRST Thunderbolt 4 NAS – But Should You Care?

As previously mentioned, the QNAP TVS-h874 is technically not a new NAS system, but rather upgrades the existing TVS-h874 with Thunderbolt 4 connectivity. QNAP is now well into technically its fourth or fifth generation (depending on how you look at these things) of Thunderbolt NAS equipped solutions, providing a direct and convenient connection between the NAS and a Thunderbolt client system (supporting both Windows and macOS). The Thunderbolt ports are connected via a PCIe card that inhabits one of the slots, but luckily only occupies the lower speed PCIe slot and not the larger and more capable x16 slot. These ports allow up to two simultaneous users to connect with the TVS-h874 NAS directly, cable to cable, as well as allowing the system to continue to be accessed via traditional network and remote internet means for hundreds of users. As these are rear-mounted ports, you are going to need slightly longer cable considerations, as well as factoring in the ambient system noise when in close proximity. The general system operation noise is fairly average for a metal enclosure eight-drive NAS, but once you factor in larger capacity hard drives above 8TB and more enterprise-class drives for performance, this ambient operational noise is definitely going to be more of a consideration for those working in close quarters with the system.

When connecting the device to your Mac or Windows system over Thunderbolt, as long as you have QNAP Qfinder Pro software installed, the system will prompt you to state that it sees that the system has been connected and invite you to mount the drive in a similar fashion to that of a network drive. You will not need to format the QNAP system in order for it to appear, and during the drive initialization over Thunderbolt, you will be invited to map this drive alongside your existing OS client hardware storage locally. When interfacing with the QNAP via this cable, you can access the storage inside at a typical object file and folder level, but you can also access the full QNAP QTS and QuTS GUI just as you would when accessing the NAS via the network or internet.

Performance numbers when connecting with the device over Thunderbolt will depend heavily on several factors. Similar to connecting a traditional Direct Attached Storage (DAS) RAID device, Thunderbolt is just the connection between your client device and the storage. You will need to ensure you have a sufficient number of storage drives and an appropriate RAID configuration to get the best performance possible. In the case of this 8-bay device, if you use high-capacity, more affordable but slower mechanical hard drives, you will need to populate quite a few to start seeing higher performance numbers as multiple drives are being read and written to simultaneously. Likewise, there are ways to improve performance further with the use of SATA SSDs and/or using PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSDs in the available slots inside the system. These drives provide significantly higher performance but generally come in smaller capacities and at a higher price point. In reality, the QNAP TVS-h874 does not need to be fully populated on day one, and you can start with two or three drives and gradually, over the years, increase your number of drives one by one. Just bear in mind that the real performance this system can output can only be achieved when utilizing the fastest storage media or fully populating the device. Additionally, there is the fact that this system utilizes IP over Thunderbolt architecture to create a Thunderbolt-connected NAS, leading to a significant performance difference compared to traditional direct attached storage systems. Below are some peak performance numbers from QNAP using the highest performance media available:

 

However, we cannot escape the fact that many users considering this device for photo and video editing are not going to be too sure about the main differences between Thunderbolt NAS and Thunderbolt DAS, as there are more to the differences than just performance. Expanding on the key factors from the comparison between Thunderbolt 4 DAS and Thunderbolt 4 NAS:

  • Connectivity: The QNAP TVS-h874’s support for both Thunderbolt 4 and 3 stands out as a significant feature, offering flexibility and future-proofing. This dual compatibility ensures that the NAS can seamlessly integrate with current devices while being ready for future technological advancements, making it a long-term investment for users looking to upgrade their client devices to Thunderbolt 4 in the future.
  • Cross-Platform File Sharing: NAS systems, unlike DAS, provide a versatile solution for environments utilizing multiple operating systems. This is particularly beneficial in professional settings where Windows, Mac, and Linux systems coexist. The NAS’s ability to facilitate easy file sharing and access across these platforms without compatibility issues greatly enhances workflow efficiency and collaboration.
  • Multi-User Environment: NAS systems are specifically designed to cater to environments where multiple users need to access and share data simultaneously. This is in contrast to DAS, which is primarily focused on single-user access. NAS systems can handle multiple data requests efficiently, making them ideal for collaborative settings like offices, creative studios, and data centers.
  • Expandability: NAS offers more robust options for expanding storage capacity over time compared to DAS. This includes the ability to add more drives, utilize additional expansion units, and leverage advanced storage technologies like M.2 NVMe SSDs. Such expandability is crucial for businesses and power users who anticipate growing data storage needs.
  • Price and Hardware: The advanced capabilities of NAS, including support for extensive user access, higher storage capacities, and sophisticated data management, require more powerful hardware. This includes faster processors, more memory, and better cooling solutions, which contribute to the higher cost of NAS systems compared to DAS, which is typically more basic in its hardware requirements.
  • Performance: While DAS offers high-speed, straightforward access for individual users, making it ideal for tasks that require fast data transfer rates without the need for complex networking, NAS systems are optimized for multi-user access and offer a range of services and applications. NAS systems may not match the raw speed of DAS for single users but provide a more versatile and scalable solution for data storage and access in a networked environment.

Each point highlights the specific advantages and considerations of choosing between Thunderbolt DAS and NAS, catering to different user requirements and scenarios.

QNAP TVS-h874T NAS Review – Internal Hardware

The internal arrangement of the QNAP TVS-h874T NAS is actually surprisingly spacious for an 8-Bay desktop NAS with so much hardware potential. The main 8 bays obviously take up the bulk of the available space, but the first thing that strikes you is that there is a great deal more spacing between the components for that airflow.

The rear fans lead to a completely open area behind the main storage bays that takes up around 30-35% of the available chassis space and there is an additional side fan that blows air directly onto the massive silver CPU heatsink at all times.  The main SATA bays are held in an aluminium cage and the PSU is pretty far away from the main PCIe upgrade slots (something of a problem in the older TVS-1282 and TVS-h1288X that made card installation and maintaining cool running a little more challenging).

That silver heatsink (common in 24×7 server systems as opposed to direct CPU fans) is pretty vast and (especially in the case of the 12 Core i7 and 16 Core i9) very much needed! It is also directly vented in line with the separate rear fan, ensuring that it is taking maximum advantage of the active airflow.

Now, as good and fast as the CPU and architecture inside the QNAP TVS-874 NAS is, the way that the specs and choice of hardware in the greater TVS-hx74 range has been distributed is a little less smooth. With a 4-Bay, 6-Bay and 8-Bay version available, you would be forgiven for thinking that it is just three separate configurations on offer. However, the reality is that there are SIX different hardware versions available (spanning five different CPUs, scaling in clock speed, cores and threads) with differing default memory quantities. We already covered that the Intel i9 version also arrives with 2x 10GbE connectivity (absent in other devices and using a PCIe slot). Normally, I would be a fan of the buyer’s option to scale their budget between storage bays and power, but despite all these systems using 12th Gen Intel Processors, each processor has a different level of PCI lanes afforded to it and this then impacts the rest of the system architecture. Let’s quickly compare the hardware architecture of the three NAS systems and their sub-versions:

Feature TVS-h474 TVS-h674 TVS-h874T
# of SATA Bays 4x SATA 6x SATA 8x SATA
M.2 NVMe Bays 2x M.2 (Gen 3×2) 2x M.2 (Gen 4×4) 2x M.2 (Gen 4×4)
CPU Intel Pentium Gold G7400 Intel i5 12th Gen i5-12400

Intel i3 12th Gen i7-12100

Intel i9 12th Gen i9-12900

Intel i7 12th Gen i7-12700

Intel i5 12th Gen i7-12400

Cores 2-Core / 4 Thread i5 6 Core / 12 Thread

i3 4 Core / 8 Thread

i9 16 Core / 24 Thread

i7 12 Core / 20 Thread

i5 6 Core / 12 Thread

CPU Speed 3.7 Ghz i5 Max 4.4Ghz

i3 Max 4.3Ghz

i9 Max 5.1Ghz

i7 Max 4.9Ghz

i5 Max 4.4Ghz

Graphics Intel UHD Graphics 710 Intel UHD Graphics 770

Intel UHD Graphics 730

Intel UHD Graphics 770
Memory 8GB Default 16/32GB 32/64GB
Memory Max 128GB SODIMM DDR4 (2 Slot) 128GB SODIMM DDR4 (2 Slot) 128GB SODIMM DDR4 (2 Slot)

If we skip over the difference in the actual traditional CPU power (which is expected if you were comparing a Pentium and i3 versus an i9), the hurdles start when you notice that the TVS-h474 has Gen 3×2 M.2 slots, whereas the 6-Bay and 8-Bay have Gen 4×4 – so potential bandwidth of 2,000MB vs 8,000MB/s. The same goes for the main PCIe upgrade lanes, with the 4 Bay having that massive PCIe 4 x 16 slot, but the 2nd slot is another Gen 3 x2 2,000MB/s slot. These are very small details, but they could have been easily avoided by either fixing the TVS-h474 with an i3 minimum OR just releasing the series in a fixed CPU=Bay standard (as observed in the TVS-X72 and TVS-1282 ranges). With 3 version of the 8-Bay, two of the 6 Bay and the 4-Bay being very overshadows, the narrative and presentation of the range gets a little messy. Then you can take a closer look at the CPUs themselves and how they scale up.

As you can see, even ignoring the frequency differences (whooah, the Pentium dual core at 3.7Ghz and the i9 at 16 Core 5.1Ghz when pushed to burst), even CPU Benchmark’s scoring of these processors is pretty vast, with the Intel Pentium Gold G7400 in the TVS-h474 scoring 6804, and every other CPU several times higher! Yes, we also need to factor in the running costs of these SSDs (24×7 use on such high-end CPUs is going to add up on the electricity bill), but I would argue that when you are looking at systems like these, you have long since given up aspirations of power saving! The memory that the TVS-h874T arrives with is DDR4 3200Mhz SODIMM and can be upgraded towards 64GB officially, though the CPUs (for the most part) all support up to 128GB on two channels. Sadly, ECC memory is not supported, which is one of the few counter-arguments out there (IMO) for opting for a XEON over an Intel Core in a system like this one. That said, this is still a great level of memory supported by the system and although the base amount changes depending on the system bay number and CPU type you choose (grumble, grumble), I cannot really fault it!

Now, the big guns! Those M.2 NVMe SSD Bays. M.2 NVMe SSD bays on NAS devices are not a ‘new thing’. Indeed, these have been a staple of desktop NAS devices now for a few years and something of an expected minimum. However, the development that has been going on with M.2 NVMes from SSD brands such as WD, Seagate and Samsung has been rather fierce (with the tiniest pinch of slow down caused by the pandemic and hardware shortages relating to semiconductors). Pretty much 99% of all NAS devices that have M.2 NVMe SSD bays are using PCIe Gen 3 (or even PCIe Gen2) slots. This is down to only CPUs that were released commercially in the last 2-3 years having support of PCIe Gen 4 lanes. As the TVS-x874 series and it’s 12th Gen Intel Core architecture have Gen 4 support, the M.2 slots (with the exception of the TVS-h474) are Gen 4×4 – so 8GB/s (not Gigabit, GigaByte) of bandwidth each! This is a huge deal, as that means you can install these super fast SSDs in these bays for your QNAP QuTS ZFS Operating System, for individual Apps/Services (VMs, Databases, etc) and even as your general storage!

The good news is that unlike Synology and its inclusion of M.2 NVMe SSD slots, the 2280 slots inside the QNAP can be used for more than just read/write caching. The use of SSD caching to provide performance benefits to a slower, but larger and more affordable Hard Drive RAID away are quite well established in the NAS industry, using the SSD space to either write files to the system faster (acting as the primary write area, before moving the data) or increase the speed of accessing commonly requested files on the NAS (making copies of those files onto the SSDs, though largely tiny files are optimized and do not really affect larger block/sequential data). So, if you are looking to use this drive in the centre of your content creation workflow or in post production, you could use the 2 M.2 NVMe SSD Bays as your editing space (acting the NAS over 10-25-100GbE via an upgrade card – perhaps even Thunderbolt 3/4 if/when QNAP release one), and the HDD RAID array as your archive that products back up/archive onto. You can even create individual ZFS RAID pools for warm-cold storage, then also use a remote NAS, USB or Cloud space to sync/backup with too. Thanks to features like WORM, Non-Linear Editing (NLE) and locking, you can ensure that data is not edited by more than one user, with the added benefits of using the QNAP programs such as QSync to create native synced NAS folders on your client devices (iOs, Mac, Windows, Android, Linux – with cross-platform sharing) so that other teams of people can work with the data on the NAS. In testing on the TVS-h874T with a Seagate Firecuda 530 and WD Black SN850 M.2 SSD (both Gen 4) we were able to hit 6.49GB/s and 6.18GB/s Sequential Read respectively in the QNAP Storage Manager Benchmark Tool. That is approx 27 TIMES the speed of a conventional NAS hard drive!

However, though the QNAP TVS-h874T supports SSD caching on these bays, it also supports their use in QTier (if you opt for QTS / EXT4 at initialization). This is similar to caching but in QTier the available HDD and SSDs are combined into a single storage area and it intelligently moves files periodically to the appropriate storage media as it analyzes their access and requests. Finally, if you wish, you can use the NVMe SSD bays for just a fast accessing and performing storage pool and volumes of it’s own. These two bays, plus the main SATA HDD bays, plus adding a PCIe SSD storage card in an available slot means that the TVS-h874T has enormous storage potential. These m.2 bays can also be used for system upgrades, but these are still quite few in reality and it is only the google TPU m.2 upgrade that increases AI system processes that are recommended in 2022/2023 so far.

I am well aware of how much I have been ‘banging the drum’ about PCIe 4 architecture in this review, but I cannot overstate how future-proof this makes the QNAP TVS-h874T NAS! It is a shame that the TVS-h874T suffers something of a presentation hurdle for the less technically versed who need to take some time to bone up on the range of specs before choosing the right model, but that does not really detur from the fact that the TVS-h874T NAS arrives with the best desktop NAS hardware I have ever seen! Let’s discuss those software and services found in QuTS and QTS 5 that are included with this NAS server.

QNAP TVS-h874T NAS Review – Software & Services

Alongside the hardware of the TVS-h874T NAS, you also receive the complete software and services package of QNAP QTS or QuTS (currently in version 5.0.1) that can be selected at the initialization. This is a complete operating system. similar in design and presentation to Windows 11 and Android OS, it runs hundreds of applications, services and functions, as well as arriving with many mobile and desktop client applications that allow you to interact with the data on your NAS in a much more tailored way. Alongside this, the QNAP QuTS/QTS software on the TVS-h874T also includes a few extra SSD tools for anti-wearing on SSDs, better ZFS-HDD/SSD profiling and even options to separate the media into storage, caching or tiered storage where appropriate. The performance and services of QTS have been covered many times on this channel, so reviewing it’s individual performance on the TVS-h874T NAS is a difficult task, as we have to look at two key things. Is QTS/QuTS a good software platform and is QTS/QuTS going to give you support of the full range of services that you intend to use this NAS for, in both 1st and 3rd party?

On the first score, I can comfortably say that QNAP NAS software and services have truly come into their own and the balancing act of supplying the end-user with the flexibility to use the system ‘their way’, whilst still keeping it user-friendly is the best it has ever been. Is it perfect, no. In its efforts to make itself customizable in every way possible, QTS/QuTS develops an inadvertent learning curve that may catch some novice users unaware. Likewise, although QTS/QuTS 5 has done a lot of work on its presentation of information and notifications, there is still the odd moment of ‘TMI’ when switching between services on the fly. QNAP’s NAS software is still easily one of the most adaptable in the market right now and allows users to have a truly unique storage environment if they choose and although not quite as user-friendly as Synology DSM, it counters this by being fantastically flexible by comparison (from file/folder structure to 3rd party services support and connectivity). That said, 2022 had a bumpy start for the brand when a series of ransomware attacks were targetted at the brand (them and several other NAS brands) that was caused by a combination of vulnerabilities in Linux (which practically all NAS and Android software is built upon) but also in how applications in the QNAP platform were allowed to have external access. In previous revisions of QTS/QuTS, customization and guidance for changing settings on the system was made very easy and open but lacked a lot of the gravitas and significance that these changes made to the system being highlighted to less experienced users (such as allowing the QNAP to adapt remote ports on your router over UPnP and how the HBS3 program allowed remote access. These omissions, vulnerabilities and communication issues in QTS have seemingly been resolved and QTS/QuTS 5 seems to be a much tighter system on the whole (as much as anything can be once you open it to the internet). But many users still feel that the brand needs to do more and therefore until QNAP can remove the lingering stories of ransomware and malware over time, this is always going to be an existing sensitive issue for buyers. In order to see the extent of the latest version of QNAP TS 5.0 use the links below to the written review and video below released in late 2021 (QuTS 5.1 Review coming in the next week or so):

FULL Written QNAP QTS 5 Review FULL Video Review of QNAP QTS 5

Although the full review of QNAP QTS is available in the article and video linked above, let’s discuss the highlights of the platform. First off there are the software and services for managing files and folders on the fly. QTS/QuTS includes several tools for managing files in your web browser (with full copy, paste, archive, extract, sharing, etc options built-in), as well as smart system/file search functionality. It is worth noting that 95% of the apps and services in either QuTS and QTS are identical, but there are a few exceptions that are restricted to either version for reasons of file system architecture and end-user. For example, as QuTS is ZFS based, it does not require the volume layer and writes are committed directly to the storage pool of drives.

The security when using your TVS-h874T NAS (again, a continued area of contention and criticism for QNAP in the past) in terms of customization and alerts have been noticeably improved and upgraded in both their deployment and presentation in QTS. These range from a multi-layered security advisor to control anti-malware scans, anti-virus schedules, firewall monitoring and more. There is also a range of access and security credential tools that are quite far-reaching all built-in. With QNAP having to prove its platform is safe more than most, there is a bit shift positively in this direction in the latest versions of QTS.

Overall storage management, access, mounting and how this factors into backups have also been massively diversified in QTS and along with numerous means to create a very unique storage system (factoring RAID, multi-stage 1-2-3 backups, connecting with cloud drive/objects and how this is presented to the end-users are incredibly deep. It can lead to a situation in which the end-user is a pinch overwhelmed, but you cannot say that QNAP is not providing the tools – they are just almost TOO numerous in their presentation.

The same goes for multimedia handling on the QNAP TVS-h874T, with a wide range of tools for handing photos, music and video in a tailored GUI to each media type. This is made considerably easier with QNAP’s multimedia console tool that provides a single GUI that can be used to handle all the backend setup of all your individual media apps. QNAP also provides AI photo recognition to allow decades of photos to be searched intelligently for people and subjects to quite an impressively deep degree (not needing internet access to do so, with the AI onboard the system). Then you have support for a wide range of 3rd party multimedia tools such as Plex media server, Emby, Twinky and Kodi (unofficially).

Then you have business tools (small, medium or even enterprise) included that can range from the deployment of multiple virtual machines across many platforms and a dedicated 1st party container deployment tool. One very unique feature of QNAP QTS compared with other NAS brands in their deployment of VMs is that they include 2-3 click download options in their respective applications that allow you to download ready to use VM in Windows 7,8 and 10, as well as a VM market place for more enterprise virtual clients and even a Ubuntu 18/19/20 VM deployment tool that allows you to quickly set up a VM and then access remotely OR use the HDMI+KVM set up locally. The container station tool also has its own pre-built tool repository too.

Finally, for surveillance use, the TVS-h874T arrives with QVR Pro which allows you to have a business-class surveillance platform hosted on your NAS. This platform has its very own GUI that supports thousands of IP Camera brands, as well as the software arriving with 8 camera licenses with the TVS-h874T, a multi-camera feed display, intelligent alerts, AI services (hardware appropriate), multiple client tools for mobile/desktop clients, integration of 3rd party system management tools and you can even attach USB cameras to your QNAP NAS and have local cameras fed into the NAS too. HOWEVER, if you want to use the QuTS ZFS platform, you will need to use the QVR Elite program which is much more hardware efficient and allows bigger surveillance setups BUT reduces the included Camera licences from 8x to 2x. Additionally, the approach towards the camera licence validity period in QVR Elite is different to that of QVR PRO.

So, software on the QNAP TVS-h874T is pretty diverse and although the brand has seen its fair share of security complaints in the past, I think that it would be hard for me to ignore the range of NAS hardware configuration, services and tools that are included.  Tests of the QNAP TVS-h874T on how it performs as a Plex Media Server, host for Virtual Machines and more will be conducted shortly over on NASCompares YouTube channel. I recommend visiting there to learn more. Below is the short ‘Before You Buy’ video review for the QNAP TVS-h874T NAS (Hour Long video review coming very soon.

QNAP TVS-h874T NAS Review – Conclusion & Verdict

In summarizing the capabilities and potential of the QNAP TVS-h874T NAS, released as a late 2023 update to its predecessor, it’s clear that this system represents a significant leap forward in desktop NAS technology. Priced over £2500, it’s a substantial investment, designed with future-proofing in mind. The TVS-h874T not only maintains the longevity and high-end status of the TVS-h874 but also brings to the table enhanced direct data access through Thunderbolt 4 integration. This advancement, supporting IP over Thunderbolt protocol, significantly boosts connectivity and speed, making the system an ideal choice for demanding tasks such as 8K video editing and high-performance computing needs in business environments. However, the question of whether Thunderbolt NAS is the right fit for all users remains. For those requiring high-speed, multi-user access and scalability, the TVS-h874T is a strong contender. Its support for the latest PCIe 4 standards ensures compatibility with high-performance upgrades, reinforcing its position as a future-proof investment. The software, featuring QTS and QuTS, might require some acclimatization, particularly for those familiar with simpler systems like Synology’s DSM. Yet, the benefits, especially for ZFS enthusiasts, are undeniable, offering advanced RAID management and a plethora of applications and services.

The TVS-h874T’s stance on open hardware and software compatibility is a significant plus in an industry increasingly leaning towards proprietary systems. It accommodates a range of third-party hardware and software, adding to its versatility. In the face of growing concerns over NAS security, the system is well-equipped with comprehensive tools and settings for enhanced security and data protection, addressing the pressing issue of ransomware attacks. In conclusion, the QNAP TVS-h874T stands out as an exceptional choice for businesses and power users who require a robust, scalable, and secure NAS solution. It offers an excellent balance of price, performance, and features, making it a worthy investment for those seeking top-tier server-side capabilities. However, for users with simpler storage needs or those not requiring the advanced features of Thunderbolt NAS, traditional Thunderbolt DAS devices might be a more suitable and cost-effective option. The TVS-h874T, with its advanced capabilities, is undoubtedly a powerhouse in NAS technology, but its full benefits will be best realized by those whose requirements align closely with what this advanced system has to offer.

PROs of the QNAP TVS-h874T NAS CONs of the QNAP TVS-h874T NAS
Only brand rolling out i9 Turnkey NAS
Only NAS Rolling out Thunderbolt4 NAS (for now!)
Upto 20 Cores, 24 Threads and High End Integrated Graphics
PCIe Gen 4 x16 Upgrade Slot for 10/25/100GbE Cards and 2x PCIe Gen 4 x4 M.2 NVMe Slots for 7GB SSDs
No Obstinant 3rd Party Hardware Limitations on Support or Compatibility
Much larger support of 3rd Party Software Services than most other NAS Brands
10Gb/s USB Connectivity, in Type A and Type C
Upto 64GB of Memory
ZFS or EXT 4 File System Choice
M.2 NVMe SSD Bays can be used for Storage or Caching
Volume Encryption, SED SSD Support and WORM
Enhanced AI Surveillance Services, with opt to upgrade with $30 Google TPU
AI Photo Management Tool (QuMagie) Includes Thing Recognition and works offline
ALL the ZFS Benefits, whilst also the GUI and App benefits of a Linux Software Platform in one
No Smaller 4-Bay Version
QVR Elite (not QVR Pro) only has 2 Cam Licences
Lack of ECC Memory will annoy some users
10Gbe is Missing (so no TB-TO-10GbE Pass-through)
Too Many licenses on Enterprise Tools (Drive Analyzer, Face Tiger, etc) with too few free licenses

Need More Help Choosing the right NAS?

Choosing the right data storage solution for your needs can be very intimidating and it’s never too late to ask for help. With options ranging from NAS to DAS, Thunderbolt to SAS and connecting everything up so you can access all your lovely data at the touch of a button can be a lot simpler than you think. If you want some tips, guidance or help with everything from compatibility to suitability of a solution for you, why not drop me a message below and I will get back to you as soon as possible with what you should go for, its suitability and the best place to get it. This service is designed without profit in mind and in order to help you with your data storage needs, so I will try to answer your questions as soon as possible.

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The Best 5-Bay and 6-Bay NAS of 2023/2024

Par : Rob Andrews
11 décembre 2023 à 18:00

A Guide to the Best 5/6-Bay NAS Drives to Buy Right Now

In recent years, the appeal of 5-Bay and 6-Bay NAS systems has dramatically increased, particularly since 2023/2024. Previously, home and small-business users tended to opt for either modest 2/4 Bay systems or jump to the larger 8-Bay models when needing more storage capacity. The growing popularity of 5-Bay and 6-Bay models can be attributed to two key factors. Firstly, the advent of larger capacity drives, reaching up to 22TB and soon 24TB, enables even mid-sized NAS systems to surpass the 100TB storage threshold easily. Secondly, there’s a heightened awareness of data redundancy needs and skepticism about the reliability of single-drive safety in RAID 5 configurations, compared to the two-drive failure protection offered by RAID 6. This combination has made 5-Bay and 6-Bay NAS setups, especially those using large drives in a RAID 6 array, much more accessible and desirable. NAS manufacturers have taken note of this trend, leading to an expanded range of 5-Bay and 6-Bay NAS solutions that vary in hardware capabilities, power, and price. In this context, I aim to highlight my top picks for 5-Bay and 6-Bay NAS drives to consider in 2023/2024, each standing out for unique reasons. Let’s explore the best 5-Bay and 6-Bay NAS servers that should be on your radar.

Best 5/6-Bay NAS of the Year

What Have All the Best 5/6-Bay NAS Drives Have in Common?

As you explore the extensive selection of 5/6-Bay NAS drives available in 2023/2024, it’s important to recognize that their quality and capabilities vary greatly. Despite the growing number of budget-friendly options online, they often fall short of the standards set by premium NAS brands, appearing too good to be true and disappearing quickly. Whether you’re considering my top three 5/6-Bay NAS recommendations or looking at other options, the best NAS systems consistently offer certain essential features:

  • Combined Hardware & Software Solution: This includes not only the NAS hardware but also a comprehensive software suite with a web browser GUI, mobile apps, and desktop client applications for backup, media, streaming, surveillance, and file management.
  • Multi-OS Compatibility: All NAS systems should be compatible with and accessible by Windows, Mac, Android, and Linux operating systems.

  • Warranty of 2-3 Years, Extendable to 5 Years: Look for a standard warranty period with an option for extension.

  • Local and Secure Remote Network Access: The ability for local network access and secure remote access via brand-supported services, at no extra cost.

  • Support for Latest Large Capacity Hard Drives: Modern NAS systems should support up to 20TB NAS hard drives, such as Seagate Ironwolf 22TB and WD Red 22TB.

  • Multiple Drive Configurations (RAID): For enhanced performance and data safety.

  • Regular Security and Feature Updates: Ensuring the NAS system remains secure and up-to-date.

  • Cloud and Business Service Synchronization: Compatibility with services like Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, AWS, Azure, and Backblaze.

  • Shared Drive Hosting Capability: The ability to host a shared drive on PC, mobile, or laptop systems, synchronized with the NAS and displayed in the native file manager.

  • Direct Access via Ethernet/Network Cable: For high-speed connectivity, direct access through an ethernet/network cable to the NAS is crucial.

  • Backup and Sync Tools: Available for installation on local client computers to facilitate regular backups of files and system data.

Ensure that any 5/6-Bay NAS you are considering includes these features, as they are key indicators of a high-quality NAS system. Let’s now delve into the best 5/6-Bay NAS options to invest in for 2023/2024.


Honourable Mention: 5/6-Bay NAS Drive – The LincStation N1

0-32TB M.2 NVMe + 10TB SATA HDD / 16TB SATA SSD, 4+2-Bays, 4xM.2 NVMe 2280, Intel N5105/N5095 CPU, 16GB Memory, 2.5Gbe Port, HDMI+DP 1.4 60FPS 4K, UnRAID License Inc, 2yr Warranty

Current Price/Availability on Amazon –$250-300 (TBC)  (Currently in Crowdfunding)

Hardware Review – LINK

YouTube Video Review – Watch

What I said in my review Oct 16 ’23:

When evaluating the Lincplus N1 NAS, context is paramount. Keeping in mind its price point and the brand’s objectives, as well as understanding how an SSD-centric system can fit into this mold, you’ll likely be thoroughly pleased with this NAS. For a mere $279, it offers an unmatched combination of hardware capabilities. The silent operation, bundled UnRAID software, two-tier storage, and genuine turnkey out-of-the-box deployment culminate into a device brimming with potential. It caters to both newcomers to private server ownership and seasoned home lab enthusiasts. Certain concessions were inevitable to attain this attractive price. Seasoned flash industry professionals might bemoan the absence of ECC memory, the use of a consumer-grade CPU, and limitations placed on the bandwidth and speeds for the m.2 NVMe slots. Even though the software is genuinely turnkey and the system is ready to run immediately after unboxing, UnRAID does come with its learning curve. It might be more user-friendly compared to other container-based GUIs, but there’s still a learning curve. Additionally, the default UnRAID settings could be better tailored to this SSD-driven system.

Hopefully, future firmware updates might address this. Such discrepancies are expected when the hardware is developed by one entity and the software by another. This dichotomy can lead to inconsistencies, such as those seen in drive monitoring results, raising questions about the demarcation of responsibility between the two entities. However, overlooking these minor points, the N1 stands out as a commendable alternative to a full DIY approach. It not only saves money and time but also offers a ready-to-use, compact solution. Provided you acknowledge and accept the inherent compromises, the N1 emerges as a notable midpoint in the burgeoning server market, bridging the gap between custom-built and all-inclusive turnkey solutions.

SOFTWARE - 9/10
HARDWARE - 8/10
PERFORMANCE - 7/10
PRICE - 10/10
VALUE - 10/10


8.8
PROS
👍🏻Very Affordable at $279 (IndieGogo Price)
👍🏻Exceptional Value
👍🏻Genuinely Silent Operation
👍🏻16GB Memory is GREAT
👍🏻Includes UnRAID License
👍🏻100% Turnkey and 1st Time Boot Setup
👍🏻Plenty of Passive Cooling
👍🏻Very Low Power Consumption
👍🏻Attractive Design
👍🏻Exceptionally Portable
👍🏻Very competitive First NAS
👍🏻WiFi 6 and Bluetooth Support
👍🏻No Barriers in UnRAID + ZFS Support
CONS
👎🏻UnRAID is not Tweaked for this SSD Focused System
👎🏻1x 2.5GbE feels supremely limiting
👎🏻PCIe limits impact the system...
👎🏻...Which are understandable, but annoying


Best Software 5/6-Bay NAS – The Synology DS1522+

0-110TB (90TB with Syn HAT5300s) , 5x SATA Bays, 2x M.2 NVMe 2280 (Pools and Caching), AMD R1600 2-Core / 4-Thread CPU, 8-32GB ECC DDR4 Memory, 4x 1Gbe Port, Optional 10GbE Upgrade, 2x Expansion Port, 3-5yr Warranty

Current Price/Availability on Amazon – $699

Hardware Review – LINK

YouTube Video Review – Watch , Before You Buy Video – Watch

What I said in my review June ’22:

The Synology DS1522+ is a good NAS drive and most business-focused users are going to appreciate what this newer configuration of hardware is able to provide. There was never any doubt in the extent to which this new NAS would support DSM7, and given its architecture, there is virtually nothing in the popular NAS software that this system cannot do. Likewise, having the option of 10GbE on a Diskstation of this scale will be hugely attractive to some, though the proprietary means with which you need to upgrade is arguably less desirable.

The R1600 CPU is a good choice of processor for file handling and simultaneous tasks, as is the 8GB of memory that this system arrives with, plus the potential to ramp it up to 32GB. After that though, the desirability of this system to home users and multimedia users is a little less compelling and with such a large audience of users who look at NAS for their media streaming, the DS1522+ not featuring a more graphically enabled chip will leave them somewhat underwhelmed. Bottom line, the DS1522+ is a solid and full DSM7 supporting system here and you cannot fault the design, internal/external performance and ease of use of this Synology NAS. However, there will always be users wondering why this NAS never arrived with an Intel chip.

SOFTWARE - 10/10
HARDWARE - 8/10
PERFORMANCE - 8/10
PRICE - 8/10
VALUE - 8/10


8.4
PROS
👍🏻8GB of ECC Memory that can be scaled to 32GB – LOVELY STUFF
👍🏻Optional 10GbE Upgrade
👍🏻Continued Support of Synology Hybrid RAID on this scale
👍🏻4x LAN Ports by default
👍🏻Expandable with another 10 Drives down the line (2x DS517)
👍🏻NVMe SSD Bays for Caching will be very useful with this 5-Bay RAID Storage
👍🏻DSM 7.1 is hands down the best NAS software and services in the market right now
👍🏻3 years base warranty, with optional extra 2yrs
👍🏻Numerous storage service advantages inc. BTRFS, Fast RAID Rebuild and Auto-Repair
👍🏻First Party Hybrid Cloud services with Synology C2
👍🏻Exceptionally good surveillance software included
CONS
👎🏻That CPU is going to divide opinion
👎🏻HDD & SSD Compatibility list is a little thinner than I expected
👎🏻Optional 10GbE upgrade is via a heavily proprietary route

 

DEAL WATCH Is It On Offer Right Now?

Synology 5-bay DiskStation DS1522+ (Diskless),Black https://www.amazon.com/b/ref=dp_bc_aui_C_5?ie=UTF8&node=20941687011 usa USA 15% Off [LINK]
Synology 5-bay DiskStation DS1522+ (Diskless),Black Amazon usa USA 21.37 OFF (WAS 721) [LINK]

These Offers are Checked Daily

Best Value 6-Bay NAS – The Asustor Flashstor 6 NVMe Flash Server

0-48TB, 6x M.2 NVMe 3×1 Bays, Supports 2x USB Expansions, N5105/N5095 4-Core CPU, 4-16GB DDR4 (non-ECC) Memory, 2x 2.5Gbe Port, 3yr Warranty (10GbE version = FS6712X Flashstor 12 Pro for $799 HERE)

Current Price/Availability on Amazon – $499

Hardware Review – LINK

YouTube Video Review – Watch (Flashstor 12 Pro Review HERE)

What I said in my review June ’23:

I cannot stress enough how impressed I am that the Flashstor 6 and Flashstor 12 Pro are priced at $499 and $860, respectively, given the level of hardware on offer here. These are by no means enterprise-grade NAS server solutions, nor should they be thought of as such. However, given the cost of typical fully featured 4x HDD solutions from their competitors and the brand themselves, which often start at $550 and above, it is quite remarkable that the six M.2 SSD system with comparable internal hardware comes in at $499. As long as a user keeps their expectations in line with what this cost versus its capabilities, it’s really tough to argue with the price point that these two devices have arrived at on the market. The Asustor FS6712X Flashstor 12 Pro NAS presents a unique offering in the NAS market, leveraging NVMe technology to provide high-capacity, ultra-high-performance storage. The device’s design, with its rhombus-shaped enclosure and twelve M.2 NVMe slots, sets it apart from traditional NAS devices and offers a sleek and modern aesthetic.

The tool-less drive installation mechanism makes it easy to set up and expand the storage capacity. However, there are some considerations to keep in mind. The limited number of PCIe lanes provided by the Intel Celeron N5105 processor may restrict the performance of high-speed NVMe drives. The single 10GbE LAN port also presents a potential network bottleneck, limiting the device’s overall network performance. Users seeking maximum performance and network throughput may find alternative solutions better suited to their needs. Despite these limitations, the FS6712X shines as a storage solution for users who prioritize high-capacity storage, quiet operation, and low power consumption. The device’s ability to directly output 4K video, along with its range of Asustor-approved apps, makes it an excellent choice for media distribution and presentation. In terms of pricing, the FS6712X comes with a price tag of $850+. While this may appear high at first glance, it is comparable to 8 bay drive NAS SATA devices and many of those do not even include NVMe slots or 10GbE. Users looking for a more cost-effective option can consider the Flashstor 6, which offers half the number of slots and 2x 2.5GbE enabled ports for $499.

As the cost of flash modules continues to drop, and larger capacity drives become available all the way up to 8TB (even without QLC), the FS6712X provides an attractive solution for those seeking high-capacity and high-performance NAS storage. While some underlying performance relativity by the end user needs to be factored in and hardware limitations exist thanks to the use of that Celeron to remain budget-friendly, the FS6712X is a tremendously smart move by Asustor. A well-designed NAS that presents a much more confident solution demonstrating the benefits of NVMe-focused NAS devices to an audience that would have assumed such things are way, WAY outside the realms of affordability!

SOFTWARE - 7/10
HARDWARE - 9/10
PERFORMANCE - 7/10
PRICE - 10/10
VALUE - 10/10


8.6
PROS
👍🏻6x NVMe SSD Flash NAS for under $500 - COME ON!
👍🏻Low Power Use
👍🏻Full 1st Party NAS OS Included
👍🏻USB 3.2 Gen 2 10G Connectivity and wide USB Support/Compatibility
👍🏻Very Slick and compact design
👍🏻SP/DIF and HDMI 2.0b Outputs will hugely please the multimedia user community
👍🏻Likewise, Plex Performance is very good for 4K and 1080p conversions
CONS
👎🏻6x NVMe Performance will never be realised because of the Intel Celeron CPU inside and 3x1 Limits
👎🏻2.5GbE x2 is good.. but its still hugely limiting for those NVMes
👎🏻Lack of ECC memory (cost prohibitive of course) will put some serious users off

 

DEAL WATCH Is It On Offer Right Now?

ASUSTOR FLASHSTOR 12 Pro (FS6712X) Network Storage Amazon usa USA 33.32 OFF (WAS 831) [LINK]

These Offers are Checked Daily

Bet Hardware 6-Bay NAS – QNAP Triple Tier TS-855X Server

0-130TB SATA HDDs, 0-16TB SATA SSDs, 0-16TB 3×4 M.2 NVMes, 6+2+2-Bays, C5125 8-Core Atom CPU, 8-128GB Memory, 1x 10GbE and 2x 2.5GbE Ports, 2x PCIe 3×8 Slots, 3yr Warranty

Current Price/Availability on Amazon – $1300-1500

Hardware Review – LINK

YouTube Video Review – Watch

What I said in my review June ’23:

I have to say, I am INSANELY impressed by how much bang for buck is being included in the TS-855X and although it is not the most powerful device in the market (arguably intentionally, as it favours the more affordable Atom over a xeon), it is a sensible workhorse of a NAS. On the positive side, the QNAP TS-855X NAS comes with numerous strong selling points. The device offers large storage potential, especially with the ZFS file system, making it a powerhouse for data management. The choice of CPU is also sensible, providing a balance between performance and cost-effectiveness. The inclusion of the QTier tool is particularly appealing, adding a layer of efficiency to the storage management. Another big plus is the user-friendly GUI for ZFS in QuTS, making it accessible for users with varying levels of technical expertise. The three-tier storage options and support of ECC memory with a maximum of 128GB further enhance the device’s versatility and potential. Moreover, the TS-855X provides a wealth of expansion options and comes with 8 camera licenses with QVR Pro/QTS. The well-ventilated design contributes to thermal efficiency, ensuring optimal performance, while its support for the latest 22TB and soon-to-be-released 24TB drives future-proofs your investment.

However, the TS-855X is not without its drawbacks. While the two SATA SSD bays provide extra storage options, they would have been better if they were U.2 slots, which offer faster speeds. Although the device supports ECC memory, the initial 8GB memory in the base model is non-ECC, which might not be optimal for all ZFS services. The memory capacity might also be somewhat low for users with intensive data needs. Furthermore, the software can sometimes be inconsistent under heavy use, and it has a steeper learning curve compared to competitors like Synology. Finally, the pricing structure for the TS-855X is a mixed bag. While some users may find the cost reasonable given its features, others might feel it’s a bit steep for what it offers. Therefore, while the QNAP TS-855X NAS offers a plethora of attractive features and strong performance, it’s worth keeping in mind that a spend of a few hundred more dollars opens the door to Intel Core-powered NAS in the TVS-hx74 series or more powerful Xeon triple-tiered systems such as the TVS-h1288X. If you want power, but on a budget, it’s a great choice!

SOFTWARE - 8/10
HARDWARE - 8/10
PERFORMANCE - 9/10
PRICE - 8/10
VALUE - 8/10


8.2
PROS
👍🏻Large Storage Potential (Especially in ZFS)
👍🏻Sensible Choice of CPU
👍🏻QTier Tool is VERY Appealing
👍🏻ZFS in QuTS but with a User Friendly GUI
👍🏻Three Tier Storage Opts
👍🏻Support of ECC Memory & 128GB Max
👍🏻Tonnes of Expansion Options
👍🏻8 Camera Licenses with QVR Pro/QTS
👍🏻Well Ventilated Design
👍🏻Supports Latest 22TB and 24TB (soon)
CONS
👎🏻2x SATA SSD Bays Would Hva ebeen Better if U.2
👎🏻Initial 8GB Memory is low for all ZFS services + is not ECC in default/Base Model
👎🏻Software can be a little inconsistent under excessive use
👎🏻Features a steeper learning curve than Synology
👎🏻Early Pricing is a Mixed Bag

 

DEAL WATCH Is It On Offer Right Now?


These Offers are Checked Daily

 


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Synology DS723+ NAS Unofficial Memory Upgrades – Crucial, Kingston, Sabrent, 64GB?

Par : Rob Andrews
13 décembre 2023 à 18:00

How to Upgrade the RAM in your Synology DS723+ to 32GB and 64GB RAM Officially/Unofficially

The Synology DS723+ NAS is a NAS system that arrives with an impressive middle ground between Power, Efficiency and Price, thanks to that AMD Ryzen R1600 CPU, flexibility in a 10GbE upgrade, storage expandability and (of course) arriving with ECC memory. The DS723+ is one of the latest generation of Diskstation devices (in the 2022/2023 series) that seems to be targeting the more advanced SMB user, prioritizing throughput and performance, whilst also doubling down on data integrity with things like BTRFS and ECC memory. However, the system arrives with 2GB, but can be upgraded officially to a very impressive 32GB (for the scale of the system)! So, there are users that might want to upgrade that memory on Day 1 in order to remove any kind of potential bottleneck down the line (VMs, Databases, Surveillance, etc) or even just users that have set up the device to their own unique setup – but noticed that Memory usage is constantly hovering at the 60-70%. Synology NAS systems use quite proficient intelligent background memory use and flushing, but nevertheless, there are still plenty of users who want to scale up the base-level memory. In this article, I will show you how to upgrade the memory on your Synology DS723+ NAS, but also I will show several 3rd party (i.e Unofficial modules) that I have tested in this NAS.

Upgrading your Synology DS723+ with Unofficial Memory – Pay Attention

Before we continue with the guide, it is worth highlighting that the DS723+ manufacturer, Synology, strongly recommends that you do not exceed the stated memory limit on their specifications page. They also highlight that using non-official memory in your Synology DS723+ may well result in them being unable to provide technical support, as this would be an unsupported setup. We at NASCompares cannot be held accountable for how you use this guide. However, below I will show you where to buy the individual memory and Synology DS723+ NAS device you will need. ONLY attempt this upgrade if you are comfortable with the terms laid out above by the manufacturer. Finally, it is also worth remembering that just because a system can SEE more than the official maximum memory, there is no guarantee that you will be able to utilize the full visible memory at once. Synology’s recommendations on the maximum memory supported by their NAS systems are often governed by three factors:

  • The Recommended Maximum Supported Memory detailed by the CPU Manufacturer (e.g. Intel or AMD), which can also be a case of lanes and bandwidth allocation/availability
  • The number of memory slots that Synology add to the system. This can be a case of a NAS only having 2 slots (with only 32GB modules supported by the brand) but the CPU supporting more than that being a physical conflict
  • The Synology NAS might arrive with fixed/soldered memory for it’s default memory (e.g. the 2GB in the DS423+ or 4GB in the DS920+) but might also have a free memory upgrade slot – this leads to unusual memory caps such as the 6GB Maximum on the DS423+, despite it’s CPU supporting upto 8GB.

If you choose to go ahead with unofficial memory, afterwards, it is highly recommended to test the full quantity available with VM testing (assigning bulk memory to each virtual image) and running at the same time to see if it is utilized.

Synology Official Memory vs Unofficial Memory from Crucial, Kingston, Sabrent, etc?

Luckily Synology provides a wide range of official memory upgrades that can be purchased from numerous retailers online, however, they are generally more expensive than the 3rd party equivalents (see example above). Now, there could be a few good reasons for this. Firstly, these memory sticks are first-party and specifically selected to work on the Synology NAS systems (taking alot of the searching out of it for people in researching speeds, frequencies and supported PIN numbers), and officially branded components for any hardware manufacturer are always pricier.

Next, they do not have the rotation of stock that Crucial or Kingston has and therefore, the flexibility in pricing they might have is not available. Lastly, the Synology memory will often be ECC memory (especially in recent released NAS systems by them) and ECC memory always commands a higher price. However, given this memory is likely manufactured by a 3rd party, that does make it a little painful sometimes for smaller Synology NAS users who look at official memory and its often 2-3x pricepoint of equivalent modules from Kingston, Crucial and Samsung. So, in this guide we talk about upgrading your memory with both official and unofficial memory, what happens when you do and if there are risks to factor in. If you are a little unsure about whether you need to use ECC memory in your specific Synology NAS setup, you can watch the video below detailing the pros, cons and more:

Synology DS723+ Official/Unofficial Memory Upgrade – Step 2, Physical Installation

What you will need:

  • A Synology DS723+ NAS – Obviously
  • 1/2x Memory Upgrade Modules (Ranging from 4GB to 16GB and 32GB Individual Modules – Link below for Tested RAM modules from Crucial, Kingston, Samsung, Timtec and Synology Official Memory too:
DS723+

(Arrives with ECC Memory)

Testing Video on YouTube HERE

DDR4-2466 ECC Unbuffered SO-DIMM 260pin 1.2V D4ES02-8G (ECC)

D4ES01-16G (ECC)

Crucial ECC 4GB Buy Here

Kingston NON-ECC 4GB- Buy Here

Crucial NON-ECC 8GB Buy Here

Kingston NON-ECC 8GB- Buy Here

Crucial NON-ECC 16GB Buy Here

Kingston NON-ECC 16GB- Buy Here

Kingston NON-ECC 32GB Buy Here

Kingston ECC 8GB Buy Here

Arch ECC 16GB – Buy Here

vColour ECC 32GB- Buy Here

VERY IMPORTANT – The Links used in the article below towards the correct unofficial memory are occasionally changed (beyond my control) as it will direct you to the site in your own region/country. MAKE SURE to check that the memory module (especially 16 and 32GB SODIMM modules) are DUAL RANK or ‘DR‘, as Synology NAS typically have trouble with SR/SINGLE RANK modules.

  • (OPTIONAL) Anti-static gloves and Envelope – useful to eliminate static charges and also to store the removed older official memory sticks):

First, we need to ensure the Synology DS723+ is completely powered down/off and the mains power has been disconnected. It is recommended that you remove the Hard Drive or SSD that you have installed before accessing the RAM as it may block the slots. Additionally, you should remove the hard drive media as the unit will be moved around a lot during the memory installation and this could damage the drives. Be sure to keep a note of the drives that you remove and the order they were installed (HDD Bay 1, HDD Bay 2, etc) as installing the drives in the wrong slots could damage any existing RAID you have setup internally.

Next, we need to access the memory upgrade panel. Now, if you are just adding the existing memory, you can just add the additional module to the available SODIMM slot. However, if you are upgrading the system’s memory with new pairs of memory sticks (eg upgrading from the default 2GB to 32GB with 2x16GB), you will need to remove the old memory (remember to store it in an antistatic bag afterwards)

If you are removing the original memory, be sure you eject the official memory sticks using the clips on either side of the slot, as well as only holding the memory sticks by the narrow side edges, never touching the chips or board of the money or NAS.

Once you have removed them, they can either be stored away for a later project, installed in a compatible laptop or sold on eBay etc to make a little cash back!

Once they are clear, install one or both of your chosen unofficial DDR4 SODIMM memory modules in the available slots, making sure that you click them both in with the clips on either side.

Synology DS723+ Official/Unofficial Memory Upgrade – Step 2, Checking the Unofficial Memory is Recognized

What you will need:

  • A web browser (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, etc) on a Windows, Mac or Android Machine) accessing the Synology DS723+ user-interface as you normally would.

Next, you need to power up your Synology DS723+ NAS and access it as you normally would. If you are buying this NAS first time and have yet to set it up, there are numerous first-time set-up guides and tips on the YouTube channel here – that will get you from the hardware installation to set up the Synology DS723+ NAS for use. Once the NAS user interface (UI) is ready to go, head over to the hardware specification page shown here:

As you can see in the image above, the Synology has recognized the increased memory. It is still recommended to head to Step 4 below to see how to use the official memory test feature of the system.

Synology DS723+ Official/Unofficial Memory Upgrade – Step 3, Unofficial/Unsupported Memory Tested

As mentioned earlier, Synology is pretty clear about its position on users opting for non-Synology memory in their systems or exceeding the officially stated maximum capacity of the DS723+. They feel this is using the system in a configuration that is outside of the guaranteed performance and stability that they advertise. This means that if your system encounters issues as a result of these unsupported configurations, they (at best) will have difficulty recreating this configuration to provide support or (at worst) refuse to provide support as they have been pretty clear on the setups that they state the DS723+ can run with. However, there is no avoiding that there have been countless examples of Synology NAS systems functioning perfectly well with 3rd party memory (YouTube Playlist of Synology NAS 3rd Party memory Tests HERE), so here are some examples of memory modules we tested on the Synology DS723+ NAS (including model ID and links as needed – again, DOUBLE CHECK THE MODEL ID before you buy, as retailers will check page links):

Synology DS723+ NAS + with 2x Sabrent Rocket 8GB 3200Mhz DDR4 SODIMM (16GB & 32GB also tested)

Sabrent Memory 2x DDR4 SODIMM SB-DDR8 8GB HERE – (8/16/32GB Available):

After installation, I checked the Synology Resource Monitor and the Sabrent memory was recognized:

Heading into the system information, once again, the 16GB Memory was recognized as recognised in total available physical memory:

Heading into the Virtual Machine Manager and  assigned a massive chunk of the available memory to an Ubuntu VM to see if the system would have any issue with assigning it. No barriers or hurdles were raised.

Booting the VM, We were able to head into the Ubuntu System Monitor and see that the memory quantity was successfully allocated to the Virtual Machine:


Synology DS723+ NAS + with 2x Crucial 16GB 3200Mhz DDR4 SODIMM

Crucial Memory 2x DDR4 SODIMM CT16G4SFRA32A – (8/16/32GB Available):

After installation, I checked the Synology Resource Monitor and the Crucial memory was recognized:

Heading into the system information, once again, the 32GB Memory was recognized as recognised in total available physical memory:

Heading into the Virtual Machine Manager and assigned a massive chunk of the available memory to an Ubuntu VM to see if the system would have any issue with assigning it. No barriers or hurdles were raised.

Booting the VM, We were able to head into the Ubuntu System Monitor and see that the memory quantity was successfully allocated to the Virtual Machine:


Synology DS723+ NAS + with 2x Kingston 32GB 3200Mhz DDR4 SODIMM

Kingston Memory 2x DDR4 SODIMM KCP432SD8/32 – (8/16GB Available):

After installation, I checked the Synology Resource Monitor and the Kingston memory was recognized:

Heading into the system information, once again, the 64GB Memory was recognized as recognised in total available physical memory:

Heading into the Virtual Machine Manager and assigned a massive chunk of the available memory to an Ubuntu VM to see if the system would have any issue with assigning it. No barriers or hurdles were raised.

Booting the VM, We were able to head into the Ubuntu System Monitor and see that the memory quantity was successfully allocated to the Virtual Machine:

So, those were the three unofficial memory types that I tested on the Synology DS723+ NAS. However, it is VERY important that (regardless of whether you choose official or unofficial memory for your NAS upgrade) you check that your memory is working perfectly. Do check this; you should use the built-in Memory Testing facility of Synology Assistant for PC/Mac. Below is how to conduct the test.

Synology DS723+ Official/Unofficial Memory Upgrade – Step 4, Checking the Memory is Usable

There are several ways to check the memory is working on your Synology DS723+ correctly. One easy method that can be done very quickly is using the Synology Memory Test tool.

To run a memory test:

    1. Download and install the Synology Assistant, where you can find the memory test function. The application is available at Download Center.
    2. Open Synology Assistant, click and enable the memory test service.

    1. Select the device where you wish to run the test and click Memory Test.

During the memory test, your Synology NAS will be rebooted. It will recover after another reboot if its memory is normal and passes the test. However, if the memory test fails to finish or shows that there is an error, the memory may be faulty. In this case, you are strongly recommended to return your Synology NAS for repair. Just in case you have installed a non-Synology memory module, please remove it and rerun the memory test.

Though once again you should remember that Synology do not recommend using memory modules that are not from Synology themselves, so this test may not be indicative of the health of unofficial memory in your Synology NAS. Alternatively, you can perform as many actions and processes as possible (scans, copy/pastes, thumbnail generation, transcode a 4K file, RAID changes, synchronisation, etc) at once to see how the task manager and resource monitor behaves in the Synology DS723+. It should spike each time and at a greater height as you do more and more and once it exceeds the memory you had previously installed, this is a good confirmation that the installation is working fine. Alternatively, you can temporarily allocate chunks of memory and then that is a much more reliable test. Install the virtual machine application for the Synology DS723+ (P.S. for Synology users it is the Virtual Machine Manager and for QNAP it is the Virtualisation station). Then you can create individual VMs (it is alot easier than it sounds and the Synology DS723+ VM software is very user-friendly) then allocate a large number of GBs (Gigabytes) of memory to each one. When you have created 3 or 4 individual virtual machine containers on the Synology DS723+ software, then you can run them all at once and that will immediately use almost all the memory at once! If there are any issues with the memory, it will show here almost immediately. If no problems, then you know the Synology DS723+ unofficial Crucial/Kingston memory installation as successful. You can then delete the VMs in the virtual machine software and then free up all that memory again.

And there you go. You have now installed your unofficial memory in your Synology DS723+ NAS system. Remember, you are going to using an unsupported Synology setup, so regularly BACKUP to another NAS, a cloud platform, or even just a USB drive using the dedicated first-party software inside your NAS system. Thanks for reading this guide. Still need help? Use the NASCompares Free Advice section below. It is my free, unbias community support system that allows you to ask me questions about your ideal setup. It is NOT a sales platform, NOT a way to push hardware you don’t need and, although it is just manned by me and might take a day or two for me to reply, I will help you any way I can.
  • Link below for Tested RAM modules from Crucial, Kingston, Samsung, Timtec and Synology Official Memory too:
DS723+

(Arrives with ECC Memory)

Testing Video on YouTube HERE

DDR4-2466 ECC Unbuffered SO-DIMM 260pin 1.2V D4ES02-8G (ECC)

D4ES01-16G (ECC)

Crucial ECC 4GB Buy Here

Kingston NON-ECC 4GB- Buy Here

Crucial NON-ECC 8GB Buy Here

Kingston NON-ECC 8GB- Buy Here

Crucial NON-ECC 16GB Buy Here

Kingston NON-ECC 16GB- Buy Here

Kingston NON-ECC 32GB Buy Here

Kingston ECC 8GB Buy Here

Arch ECC 16GB – Buy Here

vColour ECC 32GB- Buy Here

VERY IMPORTANT – The Links used in the article below towards the correct unofficial memory are occasionally changed (beyond my control) as it will direct you to the site in your own region/country. MAKE SURE to check that the memory module (especially 16 and 32GB SODIMM modules) are DUAL RANK or ‘DR‘, as Synology NAS typically have trouble with SR/SINGLE RANK modules.

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The Best 8-Bay NAS of 2023/2024

Par : Rob Andrews
15 décembre 2023 à 18:00

A Guide to the Best 8-Bay NAS Drives to Buy Right Now

Delving into the world of NAS for business purposes, it becomes clear that the 8-Bay NAS drives mark a significant leap in seriousness and capability. While NAS systems are commonly used in homes, for budget-friendly options, and in small businesses for basic storage needs, the 8-Bay variants signify a major step up. These systems, compatible with both hard drives and SSDs, showcase the advanced capabilities of NAS brands. Historically, 8-Bays have been pivotal in transitioning from Desktop to Rackmount servers, offering enhanced storage, performance, and redundancy. Such systems boast features like 10-gigabit ethernet, Xeon processors, and increased memory, catering to a broader range of users and processes than their predecessors. Early on, NAS brands integrated 8-Bay desktop servers into their offerings, recognizing the need for compact, powerful desktop solutions to compete with traditional rackmount servers. With an array of 8-Bay NAS systems available, each with unique hardware and software features, yet similarly priced, the choice can be overwhelming. In this guide, I aim to spotlight the top three 8-Bay NAS drives to consider in 2023/2024, selected for their value, scalability, and power. Let’s dive in.

Best NAS of the Year

What Have All the Best 8-Bay NAS Drives Have in Common?

It is worth remembering that although there are ALOT of different 8-Bay NAS drives available to buy, they are by no means created equal! With numerous super-budget brands popping up online, it can be tempting to consider these alongside the premium NAS brands. However, all too often they offer solutions righty seem ‘too good to be true’ and then are gone from the web before your warranty even gets cold! So, whether you are looking at the three best 8-Bay solutions that I am recommending below OR are looking at another 8-Bay NAS you saw on offer/recommended elsewhere – the best NAS system ALWAYS includes the following software and services:

  • Combined Hardware & Software Solution – That means that you are buying the hardware, but it ALSO includes a web browser GUI, mobile apps and desktop client apps (including backup, media, streaming, surveillance and file management software)
  • All NAS systems in this guide are compatible with (and can be accessed by) Windows, Mac, Android and Linux operating systems
  • All NAS Solutions arrive with between 2-3 years Warranty (with the option to extend to 5 years)
  • All NAS drives can be accessed locally over the network, as well as secure remote access is possible with brand-supported services (at no additional cost)
  • The most modern and regularly updated NAS systems will support the very latest 20TB NAS hard drives (such as the Seagate Ironwolf 22TB and WD Red 22TB)
  • All the recommended solutions support multiple drive configurations (RAID) for drive failure protection and performance enhancements
  • All solutions receive regular updates to their security, features and services
  • All recommended NAS drives can connect and synchronize with cloud services (Google Drive, DropBox, OneDrive, etc), as well as Business/Enterprise services such as AWS, Azure, Backblaze and more
  • All NAS solutions (regardless of brand) feature the ability to host a shared drive on your PC/Mobile/Laptop systems that are synchronized with the NAS via the network/internet, but is shown in your native operating system file manager (i.e Mac Finder or Windows Explorer)
  • All the NAS solutions listed can be accessed DIRECTLY via an ethernet/network cable being connected from your PC/Mac system, to the NAS RJ45 port for 100MB/s and higher connectivity
  • All the best NAS solutions (regardless of brand) feature backup and sync tools that can be installed on your local client computer and allow regular backups of your files and system data

So, make sure that if you are looking at a NAS solution that is NOT recommended below, that it includes all of the above as these are some of the clearest areas that brands all too often cut orders to produce cheaper by ultimately inferior NAS servers for home and business.


Honourable Mention: The QNAP TVS-h874T Thunderbolt4 NAS

0-176TB, 8-Bays, 2x PCIe 4×4 M.2 NVMe 2280, PCIe Gen 4×16 Upgrade Slot, Intel Core 12th Gen i7/i9 CPU, 32-64GB DDR4 (non-ECC) Memory, 2x Thunderbolt4 Port, 2x 2.5Gbe Port, KVM, ZFS or EXT4 Setup, 3-5yr Warranty

Current Price/Availability on Amazon – $2999-3499

Hardware Review – LINK (h874) – h874T Review Coming Soon

YouTube Video Review – Watch (h874) – h874T Review Coming Soon

In summarizing the capabilities and potential of the QNAP TVS-h874T NAS, released as a late 2023 update to its predecessor, it’s clear that this system represents a significant leap forward in desktop NAS technology. Priced over £2500, it’s a substantial investment, designed with future-proofing in mind. The TVS-h874T not only maintains the longevity and high-end status of the TVS-h874 but also brings to the table enhanced direct data access through Thunderbolt 4 integration. This advancement, supporting IP over Thunderbolt protocol, significantly boosts connectivity and speed, making the system an ideal choice for demanding tasks such as 8K video editing and high-performance computing needs in business environments. However, the question of whether Thunderbolt NAS is the right fit for all users remains. For those requiring high-speed, multi-user access and scalability, the TVS-h874T is a strong contender. Its support for the latest PCIe 4 standards ensures compatibility with high-performance upgrades, reinforcing its position as a future-proof investment. The software, featuring QTS and QuTS, might require some acclimatization, particularly for those familiar with simpler systems like Synology’s DSM. Yet, the benefits, especially for ZFS enthusiasts, are undeniable, offering advanced RAID management and a plethora of applications and services.

The TVS-h874T’s stance on open hardware and software compatibility is a significant plus in an industry increasingly leaning towards proprietary systems. It accommodates a range of third-party hardware and software, adding to its versatility. In the face of growing concerns over NAS security, the system is well-equipped with comprehensive tools and settings for enhanced security and data protection, addressing the pressing issue of ransomware attacks. In conclusion, the QNAP TVS-h874T stands out as an exceptional choice for businesses and power users who require a robust, scalable, and secure NAS solution. It offers an excellent balance of price, performance, and features, making it a worthy investment for those seeking top-tier server-side capabilities. However, for users with simpler storage needs or those not requiring the advanced features of Thunderbolt NAS, traditional Thunderbolt DAS devices might be a more suitable and cost-effective option. The TVS-h874T, with its advanced capabilities, is undoubtedly a powerhouse in NAS technology, but its full benefits will be best realized by those whose requirements align closely with what this advanced system has to offer.

SOFTWARE - 9/10
HARDWARE - 10/10
PERFORMANCE - 10/10
PRICE - 7/10
VALUE - 7/10


8.6
PROS
👍🏻Only brand rolling out i9 Turnkey NAS
👍🏻Only NAS Rolling out Thundebrolt4 NAS (for now!)
👍🏻Upto 20 Cores, 24 Threads and High End Integrated Graphics
👍🏻PCIe Gen 4 x16 Upgrade Slot for 10/25/100GbE Cards and 2x PCIe Gen 4 x4 M.2 NVMe Slots for 7GB SSDs
👍🏻No Obstinant 3rd Party Hardware Limitations on Support or Compatibility
👍🏻Much larger support of 3rd Party Software Services than most other NAS Brands
👍🏻10Gb/s USB Connectivity, in Type A and Type C
👍🏻Upto 64GB of Memory
👍🏻ZFS or EXT 4 File System Choice
👍🏻M.2 NVMe SSD Bays can be used for Storage or Caching
👍🏻Volume Encryption, SED SSD Support and WORM
👍🏻Enhanced AI Surveillance Services, with opt to upgrade with $30 Google TPU
👍🏻AI Photo Management Tool (QuMagie) Includes Thing Recognition and works offline
👍🏻ALL the ZFS Benefits, whilst also the GUI and App benefits of a Linux Software Platform in one
CONS
👎🏻No Smaller 4-Bay Version
👎🏻QVR Elite (not QVR Pro) only has 2 Cam Licences
👎🏻Lack of ECC Memory will annoy some users
👎🏻10Gbe is Missing (so no TB-TO-10GbE Pass-through)
👎🏻Too Many licenses on Enterprise Tools (Drive Analyzer, Face Tiger, etc) with too few free licenses

 

DEAL WATCH Is It On Offer Right Now?

QNAP TVS-h874T-i9-64G, 8-bay Thunderbolt 4 NAS, Intel Core i9 CPU, 64GB RAM Amazon UK UK 61 OFF (WAS 3860) [LINK]

These Offers are Checked Daily

 


Best All Round 8-Bay NAS Drive – Synology DS1821+ NAS

0-176TB, 8-Bays, 2x NVMe Cache Bays, Quad-Core Ryzen V1500B 2.2Ghz CPU, 4-32GB DDR4 ECC Memory, 4x 1Gbe Port, 1x PCIe 3×8 Upgrade Slot, 5yr Warranty

Current Price/Availability on Amazon – $1099

Hardware Review – LINK

YouTube Video Review – Watch

What I said in my review Dec ’20:

What you have here is a solid piece of hardware that very much lives up to everything Synology promises, even if some of those promises aren’t to everyone’s taste. With a hardware architecture that we have already tested to notable success in the DS1621+ previously, we already knew that this NAS would be able to do everything it promised. Many users looking to spend their annual business budgets on an improved or extended data storage solution will find the balanced position of hardware vs software found by the Synology DS1821+ to be quite desirable, as well as the scaled potential to upgrade external performance via PCIe and storage via eSATA. However, there is no ignoring that despite the fact this 2020 release excels in many things, it also arrives with a little bottlenecking in a number of others. The continued default utilisation of 1Gbe on the newest generation by Synology is somewhat perplexing and although I have continued admiration for Synology’s engagement with intelligent M2 NVMe cache utilisation and providing a solution that allows more flexible upgrade paths, I know that there are still users who just wish they could use that super fast NAND for raw storage pools and have better than gigabit connections out by default.

It has never been a secret that buying a Synology NAS solution was always a largely ‘software over hardware’ purchase, and the DS1821+ is still a fine example of that balance. However, with other brands closing the gap in what they can offer the SMB (Small/Medium Business) user, while still providing superior hardware and similar warranty coverage, there is the tiniest feeling that the DS1821+ is a NAS that sits on its laurels a bit. Hugely upgradable and still with that award-winning and fantastically intuative DSM software, the DS1821+ is about buying a solution you can adapt within its lifespan and not one that will knock your socks off on day one. A solid and dependable data storage solution, if a little safe, at the end of 2020.

SOFTWARE - 8/10
HARDWARE - 8/10
PERFORMANCE - 8/10
PRICE - 8/10
VALUE - 8/10


8.0
PROS
👍🏻Desktop Ryzen Powered Solution
👍🏻Dual NVMe M.2 cache
👍🏻PCIe Gen 3 x8 PCIe Equipped
👍🏻Great RAID Options (inc SHR)
👍🏻Excellent choice of Apps
👍🏻DDR4 ECC Memory up to 32GB
👍🏻Numerous Backup Software Options
👍🏻Huge Virtualization Support
👍🏻3yr Warranty and Extendable to 5yrs
CONS
👎🏻1Gbe Ports seem a bit limited now
👎🏻Shame it does not support 1/2 x DX1215
👎🏻NVMe SSDs cannot be used for RAW storage
DEAL WATCH Is It On Offer Right Now?

Synology DS1821+ 8-Bay Diskstation NAS (AMD Ryzen V1500B Quad-Core 2,2 GHz 4 GB Amazon usa USA 100 OFF (WAS 3464) [LINK]
Synology DS1821+8bay NAS V1500B Quad-Core 2.2 GHz,Black Amazon UK UK 4.53 OFF (WAS 1059) [LINK]

These Offers are Checked Daily

 


Most Powerful 8-Bay NAS Drive – QNAP TVS-h874 NAS

0-176TB, 8-Bays, 2x PCIe 4 M.2 NVMe 2280, PCIe Gen 4×16 Upgrade Slot, Intel Core 12th Gen i5/i7/i9 CPU, 16-64GB DDR4 Memory, 2.5Gbe Port, 10Gb x2 Prots (Intel i9 Version), KVM, ZFS or EXT4 Setup, 3-5yr Warranty

Current Price/Availability on Amazon – $2000-2500-3000

Hardware Review – LINK

YouTube Video Review – Watch

What I said in my review Dec ’22:

The QNAP TVS-h874 NAS is easily one of the most hardware-capable desktop NAS systems that I have ever seen (as you would expect for £2500+) and has clearly been designed with phenomenal future proofing in mind! If you are concerned about the longevity of this NAS, this hardware architecture will still be top tier 5 years from now, with the added support of PCIe 4 meaning that high capacity and performing micro upgrades throughout its life also ensuring it remains relevant long after. It’s price tag clearly moves this purchase out of the home and squarely into the business market (though likely those that take their media seriously will add it to the cart) and the TVS-h874 will function as a solid solution for Video editing (even at 8K), high frequency and performing VMs, large scale AI powered Surveillance setup, hybrid cloud/on-prem alternative to Office 365/Google Workspace services and as the center point for all your data storage operations. Crucially though, it is that the hardware on offer here will be able to do ALL of these at the same time, therefore maximising the investment for most businesses that want to move aware from their cloud dependant ops. In terms of software,t things are a little less absolute, with QTS and QuTS still getting a little busy at times, with a steeper learning curve than its big rival DSM from Synology. That said, die-hard fans of ZFS (Zettabyte File System) will adore the inclusion of benefits in RAID handling, management and recovery that are exclusive to that platform, whilst enjoying the wide range of applications and service benefits in QuTS that are often restricted to Linux platforms.

The slightly conveluded approach to release hardware that does complicate the selection process (different CPUs in the Intel 12th Gen family changing the rest of the system architecture) is something that I hoped this brand would graduate from (for the sake of simplicity), but for many, this level of choice in hardware and budget will be welcome. As is QNAP’s position on the support of 3rd party hardware (drives, PCIe upgrades, etc) and software, something that we have seen a worrying trend in the last few years against elsewhere in the industry but some other brands, to err towards 1st party/proprietary compatibility more and more. There are still lingering doubts by some on the security of NAS, with ransomware attacks on the rise and ALL brands and ALL platforms being targetted (NAS, Cloud ,etc), finding a middle ground between ease of use and depth of security being a tricky tie rope walk indeed. The TVS-h874 arrives with a wide range of Day 1 tools, further rigid defaults in QTS/QuTS in 2022/2023, considerable security settings to configure and multiple system scan tools for recommendations & preventative measures available. The QNAP TVS-h874 is probably the most powerful desktop/tower NAS drive I have ever reviewed and if you are looking for a system that can legitimately do anything server-side, but you are also willing to put in the time to configure it correctly – you will genuinely be hard pushed to find a better system in 2022, 2023 and likely 2024 at this price point and scale.

SOFTWARE - 8/10
HARDWARE - 10/10
PERFORMANCE - 10/10
PRICE - 8/10
VALUE - 9/10


9.0
PROS
👍🏻First Commercial Intel Core 12th Gen i5, i7 and i9 NAS Drive
👍🏻Upto 20 Cores, 24 Threads and High End Integrated Graphics
👍🏻PCIe Gen 4 x16 Upgrade Slot for 10/25/100GbE Cards and 2x PCIe Gen 4 x4 M.2 NVMe Slots for 7GB SSDs
👍🏻No Obstinant 3rd Party Hardware Limitations on Support or Compatibility
👍🏻Much larger support of 3rd Party Software Services than most other NAS Brands
👍🏻10Gb/s USB Connectivity, in Type A and Type C
👍🏻Upto 64GB of Memory and Potential for 128GB
👍🏻ZFS or EXT 4 File System Choice
👍🏻M.2 NVMe SSD Bays can be used for Storage or Caching
👍🏻Volume Encryption, SED SSD Support and WORM
👍🏻Enhanced AI Surveillance Services, with opt to upgrade with $30 Google TPU
👍🏻AI Photo Management Tool (QuMagie) Includes Thing Recognition and works offline
👍🏻ALL the ZFS Benefits, whilst also the GUI and App benefits of a Linux Software Platform in one
CONS
👎🏻Available Versions/Configs of the 4/6/8-Bay are confusing
👎🏻QVR Elite (not QVR Pro) only has 2 Cam Licences
👎🏻HDMI Output is 1.4b
👎🏻10Gbe is ONLY included with the most expensive Intel i9 Model
👎🏻Noisy when in operation when fully populated
👎🏻Too Many licenses on Enterprise Tools (Drive Analyzer, Face Tiger, etc) with too few free licenses

 

DEAL WATCH Is It On Offer Right Now?

QNAP TVS-h874-i5-32G Intel Core i5 Processor, 32 GB RAM, PCIe Gen 4 expandabilit Amazon UK UK 32.98 OFF (WAS 2638) [LINK]
QNAP TVS-h874 NAS Tower Ethernet LAN Black Amazon UK UK 72.76 OFF (WAS 3743) [LINK]
QNAP TVS-h874T-i9-64G, 8-bay Thunderbolt 4 NAS, Intel Core i9 CPU, 64GB RAM Amazon UK UK 61 OFF (WAS 3860) [LINK]

These Offers are Checked Daily

 


Best Value Hardware 8-Bay NAS Drive – Terramaster T9-450 NAS

0-198TB, 9-Bays, 2x PCIe Gen 3 M.2 NVMe 2280, Intel C3558R Atom Quad Core CPU, 8-32GB Memory, 2x 10GbE SFP, 1x 2.5GbE Port, PCIe Slot (TBC), 2yr Warranty

Current Price/Availability on Amazon – $999-1099

Hardware Review – LINK

YouTube Video Review – Watch

What I said in my review May ’23:

Terramaster has really changed the playing field with the T9-450 NAS. I was already a big fan of their latest generation of 6-Bay, 9-Bay and 12-Bay desktop chassis – providing a pretty substantial amount of storage in a tower design that borrows ventilation methodology traditionally found in rackmounts, but the T9-450 takes this logic and doubles down on it hard. The dual 10GbE on the system means that, despite it’s comparatively modest price point (when comparing against similar scale solutions from Synology and QNAP) you genuinely have a solution with the potential to allow you to enjoy every single MB/s or GB/s of your RAID externally. This is further bolstered with additional 2.5GbE ports, m.2 NVMe bays, uncomplicated support of HDDs/SSDs and just generally a very sensible system that shows how much Terramaster has matured as a brand. The TOS software is still not quite up there with Synology’s DSM or QNAP’s QTS in terms of ease of use and AAA+ features, but it is definitely a great entry point OS that has tighted it’s security since the brand was targetted by a ransomware group (along with other brands, they were affected by Deadbolt attacks) – it certainly lacks some of the background optimization of it’s competitors, but then this is reflected in the budget of the system too.

The internal PCIe slot that has been largely ignored is a bit of a missed opportunity and I am not a big fan of how they have addressed memory compatibility, but overall it is very, very tough to criticise the T9-450 NAS when you factor in the value of the package here. Factor in that you can very easily swap out the OS for many others, and it largely silences alot of the negatives here too. Overall, the T9-450 could potentially be the best NAS that Terramster has ever released and if they continue to address later releases with the same level of hardware value, this could definitely give the bigger names in the industry something of a headache down the road. I highly recommend this system for its value and performance potential!

SOFTWARE - 7/10
HARDWARE - 10/10
PERFORMANCE - 8/10
PRICE - 9/10
VALUE - 10/10


8.8
PROS
👍🏻Surprisingly compact for 9 Bays of Storage
👍🏻Good Middle ground between a Rackmount and Desktop System
👍🏻Dual 10GbE - LOVELY STUFF!
👍🏻Also has support of SMB MultiChannel and an extra 2x 2.5GbE
👍🏻Decent throughput Capable CPU
👍🏻Great RAID Options
👍🏻Snapshot Replication
👍🏻BTRFS/EXT4 Support as preferred
👍🏻A large amount of maximum memory supported (16-32GB - TBC)
👍🏻M.2 SSD Bay inside for caching/storage
👍🏻TOS 5.1 is genuinely good, if not quite as polished/evolved as it\\\'s competitors
👍🏻VERY easy to install TrueNAS, UnRAID, Proxmox, OpenMediaVault, etc (and also easy to reverse)
CONS
👎🏻Secret PCIe Slot - Unused?!
👎🏻Supports ECC Mmeory, but not included (might annoy some)
👎🏻NOT QUIET!

 

DEAL WATCH Is It On Offer Right Now?


These Offers are Checked Daily

 


Need More Help Choosing the right NAS?

Choosing the right data storage solution for your needs can be very intimidating and it’s never too late to ask for help. With options ranging from NAS to DAS, Thunderbolt to SAS and connecting everything up so you can access all your lovely data at the touch of a button can be a lot simpler than you think. If you want some tips, guidance or help with everything from compatibility to suitability of a solution for you, why not drop me a message below and I will get back to you as soon as possible with what you should go for, its suitability and the best place to get it. This service is designed without profit in mind and in order to help you with your data storage needs, so I will try to answer your questions as soon as possible. Just enter in a few details of your setup, storage requirements and (in the case of buying a new solution) your budget – then me and Eddie the Web guy can help you with your question. This is a completely free service, is NOT provided with profit in mind and is manned by two humans (no bots, no automated replies, etc). Assistance might take an extra day or two (the service gets a lot of visitors) but we do try to answer every message. If you want to support this service, you can find out how to donate HERE. Otherwise, you can still just message us for free advice anyway!

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This description contains links to Amazon. These links will take you to some of the products mentioned in today's content. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Visit the NASCompares Deal Finder to find the best place to buy this device in your region, based on Service, Support and Reputation - Just Search for your NAS Drive in the Box Below

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Finally, for free advice about your setup, just leave a message in the comments below here at NASCompares.com and we will get back to you. Need Help? Where possible (and where appropriate) please provide as much information about your requirements, as then I can arrange the best answer and solution to your needs. Do not worry about your e-mail address being required, it will NOT be used in a mailing list and will NOT be used in any way other than to respond to your enquiry. [contact-form-7] TRY CHAT Terms and Conditions
If you like this service, please consider supporting us. We use affiliate links on the blog allowing NAScompares information and advice service to be free of charge to you.Anything you purchase on the day you click on our links will generate a small commission which isused to run the website. Here is a link for Amazon and B&H.You can also get me a ☕ Ko-fi or old school Paypal. Thanks!To find out more about how to support this advice service check HEREIf you need to fix or configure a NAS, check Fiver Have you thought about helping others with your knowledge? Find Instructions Here  
 
Or support us by using our affiliate links on Amazon UK and Amazon US
    
 
Alternatively, why not ask me on the ASK NASCompares forum, by clicking the button below. This is a community hub that serves as a place that I can answer your question, chew the fat, share new release information and even get corrections posted. I will always get around to answering ALL queries, but as a one-man operation, I cannot promise speed! So by sharing your query in the ASK NASCompares section below, you can get a better range of solutions and suggestions, alongside my own.

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U-NAS NSC-410 NAS Case Review – Any Good?

Par : Rob Andrews
18 décembre 2023 à 18:00

U-NAS NSC-410 NAS Case Review

In an era characterized by the exponential growth of digital data and the ongoing demand for reliable storage solutions, Network Attached Storage (NAS) enclosures have emerged as essential devices for both personal and professional data management. They offer centralized data storage, accessibility, and data protection, making them an integral part of modern computing environments. In this review, we undertake a comprehensive analysis of the U-NAS NSC-410 NAS Enclosure, a versatile solution that has garnered attention in the storage technology landscape. The U-NAS NSC-410 is notable for its functional design and its potential to address a range of storage needs across various use cases. It blends practicality and aesthetics while accommodating the latest storage technologies. Throughout this review, we will closely examine the NSC-410’s external design, internal components, usability, performance capabilities, and potential applications.

Whether you are a technology enthusiast in search of a reliable home storage solution, a professional seeking to streamline data management for your organization, or an individual looking to secure and manage digital assets, this review aims to provide an impartial assessment of the U-NAS NSC-410 NAS Enclosure. Our objective is to offer you valuable insights to help you determine whether this enclosure aligns with your unique storage requirements and expectations. Join us as we navigate the intricacies of the U-NAS NSC-410, dissecting its features and capabilities to assist you in making an informed decision within today’s data-driven landscape.

Note – You can watch the video review of the U-NAS NSC-410 NAS Enclosure HERE on YouTube

Hardware Highlights in Brief:

  • Chassis Type: Mini-Tower
  • Motherboard Compatibility: Mini-ITX
  • Power Supply: 150W/250W 1U Flex
  • Front Ports: 1 x USB 3.0
  • Side Ports: 2 x USB 2.0, Audio (mic & headphone)
  • Cooling: 1 x 120mm Gelid Ultra Quiet Fan
  • Expansion: 4 x Hot-Swap Drive Bays (2.5″/3.5” SATA/SAS), Up to 3 x Internal Drive Bays (2.5” HDD/SSD), 1 x Full Size PCI/PCI Express
  • Dimensions: 263mm x 195mm x 197mm (feet not included)
  • Net Weight: 4.1 KG

U-NAS NSC-410 NAS Case Review – Quick Conclusion

The U-NAS NSC-410 NAS Enclosure combines practicality and functionality, making it a reliable choice for various storage requirements. While its design may appear somewhat dated, its sturdy build, user-friendly features, and expandability options stand out. However, the unconventional motherboard placement can limit CPU fan choices and airflow. Consider compatibility and specific use cases, especially for CPUs with higher cooling demands. Overall, the NSC-410 offers a solid storage solution with a few trade-offs but remains a practical choice within its design parameters.

$139 (Check Amazon HERE) $129 (Check Aliexpress HERE)
Pros of the U-NAS NSC-410 NAS Case Cons of the U-NAS NSC-410 NAS Case
  • Compact Design: The NSC-410 boasts a compact and space-saving design, making it suitable for small-scale storage needs and fitting well in confined spaces.
  • Pre-configured Connections: This case comes with pre-connected SATA data cables and power connectors, streamlining the installation process.
  • Ample Ventilation: The individual storage bays within the NSC-410 are equipped with generous ventilation, promoting effective cooling for your drives.
  • Simplicity: Its straightforward layout and design make it a user-friendly option for those new to NAS setups.
  • Budget-Friendly: The NSC-410 offers a cost-effective storage solution without compromising on essential features.
  • Durable Build: With its metal external lid and sturdy construction, the NSC-410 is built to last, ensuring long-term reliability.
  • Limited Capacity: The NSC-410’s 4-Bay capacity may be insufficient for users with extensive storage requirements.
  • Horizontal Motherboard Placement: The horizontal orientation of the motherboard may limit the availability of CPU cooling options and airflow.
  • Single Fan Cooling: It relies on a single 120mm fan for cooling, potentially leading to thermal challenges with high-performance setups.
  • PCIe Card Constraints: Due to its compact size, installing larger PCIe cards may be challenging, and users may need to prioritize space-efficient components.

U-NAS NSC-410 NAS Case Review – Packaging

The packaging for the U-NAS NSC-410 NAS case is quite straightforward. It arrives in a standard brown box, which can be described as rather generic in appearance.

Upon opening the box, you’ll find that the NSC-410 4-Bay enclosure is very well protected, nestled within white hard foam that effectively safeguards it during transit.

The included accessories are neatly organized within their dedicated kit box. Inside, you’ll discover practical items such as cable ties, a molex power splitter, screws designed for both 2.5” and 3.5” HDDs, and a SATA 2.5” plate for securing a drive.

Additionally, it’s worth noting that the brand offers optional accessories for purchase separately, including SAS rear-connected backplanes and a PCIe EXTENSION KIT.

For those who prefer a more streamlined approach, there’s an option to acquire the NAS case prepopulated with an Intel Celeron NAS built configuration for $179. This configuration features an Intel J3455 processor and 2GB SODIMM Memory, known as the U-NAS NS-410.

The power supply unit (PSU) arrives pre-installed, with the 2x molex power connectors already pre-connected to the storage backboard. In summary, the accessories kit provided with the U-NAS NSC-410 NAS case is comprehensive and adequately protects the contents. While the packaging may be somewhat generic in appearance, it offers good value for its price point and includes all the necessary components for setup and use.

U-NAS NSC-410 NAS Case Review – Design

This particular case may seem familiar to some, as it has been available under various brand names on online marketplaces like Aliexpress and Amazon. However, it comes bearing the U-NAS logo prominently displayed at the top, establishing its origin.

The chassis of the NSC-410 is predominantly characterized by its metal external lid, which envelops three sides of the case. In terms of dimensions, it measures 263mm x 195mm x 197mm, aligning with a desktop-style 4-Bay enclosure.

Upon unboxing, the case’s metal slides are found protected by a layer of plastic, a feature that can be effortlessly removed. It’s worth noting that while the metal casing might be considered somewhat thin, it imparts a sense of solidity and durability.

The external lid showcases a brushed and smooth metal finish, contributing to its overall appearance. Ventilation is concentrated on one side of the case, primarily where the motherboard and CPU are typically positioned, and notably absent on the top, right side, and base of the chassis.

Examining the front panel, it is constructed from plastic and lacks a dedicated cavity for an LCD panel. This design choice results in a conspicuous and relatively large vacant space on the front panel. However, it includes a clearly visible USB Type-A USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gb/s) port, in addition to robustly designed power on/off and reset buttons.

A distinctive feature can be found at the corner edge of the front panel, where 2x additional USB 2.0 Type-A ports and sound (audio In/Out) ports are located. This uncommon addition enhances the case’s functionality.

The individual storage bays within the case are not equipped with locking mechanisms but feature ample ventilation. Each storage tray is designed for easy removal and includes a spring-loaded handle for added convenience. Inside, each bay incorporates combined SAS/SATA connectors, facilitating connectivity.

Moving to the rear panel, a single large 120mm fan is included to manage cooling. Notably, there is a clear M-ITX backplane panel, although its vertical placement may deviate from the horizontal orientation commonly seen in most compact NAS cases.

In terms of aesthetics, it’s essential to acknowledge that the case may appear somewhat dated by the standards of 2023/2024. Nevertheless, it compensates for this with its robust construction, signifying durability as a primary attribute.

U-NAS NSC-410 NAS Case Review – Inside

The U-NAS NSC-410 NAS case features an internal 1U FLEX PSU. It can be purchased with a choice of a 150W PSU included for $157.99 or a 250W PSU for $169.

However, it’s worth noting that some users might prefer a standard SFX PSU, which tends to be easier to source in physical retail shops, unlike the less common 1U FLEX PSU. The provided PSU includes a main 20 PIN connector, 2x SATA power connectors, and 2 additional smaller motherboard port connectors.

Within the case, you’ll find that the SATA data cables are pre-connected to the rear backboard, streamlining the setup process. Furthermore, the power for the SATA backboard comes pre-attached, facilitated by 2x molex power cables.

The internal fan is a silent 120mm GELID fan, contributing to noise reduction. The front panel cables are well-organized, ensuring a neat interior layout. These front panel connectors encompass a USB 3.2 Gen 1 Port, Power, Reset, LEDs, Audio In/Out, and 2x USB connectors.

It’s important to note that the M-ITX motherboard is mounted on its side within the case, a configuration that some may find unconventional. The PCIe slot is full-width but of ¾ length, accommodating single-card height expansions.

One notable consideration is that the CPU fan height cannot exceed 60mm, and possibly even less for optimal cooling. This limitation could pose challenges for more high-performance CPUs like Intel Core i5 and above or serious AMD Ryzen processors unless users are willing to invest in integrated and compact copper-piped CPU heatsinks and fans.

For those seeking a SAS backplane, U-NAS offers a replacement rear backplane version. Additionally, there is room for a 2.5” SATA SSD drive, and an additional SATA cable is included for this purpose.

In summary, the U-NAS NSC-410 is a compact case with practical features. However, the placement of the motherboard in close proximity to the 4-Bay SATA drive cage at an angle may significantly limit CPU fan options and potentially obstruct horizontal airflow, making it important to carefully consider component compatibility.

U-NAS NSC-410 NAS Case Review – Conclusion and Verdict

So what do I think of the U-NAS NSC-410 NAS Enclosure? It’s clear that this device try to bring a blend of practicality and functionality to the realm of network-attached storage solutions. While not without its limitations, the NSC-410 showcases several notable features that cater to a range of storage requirements. The enclosure’s design, with its metal external lid and compact footprint, offers a sturdy build, though it may appear somewhat dated in the context of contemporary aesthetics. The inclusion of a 120mm GELID fan for cooling, pre-connected SATA data cables, and well-organized front panel connectors contributes to an overall user-friendly experience.

One noteworthy aspect is the placement of the M-ITX motherboard, which, while unconventional, enables space-efficient design. However, this placement may restrict CPU fan choices and potentially affect airflow. The availability of alternative power supply units, SAS backplane options, and additional storage expandability via the 2.5″ SATA SSD drive slot enhances the enclosure’s versatility. It is important to consider the specific use case and compatibility requirements when assessing the suitability of the NSC-410, particularly for CPUs with more demanding cooling needs.

The U-NAS NSC-410 NAS Enclosure offers a pragmatic storage solution. Its practical features and solid construction make it a viable choice for those seeking a reliable network-attached storage solution, although some trade-offs exist. Ultimately, it is a product that can fulfill various storage needs within its design parameters.

$139 (Check Amazon HERE) $129 (Check Aliexpress HERE)
Pros of the U-NAS NSC-410 NAS Case Cons of the U-NAS NSC-410 NAS Case
  • Compact Design: The NSC-410 boasts a compact and space-saving design, making it suitable for small-scale storage needs and fitting well in confined spaces.
  • Pre-configured Connections: This case comes with pre-connected SATA data cables and power connectors, streamlining the installation process.
  • Ample Ventilation: The individual storage bays within the NSC-410 are equipped with generous ventilation, promoting effective cooling for your drives.
  • Simplicity: Its straightforward layout and design make it a user-friendly option for those new to NAS setups.
  • Budget-Friendly: The NSC-410 offers a cost-effective storage solution without compromising on essential features.
  • Durable Build: With its metal external lid and sturdy construction, the NSC-410 is built to last, ensuring long-term reliability.
  • Limited Capacity: The NSC-410’s 4-Bay capacity may be insufficient for users with extensive storage requirements.
  • Horizontal Motherboard Placement: The horizontal orientation of the motherboard may limit the availability of CPU cooling options and airflow.
  • Single Fan Cooling: It relies on a single 120mm fan for cooling, potentially leading to thermal challenges with high-performance setups.
  • PCIe Card Constraints: Due to its compact size, installing larger PCIe cards may be challenging, and users may need to prioritize space-efficient components.
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This description contains links to Amazon. These links will take you to some of the products mentioned in today's content. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Visit the NASCompares Deal Finder to find the best place to buy this device in your region, based on Service, Support and Reputation - Just Search for your NAS Drive in the Box Below

Need Advice on Data Storage from an Expert?

Finally, for free advice about your setup, just leave a message in the comments below here at NASCompares.com and we will get back to you. Need Help? Where possible (and where appropriate) please provide as much information about your requirements, as then I can arrange the best answer and solution to your needs. Do not worry about your e-mail address being required, it will NOT be used in a mailing list and will NOT be used in any way other than to respond to your enquiry. [contact-form-7] TRY CHAT Terms and Conditions
If you like this service, please consider supporting us. We use affiliate links on the blog allowing NAScompares information and advice service to be free of charge to you.Anything you purchase on the day you click on our links will generate a small commission which isused to run the website. Here is a link for Amazon and B&H.You can also get me a ☕ Ko-fi or old school Paypal. Thanks!To find out more about how to support this advice service check HEREIf you need to fix or configure a NAS, check Fiver Have you thought about helping others with your knowledge? Find Instructions Here  
 
Or support us by using our affiliate links on Amazon UK and Amazon US
    
 
Alternatively, why not ask me on the ASK NASCompares forum, by clicking the button below. This is a community hub that serves as a place that I can answer your question, chew the fat, share new release information and even get corrections posted. I will always get around to answering ALL queries, but as a one-man operation, I cannot promise speed! So by sharing your query in the ASK NASCompares section below, you can get a better range of solutions and suggestions, alongside my own.

☕ WE LOVE COFFEE ☕

 

Aoostar R1 and R7 2-Bay NAS Review – New Kind of NAS?

Par : Rob Andrews
20 décembre 2023 à 17:03

Aoostar R1 and R7 NAS Review

In 2024, the landscape of digital storage and data management is evolving rapidly, influenced heavily by the rising costs of third-party cloud services such as Google Drive, iCloud, and Dropbox. As subscription fees climb, many individuals and businesses are reconsidering their reliance on these external cloud solutions. The increasing financial burden is pushing a growing number of users towards exploring private, on-site server solutions for data storage and management. This shift is driven by the desire for more control over data, enhanced security, and, notably, a more cost-effective long-term storage strategy. In this context, the network-attached storage (NAS) market is witnessing an interesting divergence in user preferences. On one end, there are full turnkey NAS solutions from well-known brands like Synology and QNAP. These devices are valued for their ready-to-use nature, coming with comprehensive software ecosystems and user-friendly interfaces. They are ideal for those who prefer ease and simplicity, offering reliability without the need for deep technical engagement.

Conversely, the other end of the spectrum is dominated by build-it-yourself NAS solutions, leveraging free software platforms such as TrueNAS Core and TrueNAS Scale. This approach appeals to tech enthusiasts who enjoy customizing their systems. It offers greater flexibility and can be more cost-effective, allowing users to repurpose existing hardware or select components that meet their specific needs. However, this option demands a good grasp of both hardware and software intricacies. Amidst these options, a middle ground is becoming increasingly popular, especially among users who seek a balance between the plug-and-play convenience of turnkey solutions and the customization freedom of DIY systems. This is where products like the Aoostar R1 and R7 NAS units find their relevance. These NAS models aim to provide a compromise, offering the foundational benefits of pre-built systems with opportunities for customization to suit individual preferences. They cater to users who want more control than what standard turnkey solutions offer but prefer to avoid the complexities of a full DIY setup.

Aoostar R1 2-Bay NAS (Intel N100 Version)

Aoostar R7 2-Bay NAS (AMD Ryzen 7 5700U Version)
Amazon >>>

$419 (Check Amazon HERE)

Aliexpress >>>

$309 (Check Aliexpress HERE)

Amazon >>>

$419 (Check Amazon HERE)

Aliexpress >>>

$388 (Check Aliexpress HERE)

Aoostar R1 and R7 NAS Review – Quick Conclusion

Even on a casual analysis of the Aoostar R1 and R7 NAS units, it is clear that these devices offer a compelling option for those in the market for a NAS solution that strikes a balance between turnkey and DIY systems. The Aoostar R1, with its Intel Processor N100, and the R7, powered by the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U, cater to a diverse range of needs, from basic home storage to more demanding small business applications, providing two solutions that provide significantly higher calibre hardware for the price point than comparable level offerings from Synology and QNAP. On the positive side, both models showcase a thoughtful design that maximizes internal space while maintaining a compact external footprint. Their double-sided micro ITX motherboards and the ability to accommodate multiple storage options highlight a commitment to efficiency and flexibility. The ease of access for upgrades and maintenance, thanks to the removable external casing and internal frame, is another plus, making these units user-friendly. However, there are areas where improvements could be beneficial. The cooling system, particularly in the R7 model, raises concerns, especially considering the potential for heat build-up given the powerful Ryzen processor and the proximity of the CPU fan to the hard drive bays. The absence of 10GbE connectivity in the R7 is a notable limitation for users seeking higher network performance. Additionally, while the pricing of these units is competitive, the lack of ECC memory support in the more powerful R7 model is a missed opportunity to appeal to a broader professional market. The Aoostar R1 and R7 NAS units present a viable middle-ground solution for those looking to move away from third-party cloud services or seeking an alternative to the extremes of the NAS market. While they may not satisfy the most demanding users or those seeking the highest level of customization, they offer a solid balance of performance, ease of use, and expandability.

BUILD QUALITY - 8/10
HARDWARE - 9/10
PERFORMANCE - 8/10
PRICE - 9/10
VALUE - 10/10


8.8
PROS
👍🏻- Compact and efficient design with double-sided micro ITX motherboards.
👍🏻- Flexibility in storage options with support for multiple drives and M.2 NVMe SSDs.
👍🏻- User-friendly access for upgrades and maintenance.
👍🏻- Good balance of performance and price, especially in the R1 model.
👍🏻- Support for WiFi 6 and multiple high-speed USB and networking ports.
👍🏻- Windows 11 pre-installed, offering a familiar operating system environment.
CONS
👎🏻- Potential for inadequate cooling, particularly in the R7 model.
👎🏻- Lack of 10GbE connectivity in the R7, limiting higher network performance.
👎🏻- No support for ECC memory, which could be a drawback for professional users.
👎🏻- Concerns about the physical placement of components and their impact on system cooling and longevity.
👎🏻- The R7’s higher price point might be a barrier for some users, considering the noted limitations.


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Aoostar R1 and R7 NAS Review – Packaging & Retail Kit

The Aoostar NAS arrives in a simple, unadorned box, constructed from single-layer cardboard, which seems to prioritize cost-effectiveness over aesthetics. Inside, the unit is nestled in a thin plastic mold that conforms to its shape, providing basic protection during shipping. This minimalistic approach to packaging reflects a focus on practicality and cost-reduction, a common strategy in the tech industry, especially for budget-friendly products.

As this device is designed to balance high value with low cost, the choice of packaging materials clearly indicates where the brand has chosen to economize. The packaging is the first aspect where cost-saving measures are apparent, suggesting that Aoostar has allocated resources more towards the device’s functionality rather than its unboxing experience. This decision is not uncommon among technology manufacturers, especially when the goal is to offer competitively priced products without compromising on core features.

Included accessories are practical and sufficient for setting up the device: an external PSU, a setup instruction guide, an HDMI cable, and the Aoostar NAS unit itself. These components provide the essentials needed to get the system up and running right out of the box. The inclusion of a setup guide is particularly helpful for users who may be new to setting up NAS systems, ensuring a smooth and guided installation process.

The unit does not come with any additional storage drives, aside from the internal OS NVMe SSD which already has Windows 11 installed. This decision keeps the overall package weight under 1KG, making it lightweight and easy to handle. Customers should be aware that they’ll need to purchase additional storage drives separately if they wish to expand the NAS’s capabilities, especially given its support for up to two 3.5-inch hard drives as previously noted. The absence of an Ethernet cable in the package might seem unusual, but this can be seen as another cost-saving measure by Aoostar. It is likely presumed that many users already possess such cables, or prefer to select cables of a specific length or quality to suit their setup. This omission, while minor, is a reminder of the company’s focus on delivering a high-value product at a lower cost.

The included external 90W PSU is a fairly standard component and comes with a local regional mains cable attachment. This power supply unit is compatible with the device, ensuring reliable power delivery for optimal performance. The inclusion of the regional mains cable attachment is a thoughtful addition, catering to the specific needs of the user based on their location. However, the 90W rating of the external PSU for the Aoostar R1 seems somewhat excessive, considering the modest power requirements of the N100 CPU inside the NAS. This higher wattage is likely not fully utilized given the CPU’s efficiency and low power consumption. It’s possible that Aoostar uses the same 90W PSU across different models for consistency in manufacturing, which might explain its presence in the R1 kit despite the unit’s lower power needs.

Ultimately, while the Aoostar R1 system will never fully utilize the 90W capacity of the PSU, this choice might reflect a standardized approach in the production line, particularly when considering the similarities with the Aoostar R7. The R7, equipped with a more powerful Ryzen 7 8-core processor, would have higher power demands, possibly justifying the use of a 90W PSU in its kit. This uniformity in power supply units across different models can be a strategic decision to streamline production and reduce costs. Overall, the packaging of the Aoostar NAS might not impress in terms of visual appeal or materials, but the contents of the retail kit are thoughtfully chosen and entirely functional. The focus seems to be on delivering a good quality product with the necessary accessories for operation, rather than on providing a premium unboxing experience. This approach aligns with the brand’s apparent strategy of offering high-value, cost-effective computing solutions.

Aoostar R1 and R7 NAS Review – Design

The Aoostar R1’s physical design stands out in the NAS market due to its taller stature compared to many turnkey 2-Bay NAS devices. However, when considering its overall volume, it aligns closely with models like the Synology DS224+ and QNAP TS-264 NAS. This height difference, while noticeable, does not significantly impact the unit’s footprint, making it a viable option for users accustomed to the size of mainstream NAS devices.

The ventilation system of the Aoostar R1 is meticulously designed, dividing airflow management into three key areas for optimal cooling. The first area is a large base vent equipped with a 90mm fan, which forms the foundation of the unit’s cooling mechanism. This base vent is crucial for maintaining a steady airflow, ensuring that the internal components remain at an optimal temperature during operation.

Adding to the cooling efficiency, there’s a top-mounted and removable vent panel. This panel not only facilitates easy access for maintenance but also enhances the ventilation by covering the additional ventilated drive trays. The removable nature of this panel demonstrates a thoughtful design, allowing for both effective cooling and convenient maintenance.

The system also includes a robust combined CPU heatsink and an attached copper fan, strategically positioned to direct airflow towards the top panel. This arrangement enhances heat dissipation, crucial for maintaining system stability and performance. The design indicates a careful consideration of airflow dynamics, ensuring that the heat generated by the CPU is effectively managed. While the overall design is impressive, there are some reservations about the positioning of the CPU and main micro-ITX board, especially in the context of the higher thermal design power (TDP) Ryzen 7 equipped Aoostar R7 model. The concern lies in these components being sandwiched between the HDD bays, which could potentially impact thermal management. However, this is less of an issue in the N100-equipped R1 version, which has a much lower TDP and therefore generates less heat.

The main storage bays in the Aoostar R1, although functional, have a slightly flimsy construction and utilize removable drive screw grommets that feel somewhat cheap. This aspect of the design might raise questions about durability and long-term reliability. Despite this, the bays serve their purpose and allow for the installation of storage media with relative ease.

Both 3.5″ and 2.5″ SATA media can be installed in these bays, with the latter requiring additional screws for secure placement. This flexibility in media compatibility is a plus, catering to different storage needs and preferences. The design ensures that the drives, once installed, feel secure in the trays and directly connect to combined data and power SATA connectors internally, eliminating the concern of loose cables. In terms of aesthetic comparison, the Aoostar R1’s design bears a resemblance to the Mac Pro desktop from the mid-2010s or the Drobo Data Transporter. This comparison highlights the unit’s modern and professional appearance, which may appeal to users who appreciate sleek and functional design in their tech devices.

Hot swapping of the 2 SATA storage bays is not supported with the pre-installed Windows 11 software, but this functionality is likely to be achievable with alternative operating systems such as TrueNAS or UnRAID. The flexibility to install different operating systems adds to the device’s versatility, catering to users who require more advanced storage management features. Internally, the Aoostar R1 is equipped with additional storage capabilities, featuring a single M.2 NVMe Gen 3 2280 slot. This slot comes preoccupied with the OS drive, highlighting the unit’s readiness for immediate use. The inclusion of an M.2 slot offers fast data transfer speeds and efficient storage, enhancing the overall performance of the device.

The Aoostar R7 NAS, on the other hand, benefits from an additional M.2 NVMe SSD 2280 slot, also supporting Gen 3. This extra slot in the R7 model provides greater flexibility and capacity for storage expansion, making it a more suitable choice for users with higher storage demands. Finally, the base 90mm fan of the Aoostar R1 operates very quietly, contributing to a pleasant user experience. However, during operation, the CPU fan becomes audible, even under light use. This noise level is possibly due to the motherboard’s placement directly between the SATA bays, which may affect airflow and consequently the cooling efficiency of the CPU fan.

Aoostar R1 and R7 NAS Review – Ports and Connections

The Aoostar R1 and R7 models boast identical port configurations, a design choice that simplifies user understanding across the product line. This uniformity in ports ensures that users can have a consistent experience regardless of which model they choose. The similarity in port offerings across these models reflects a streamlined approach to product design, making it easier for users to transition between different models if needed.

Among the available ports, there are 2 USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type A 10Gb/s ports and a USB-C port, providing high-speed data transfer capabilities. These ports are ideal for connecting external storage devices, high-resolution cameras, or other peripherals that benefit from fast data transfer rates. The inclusion of a USB-C port also adds a level of future-proofing, as it’s becoming the standard for many modern devices.

Additionally, there are two USB 2.0 ports, which are most suitable for connecting peripherals like a keyboard and mouse, especially when using the NAS with its visual outputs. These ports, while not suitable for high-speed data transfers, are perfectly adequate for input devices. Their inclusion ensures that essential peripherals can be connected without occupying the more valuable high-speed ports.

Regarding visual output, the units are equipped with an HDMI 2.0 and a DisplayPort 1.4 connection, both capable of supporting 4K resolution at 60FPS. This capability is particularly beneficial for users who need high-definition output, such as for media servers or digital signage. The ability to deliver 4K content smoothly makes these NAS units versatile in various settings, from home entertainment to professional environments. The support for KVM (Keyboard, Video, Mouse) is dependent on the NAS software in use and its capability to support an external graphical user interface. The Windows 11 software included with these units is a standard desktop operating system, not a server version of Windows. This choice implies that the NAS is intended for users who are comfortable with a familiar, user-friendly interface rather than a specialized server environment.

The default network connection on the Aoostar R1 consists of 2x 2.5GbE ports, which also support auto-negotiation with 1GbE networks. This feature ensures compatibility with a wide range of network speeds and environments, making it a flexible choice for different types of network setups. The 2.5GbE connectivity offers a balance between high-speed data transfer and compatibility with existing network infrastructures.

Users have the option to expand network capabilities using various USB-to-2.5GbE adapters, which typically cost between $15-25. These adapters provide an affordable way to add more network connections, enhancing the unit’s functionality in complex network environments. This flexibility is particularly useful for users who need to integrate the NAS into a network with specific requirements. The absence of a 10GbE port is understandable in the modestly powered Aoostar R1, equipped with an N100 processor, but it is a more noticeable limitation in the higher-powered Ryzen 7 8-Core Aoostar R7. Ideally, it would have been preferable to have a 10GbE port, possibly by repurposing the internal additional M.2 NVMe port to an external 10GbE connection through an adapter or motherboard modification. Such a feature would significantly enhance the data transfer capabilities of the R7 model, making it more suitable for environments with higher network performance requirements.

There is no PCIe upgradeable slot in these models, and the full extent of the PCIe lanes afforded to this architecture is already maximized. This limitation is understandable, considering the compact form factor and the intended use case of these NAS units. While it limits the potential for hardware upgrades, it also ensures a more stable and reliable system by design. Overall, it’s evident that the physical connectivity of the Aoostar R1 and R7 models aligns with the rest of the Aoostar N1 and N7 Mini PC series, albeit with modifications tailored towards a 2-Bay NAS system. This consistency in design across different models reflects a strategic approach to product development, focusing on creating versatile, user-friendly devices that cater to a range of needs and preferences.

Aoostar R1 and R7 NAS Review – Internal Hardware

Accessing the internal hardware of the Aoostar R1 is a straightforward process, involving the removal of four screws located at the base panel. This user-friendly design is indicative of Aoostar’s commitment to making their devices easily serviceable. Once the screws are removed, the external casing can be easily lifted off, revealing the inner components.

Sliding out the internal frame, the double-sided micro ITX motherboard becomes visible, showcasing the compact and efficient design of the Aoostar R1. This reveals the intricate engineering that has gone into maximizing the use of space within the unit. The double-sided nature of the motherboard is a clever use of space, allowing for more components to be fitted into the compact NAS unit.

On one side of this motherboard, the combined CPU cooler and heatsink are prominently featured. This setup is crucial for maintaining optimal operating temperatures and ensuring the longevity and reliability of the CPU. The integration of the cooler and heatsink into a single unit demonstrates a focus on efficient thermal management within the compact form factor of the NAS.

Here are the side-by-side specifications of the Aoostar R1 and R7, which vary in price by around $100-150 depending on your configuration:

Specification Aoostar R1 Aoostar R7
CPU Intel Processor N100 quad-core AMD Ryzen 7 5700U, 8 cores/16 threads
Graphics 24EU Intel HD graphics @ 750 MHz AMD Radeon Graphics
RAM Up to 16GB DDR4-3200 (1x slot) Up to 64GB DDR4-3200 (2x slots)
Storage 512GB M.2 2280 NVMe SSD (optional) 512GB M.2 2280 NVMe SSD (optional)
Additional M.2 Slot None 1 (M.2 2280, NVMe)
Networking 2x 2.5GbE, WiFi 6 2x 2.5GbE, WiFi 6
USB Ports 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2, 2x USB 2.0 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2, 2x USB 2.0
Video Output HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.4 HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.4
Power Supply 90W external PSU 90W external PSU
Dimensions 162 x 162 x 198 mm 162 x 162 x 198 mm
Weight Approx. 1kg Approx. 1kg

There are concerns about the placement of the CPU fan in the Aoostar R1, as it is positioned directly above a 3.5″ hard drive. This configuration could potentially lead to the intake of warm air into the cooler, affecting its efficiency, or it might limit the dissipation of heat from the heatsink. Such a design choice may have implications for the thermal management of the device, especially under heavy use.

Flipping the motherboard reveals the M.2 NVMe storage bay(s) in the R1 and R7 models, respectively. The R1 model includes a single M.2 NVMe slot, while the R7 benefits from an additional slot. This difference in storage expansion capabilities highlights the R7’s suitability for more demanding storage requirements. Each model comes with two SODIMM DDR4 memory slots, offering flexibility in memory configuration. Customers have the option to purchase the device without memory, or they can opt for configurations with 16GB or 32GB (2x 16GB) of 3200MHz DDR4 RAM. This choice allows users to tailor the memory to their specific needs and budget.

It’s important to note that the system does not support ECC Memory, which, while not critical for this scale of operation, could have been a beneficial feature in the more powerful R7 unit. ECC Memory offers improved data integrity, which is particularly useful in environments where data accuracy is paramount. However, for most home and small office applications, the lack of ECC Memory is not a significant drawback. The Aoostar units come equipped with WiFi 6 support, delivered via an M.2 AX Intel WiFi module. This modern wireless standard provides faster and more reliable internet connectivity. The WiFi module feeds into two internal antennas located on the base of the frame on either side, ensuring optimal signal reception and transmission.

This integration of advanced networking capabilities into the Aoostar’s design is an impressive modification of the existing architecture of other Aoostar mini PCs, now adapted for a 2-Bay NAS system. The transformation from a standard mini PC to a NAS system involves more than just adding hard drive bays; it requires a thoughtful reconfiguration of internal components to support NAS functionalities effectively. However, concerns about the physical placement of the motherboard persist, especially considering the Aoostar models are designed for 24/7 operation. While the systems will experience extended idle periods, during busy times, the CPU could potentially experience performance throttling due to insufficient cooling. This concern is more pronounced in the R7 model, equipped with a more powerful Ryzen 7 processor, which generates more heat and thus requires more efficient cooling.

Both the Intel N100 in the Aoostar R1 and the Ryzen 7 in the R7 feature multi-core architectures and integrated graphics. However, the Vega graphics in the R7 are notably superior in terms of performance and capabilities. This difference in graphics processing power makes the R7 model more suitable for tasks that require more robust graphical processing, such as media transcoding or light gaming.

Aoostar R1 and R7 NAS Review – Verdict and Conclusion

Even on a casual analysis of the Aoostar R1 and R7 NAS units, it is clear that these devices offer a compelling option for those in the market for a NAS solution that strikes a balance between turnkey and DIY systems. The Aoostar R1, with its Intel Processor N100, and the R7, powered by the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U, cater to a diverse range of needs, from basic home storage to more demanding small business applications, providing two solutions that provide significantly higher calibre hardware for the price point than comparable level offerings from Synology and QNAP. On the positive side, both models showcase a thoughtful design that maximizes internal space while maintaining a compact external footprint. Their double-sided micro ITX motherboards and the ability to accommodate multiple storage options highlight a commitment to efficiency and flexibility. The ease of access for upgrades and maintenance, thanks to the removable external casing and internal frame, is another plus, making these units user-friendly. However, there are areas where improvements could be beneficial. The cooling system, particularly in the R7 model, raises concerns, especially considering the potential for heat build-up given the powerful Ryzen processor and the proximity of the CPU fan to the hard drive bays. The absence of 10GbE connectivity in the R7 is a notable limitation for users seeking higher network performance. Additionally, while the pricing of these units is competitive, the lack of ECC memory support in the more powerful R7 model is a missed opportunity to appeal to a broader professional market. The Aoostar R1 and R7 NAS units present a viable middle-ground solution for those looking to move away from third-party cloud services or seeking an alternative to the extremes of the NAS market. While they may not satisfy the most demanding users or those seeking the highest level of customization, they offer a solid balance of performance, ease of use, and expandability.

 

Aoostar R1 2-Bay NAS (Intel N100 Version)

Aoostar R7 2-Bay NAS (AMD Ryzen 7 5700U Version)
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Aoostar R1 and R7 NAS PROS Aoostar R1 and R7 NAS CONS
– Compact and efficient design with double-sided micro ITX motherboards.
– Flexibility in storage options with support for multiple drives and M.2 NVMe SSDs.
– User-friendly access for upgrades and maintenance.
– Good balance of performance and price, especially in the R1 model.
– Support for WiFi 6 and multiple high-speed USB and networking ports.
– Windows 11 pre-installed, offering a familiar operating system environment.
– Potential for inadequate cooling, particularly in the R7 model.
– Lack of 10GbE connectivity in the R7, limiting higher network performance.
– No support for ECC memory, which could be a drawback for professional users.
– Concerns about the physical placement of components and their impact on system cooling and longevity.
– The R7’s higher price point might be a barrier for some users, considering the noted limitations.
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