Minisforum MS-01 vs MS-A2 – Which Should You Buy?

Minisforum has steadily earned recognition in the compact workstation space, and the MS-01 stands as one of its most prominent entries. Released with a focus on balancing high-performance hardware in a small chassis, the MS-01 quickly found popularity among professionals needing powerful networking and scalable internals without the bulk of a full-sized desktop. It supports CPUs up to the Intel Core i9-13900H, includes dual 10GbE SFP+ ports, and provides expansion via a PCIe 4.0 x16 slot (operating at x8 speed), giving users access to discrete graphics or high-performance cards if needed. With three internal M.2 slots and support for up to 64GB of DDR5 memory, the MS-01 became a go-to mini workstation for users who value connectivity and component flexibility at a relatively modest price point.

In early 2025, Minisforum introduced the MS-A2 — a system clearly designed as a next-generation counterpart to the MS-01, but one that leans into AMD’s latest advancements. Featuring the Ryzen 9 9955HX processor based on the Zen 5 architecture, the MS-A2 offers more cores, more threads, faster base and boost clocks, and higher supported memory capacity, reaching up to 96GB DDR5 at 5600MHz. It also brings upgrades in memory bandwidth, M.2 storage speed (with all three slots supporting PCIe 4.0 x4), and internal thermal design. From a feature standpoint, the MS-A2 is positioned to meet or exceed the MS-01 in most categories — but it does so with a noticeable bump in price. Still, for users prioritizing top-end performance and storage throughput, the MS-A2 might justify the premium. The sections below break down how these systems stack up in real-world terms — not just on paper, but in actual deployment.

Minisforum MS-A2 vs MS-01 – Hardware Specifications Compared

At a glance, both the MS-01 and MS-A2 share a near-identical chassis, measuring 196×189×48mm and following Minisforum’s signature small form factor aesthetic. Internally, however, there are several notable differences that affect both systems’ expandability and long-term utility. Both devices feature three M.2 slots for high-speed NVMe SSDs, but only the MS-A2 supports full PCIe 4.0 x4 lanes on all three slots. By contrast, the MS-01 includes a single PCIe 4.0 x4 slot, one PCIe 3.0 x4 slot, and one limited PCIe 3.0 x2 slot. This directly impacts storage performance, especially for users aiming to run multiple high-throughput drives in parallel. In real terms, the MS-A2 allows up to three SSDs each capable of saturating 7,000MB/s read speeds, whereas the MS-01 will bottleneck in its second and third storage bays.

Both systems include a PCIe 4.0 expansion slot, which is a rare and welcome inclusion in mini PCs. On the MS-01, this slot is x16 physically but electrically operates at x8 speed and is suitable for half-height, single-slot PCIe cards. The MS-A2 retains this format but introduces PCIe bifurcation support, enabling more advanced setups with compatible cards — a notable advantage for developers or users building niche use cases like NVMe RAID or multi-GPU compute tasks in an edge environment. Additionally, memory support is slightly more capable on the AMD model, with the MS-A2 supporting up to 96GB of DDR5-5600 via two SO-DIMM slots, compared to the MS-01’s 64GB ceiling at DDR5-5200. This can make a tangible difference in virtualization or memory-intensive creative workflows.

In terms of connectivity, both units are very well equipped: dual 10GbE SFP+ ports, dual 2.5GbE RJ45, HDMI output, USB 3.2 Gen1/Gen2 Type-A ports, and USB4 (or USB-C with DisplayPort alt mode). The MS-A2 takes a slight lead in display output capabilities, supporting HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 2.0 over USB-C, compared to HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.4a on the MS-01. This means the AMD system supports 8K60 and 4K144 video streams natively. Wireless capability is also a step ahead on the MS-A2 with Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3, compared to the MS-01’s Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2. Altogether, while the MS-01 still holds up well a year after release, the MS-A2 offers clearly improved throughput, higher bandwidth components, and better display and wireless standards.

Minisforum MS-01 vs MS-A2 – CPUs Compared

The defining difference between the Minisforum MS-01 and MS-A2 lies in their processor choices: the Intel Core i9-13900H and the AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX, respectively. While both CPUs are built for high-end mobile performance and boast identical peak boost clocks of up to 5.4GHz, the underlying architecture and core configurations are markedly different. The i9-13900H uses a hybrid architecture with 6 performance cores and 8 efficiency cores, totaling 14 cores and 20 threads. In contrast, the Ryzen 9 9955HX employs 16 full-fledged performance cores and 32 threads based on AMD’s latest Zen 5 architecture. For users engaged in parallel processing tasks—such as 3D rendering, large-scale compilation, or virtualization—the extra cores and threads in the AMD chip deliver a tangible performance uplift.

Zen 5 is a notable advancement over its predecessors, built on TSMC’s 4nm process and optimized for both performance and power efficiency. This gives the Ryzen 9 9955HX a structural advantage in multithreaded scenarios, with improved instruction throughput, cache handling, and memory bandwidth. The Intel Core i9-13900H, based on Raptor Lake and fabricated using Intel’s “7” process (a refinement of their 10nm SuperFin node), holds its own with mature thread management and strong single-thread performance. Its support for Intel’s Thread Director technology ensures efficient scheduling across its mixed-core layout, which can be beneficial in workloads like content creation and lightly-threaded business apps. However, the Ryzen chip’s unified core design tends to yield more predictable and consistent scaling when all threads are pushed simultaneously, reducing thermal spikes and improving overall sustained performance.

Thermal and power characteristics further highlight the gap between the two systems. Intel’s i9-13900H has a base power of 45W but can boost up to 115W under load, while AMD’s Ryzen 9 9955HX has a configurable TDP ranging from 55W to 75W. Although the Intel chip has a higher upper limit, in practice it tends to spike power draw during short workloads and then throttle back. In comparison, the Ryzen CPU maintains a steadier thermal and power profile over longer tasks. This behavior was reflected in sustained tests over one-hour and 24-hour windows under mixed network and compute usage: the MS-A2’s CPU performed more consistently, with lower long-term thermal build-up, aided by its upgraded internal fan design. Combined with support for up to 96GB of DDR5 memory versus 64GB on the MS-01, the MS-A2’s CPU configuration offers better overall headroom for demanding, sustained workstation use.

Minisforum MS-A2 vs MS-01 – Graphics and Processing Power Compared

Although the Minisforum MS-01 and MS-A2 are positioned as compact workstations rather than gaming rigs, integrated graphics performance still plays a role in determining their suitability for visual workloads, media playback, and GPU-accelerated tasks. The MS-01 leverages Intel’s Iris Xe graphics, which includes 96 execution units running at up to 1.5GHz. The MS-A2, on the other hand, features AMD’s Radeon 610M — a lightweight RDNA2-based iGPU with 2 compute units operating at 2.2GHz. While the AMD GPU has a higher clock speed on paper, the significantly larger number of execution units in the Iris Xe gives the Intel system a considerable edge in real-world performance. In benchmarks such as the Steel Nomad Light test, the MS-01 consistently delivered higher frame rates and better render completion times, particularly during prolonged sequences that tax the GPU.

This performance advantage was also evident in media encoding and general GPU-accelerated workloads. Intel’s integrated graphics tend to benefit from better driver maturity, wider codec support (particularly for Quick Sync Video), and improved handling in professional apps with Intel-optimized pipelines. Users working in environments involving light 3D rendering, accelerated video encoding, or virtual display compositing are more likely to see stable and consistent results from the MS-01’s iGPU. However, it’s important to note that neither device is intended to replace a discrete GPU for high-end graphical workflows. Their iGPUs are best suited for media playback, multi-monitor output, light rendering tasks, and as fallback units for headless server use.

That said, the MS-A2 reclaims ground when it comes to video output capabilities. While the MS-01 supports HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.4a via USB4, the MS-A2 steps forward with HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 2.0 over Type-C. This enables support for up to 8K at 60Hz and 4K at 144Hz, offering tangible benefits for users who rely on ultra-high-resolution displays or high refresh rate monitors in productivity setups. Professionals in video editing, CAD work, or photography may find that this broader standard support gives the AMD model a longer shelf life as display technologies advance. In broader processing terms, the MS-A2’s superior CPU — the Ryzen 9 9955HX — delivers more overall compute performance, particularly in multi-threaded applications. But for users with GPU-reliant workloads or who value stability across legacy software environments, the MS-01’s Iris Xe graphics make a compelling case. Ultimately, choosing between the two comes down to workload distribution: CPU-heavy environments favor the MS-A2, while mixed or GPU-skewed tasks lean toward the MS-01.

Minisforum MS-01 vs MS-A2 – Conclusion and Verdict

After evaluating both systems across CPU architecture, internal connectivity, storage bandwidth, and thermal performance, it becomes clear that the Minisforum MS-01 and MS-A2 cater to slightly different segments of the same professional user base. The MS-01, despite being over a year old, still offers a well-balanced configuration with mature Intel performance, reliable thermal behavior, and excellent compatibility with existing Intel-optimized software. Its Intel Core i9-13900H processor delivers solid single-core performance and responsive handling in mixed-load scenarios, particularly when combined with Iris Xe graphics that outperform AMD’s 610M in general GPU-accelerated tasks. When paired with dual 10GbE SFP+ ports, 2.5GbE RJ45, and PCIe expansion, the MS-01 provides considerable functionality in a highly compact chassis — all at a more affordable starting price than its AMD counterpart.

However, the MS-A2’s specification gains are more than just incremental. It introduces a newer CPU platform with significantly higher multi-threaded performance, better storage throughput via triple PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 slots, and wider memory support scaling up to 96GB at 5600MHz. These improvements position the A2 as a clear upgrade in raw compute potential. Enhanced display output support, including HDMI 2.1 and DP 2.0 over USB-C, adds flexibility for users deploying ultra-high-resolution or high-refresh-rate monitors in content creation, design, or data visualization environments. Furthermore, the updated internal cooling system — subtle in layout but effective in long-term thermal consistency — ensures the AMD-based system maintains sustained performance under extended workloads. While the MS-A2 demands a higher upfront investment, it delivers longer-term value for users running multi-threaded software stacks, high-speed storage arrays, or heavy virtual machine workloads. In essence, the MS-01 is still a dependable and well-priced workstation that meets the needs of a wide user base. But the MS-A2 redefines Minisforum’s performance ceiling with broader bandwidth, more compute power, and enhanced scalability. For users focused on future-proofing, heavier workloads, or maximizing hardware capability within a small form factor, the MS-A2 is the more capable — if more expensive — option. Your choice ultimately comes down to whether cost or capability is the higher priority in your deployment.

Minisforum MS-01 Pros and Cons	Minisforum MS-A2 Pros and Cons
Lower Price Point The MS-01 is considerably more affordable than the MS-A2, making it a better value for users with lighter or mixed workloads. → The MS-A2 demands a premium due to its higher-end specs, which may not be fully utilized in typical home or office deployments. Superior Integrated Graphics (Intel Iris Xe) With 96 execution units, the Iris Xe GPU in the MS-01 outperforms the Radeon 610M in the MS-A2 for media encoding, driver stability, and general GPU-accelerated workloads. → The MS-A2’s Radeon 610M has only 2 compute units and is weaker in rendering, encoding, and professional visual tasks. Thunderbolt 4 and Mature USB4 Support The MS-01 offers USB4 with DisplayPort 1.4a and Thunderbolt compatibility, which ensures greater peripheral compatibility and broader bandwidth for external devices. → The MS-A2 lacks Thunderbolt and uses USB-C ports with DisplayPort 2.0, which are better for displays but more limited in external expansion options. More Established Intel Software Ecosystem Features like Intel vPro, Thread Director, and DL Boost make the MS-01 better suited to enterprise, AI inference, and compatibility with legacy Intel-tuned workloads. → The MS-A2 is newer but lacks mature support for certain enterprise features like vPro or AI-specific instructions. Limited Storage Bandwidth Only one of the three M.2 slots runs at PCIe 4.0 x4; the others run at PCIe 3.0 x4 and x2. This bottlenecks multi-drive setups or RAID configurations. → The MS-A2 supports PCIe 4.0 x4 on all three M.2 slots, enabling full-speed NVMe performance on every drive. Lower Memory Capacity and Speed Supports up to 64GB DDR5 at 5200MHz. This limits RAM-heavy workloads like virtualization or large dataset handling. → The MS-A2 supports up to 96GB DDR5 at 5600MHz, giving it better headroom for demanding memory scenarios. Solid GPU Performance Stability The MS-01 performs better under GPU-accelerated tasks due to more mature graphics drivers and better software integration (Quick Sync, Adobe, etc.). → MS-A2 may suffer compatibility or driver limitations in older applications or video pipelines.	Much Higher CPU Performance The Ryzen 9 9955HX delivers 16 cores and 32 threads, far exceeding the MS-01’s i9-13900H with 14 cores (6P+8E) and 20 threads. This gives the MS-A2 a major edge in rendering, VMs, and parallel workloads. → The MS-01 holds its own in lightly threaded or bursty workloads but falls behind in sustained multi-core tasks. Full-Speed NVMe Across All Storage Bays All three M.2 slots run at PCIe 4.0 x4 speeds, which is ideal for users building high-speed RAID arrays or multi-disk configurations. → The MS-01’s mixed PCIe generation slots limit throughput and performance scaling with multiple drives. Higher RAM Capacity and Bandwidth The MS-A2 supports up to 96GB DDR5-5600, making it more suitable for VM clusters, code compilation, or large creative project workflows. → The MS-01 tops out at 64GB DDR5-5200, which may become a limiting factor in future-proofing. Advanced Display Output Support The MS-A2 features HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 2.0, allowing up to 8K60 or 4K144Hz. Ideal for users with high-res displays or multi-monitor setups. → The MS-01 is limited to HDMI 2.0 and DP 1.4a, which caps out at 4K60 in most scenarios. Weaker Integrated GPU (Radeon 610M) The 2CU RDNA2 iGPU in the MS-A2 underperforms compared to the Iris Xe in the MS-01 in encoding tasks, graphical acceleration, and some professional media pipelines. → The MS-01 offers better iGPU performance and is more compatible with widely used software stacks. Higher Price for the Same Chassis While offering better specs, the MS-A2 comes at a significantly higher price for a similar form factor and port layout, making it less cost-efficient for users not needing its full capabilities. → The MS-01 delivers solid value for money and remains a competitive mini workstation despite being a generation older. Improved Thermal Efficiency and Sustained Load Performance A redesigned internal cooling layout in the MS-A2 provides better performance consistency under long-term stress compared to the MS-01, which can throttle during extended workloads. → The MS-01’s cooling is competent but may experience more thermal spikes under 24/7 heavy use.

Check Amazon for the Minisforum MS-A2 ($639-899 ) or MS-01 ($599-879) Below:

Check AliExpress for the Minisforum MS-A2 ($799 ) or MS-01 ($599) Below:

 

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Are Chinese DIY NAS Devices Worth Your Time, Money, and Data?

Over the last 2 years, I have discussed at length multiple different Chinese-built NAS solutions in one form or another. From DIY NAS motherboards from brands like Topton and CWWK to pre-built solutions arriving both with and without NAS software from brands like Ugreen, Terramaster, Aoostar, and more. Thanks to the miniaturisation and power efficiency improvements in a multitude of different kinds of PC hardware, a lot of brands originally developing mini PCs, tablets, and laptops have started including developments towards NAS systems in their portfolios. Some brands, like Ugreen and Terramaster, have gone into this with significantly more energy than others, including and further developing their very own NAS software that is included with the hardware. But regardless of whether you are looking at a Chinese DIY NAS that does or does not include its software, it still raises the question of whether these solutions are worth your time and money. Are they as reliable as some of the long-established players providing solutions from Taiwan or the US? Can you trust it with your data? Let’s discuss.

Chinese NAS Brands That I Recommend

These are the brands I would personally recommend if you are considering a China-based NAS brand. These are 6 brands that I have used many of their products (NAS and others) that I have found the best experiences with, as well as, on balance,e the best online support and communication. No brand is perfect, and look hard enough and you will find good and bad on any brand, really, but these are six examples of brands that stand out from the others.

Buy Here on Amazon – Visit Their Own Store	Buy Here on Amazon – Visit Their AliExpress Store
Buy Here on Amazon – Visit Their AliExpress Store	Buy Here on Amazon – Visit Their AliExpress Store
Buy Here on Amazon – Visit Their AliExpress Store	Buy Here on Amazon

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The TL;DR – Are Chinese DIY NAS Devices Worth It?

• Chinese NAS popularity is rising due to affordability, broader hardware variety, and greater accessibility in Asia.

• Brands like Ugreen and Terramaster have built their own NAS software, adding credibility to their name in the eyes of consumers and long-term support potential that a lot of other options seem to tangebly lack.

• Mini PC brands (e.g., Minisforum, GMKTec) are repurposing their platforms into NAS devices, leveraging existing consumer trust.

• Many Chinese NAS systems are hardware-only, allowing users to install platforms like TrueNAS or UnRAID.

• DIY-friendly: Chinese NAS devices often support third-party OS installs without voiding warranty—unlike many Western brands.

• Hardware value: You can expect up to 25–30% lower prices compared to similar US/Taiwan/Japan-made systems.

• Tech culture: China has a more tech-literate consumer market, visible in high street and airport advertising.

• Security concerns exist, largely due to past incidents of spyware or malware embedded in hardware from some Chinese vendors.

• Using trusted open-source OS platforms can reduce risks—but can’t fully eliminate them if vulnerabilities are in firmware/hardware.

• Not all Chinese brands are equal—research brand background, online presence, and operational transparency.

• Some no-name brands just rebrand OEM hardware (e.g., from CWWK), but offer poor support and minimal warranty backing.

Support issues include:

• No regional presence

• Language/cultural barriers

• Long RMA turnaround

• Tax/import delays for returns

Brands with better reputations for support include: CWWK, Jonsbo, and Terramaster.
Be wary of AliExpress-only brands with no official website or global support—these often lack accountability.

Ultimately: Yes, you can buy a NAS from China—just stick to reputable brands, do your research, and stay security-conscious.

$169 n150 4x M.2 NVMe SSD NAS – The GMKTek G9

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Why Have Chinese NAS Systems Rapidly Grown in Popularity?

The easy answer to this would be to say that they tend to be a lot cheaper than NAS products that are built in the US, Europe, or surrounding Eastern countries like Taiwan or Japan. Indeed, that is true, and you tend to find that NAS systems made in China are typically offered at great value price points and hardware value compared to anywhere else in the world. However, the popularity of Chinese NAS systems is actually a little bit more nuanced and about a lot more than simply money.

The UGREEN DXP NASync Series Now Globally Available

For a start, some of the brands that are currently moving into providing their own network-attached storage solutions are brands that already had a well-established presence in homes and offices around the globe for other peripherals. A great example of this would be Ugreen. Ugreen has provided accessories for PCs, power adaptors, and portable docking stations for quite a few years and is probably one of the most recognisable names for this kind of technology from China around the world.

The Aoostar WTR N305 4 Bay NAS Drive

Therefore, in early 2024, when the brand announced it was entering the world of NAS in the Western world, the brand already had a fairly solid and well-documented audience in place. That is likely why the brand, although still pretty good value, is actually slightly more expensive than the majority of other Chinese NAS brands.

The Terramaster F6-424 Max NAS – 2x 10GbE, 2x Gen 4×4 M.2 NVMe & Intel i5 CPU

Alternatively, you have brands like Terramaster, who have been in the network-attached storage industry for over half as long as the likes of QNAP and Synology, and during that time have built up a fairly solid audience base long before the arguably heavy influx of smaller, lesser-known brands entering the world of NAS from China.

The Terramaster F6-424 Max NAS – 2x 10GbE, 2x Gen 4×4 M.2 NVMe & Intel i5 CPU

Chiefly purchased for its hardware until now, Terramaster is a brand that has a fairly comprehensive and well-detailed software platform in TOS. Of course, both of these brands provide much better value for money than alternatives in the market from other countries, but in a lot of cases, people are purchasing these solutions for more than just the bottom-line price.

The Lincplus Lincstation N1 & N2 4x M.2 and 10GbE NAS

Alternatively, there is the now heavily saturated market of mini PC vendors who have modified a lot of their existing production and systems to now leverage towards storage. In many cases, some of these brands—such as Minisforum and GMKTec—already have a healthy relationship with consumers thanks to their mini PCs, and that brand awareness has clearly transferred over to NAS products.

The Minisforum N5 Pro NAS – AMD i9 HX370 / ECC Memory / 10+5GbE / 5 SATA and 3 M.2 NVMe

The other thing that makes these Chinese NAS products very appealing to new and even old NAS buyers is that a lot of them arrive without software included. This allows users to get just the hardware at a lower price and then go ahead and install software such as TrueNAS or UnRAID, because they want to take advantage of those more flexible (if slightly more intimidating) platforms. The majority of NAS products that arrive from other countries tend to arrive with their own NAS software included and, more often than not, do not allow the warranty to continue being supported if you install a third-party operating system. Whereas practically all NAS products that are developed in China tend to allow you to use third-party operating systems—even when they include their own OS (again, see Terramaster and Ugreen).

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What Are the Benefits of Chinese NAS Systems?

Ultimately—and it’s kind of a shame that this is the headline here—but it is, of course, that NAS systems from China will generally give you much better hardware at a lower price tag. That isn’t to say that these systems are always going to be universally the lowest price, but it is simply that the average price tag of the system configuration and hardware, compared across multiple regions, will generally always end in the product being cheaper when it is manufactured in China.

UGREEN DXP8800 PLUS NAS – 10GbEx2, Intel i5 CPU, Gen 4×4 NVMe

More often than not, whether you’re looking at a fairly modest entry-level Intel Celeron / Intel Alder Lake / Intel Twin Lake-based NAS system or scaling it up all the way towards Intel Core and AMD Ryzen systems, you will tend to find that NAS solutions built in China are as much as 25 to 30% lower in price than those made in the rest of the world.

The UnifyDrive UP6 6x NM.2 NVMe SSD Portable NAS

I guess you could also add that if you are based in the Eastern part of the world, there are also tremendous benefits to these solutions being so readily available and accessible. Indeed, on a recent trip to Shenzhen, I noticed how there were significantly more DIY NAS solutions available on the high street and in the tech malls than anywhere else in the world. A big part of this is that the general average standard understanding of tech hardware is higher out there than in a lot of Western regions. That isn’t to say that we don’t have a tremendously high volume of users who understand this kind of technology in the US and Europe, but the way it is framed to the consumer is notably different.

So, for example, if you walk around an airport in China, Hong Kong, or Taiwan, you will often see advertisements of a pretty technical nature with regard to CPUs and graphics cards on the back of trolleys, billboards, and on the sides of public vehicles. Whereas in America and Europe—although this is still not completely absent—adverts are much more focused on the end product, such as phones, tablets, laptops, and domestic client hardware.

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Why Are People So Concerned About Chinese NAS System Security?

It is a pretty bloody valid concern! In recent years, tensions between large countries with regards to trade have been on the rise—one of the biggest being the US–China trade war, which, although it has ebbed and flowed over the last seven or eight years, is actually something that has existed for a few decades now. It largely boils down to the import and export of this kind of technology. However, the breaking point came when several Chinese products were found to contain spyware and malware that was hard-baked into the hardware and allowed for remote collection of user data. Numerous brands were implicated, and the fact that there is a degree of ambiguity between numerous Chinese brands in the eyes of the world—regarding how many of them cross over at the point of manufacture and how many of them are on the same production line filtering toward various brands—all added up to increased tensions and, eventually, several companies and organisations being barred from sale in the US.

Source – https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366622023/NCSC-issues-warning-over-Chinese-Moonshine-and-BadBazaar-spyware/

How much this has been respected by certain Chinese players in the past—I am not going to blanket-tarnish all Chinese brands with this, as that would be both unfair and hugely incorrect. Nevertheless, a small group of bad apples has certainly soured the mood for many when it comes to purchasing Chinese NAS products in terms of security, especially when it is noted that these systems will be on 24/7, contain all of your data, and, in many cases, are directly or indirectly connected to the internet depending on your own personal setup.

Source: https://www.security.com/threat-intelligence/us-china-espionage/

This is one of the main reasons why a lot of users will purchase a Chinese NAS product specifically if it does not arrive with any kind of included operating system. A lot of users would rather trust established and Western-orientated NAS brands such as TrueNAS and UnRAID, as these have a proven track record of firmware updates and security tools, but also have recognised vulnerability and security disclosure programs that they work with to be held accountable in the event of any security incident being recognised. Nevertheless, on numerous occasions, it has been noted that security vulnerabilities—and the aforementioned spyware, when it has been recognised—have been hard-baked into the hardware components and physical controllers, which means that regardless of the NAS software you use, some of these devices still have the potential to contain security vulnerabilities.

Now, playing devil’s advocate, it could actually be possible for any hardware manufacturer in any country in the world to implement these kinds of security breach methodologies into their hardware. When you really break it down, the architecture of a NAS device—regardless of where it is built in the world—is going to be largely similar to that of a standard PC, and therefore the opportunities for exploitation and manipulation are still going to be on the table. Nevertheless, although it has been recognised that different regions of the world have had their own bad actors who have introduced vulnerable devices into the market unbeknownst to end users, there is still no avoiding that the lion’s share of the manufacturers found culpable for this have been based in China.

However, we also have to be slightly reasonable in that, given the larger share of hardware that is manufactured and distributed from China, then statistically, they are always going to have the larger number of incidents. The propaganda machine of numerous nations will always be at play to present a particular picture of the safety of imported devices, but all that aside, it does still seem that—despite instances of systems with inbuilt vulnerabilities decreasing all the time—they do crop up more frequently in products made in China than anywhere else in the world.

Here – https://www.tomshardware.com/desktops/mini-pcs/mini-pc-maker-ships-systems-with-factory-installed-spyware-acemagic-says-issue-was-contained-to-the-first-shipment/

Should this be a reason to completely disregard purchasing a NAS solution from China? No, I don’t think so. I think it is a good reason to investigate the brand or organisation that you’re choosing to purchase from. I think it is a good reason to investigate how long a company has been in operation and to find out more about their offices and operations before making a purchase. And I do think it is all the more reason why organisations should not automatically assume that any piece of hardware from anywhere in the world is automatically the most secure out of the box, and should be implementing their own firewalls, VPNs, authentication methods, and security protocols regardless.

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Remote Accessing My Chinese NAS – Alternatives to the Host OS

If you’re hesitant to use the default remote access features provided by your Chinese-made NAS due to privacy, transparency, or security concerns, you’re not alone—and thankfully, there are much safer and more trusted options available.

One of the most popular and user-friendly tools in this space is Tailscale, a modern mesh VPN built on WireGuard. Tailscale allows you to securely access your NAS (or any other device on your network) from anywhere in the world—without the need for risky port forwarding, dynamic DNS, or vendor cloud logins. With just a few clicks, you can create a private, end-to-end encrypted network between your NAS, phone, tablet, and computers, all managed via a clean web dashboard. It works across firewalls, NAT, and even CGNAT (carrier-grade NAT), which makes it ideal for less technical users looking for peace of mind when accessing their files remotely.

For those who want more customization or are working in slightly more advanced environments, there are other powerful self-hosted or cloud-assisted VPN solutions worth considering. Tools like ZeroTier allow for flexible, programmable virtual networks with global peer-to-peer routing. Meanwhile, OpenVPN and WireGuard (standalone) offer rock-solid, time-tested security for users comfortable with deploying and managing their own VPN servers. These services can be installed directly on your NAS or hosted on another home server or Raspberry Pi on the same network, offering complete control over who gets access and how. If you’re running TrueNAS, UnRAID, or even Debian/Ubuntu-based DIY NAS software, many of these can be installed natively or through Docker containers. This means you can completely bypass the vendor-supplied cloud services, eliminating a major attack surface while retaining secure access from anywhere.

Here are some of the most reliable and widely recommended remote access alternatives:

• Tailscale – Simple, secure mesh VPN using WireGuard; ideal for non-technical users

• ZeroTier – Virtual network overlay with programmable access control and P2P routing

• WireGuard (standalone) – Lightweight, fast, and secure VPN for advanced users

• OpenVPN – A well-established, highly configurable VPN solution

• Dockerized Access Tools – Solutions like Headscale (Tailscale self-hosted), PiVPN, or Cloudflare Tunnel

• Cloudflare Tunnel (Argo Tunnel) – Secure reverse proxy with public access protection

• FRP (Fast Reverse Proxy) – Lightweight self-hosted tunnel service often used in Chinese networks

• Syncthing – Peer-to-peer file sync tool for remote file access without VPN (for specific folders)

Using any of these tools, you can confidently disable or ignore the default remote access features provided by your NAS vendor and instead implement a hardened, trusted, and fully auditable solution. In doing so, you’re minimizing potential exposure, maintaining privacy, and ensuring that your remote access setup is under your control—not in the hands of a third-party vendor.

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Should Users Be Concerned About Support?

Alongside the ever-present concerns around security, the other big issue that users tend to mention about purchasing Chinese NAS products is to do with support. It’s not unusual for a product or solution that you purchase in the market to not have a local or regional office that you can talk to in the event of hardware faults or software difficulties. Just because a product is manufactured in China doesn’t mean it’s the only one that suffers from the geographical hurdles of purchasing a system built in a completely different country than your own.

For example, there are plenty of American manufacturers that do not have any regional offices in Europe, and most support is provided remotely. In those cases, what puts support for products made in China into a different category for many is:

1. Language and cultural differences in communication between end users and the brand, and

2. The logistical difficulties of replacing a malfunctioning device with a replacement or repair.

Most of us are quite familiar with—and are happy to accept—that issues occur in the day-to-day operations of most large-scale mass manufacturing production lines. Even high production lines with a 0.01% failure rate, once you break into the million units, are still going to result in a handful of users who might receive a unit that is less than fully operational. But alongside the delays of swapping a bad device for a good one, other hurdles such as time zone differences and potential tax issues upon devices travelling internationally need to be considered. Many of these issues are not any one country’s fault and are just part and parcel of global trade that’s ever-present in any technology. However, it is how certain Chinese brands negotiate these many hurdles when selling goods to the US and Europe that very quickly sets apart the good organisations from the bad ones.

In my years reviewing and installing different Chinese NAS solutions, some brands have definitely stood out more than others in terms of their support. For example, in the past 2 years, I have heard significantly more positive warranty/repair threads for CWWK, Jonsbo, and Terramaster than I have for brands like GMKtec, B-Link, or pretty much any brand that only seems to exist on AliExpress and Alibaba but has practically no in-house website or Western presence. That isn’t to say that those first few companies I mentioned have a 100% success rate—definitely not. Some simple Googling will always find you both good and bad instances. However, broadly, I’ve had better feedback from people I have provided support for and from numerous NAS subreddits for those brands than I have for some of the lesser-known and far more isolated organisations.

Another point to highlight is that some of the lesser-known brands are simply reusing existing designs and hardware architecture provided by an original manufacturer and relabelling it as their own. For example, CWWK manufactures a large amount of the hardware solutions you may see in the market, but it just so happens that they are sold to contractors and lesser-known providers who then apply their own manufacturer’s badge.

Where this becomes a problem with support is that if you encounter an issue with your hardware, the relabelled and rebadged name that’s been applied to that CWWK product can only provide limited support and even weaker hardware repair, as they are heavily reliant on the original manufacturer and their own production lines.

In these cases, I once again heavily recommend that if you are going to purchase any Chinese NAS product, that you go to the source. And circling back to the issue of security I mentioned earlier on, you tend to find that when spyware has been found on some hardware systems, it has been due to software that was applied to the hardware after it left the original manufacturer—more often than not, applied within an .exe found autoloading in the included copy of Windows.

So once again, double-check that the brand you’re talking to is the original manufacturer before you purchase a Chinese NAS solution, and double-check that they have some kind of Western presence first. It may seem almost obvious and naïve to say this, but ultimately, a lot of these organisations operate on tremendously thin profit margins. This means that the cost of manpower and hiring sufficiently skilled people to create these Western websites and English-understood points of sale is often left by the wayside by the less scrupulous organisations, as they simply do not have a clear enough print-to-profit or long-term strategy to provide solutions they can trust in order to engage with this.

Should I Buy a NAS from China?

The short answer? Yes, I think you can. You should be as security-aware as (frankly) you should be with any NAS product—as any 24/7 data storage solution is only one vulnerability away from being compromised. But as long as you know the risks and understand that support is not going to be as “next day” as it would be if you purchased a local product, I do genuinely think that you are okay to buy a Chinese NAS solution from the more well-known and reputable brands in the market. If the brand doesn’t have much of an online presence outside of China—even doesn’t really have much of its own website outside of AliExpress, Amazon, or Alibaba—avoid them like the plague! Because those brands that aren’t prepared to make even the token effort to have much of an online presence outside of a retail website have certainly not got the profit margin to provide any kind of meaningful support and are more likely to cut corners. Worse still, it is those organisations that have such slim profit margins that are almost certainly going to be the ones that may be more susceptible to influence in installing exploitative or malware software components on their systems for an additional backhand payment.

Chinese NAS Brands That I Recommend

These are the brands I would personally recommend if you are considering a China-based NAS brand. These are 6 brands that I have used many of their products (NAS and others) that I have found the best experiences with, as well as, on balance,e the best online support and communication. No brand is perfect, and look hard enough and you will find good and bad on any brand, really, but these are six examples of brands that stand out from the others.

Buy Here on Amazon – Visit Their Own Store	Buy Here on Amazon – Visit Their AliExpress Store
Buy Here on Amazon – Visit Their AliExpress Store	Buy Here on Amazon – Visit Their AliExpress Store
Buy Here on Amazon – Visit Their AliExpress Store	Buy Here on Amazon

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