Asustor Flashstor 6 and Flashstor 12 Pro SSD NAS Review – Worth Your Data?
Asustor has made its mark in the data storage sector with their recently launched Flashstor 6 and Flashstor 12 Pro M.2 SSD NAS devices. These devices are packed with features and an attractive design that aims to cater to the needs of every user out there. But are they worth investing in? We will explore the top five reasons why you should consider adding these devices to your tech arsenal, and in contrast, we will also delve into some aspects that might make you reconsider. Get ready to know all the ins and outs of these promising Asustor devices, as we dissect what makes them a worthy buy, or potentially a pass, for your storage needs.
Asustor Flashtor 6 FS6706T Here on Amazon $499 – HERE
Asustor Flashstor 12 Pro FS6712X Here on Amazon $860 – HERE
The TL:DR on Whether You Should buy the Asustor Flashstor NAS Series:
The Asustor Flashstor 6 and Flashstor 12 Pro M.2 SSD NAS have compelling reasons to buy, including:
They possess an aesthetically pleasing, compact chassis that fits between 6 and 12 M.2 NVMe SSDs while maintaining a low operational noise.
The devices offer impressive audio and visual connectivity, including HDMI 2.0B for increased 4K visual bandwidth performance and an SPDIF audio output.
The storage capacity is notable with the inclusion of 6-12 M.2 NVMe SSD Bays.
The inclusive Asustor ADM software, a full NAS operating system, provides a robust management platform.
The price point is affordable, with the Flashstor 6 and Flashstor 12 Pro priced at $499 and $860 respectively.
However, they also have downsides:
The devices use an Intel Celeron N5105 CPU, which might limit performance and connectivity potential.
The M.2 NVMe SSD slots are PCIe Gen 3 x1, which means each bay will have a 1000 MB/s bottleneck.
The network connectivity is not optimal for the throughput capability of the SSDs due to CPU limitations.
The devices lack inclusive heat sinks for the SSDs, which could potentially lead to heat-related issues.
Asustor was a victim of the DeadBolt ransomware attack in 2022, which may raise questions about the company’s security measures.
Asustor Flashstor 6 and Flashstor 12 Pro M.2 SSD NAS – Reasons You SHOULD Buy?
There are a surprisingly large number of reasons why the Flashstor 6 and 12 Pro are particularly impressive flash NAS systems. Indeed, narrowing it down to 5 was harder than you might think. Nonetheless, the following 5 reasons might well be enough to convince you the new NVMe SSD-focused Asustor NAS deserve your data!
#1. Very, VERY Well Designed Chassis that is also nice to look at!
The design of the Flashstor 12 Pro and Flashstor 6 is probably the thing that impressed me the most when I first heard about this device. The devices arrive in a fantastically compact chassis and the brand deserves credit for managing to squeeze between 6 and 12 M.2 NVMe SSDs into this small space. With numerous ventilation points around the system and an active cooling fan directly beneath the storage media, this system maintains an impressive operational temperature, yet low operational noise at the same time. The physical size of the device is significantly smaller in terms of general desktop footprint and overall volume compared to the average 2-bay or 4-bay NAS device. This means that in terms of overall impact and design, the Flashstor 6 and Flashstor 12 Pro are very well-constructed devices. Lastly, and this is a matter of personal opinion, these two NAS devices might well be among the nicest looking devices I have ever reviewed here on the blog.
#2. Impressive Audio and Visual Connectivity
The general connectivity of this device, for its price point, is another area that left a positive impression on me when getting set for my review. Of course, there are USB ports for storage and accessories, two different network connection options, and then things get quite unique. Both of these devices arrive with not only HDMI 2.0B for increased visual bandwidth performance in 4K, but they also arrive with an SPDIF audio output. This is remarkably rare on network-attached storage devices and those looking to output high-end audio and dense audio format tracks directly into their expensive sound systems will appreciate the enhanced audio and visual connectivity on the Flashstor 6 and Flashstor 12 Pro.
This is still arguably a niche for audio output, but there are certainly users who will be thrilled about this. The HDMI output is utilized with Asustor’s portal application, a complete parallel graphical user interface to access the NAS. It provides a full HDMI user interface that can be controlled via infrared remote control, network remote control, or just a simple USB keyboard and mouse. There are hundreds of available applications and services that can run via this HDMI output, allowing you to run a vast number of local multimedia and business services directly from the device. These range from first-party tools for surveillance and streaming 4K media, to third-party applications for connecting streaming subscription services and virtual machines.
#3. Between 6-12 M.2 NVMe SSD Bays in a Tiny Case!
I think the brand deserves credit for managing to fit such an extensive range of NVMe SSD storage media into this device. While they were not the first to develop M.2 SSD network-attached storage systems, they have managed to fit 6 Gen 3. NVMe SSD bays inside and still provide the rest of the hardware system services. This is even more impressive when, thanks to an additional internal component, the 12 Pro manages to house 12 NVMe SSDs. This system supports the usual RAID configurations, with each bay supporting a standard 2280 length M.2 SSD that can currently be purchased in up to eight TB, resulting in a system with a huge amount of storage potential in a compact physical form.
#4. Inclusive ADM Software in this NVMe SSD Turnkey NAS Solution
Alongside the hardware, when you purchase the Flashstor 6 or Flashstor 12 Pro, it’s also worth remembering that this includes a full NAS operating system, Asustor ADM. This software allows you to completely manage the system with its own dedicated graphical user interface that can be accessed via a web browser locally or remotely over the internet with the right setup. There are also numerous mobile client applications and even desktop applications to create better-tailored interaction and file transmission with the device, depending on the chosen file types. The GUI of this software is comparable to that of an Android, tablet, or even Windows desktop, with options to add further first and third-party applications via the app center. Alongside this, the GUI allows you to configure your main storage configurations, configure and access shared folders, manage a multitude of different applications and also allows you to create hundreds of users with their own bespoke access and tailored levels of secure access.
Finally, there are the little things such as support of BTRFS for the chosen file system, the wide compatibility of a number of third-party software and hardware services that can be integrated and managed by the software, and finally, there is a wide variety of first-party apps and services available. Asustor provides their very own surveillance platform that allows you to monitor numerous compatible IP cameras, several multimedia applications for photos, videos, and audio, and multi-layered backup and synchronization tools for managing data between you and your NAS, as well as NAS to NAS and NAS to Cloud backups. The software may not be quite as evolved and polished as the likes of Synology DSM, but it is certainly a good platform to get your teeth into and given the system already arrives at quite a fantastically well-placed price point for hardware, this software might well be a fantastic bonus too. Lastly, lest we forget as shown on our YouTube channel, if you wish to, you can install popular third-party software such as TrueNAS, unRAID, and Open Media Vault on this system if you wish. That does somewhat invalidate your warranty, but it does mean that you can install these fantastic open-source or low-cost NAS OSs to take advantage of the fantastic storage media inside the Flashstor 6 or Flashstor 12 Pro.
#5. Ridiculously Affordable Price Point for what it is, at $499
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.
Asustor Flashstor 6 and Flashstor 12 Pro M.2 SSD NAS – Reasons You SHOULDN’T Buy?
Although the Asustor Flashstor series has alot of incredibly impressive features and abilities, it is worth keeping in mind that it is by no means perfect. Indeed, the thing that might make it less suitable for you and your setup stem from that same motivation by the brand to keep the device affordable. Here are five reasons the Asustor Flashstor 6 or Flashstor 12 Pro might be worth skipping in 2023/2024.
#1. Slightly Odd Choice of CPU
The CPU inside both the Flashstor 6 and Flashstor 12 Pro NAS systems is something of a contentious point. Now, we have to bear in mind that this system needs to maintain a certain price point, as it is chiefly designed to allow home and prosumer users to access a full M.2 flash NAS system affordably. Equally, the CPU inside this system, the Intel Celeron N5105, has already been featured on numerous other devices by both this brand and others. So the brand already has a decent amount of experience as to what they can achieve with it on a hardware or software level. However, this CPU also means that the range of PCI slots that the hardware configuration has access to for its supported ports, connections, and storage interfaces has a glass ceiling. Now, I appreciate that they want to remain within a certain price point, however, there are other processors on the market in the form of Pentiums or AMDs that would open the door to more lanes being used. This would mean higher performing storage and better potential for connectivity. Again, that may have raised the price a fraction at retail to accommodate a more expensive CPU, but as this device’s price point is already noticeably below most of its competitors, I think perhaps the brand could have decided to up the choice of processor a few notches and increase the price by $100 or so.
#2. M.2 NVMe SSD Slots are PCIe Gen 3 x1
One of the earliest consequences of this choice of CPU, as mentioned above, is that each of the PCIe Gen. 3 slots that are occupied by an M.2 NVMe, are capped at Gen. 3 x 1. This is a shame because the majority of Gen 3 M.2 SSDs on the market are PCIe Gen 3 x 4. This ultimately results in each of these bays having an approximate 1000 megabytes per second bottleneck compared with a regular Gen 3 x 4 deployment, which would allow bandwidth of up to 4000 megabytes per second. Once again, this is the result of that CPU choice having fewer lanes to play with, but also this in turn means that the potential internal performance of these SSDs will likely cap at around 3000 to 4000 megabytes per second. Even with all the SSDs in an appropriate RAID.
This is still a phenomenal amount of internal performance and for those running complex virtual machines or databases from the system, these benefits are still going to massively outweigh the performance of traditional hard drives. Nevertheless, there are going to be some users who may not realize that SSDs installed inside either the Flashstor 12 Pro or Flashstor 6 are going to have this bottleneck in place. So do not assume that installing 6x WD Black SSDs rated at 3000MB/s each in a RAID is going to result in tens of thousands of megabytes per second performance.
#3. Network Connectivity is a mixed bag
Another victim of the choice of this CPU and trying to remain within an affordable price point is that the network connectivity of both the Flashstor 6 and Flashstor 12 Pro is something of a mixed bag. In the case of the six-bay device, the system arrives with two 2.5 gigabit Ethernet ports. These can be aggregated in a number of different ways to achieve 5Gbps, and there is even support for USB to network adapters that can be used to increase this further still. However, that is still a tremendous difference in external throughput compared to what the SSDs are capable of inside the system, even with this modest CPU.
In the case of the 12-bay device, the system arrives with a single 10Gbps copper connection and support for USB network adapters too. This still leads to something of a bottleneck when you consider what 12 M.2 NVMe SSDs, even capped at Gen 3 x 1, are able to achieve. Again, I appreciate that the CPU choice here and its impact on the rest of the components has been made to keep the system at an affordable price point and to allow lower-tier users to access flash storage when the bulk of flash systems on the market right now are squarely aimed at enterprise users. But users need to be aware that the throughput of the storage media inside this device is subject to a little bit of compromise in order to remain affordable.
#4. Lack of Inclusive Heatsinks
This is a minor complaint but still worthy of discussion, in my opinion. Both the six-bay and 12-bay systems do not include SSD heat sinks. Now, there is the argument that many SSD brands provide their drives with heat sinks by default. Equally, there is the fact that the SSD slots inside the Flashstor 12 Pro and Flashstor 6 are capped at Gen 3 x 1, and therefore will not get as hot as if they were used in a system running with traditional 3×4 bandwidth. However, given the close proximity of all this storage media and the fact that the system utilizes a predominantly plastic chassis with no top or bottom metal heat-dissipating panels (though the CPU and several key components do have their own heat sinks), I would definitely feel more comfortable if this large arrangement of storage that has been packed together included heat sinks. It seems unusual that the brand has not included them.
There is an active cooling fan located directly beneath the storage base of both the Flashstor 6 and Flashstor 12 Pro, but even then, the heat generated by the controllers of SSDs typically works at their best when they are transferring their gathered heat towards a heat sink that allows it to be dissipated into the air. I have used several compact NAS systems in the past that use exclusively M.2 SSDs, and the bulk of the affordable ones arrive with 3×1 or 3×2 architecture for those storage bays. They have all included heat sinks for their storage media, and despite numerous observations by the brand when I raised this, stating the drives were not able to be accessed heavily enough to justify inclusive heat sinks and increasing the system price, it still seems an odd omission for the retail kit.
This is hardly a deal-breaker as M.2 heat sinks can be picked up at retail for as little as $5, and no doubt at production would cost a fraction of that. However, that just increases my disappointment that they were not included in the first place.
#5. The Deadbolt Ransomware Attack in 2022
Though not directly connected to either the Flashstor 6 or Flashstor 12 Pro device, it is worth highlighting that this brand was one of several targeted in 2022 by the ransomware group, DeadBolt. This ransomware attack resulted in numerous users finding their systems encrypted via a remote access attack that resulted in them either having to accept the loss of all their data or pay a ransom to the attackers in order to retrieve their data. Now, we could spend days, weeks, and months discussing who is liable for a user’s backups, managing regular system updates effectively, and who is responsible when a system is rendered insecure at the point of the ports!
However, there is no avoiding that Asustor definitely needs to take their share of the blame. Since the ransomware attack, they have significantly changed a number of system defaults in their inclusive software, altered a lot of the system setup choices, and numerous network protocols within the software have been changed to ensure that they cannot be rendered insecure to the same extent by the end user without significant manual override. Nevertheless, there will always be users who will be suspicious of products from this brand, at least for the next few years until they are able to shed the stigma of being successfully targeted by ransomware. It’s worth highlighting that they did manage the ransomware attack significantly better than rival QNAP. But then again, the scale of both of these companies and the sheer number of products they have deployed is also widely different too.
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Asustor FLASHSTOR 6 and 12 Pro – ASUSTOR’s first all-M.2 SSD NAS
The speed at which compact server development moves can be pretty groundbreaking, as hardware that even a 2-3 years ago though impossible/unthinkable, can suddenly become comparatively pedestrian. That said, one area of server storage that has still yet to genuinely see consumer or even relatively prosumer integration is desktop flash storage. Whether it is because the potential performance benefits are way beyond the average punter’s requirements, that SSD storage still commands a high price tag or that the maximum storage potential of SSD NAND is still dwarfed by even domestic HDDs, However, 2023 is starting to see these barriers get broken down one by one and into this arena comes a new Asustor NAS that really does break the mold on what a desktop NAS can be or is possible to be! The Asustor Flashstor series comprises a 6 Bay and 12 Bay compact desktop NAS that supports up to 6/12x m.2 Gen3* NVMe SSDs, respectively. Now, an ‘ALL-SSD’ desktop NAS server is not new, however, a dedicated pre-built turn-key M.2 NVMe SSD-Only system really, really is (with only a couple of other examples that spring to mind before this). With a new chassis design built around a very different kind of internal storage media than usual, an internal hardware architecture that is a noticeable degree more affordable than many other flash server systems and a few key differences between the Flashstor 6 and Flashstor 12 Pro beyond just the drive bays, let’s take a closer look at a new kind of NAS solution!
*Yes, you can use Gen4 SSDs, but you will be downgraded to Gen3)
Asustor FLASHSTOR 6 and 12 Pro Hardware Specifications
First up, let’s discuss the Flashstor 6 and Flashstor 12 Pro hardware specifications, as there is definitely a mixed back of things here that will please sum and potentially annoy others! The general architecture of CPU, Memory and lanes afforded to those M.2 NVMe slots are largely the same (though I am a little surprised the 12 Bay Pro arrives with 4GB of memory, the same as the 6-Bay system). There are certainly those that are going to be a little underwhelmed by the appearance of an Intel Celeron here, as opposed to a Xeon or Ryzen – as flash systems need a decent degree of horsepower to push those drives inside to their maximum throughput potential. However, Asustor is clearly aiming this system at a lower tier of flash user, rather than a full-guns-blazing enterprise flash data center!
This is not the first time we have seen this particular Intel Celeron CPU make it’s way inside other Asustor NAS. Indeed, the Intel N5105 has been the Lockerstor Gen 2 series (as well as many other NAS brand’s opting for this processor in their fully-featured/Prosumer tiers of desktop systems). Still, despite it making this system quite a power efficient for a flash system and very affordable, there is clearly a resulting bottleneck in the m.2 NVMes. In both the 6-Bay and 12-Bay system, the M.2 NVMes are running on Gen 3×1 connections, which results in each bay having a cap of 1,000MB/s throughput. Now, this is approx a 1/3 of the potential performance that even average Gen3 NVMes are capable of. The counterargument of course is that they could/should use a bigger/better CPU. However, this would bump the price up significantly, require additional CPU cooling in place and ‘increase’ the system in pretty much every way – moving outside the bracket of user it is clearly aimed at. The 4GB of memory that can be scaled up to 16GB on the 6-Bay FS6706T is quite reasonable, but I am a little surprised that the Flashstor 12 Pro FS6712T is ALSO the same 4GB. Flash servers are notoriously memory hungry and I would have liked to see the 12 Bay arrive with 8GB minimum. Whether this is another move to maintain that affordable pricepoint or related to continued memory shortages resulting in a similar price increase, I cannot put my finger on. I could also bang on about the lack of ECC memory included/supported (again, CPU related), but that is another arguable enterprise demand. Regardless, as an entry-level flash system that is also very compact in it’s profile, there are definitely benefits in pricing, base throughput and media use to this internal hardware architecture. Next, lets discuss the cooling of this system, as when it comes to SSD storage servers (especially M.2 NVMes), efficient and effective cooling is going to be make or break! Each of the 6/12 M.2 NVMe 2280 slots have a heatsink panel (connected with an included heatpad) that allows the growing heat of the SSD controller (and lesser extent NAND) to dissipate into the heatsink pannels and free into the active airflow from the base fan and vents.
I do wonder if one of the reasons/logical decisions behind the 3×1 SSD slots (beyond the CPU choice and it’s # of lanes) was to do with managing increased temperatures. Downgrading these m.2 slots from a traditional 3×4 architecture to 3×1 would certainly result in reduced temperatures of those SSD components. Nevertheless, the system also features multiple vent outlets around the chassis, as well as a significantly sized heatsink over the N5105 CPU. So, despite it’s small scale, there have clearly been considerations of how the system can maintain a decent operational temperature when in active use. Next, let’s discuss those ports and connections.
Asustor FLASHSTOR 6 and 12 Pro Ports and Connectivity
The ports and connectivity of the Flashstor 6 and Flashstor 12 Pro are largely the sale, barring one particularly large distinction. They both have excellent audio and visual outputs in S/PDIF for those running high-end audio systems and HDMI 2.0b for 4K at 60FPS, with improved bandwidth handling. These are combined with the Austor Portal application that results in a completely parallel running GUI to be accessed over HDMI (not just mirroring the network/web GUI of ADM – a completely separate GUI, controllable with a keyboard/mouse, network remote, mobile app remote, etc). The USB connectivity of the Flashstor 6 and Flashstor 12 Pro are largely the same, with both having 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 and 2x USB 2.0. Those USB 2.0 ports will be largely dedicated to accessories for the Audio/visual output, but the USB 3.2 Gen 1 (10Gb/s) will ALWAYS be useful for external storage, network accessories, expansions and office peripherals (printers, scanners, UPS’, etc), There is also the option of using these USB Ports to connect official Asustor SATA HDD/SSD expansion chassis too – so you can add larger, more affordable cold/warm storage for general use if needed to the system. But, let’s discuss the main difference between the 6-Bay and 12-Bay – the network connectivity!
Now there are DEFINITELY going to be two very different kinds of people that are reading the ports and connections above for the Flashstor 6 and Flashstor 12 Pro. Those that weigh up the price vs return of what is on offer across these systems are going to be quite happy. We have a choice of 2x 2.5GbE or 10GbE (scale/version dependant), with support of USB adapters to increase network connectivity that is further emboldened by things like SMB Multichannel and Port Trunking to open up these network speeds. Although clearly the performance potential of the M.2 NVMes are going to be greater internally, you are still going to have somewhere between 5Gbe and 10GbE (so 500-1,000MB/s or so) to play with externally. However, given that each of those M.2 NVMes has the potential for 1,000MB/s EACH in a 3×1 slot, that is quite a heft reduction to accept for 6-12x M.2NVMes in terms of external transfer speeds. Though the Asustor Flashstor 6 and Flashstor 12 Pro are very much ‘entry level’ flash systems, there is no avoiding that the brand has clearly had to introduce a level of compromise to the hardware in order to remain in this price bracket of $499 and $860 (at time of writing on Amazon.com). It’s worth also remembering too that the Flashstor series is not just hardware, but also includes the Asustor ADM NAS software. Let’s discuss what these two NAS’ support in ADM.
Asustor Flashstor 6 and Flashstor 12 Pro NAS – ADM Software
The Asustor Flashstor NAS arrives with the latest version of ADM included. Additionally, this software receives frequent updates to ensure that the software runs the very best it can on this system, as well as keeping up to date with security patches and application versions. The NAS software is accessible via a web browser and displayed very much like a normal computer operating system (desktop, user accounts, customizable themes, file management, running multiple tasks in windows that can be switched in the native tabs), but there are also a range of desktop client tools for accessing the NAS on your local machine natively, as well as a whole bunch of mobile applications that allow tailored access from your phone/tablet in more task-specific means (eg a photo app for viewing pictures and creating phone backup routines, a video app for enjoying your movies and boxsets, surveillance app to access your cameras, etc). There is also a large range of support of 3rd party applications too in the ADM platform. Asustor is not as big a company as the likes of Synology and QNAP, whole put ALOT more money into their software development, but Asustor try to counter this by (when they do not have an in-house app) making native versions of 3rd party tools in their platform (example, they do not have a 1st party Virtual Machine app, but DO include huge support for VirtualBox). The platform is not quite as fully featured as DSM and QTS, but it is still a very smooth and accessible software platform. The app center has a few more 3rd party applications and slightly crowbarred software (eg the Amazon Media and Streaming service plugins) that is not updated up the original uploaders anywhere near enough (leading to running issues on these tools), but the 1st party apps run very well. The big takeaway on the Asustor software and it’s services is that the standard class of expected features of a modern NAS in 2022/2023 are here and run exactly as you would want, it is just some of the additional ones that other platforms have doubled down on (such as AI-related services in Photography and Surveillance for example) that are a little lacking. That said, the brand has definitely ramped up a number of the key security protocols and settings in the default setup.
SOFTWARE & FEATURES
FS6706T
FS6712X
MAX. RESOLUTION
2160P 4K
2160P 4K
File Sharing
MAXIMUM NUMBER OF USERS
4096
4096
MAXIMUM NUMBER OF GROUPS
512
512
MAXIMUM NUMBER OF SHARED FOLDERS
512
512
MAXIMUM NUMBER OF CONCURRENT CONNECTIONS
512
512
iSCSI
MAXIMUM TARGETS
256
256
MAXIMUM LUNS
256
256
Virtualization Support
VMWARE READY
NFS, iSCSI
NFS, iSCSI
CITRIX READY
HYPER-V READY
Eco-Friendly Design
AUTO-STANDBY FOR BOTH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL DISKS
SYSTEM AUTOMATICALLY ENTERS SLEEP MODE (SCHEDULE S3)
WAKE-ON-LAN (WOL)
WAKE-ON-WAN(WOW)
–
ASUSTOR PORTAL
Disney+
Netflix
Spotify
Disney+
Netflix
Spotify
PHOTO GALLERY 3
FTP EXPLORER
HIDRIVE BACKUP
GOOGLE DRIVE
DROPBOX
MAIL SERVER
DOWNLOAD CENTER
PLEX MEDIA SERVER
VPN SERVER
MAX. NO. OF VPN SERVER CONNECTIONS
20
20
Surveillance Center
MAX. NO. OF SUPPORTED CAMERAS (WITH ADD-ON LICENSES)
44
44
SoundsGood
WEB BROWSER PLAYBACK
LOCAL PLAYBACK
HDMI
USB Speakers / DAC / Bluetooth Speakers
HDMI
USB Speakers / DAC / Bluetooth Speakers
PLAYBACK VIA OTHER DEVICES
AirPlay Speakers (with AiMusic on iOS device)
AirPlay Speakers (with AiMusic on iOS device)
PLAYBACK VIA OTHER DEVICES
AirPlay Speakers (with Remote on iOS device)
AirPlay Speakers (with Remote on iOS device)
Asustor FLASHSTOR 6 and 12 Pro – Price and Release Date
It would appear that the Asustor Flashstor series are available NOW and are listed online at the usual websites. Pricing, especially for the 6x M.2 NVMe version seems remarkably reasonable ($499 on Amazon.com at the time of writing), which given the scope of hardware here versus the 4-Bay Asustor Lockerstor Gen 4 at $609 (4x SATA + 4x NVMe Bays), is remarkably good value for a flash focused desktop NAS system. As long as you keep in mind that this is still an Intel Celeron-powered system, then you should be very happy with what you are getting here. Plus, the performance of ADM on the Lockerstor with this same architecture (CPU+Memory) has already been proven to work very well indeed. If you take FLASH servers very seriously, you are probably not gonna love this, but for those looking for an affordable home NAS SSD optimized solution in desktop form. There is alot to love here! I look forward to reviewing the Flashstor 6 and Flashstor 12 Pro later in 2023.
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?
We want to keep the free advice on NASCompares FREE for as long as we can. Since this service started back in Jan '18, We have helped hundreds of users every month solve their storage woes, but we can only continue to do this with your support. So please do choose to buy at Amazon US and
Amazon UK
on the articles when buying to provide advert revenue support or to donate/support the site below.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
Support What We Do
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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.
The NAS market at the start of 2023 has really been shaking things up, with moves by all the top tier brands attacking the home and prosumer tier of private server buyers with very different wares on offer! Whilst Synology have been shifting the home/business point of a number of their popular diskstation devices, QNAP has been doubling down on their hardware choices at that same tier and either upgrading what works or swapping out what doesn’t The QNAP TS-262 NAS is designed to be a more affordable Intel-powered alternative to the prosumer ad fully featured TS-264, that still keeps the elements of prosumer hardware that continue to draw the eye of PC-builders and more tech versed buyers, who nonetheless still find the appeal of a turnkey pre-built solution convenient. Arriving in a 2-Bay and 4-Bay version, the QNAP TS-x62 series hopes to be a more confident entry point for first-time NAS buyers and SMB’s looking to move away from 3rd party cloud, but is this a notable improvement over the now 3 years old TS-251D that it serves to replace? It’s price tag of $439 / £399 / €439 (tax and shipping where you are will likely reflect this price in your region) is possibly going to place it outside of the scope of Value/ARM NAS buyers, but here are the Highlights of the QNAP TS-262 NAS
Intel N4505 Dual-Core Celeron, 2022 Q1 Released Processor
4GB DDR4 Memory (Cannot be Upgraded)
2.5GbE Network Ready (1x Ports)
USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gb/s) Equipped
SATA HDD/SSD Bays and RAID Support
m.2 NVMe SSD Bays
PCIe Upgrade Slot for Network/Storage Upgrades
HDMI 2.1 Output
2-Year Warranty (extendable to 5yr)
So, I want to review the new TS-262 2-Bay NAS, analyse the brand’s updated approach to hardware design and work out if this new compact, 2-Bay NAS solution deserves your data in 2023. Let’s dive in!
QNAP TS-262 NAS Review – Quick Conclusion
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 complaints, 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.
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!
SOFTWARE - 6/10
HARDWARE - 8/10
PERFORMANCE - 8/10
PRICE - 8/10
VALUE - 9/10
7.8
PROS
Very compact chassis design, despite large storage potential A BIG jump in hardware and scale from the QNAP TS-251D Easily one of the most hardware-packed SMB/Mid-range 2-Bay on the market HDMI 2.1 Support is fantastically future-proof! 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 3x2 and the M.2 SSD Bays are PCIe 3x1 (likely limitations of all this H/W on a Celeron+chipset HD Station application needs more updates by the brand Fixed 4GB of memory will annoy some users The QuTS ZFS Platform is not available Software can be a little inconsistent under excessive use and features a steeper learning curve than Synology
The QNAP TS-262 NAS comes in a brown box with a QNAP product label, typical of most NAS systems. As these types of products are primarily purchased online, the packaging is geared towards practicality rather than aesthetics. However, it’s worth noting that the box is slightly smaller than the TS-251D retail box, thanks to the use of more compact material for internal packaging.
When it comes to packaging, the protection of a system during transit is of utmost importance, especially for systems that are often shipped from Taiwan to other parts of the world. The potential for motion and shock during transport can cause silent damage to controller boards and onboard components. That’s why I always appreciate when a system under $1000 arrives well-protected. As a tech reviewer, I’ve seen far too many systems that have arrived in flimsy cardboard packaging, indicating a rough journey during freight. It may seem like a small detail, but it’s crucial to ensure the integrity of the system upon arrival.
The accessories included with the TS-262 NAS are fairly standard, with one exception that left me slightly underwhelmed. The package includes a setup manual, information about the 2-year hardware warranty and the option to extend it to 5 years, screws for 2.5/3.5″ drives, a Cat 5e ethernet cable, and an external PSU. All of these items are well packaged and typical for this type of device. The only downside was the inclusion of a Cat 5e ethernet cable, as this model does not have 10GbE connectivity.
It will likely come as little surprise that the TS-262 arrives with an external PSU (65W). An external PSU is easy to replace, as it’s covered by the warranty and supported by many third-party options. Additionally, an internal PSU would generate a pinch more heat and have to be factored into the chassis design and ventilation when in 24×7 operation. Additionally, having a spare on hand is an added convenience. According to QNAP, power usage is 8.1W in standby mode and 12.4W in active use when the system is fully populated.
The lack of adhesive M.2 heatsink panels, as present in larger QNAP NAS models such as the TS-473A and TVS-h674, is a drawback of the TS-262. The TS-262 features 2 M.2 NVMe SSD slots, which are faster than traditional SATA SSDs and may produce high temperatures during sustained use. Given the expandability and scalability of the TS-262 and the decreasing cost of NVMe SSDs, the absence of these heatsink modules is a disappointment. Although it may be considered a minor issue, it is a notable omission in the overall design of the system.
Overall the accessories that the QNAP TS-262 NAS includes are all fairly standard and certainly enough to get the system up and running (not including your HDD/SSD media of course). Let’s discuss the design of this NAS and what changes have been made on the TS-262 vs the TS-251D from 2.5yrs before.
QNAP TS-262 NAS Review – Design
The QNAP TS-262 NAS features a chassis that is similar to that of the TS-251D and TS-264, with a plastic material that covers an internal aluminum metal framework. The arrangement of ports on the device is largely unchanged, however, the quality and number of ports have been increased. The system uses a removable tray design and also features a lockable and slidable front panel which provides added security. One aspect of the design that I particularly appreciate is the choice of a copper/rose-gold and black colour scheme, which I believe is a significant improvement over the metallic blue of its predecessor. The chassis is compact and appears smaller than other 2-bay NAS on the market, however, this is because the TS-262 uses a longer and deeper chassis, relying more on horizontal airflow, resulting in a more oblong shape. This design choice allows for improved thermal management and better cooling performance, making it a more effective option for those who are looking for a compact yet powerful NAS solution. Additionally, the compact design makes it easier to integrate the NAS into a variety of different environments and setups, whether it be a home or a small business setting.
In terms of cooling, the TS-262 has smaller vent spaces on the sides of the chassis than most other NAS, but it compensates for this by having more of them on the sides and base under each of the storage bays. These vents are designed to allow users to operate the system 24×7 with the front panel on, but still allow the larger rear fan to have enough active airflow through the passive vents. This design choice ensures that the system is able to stay cool even during extended usage. Despite its plastic chassis, the result is that the TS-262 is slightly noisier in operation than the Synology DS723+ 2-bay, despite the latter system having a larger fan that is built into the backplane more visibly, but much larger front and side ventilation by comparison. However, it should be noted that the TS-262 still manages to maintain a relatively low noise level and this is something that should be considered when comparing the cooling performance of different NAS systems. Additionally, It should be noted that the TS-262 is designed to operate in this way, allowing users to use the system in environments where noise levels are a concern. The system also has a built-in noise-reduction feature that helps to reduce the noise level even further.
The TS-262 has a more streamlined design on its front panel, lacking the LCD display found on larger business/enterprise NAS systems in the QNAP portfolio. Instead, it utilizes multiple LEDs to indicate system activity, network status, copy/backup activity, and individual LED indicators for the HDD storage media bays. The internal M.2 SSD bays also have their own LED indicators, however, they are only visible when the chassis is open. This design choice allows for a more minimalistic and streamlined front panel, while still providing users with the necessary information about the system’s status and activity.
The QNAP TS-262 NAS has a front-mounted USB and one-touch-copy button, allowing manual backups to/from a connected USB storage drive without logging into the GUI or relying on an automated schedule. The USB port is USB 3.2 Gen 2, which supports 10Gb/s, allowing for faster backup speeds of up to 1,000MB/s. This is useful for those who need to backup large amounts of data from the internal system RAID array or for photo/video editors with daily backups on new projects. However, to get the full 10Gb/s speed, it’s important to use USB 3.2 Gen 2 USB drives/enclosures. Affordable M.2 NVMe SSD USB drives from companies such as WD, Seagate, Gtech and LaCie that can hit 1,000MB/s easily are entering the market which makes the inclusion of this port a great benefit.
The TS-262 has a removable front panel that covers the storage bays and can be easily locked and unlocked. The panel is primarily intended to prevent accidental removal, but it would be nice if it had key lock for added security. Additionally, it would be nice if QNAP offered the panel in different colors since many users like to decorate it. When the front panel is removed, you will find two SATA storage bays. The device can be deployed with a single drive, but it’s recommended to use multiple drives in a RAID configuration for redundancy, performance and capacity. The device also features an internal flash storage module that stores the QTS 5 operating system, applications and services, but it is only used to facilitate the installation of QTS onto a primary partition of the main storage bays. Therefore, the better the base level storage on day 1, the better QNAP QTS will run.
The trays inside the TS-262 NAS are designed for easy, screwless installation while also providing screw holes and screws for 2.5″ media. These plastic trays have undergone significant improvements in recent years and are now more robust and able to handle heat, vibration, and pressure without cracking. They also help to reduce noise generated by spinning or accessing drives due to strategically placed rubber washers at the screw points. Additionally, they are also designed to provide an easy and secure way to install the drives and make it easy to swap the drives out if needed. The design of these trays is a significant improvement over older designs and demonstrates QNAP’s commitment to providing a high-quality and user-friendly NAS solution for their customers. The trays are also manufactured using high-quality materials that are designed to withstand the rigors of everyday use and provide a secure and stable platform for your hard drives.
The main SATA storage bays of the TS-262 are the expected dual power/data connectors, ensuring a clean and organized internal framework, with the HDD trays slotting in neatly. The internal framework is also heavily ventilated to provide maximum airflow during 24×7 operation. Inside the storage area, you can access the SODIMM memory fixed modules and M.2 NVMe SSD bays, which will be covered in more detail later. Despite the busy appearance of the interior, it is designed to allow for optimal airflow and cooling.
In general, the TS-262 has a similar design to its predecessor, the TS-251D, but it presents a well-crafted chassis. However, QNAP has made noticeable bandwidth upgrades in terms of ports, connections and internal hardware configuration, particularly with the inclusion of USB 3.2 Gen 2 on the front. These improvements set the TS-262 apart from its predecessor.
QNAP TS-262 NAS Review – Ports & Connections
The rear of the TS-262 is similar to that of the TS-251D at a glance, but there have been a few subtle changes that you might not spot without a visit to the specs sheet. Most of these changes are made possible thanks to an upgraded CPU in this new model. The majority of the connections are standard for this product series, but it is in their frequency and bandwidth that the TS-262 stands out. The single rear fan, at 120mm/12cm remains largely unchanged, able to adjust its operation automatically, increasing/decreasing the RPM as the system gets hotter/cooler in extended operation. This fan can also be adjusted manually if required, but it is recommended to leave it on ‘automatic’ as the system is quite reliant on this fan drawing air over a significant number of internal components. Additionally, the fan is also designed to be energy efficient and to operate quietly, so it won’t disturb your working or leisure activities. The fan is also manufactured using high-quality materials that are designed to withstand the rigours of everyday use and to provide a reliable and stable cooling solution for your system.
Much like its predecessor, the TS-262 arrives with a single network port, but this time it is a 2.5GbE port. The implementation of 2.5GbE on client hardware is still not as common as 1GbE, but it has definitely scaled up in 2022/2023 hardware, and often at the same cost as 1GbE (including many ISP routers, docking stations and client hardware devices). The idea of a remote cloud over the internet having the potential to be accessed at greater than 100MB/s on an ISP router means that it would be almost criminal that your local router/switch-connected NAS should arrive with a 1GbE bottleneck in 2023. Additionally, the ports can be link aggregated or load balanced for queued bandwidth using USB-to-2.5G/5GbE adapters and/or PCIe network upgrades, meaning that your 250-270MB/s bandwidth has the potential to be scaled to 500MB/s, 1000MB/s and more. Just remember that you will need fast enough media installed in those SATA and/or M.2 NVMe bays to reach these speeds!
The TS-262 also boasts an HDMI output, which is an HDMI 2.1 port too, which allows you to connect a monitor or TV and access a parallel GUI, as well as a range of first-party and third-party applications through the QNAP HD Station application and QNAPClub.eu. Although the HD Station application is impressive, it has not seen as many updates and improvements as other areas of the QTS/QuTS platform, remaining largely unchanged for a few years. Despite this, it is still a powerful tool that enables you to enjoy multimedia from your couch, deploy graphic-based applications locally, set up a standalone surveillance system, deploy a virtual machine locally, and more. Additionally, the HDMI port also allows you to use the NAS as a media player, streaming content to your TV or monitor without the need for additional devices. The HDMI port also allows you to connect a keyboard and mouse to the NAS, making it easy to navigate and use the system. The HDMI port is also designed to be compatible with a wide range of monitors and TVs, making it easy to connect to your existing setup.
HDMI 2.0 and HDMI 2.1 are the latest versions of the HDMI standard, which is used to transmit audio and video signals between devices. The main difference between the two is the maximum resolution and refresh rate they support. HDMI 2.0 supports up to 4K resolution at 60Hz, while HDMI 2.1 supports up to 8-10K resolution at 120Hz (Theoretically! As there is not much need/use for this kind of bandwidth and at this hardware level, near impossible to play smoothly), making it better suited for high-resolution and high-refresh-rate displays. Additionally, HDMI 2.1 also supports Dynamic HDR, eARC and VRR. Another difference is the bandwidth they support, HDMI 2.0 has a bandwidth of 18 Gbps, while HDMI 2.1 has 48 Gbps, allowing for more data transmission at once. In summary, HDMI 2.1 offers higher resolution, refresh rates, and advanced features for a more immersive audio and visual experience, while HDMI 2.0 is still a great choice for most people and is compatible with most devices.
The applications and services over HDMI can be controlled in various ways, including an optional IR remote control, WiFi remote from your phone using the QNAP QRemote app, and even standard KVM (keyboard, video, mouse) over USB. Additionally, the device supports many other USB peripherals, including speakers, controllers and webcams, making HD Station and HDMI-supported software quite diverse on the TS-262. It would be great to see QNAP do more with this software/service in 2023. Sadly, QNAP is not really pushing forward as much as many would like on this service and this has led to increased ‘homebrew’ and ‘community backed’ support via 3rd party unofficially supported app repositories, such as QNAP Club.eu.
Back in early 2020, we made a guide on HD Station on what it can do on the QNAP NAS platform. We will be revisiting this subject later in 2023, but the general features, services and abilities of HDStation in QTS 5 remain largely the same at the time of writing. To find out more about it and what you can/cannot do with the HDMI port on the TS-262, watch the video below:
In addition to the front-mounted USB 3.2 Gen 2 port, the QNAP TS-262 features additional ports on the rear, including another 10Gb/s USB and two USB 2.0 ports. Usually, having USB 2.0 ports in 2023 would be a disappointment, but in the case of the TS-262, it makes sense given the inclusion of the two 10Gb/s USBs and the HDMI. These USB 2.0 ports can be used for the KVM setup, which is a logical choice. However, it’s worth noting that some users may have preferred more USB 3.2 ports overall, especially given that the TS-262 NAS can be expanded by 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12 drives using the QNAP TR and TL series of NAS expansions. Additionally, the inclusion of two USB 2.0 ports makes it possible to connect additional peripherals such as printers, scanners and external hard drives to the NAS, expanding its functionality even further. The USB ports are also designed to be compatible with a wide range of devices and peripherals, making it easy to connect to your existing setup.
The TS-262 also includes a PCIe upgrade slot that allows you to add a variety of upgrades throughout its lifespan, including network bandwidth, SSD storage space, wireless connectivity and more. The TS-251D before this model also featured a PCIe slot, but it was a PCIe Gen 2×2 slot which translated to 1,000MB/s internally. This was a limitation, especially with multi-port network cards, SSD storage cards, and combo cards. The TS-262, on the other hand, with its newer generation Celeron CPU, is able to stretch itself further in some key areas and one of those is the PCIe slot being PCIe 3×2, which translates to 2,000MB/s bandwidth. It still may bottleneck modern-generation NVMe SSD storage and combo cards, but it’s still twice the possible communication between the system and an upgrade card in the TS-262 than there was in the TS-251D. QNAP is still the only brand at this price point for a 2-bay NAS to provide a PCIe upgrade slot and those considering upgrading to 10Gbe over one or two ports will appreciate this feature.
Overall, the ports and connections available on the QNAP TS-262 NAS are quite impressive, particularly when considering that the price has remained relatively unchanged between this model and the TS-251D that was released 3 years prior, and the TS-251B that was released almost 5 years ago. Despite the price remaining in a similar tier, QNAP has effectively doubled down on the connectivity, expandability, and upgradability in this 2-Bay NAS in most areas, making it a very compelling option. The internal hardware of the TS-262 is quite noteworthy as well, and it’s worth discussing how it has changed and evolved in comparison to its predecessors to see if it offers any improvements or drawbacks.
QNAP TS-262 NAS Review – Internal Hardware
Updates to NAS hardware is often motivated by changes in the wider tech industry, with advancements in technology, changes in consumer demands, and improvements in manufacturing techniques often driving these updates. In the case of the TS-262, QNAP typically refreshes this series every 2-3 years, often coinciding with updates to the Celeron series of processors. The TS-262 features the Intel N4505 processor, which is a significant upgrade from the Intel J4025 used in the TS-251D. To access the inside of the TS-262, one must remove the three rear screws and slide off the side panel. Inside, we find the larger SATA HDD storage bay cage and the key components of the TS-262. The Intel N4505 processor is located under a large, black heatsink and does not require an active cooling fan, as is common in desktop NAS systems of this scale. The CPU heatsink is in line with the rear active cooling fan.
The N4505 processor is more powerful in terms of clock speed and features improvements in the embedded graphics power (which is crucial for multimedia encoding/decoding) when compared to the J4025/J4005 processor, but they are otherwise nearly identical in physical architecture. This dual-core, has a 2.0GHz clock speed per core that can be boosted up to 2.9GHz, with those embedded graphics that are comfortably capable of handling/transcoding 4K and 1080p media, and has an onboard 256-bit encryption engine.
CPU benchmarks rate this processor at 2378, which is a significant increase from the J4025 rated at 1708 in the TS-251D. It is a solid choice for this system in terms of managing storage, network ports, and memory over many of the TS-262’s predecessors from QNAP.
The TS-262 features 4GB of DDR4 2666Mhz memory (non-ECC). This is twice the maximum RAM that the TS-251D and TS-251+ arrived with, but the TS-262 memory cannot be upgraded beyond this. If you are going to manage hundreds of file shares at once, a surveillance user looking to use the TS-262 as your primary CCTV and NVR center, or maybe you are a VM/Container user looking to create multiple systems, this fixed quantity of 4GB RAM might be something of a dealbreaker for you. Likewise, if you cannot see yourself using this amount of memory (as this is still a dual-core processor and your needs might well be more modest, e.g. Plex Media Server doesn’t need more than 2GB really), then paying a fraction extra for the 4GB default amount might be a nit annoying. Overall, I would say that it is beneficial to have it and the system will only run smoother for it!
That N4505 CPU inside the TS-262 has also allowed QNAP sufficient available PCIe bandwidth to also include two M.2 NVMe SSD slots on the NAS too. This is something that QNAP has only tended to provide on their rackmount systems and much higher-end desktop solutions, despite their biggest rival Synology providing this for almost 5 years now at the same hardware tier. Now as good as this sounds (i.e to have a PCIe upgrade slot AND the m.2 NVMe SSD slots) there is good and bad news. 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). However, though the QNAP TS-262 supports SSD caching on these bays, it also supports their use in QTier. 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 2 HDD bays, plus adding a PCIe SSD storage card in the available bay mean that the TS-262 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 is recommended in 2023 so far.
However, as good as all that sounds about the NVMe SSD bays, it is worth also factoring that (much like the PCIe Upgrade slot) in order to provide these bays and still provide the rest of the system hardware from a relatively simple Intel Celeron processor, QNAP has had to narrow down the architecture of these bays for reasons of physical profile and available PCI lanes+chipset. The result is that the m.2 Bays are PCIe 3×1 in architecture, or 1,000MB/s in bandwidth each between the installed m.2 and the system. That means that if you are buying PCIe 3×4 SSDs for your NAS, such as the Seagate Ironwolf 510 or WD Red SN700, they will be somewhat bottlenecked to 1GB throughout each (though they can be RAID’d). It is still better to have these bays in this somewhat streamlined fashion than to not have them at all, but it is worth keeping this in mind when considering the future upgradability of the QNAP TS-262 NAS.
The internal hardware of the TS-262 is by FAR one of the best example of a prosumer/SMB 2-Bay NAS in this price tier from both QNAP and any other brand. Yes, they have had to make a balancing choice between providing a multitude of upgrade and scaling paths in the hardware architecture vs the CPU available, but overall I really cannot challenge them on the range of ports, connections and internal hardware that is available here. I am a little surprised by how much hardware is inside the TS-262 and so close together (leading me to imagine that this system with a fully populated 2-bay storage RAID, 2x NVMe SSD, on-board 4GB memory and a PCIe card would get really hot, i.e. fans going NUTS!) but you cannot really argue with the wide range of options available to the end useR in terms of the day 1 level of hardware on offer, as well as the many ways and means you can change this system in it’s lifespan to best suit your storage and network requirements. Let’s discuss the software included with your TS-262 NAS.
QNAP TS-262 NAS Review – Software & Services
Alongside the hardware of the TS-262 NAS, you also receive the complete software and services package of QNAP QTS (currently in version 5.0). This is a complete operating system. similar in design and presentation to 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 QTS software on the TS-262 also includes a few extra SSD tools for anti-wearing on SSDs, better 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 TS-262 NAS is a difficult task, as we have to look at two key things. Is QTS a good software platform and is it safe
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 develops an inadvertent learning curve that may catch some novice users unaware. Likewise, although QTS 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 flexibly by comparison (from file/folder structure to 3rd party services support and connectivity). That said, 2020-2021 were a bumpy road for the brand and a series of ransomware attacks were targetted at the brand 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, 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 add 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 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 si 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:
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 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.
Then security when using your TS-262 NAS (again, a continued area of contention and criticism for QNAP in the past) in 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 their 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 TS-262, 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 TS-262 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 TS-262, 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.
So, software on the QNAP TS-262 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 TS-262 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 video review for the QNAP TS-262 NAS
QNAP TS-262 NAS Review – Conclusion & Verdict
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 complaints, 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. 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!
PROs of the QNAP TS-262 NAS
CONs of the QNAP TS-262 NAS
Very compact chassis design, despite large storage potential
A BIG jump in hardware and scale from the QNAP TS-251D
Easily one of the most hardware-packed SMB/Mid-range 2-Bay on the market
HDMI 2.1 Support is fantastically future-proof!
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
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
HD Station application needs more updates by the brand
Fixed 4GB of memory will annoy some users
The QuTS ZFS Platform is not available
Software can be a little inconsistent under excessive use and features a steeper learning curve than Synology
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As we begin the year 2023, the Network Attached Storage (NAS) market has undergone quite a transformation, with all the top-tier brands introducing new and exciting offerings for both home and prosumer users. Synology, for example, has been shifting its focus towards the home and business market with a number of its popular diskstation devices. Meanwhile, QNAP has taken a different approach, opting to double down on its hardware choices in the same market and either upgrading existing models or introducing new ones. One such new offering is the QNAP TS-462 NAS, which is designed to be a more affordable Intel-powered alternative to the prosumer and fully-featured TS-464. Despite its more budget-friendly price point, the TS-462 still maintains many of the features that have made QNAP’s prosumer hardware so appealing to tech-savvy buyers. Available in both 2-Bay and 4-Bay versions, the QNAP TS-x62 series is poised to be a more accessible entry point for first-time NAS buyers and Small and Medium-sized Businesses (SMBs) looking to move away from third-party cloud solutions.
Intel N4505 Dual-Core Celeron, 2022 Q1 Released Processor
2GB DDR4 Memory (Upgradable to 16GB)
2.5GbE Network Ready (1x Port)
USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gb/s) Equipped
SATA HDD/SSD Bays and RAID Support
m.2 NVMe SSD Bays
PCIe Upgrade Slot for Network/Storage Upgrades
HDMI 2.1 Output
2-Year Warranty (extendable to 5yr)
But is this new model a notable improvement over the now over 3-year-old TS-451A/TS-451d2 that it replaces? The $539 / £489 / €529 price tag (which may vary depending on your location) may put it out of reach for some value-conscious buyers, but it’s important to consider the highlights of the TS-462 NAS. Overall, it’s clear that QNAP has made a concerted effort to update its hardware design and offer a more compact, affordable 4-Bay NAS solution for the year 2023. Whether or not the TS-462 NAS is the right choice for your data needs is something that you’ll have to decide for yourself, but it certainly deserves a closer look. Lets start!
QNAP TS-462 NAS Review – Quick Conclusion
The QNAP TS-462 NAS is a substantial update on the QNAP TS-451D (even worth considering for those who opted for the TS-451D or TS-451A 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 initial 2GB of memory (which you are almost certainly going to upgrade immediately, given QTS will eat up at least half of that to run the baseline/1st party apps generally). 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-462, you will have little to no complaints, 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.
Choosing the QNAP TS-462 NAS over the increasing range of 4-Bay’s in the brand’s portfolio is a little less straightforward, with the TS-462 nestled somewhere between the TS-453E, TS-464, TVS-h474, TS-473A, TBS-464 and TS-453D (with several more 4-Bay options in the TS-x51+, TS-31P3 AND TS-31K still listed on their official site). I also think the TS-462 would do better to have been released alongside the TS-464 (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-462 made alot more sense! The QNAP TS-462 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-462 is a great 4-Bay NAS and a solid refresh/update on the TS-451D, but if you can stretch your budget a fraction more, I recommend opting for the TS-462 or TS-464 ($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!
SOFTWARE - 8/10
HARDWARE - 8/10
PERFORMANCE - 8/10
PRICE - 7/10
VALUE - 8/10
7.8
PROS
Very compact chassis design, despite large storage potential A BIG jump in hardware and scale from the QNAP TS-451D Easily one of the most hardware-packed SMB/Mid-range 2-Bay on the market HDMI 2.1 Support is fantastically future-proof! 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 3x2 and the M.2 SSD Bays are PCIe 3x1 (likely limitations of all this H/W on a Celeron+chipset HD Station application needs more updates by the brand Base 2GB Memory is quite small! Software can be a little inconsistent under excessive use and features a steeper learning curve than Synology
The QNAP TS-462 NAS comes in a brown box with a QNAP product label, typical of most NAS systems. As these types of products are primarily purchased online, the packaging is geared towards practicality rather than aesthetics. However, it’s worth noting that the box is slightly smaller than the TS-451D retail box, thanks to the use of more compact material for internal packaging.
When it comes to packaging, the protection of a system during transit is of utmost importance, especially for systems that are often shipped from Taiwan to other parts of the world. The potential for motion and shock during transport can cause silent damage to controller boards and onboard components. That’s why I always appreciate when a system under $1000 arrives well-protected. As a tech reviewer, I’ve seen far too many systems that have arrived in flimsy cardboard packaging, indicating a rough journey during freight. It may seem like a small detail, but it’s crucial to ensure the integrity of the system upon arrival.
The accessories included with the TS-462 NAS are fairly standard, with one exception that left me slightly underwhelmed. The package includes a setup manual, information about the 2-year hardware warranty and the option to extend it to 5 years, screws for 2.5/3.5″ drives, a Cat 5e ethernet cable, and an external PSU. All of these items are well packaged and typical for this type of device. The only downside was the inclusion of a Cat 5e ethernet cable, as this model does not have 10GbE connectivity.
It will likely come as little surprise that the TS-462 arrives with an external PSU (65W). An external PSU is easy to replace, as it’s covered by the warranty and supported by many third-party options. Additionally, an internal PSU would generate a pinch more heat and have to be factored into the chassis design and ventilation when in 24×7 operation. Additionally, having a spare on hand is an added convenience. According to QNAP, power usage is 8.1W in standby mode and 12.4W in active use when the system is fully populated.
The lack of adhesive M.2 heatsink panels, as present in larger QNAP NAS models such as the TS-473A and TVS-h674, is a drawback of the TS-462. The TS-462 features 2 M.2 NVMe SSD slots, which are faster than traditional SATA SSDs and may produce high temperatures during sustained use. Given the expandability and scalability of the TS-462 and the decreasing cost of NVMe SSDs, the absence of these heatsink modules is a disappointment. Although it may be considered a minor issue, it is a notable omission in the overall design of the system.
Overall the accessories that the QNAP TS-462 NAS includes are all fairly standard and certainly enough to get the system up and running (not including your HDD/SSD media of course). Let’s discuss the design of this NAS and what changes have been made on the TS-462 vs the TS-451D from 2.5yrs before.
QNAP TS-462 NAS Review – Design
The QNAP TS-462 NAS features a chassis that is similar to that of the TS-451D and TS-464, with a plastic material that covers an internal aluminum metal framework. The arrangement of ports on the device is largely unchanged, however, the quality and number of ports have been increased. The system uses a removable tray design and also features a lockable and slidable front panel which provides added security. One aspect of the design that I particularly appreciate is the choice of a copper/rose-gold and black color scheme, which I believe is a significant improvement over the metallic blue of its predecessor. The chassis is compact and appears smaller than other 4-bay NAS on the market, however, this is because the TS-462 uses a longer and deeper chassis, relying more on horizontal airflow, resulting in a more oblong shape. This design choice allows for improved thermal management and better cooling performance, making it a more effective option for those who are looking for a compact yet powerful NAS solution. Additionally, the compact design makes it easier to integrate the NAS into a variety of different environments and setups, whether it be a home or a small business setting.
In terms of cooling, the TS-462 has smaller vent spaces on the sides of the chassis than most other NAS, but it compensates for this by having more of them on the sides and base under each of the storage bays. These vents are designed to allow users to operate the system 24×7 with the front panel on, but still allow the larger rear fan to have enough active airflow through the passive vents. This design choice ensures that the system is able to stay cool even during extended usage. Despite its plastic chassis, the result is that the TS-462 is slightly noisier in operation than the Synology DS923+ 4-bay, despite the latter system having a larger fan that is built into the backplane more visibly, but much larger front and side ventilation by comparison. However, it should be noted that the TS-462 still manages to maintain a relatively low noise level and this is something that should be considered when comparing the cooling performance of different NAS systems. Additionally, It should be noted that the TS-462 is designed to operate in this way, allowing users to use the system in environments where noise levels are a concern. The system also has a built-in noise-reduction feature that helps to reduce the noise level even further.
The TS-462 has a more streamlined design on its front panel, lacking the LCD display found on larger business/enterprise NAS systems in the QNAP portfolio. Instead, it utilizes multiple LEDs to indicate system activity, network status, copy/backup activity, and individual LED indicators for the HDD storage media bays. The internal M.2 SSD bays also have their own LED indicators, however, they are only visible when the chassis is open. This design choice allows for a more minimalistic and streamlined front panel, while still providing users with the necessary information about the system’s status and activity.
The QNAP TS-462 NAS has a front-mounted USB and one-touch-copy button, allowing manual backups to/from a connected USB storage drive without logging into the GUI or relying on an automated schedule. The USB port is USB 3.2 Gen 2, which supports 10Gb/s, allowing for faster backup speeds of up to 1,000MB/s. This is useful for those who need to backup large amounts of data from the internal system RAID array or for photo/video editors with daily backups on new projects. However, to get the full 10Gb/s speed, it’s important to use USB 3.2 Gen 2 USB drives/enclosures. Affordable M.2 NVMe SSD USB drives from companies such as WD, Seagate, Gtech and LaCie that can hit 1,000MB/s easily are entering the market which makes the inclusion of this port a great benefit.
The TS-462 has a removable front panel that covers the storage bays and can be easily locked and unlocked. The panel is primarily intended to prevent accidental removal, but it would be nice if it had key lock for added security. Additionally, it would be nice if QNAP offered the panel in different colors since many users like to decorate it. When the front panel is removed, you will find four SATA storage bays. The device can be deployed with a single drive, but it’s recommended to use multiple drives in a RAID configuration for redundancy, performance and capacity. The device also features an internal flash storage module that stores the QTS 5 operating system, applications and services, but it is only used to facilitate the installation of QTS onto a primary partition of the main storage bays. Therefore, the better the base level storage on day 1, the better QNAP QTS will run.
The trays inside the TS-462 NAS are designed for easy, screwless installation while also providing screw holes and screws for 2.5″ media. These plastic trays have undergone significant improvements in recent years and are now more robust and able to handle heat, vibration, and pressure without cracking. They also help to reduce noise generated by spinning or accessing drives due to strategically placed rubber washers at the screw points. Additionally, they are also designed to provide an easy and secure way to install the drives and make it easy to swap the drives out if needed. The design of these trays is a significant improvement over older designs and demonstrates QNAP’s commitment to providing a high-quality and user-friendly NAS solution for their customers. The trays are also manufactured using high-quality materials that are designed to withstand the rigors of everyday use and provide a secure and stable platform for your hard drives.
The main SATA storage bays of the TS-462 are the expected dual power/data connectors, ensuring a clean and organized internal framework, with the HDD trays slotting in neatly. The internal framework is also heavily ventilated to provide maximum airflow during 24×7 operation. Inside the storage area, you can access the SODIMM memory slots and M.2 NVMe SSD bays, which will be covered in more detail later. Despite the busy appearance of the interior, it is designed to allow for optimal airflow and cooling.
In general, the TS-462 has a similar design to its predecessor, the TS-451D, but it presents a well-crafted chassis. However, QNAP has made noticeable bandwidth upgrades in terms of ports, connections and internal hardware configuration, particularly with the inclusion of USB 3.2 Gen 2 on the front. These improvements set the TS-462 apart from its predecessor.
QNAP TS-462 NAS Review – Ports & Connections
The rear of the TS-462 is similar to that of the TS-451D at a glance, but there have been a few subtle changes that you might not spot without a visit to the specs sheet. Most of these changes are made possible thanks to an upgraded CPU in this new model. The majority of the connections are standard for this product series, but it is in their frequency and bandwidth that the TS-462 stands out. The single rear fan, at 120mm/12cm remains largely unchanged, able to adjust its operation automatically, increasing/decreasing the RPM as the system gets hotter/cooler in extended operation. This fan can also be adjusted manually if required, but it is recommended to leave it on ‘automatic’ as the system is quite reliant on this fan drawing air over a significant number of internal components. Additionally, the fan is also designed to be energy efficient and to operate quietly, so it won’t disturb your working or leisure activities. The fan is also manufactured using high-quality materials that are designed to withstand the rigours of everyday use and to provide a reliable and stable cooling solution for your system.
Much like its predecessor, the TS-462 arrives with a single network port, but this time it is a 2.5GbE port. The implementation of 2.5GbE on client hardware is still not as common as 1GbE, but it has definitely scaled up in 2022/2023 hardware, and often at the same cost as 1GbE (including many ISP routers, docking stations and client hardware devices). The idea of a remote cloud over the internet having the potential to be accessed at greater than 100MB/s on an ISP router means that it would be almost criminal that your local router/switch-connected NAS should arrive with a 1GbE bottleneck in 2023. Additionally, the ports can be link aggregated or load balanced for queued bandwidth using USB-to-2.5G/5GbE adapters and/or PCIe network upgrades, meaning that your 250-270MB/s bandwidth has the potential to be scaled to 500MB/s, 1000MB/s and more. Just remember that you will need fast enough media installed in those SATA and/or M.2 NVMe bays to reach these speeds!
The TS-462 also boasts an HDMI output, which is an HDMI 2.1 port too, which allows you to connect a monitor or TV and access a parallel GUI, as well as a range of first-party and third-party applications through the QNAP HD Station application and QNAPClub.eu. Although the HD Station application is impressive, it has not seen as many updates and improvements as other areas of the QTS/QuTS platform, remaining largely unchanged for a few years. Despite this, it is still a powerful tool that enables you to enjoy multimedia from your couch, deploy graphic-based applications locally, set up a standalone surveillance system, deploy a virtual machine locally, and more. Additionally, the HDMI port also allows you to use the NAS as a media player, streaming content to your TV or monitor without the need for additional devices. The HDMI port also allows you to connect a keyboard and mouse to the NAS, making it easy to navigate and use the system. The HDMI port is also designed to be compatible with a wide range of monitors and TVs, making it easy to connect to your existing setup.
HDMI 2.0 and HDMI 2.1 are the latest versions of the HDMI standard, which is used to transmit audio and video signals between devices. The main difference between the two is the maximum resolution and refresh rate they support. HDMI 2.0 supports up to 4K resolution at 60Hz, while HDMI 2.1 supports up to 8-10K resolution at 120Hz (Theoretically! As there is not much need/use for this kind of bandwidth and at this hardware level, near impossible to play smoothly), making it better suited for high-resolution and high-refresh-rate displays. Additionally, HDMI 2.1 also supports Dynamic HDR, eARC and VRR. Another difference is the bandwidth they support, HDMI 2.0 has a bandwidth of 18 Gbps, while HDMI 2.1 has 48 Gbps, allowing for more data transmission at once. In summary, HDMI 2.1 offers higher resolution, refresh rates, and advanced features for a more immersive audio and visual experience, while HDMI 2.0 is still a great choice for most people and is compatible with most devices.
The applications and services over HDMI can be controlled in various ways, including an optional IR remote control, WiFi remote from your phone using the QNAP QRemote app, and even standard KVM (keyboard, video, mouse) over USB. Additionally, the device supports many other USB peripherals, including speakers, controllers and webcams, making HD Station and HDMI-supported software quite diverse on the TS-462. It would be great to see QNAP do more with this software/service in 2023. Sadly, QNAP is not really pushing forward as much as many would like on this service and this has led to increased ‘homebrew’ and ‘community backed’ support via 3rd party unofficially supported app repositories, such as QNAP Club.eu.
Back in early 2020, we made a guide on HD Station on what it can do on the QNAP NAS platform. We will be revisiting this subject later in 2023, but the general features, services and abilities of HDStation in QTS 5 remain largely the same at the time of writing. To find out more about it and what you can/cannot do with the HDMI port on the TS-462, watch the video below:
In addition to the front-mounted USB 3.2 Gen 2 port, the QNAP TS-462 features additional ports on the rear, including another 10Gb/s USB and two USB 2.0 ports. Usually, having USB 2.0 ports in 2023 would be a disappointment, but in the case of the TS-462, it makes sense given the inclusion of the two 10Gb/s USBs and the HDMI. These USB 2.0 ports can be used for the KVM setup, which is a logical choice. However, it’s worth noting that some users may have preferred more USB 3.2 ports overall, especially given that the TS-462 NAS can be expanded by 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12 drives using the QNAP TR and TL series of NAS expansions. Additionally, the inclusion of two USB 2.0 ports makes it possible to connect additional peripherals such as printers, scanners and external hard drives to the NAS, expanding its functionality even further. The USB ports are also designed to be compatible with a wide range of devices and peripherals, making it easy to connect to your existing setup.
The TS-462 also includes a PCIe upgrade slot that allows you to add a variety of upgrades throughout its lifespan, including network bandwidth, SSD storage space, wireless connectivity and more. The TS-451D before this model also featured a PCIe slot, but it was a PCIe Gen 2×2 slot which translated to 1,000MB/s internally. This was a limitation, especially with multi-port network cards, SSD storage cards, and combo cards. The TS-462, on the other hand, with its newer generation Celeron CPU, is able to stretch itself further in some key areas and one of those is the PCIe slot being PCIe 3×2, which translates to 2,000MB/s bandwidth. It still may bottleneck modern-generation NVMe SSD storage and combo cards, but it’s still twice the possible communication between the system and an upgrade card in the TS-462 than there was in the TS-451D. QNAP is still the only brand at this price point for a 4-bay NAS to provide a PCIe upgrade slot and those considering upgrading to 10Gbe over one or two ports will appreciate this feature.
Overall, the ports and connections available on the QNAP TS-462 NAS are quite impressive, particularly when considering that the price has remained relatively unchanged between this model and the TS-451D that was released 3 years prior, and the TS-451B that was released almost 5 years ago. Despite the price remaining in a similar tier, QNAP has effectively doubled down on the connectivity, expandability, and upgradability in this 4-Bay NAS in most areas, making it a very compelling option. The internal hardware of the TS-462 is quite noteworthy as well, and it’s worth discussing how it has changed and evolved in comparison to its predecessors to see if it offers any improvements or drawbacks.
QNAP TS-462 NAS Review – Internal Hardware
Updates to NAS hardware is often motivated by changes in the wider tech industry, with advancements in technology, changes in consumer demands, and improvements in manufacturing techniques often driving these updates. In the case of the TS-462, QNAP typically refreshes this series every 2-3 years, often coinciding with updates to the Celeron series of processors. The TS-462 features the Intel N4505 processor, which is a significant upgrade from the Intel J4025 used in the TS-451D. To access the inside of the TS-462, one must remove the three rear screws and slide off the side panel. Inside, we find the larger SATA HDD storage bay cage and the key components of the TS-462. The Intel N4505 processor is located under a large, black heatsink and does not require an active cooling fan, as is common in desktop NAS systems of this scale. The CPU heatsink is in line with the rear active cooling fan.
The N4505 processor is more powerful in terms of clock speed and features improvements in the embedded graphics power (which is crucial for multimedia encoding/decoding) when compared to the J4025/J4005 processor, but they are otherwise nearly identical in physical architecture. This dual-core, has a 2.0GHz clock speed per core that can be boosted up to 2.9GHz, with those embedded graphics that are comfortably capable of handling/transcoding 4K and 1080p media, and has an onboard 256-bit encryption engine.
CPU benchmarks rate this processor at 2378, which is a significant increase from the J4025 rated at 1708 in the TS-451D. It is a solid choice for this system in terms of managing storage, network ports, and memory over many of the TS-462’s predecessors from QNAP.
The TS-462 features two SODIMM memory slots on board that support DDR4 2666Mhz memory (non-ECC), with the default system arriving with 2GB of memory (increased shortages globally of memory components have forced QNAP to increase base level memory on many devices – something we are going to see a great deal more in 2023) and can be upgraded to a maximum supported 16GB (2x 8GB). This is twice the maximum RAM that the TS-451D, TS-453Be and TS-453A supported. The 2GB by default is quite a small amount of memory to start with – especially when you have a handful of the flagship applications running, indexing and accessing at the sesame time. If you are going to manage hundreds of file shares at once, a surveillance user looking to use the TS-462 as your primary CCTV and NVR center, or maybe you are a VM/Container user looking to create multiple systems – the option to easily upgrade to 16GB of memory is going to be hugely beneficial later in the system’s life. Equally, if you plan on using high-frequency storage management methods such as deduplication, large-scale small file but high number databases or even 10GbE in a sustained manner, that is when that larger memory limit will be massively beneficial. Just a shame that there is only 2GB on this 4-Bay, when the 2-Bay TS-262 has 4GB Memory, but cannot be upgraded – a bit inconsistent.
That N4505 CPU inside the TS-462 has also allowed QNAP sufficient available PCIe bandwidth to also include two M.2 NVMe SSD slots on the NAS too. This is something that QNAP has only tended to provide on their rackmount systems and much higher-end desktop solutions, despite their biggest rival Synology providing this for almost 5 years now at the same hardware tier. Now as good as this sounds (i.e to have a PCIe upgrade slot AND the m.2 NVMe SSD slots) there is good and bad news. 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). However, though the QNAP TS-462 supports SSD caching on these bays, it also supports their use in QTier. 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 4 HDD bays, plus adding a PCIe SSD storage card in the available bay mean that the TS-462 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 is recommended in 2023 so far.
However, as good as all that sounds about the NVMe SSD bays, it is worth also factoring that (much like the PCIe Upgrade slot) in order to provide these bays and still provide the rest of the system hardware from a relatively simple Intel Celeron processor, QNAP has had to narrow down the architecture of these bays for reasons of physical profile and available PCI lanes+chipset. The result is that the m.2 Bays are PCIe 3×1 in architecture, or 1,000MB/s in bandwidth each between the installed m.2 and the system. That means that if you are buying PCIe 3×4 SSDs for your NAS, such as the Seagate Ironwolf 510 or WD Red SN700, they will be somewhat bottlenecked to 1GB throughout each (though they can be RAID’d). It is still better to have these bays in this somewhat streamlined fashion than to not have them at all, but it is worth keeping this in mind when considering the future upgradability of the QNAP TS-462 NAS.
The internal hardware of the TS-462 is by FAR one of the best example of a prosumer/SMB 4-Bay NAS in this price tier from both QNAP and any other brand. Yes, they have had to make a balancing choice between providing a multitude of upgrade and scaling paths in the hardware architecture vs the CPU available, but overall I really cannot challenge them on the range of ports, connections and internal hardware that is available here. I am a little surprised by how much hardware is inside the TS-462 and so close together (leading me to imagine that this system with a fully populated 4-bay storage RAID, 2x NVMe SSD, 2-16GB memory and a PCIe card would get really hot, i.e. fans going NUTS!) but you cannot really argue with the wide range of options available to the end useR in terms of the day 1 level of hardware on offer, as well as the many ways and means you can change this system in it’s lifespan to best suit your storage and network requirements. Let’s discuss the software included with your TS-462 NAS.
QNAP TS-462 NAS Review – Software & Services
Alongside the hardware of the TS-462 NAS, you also receive the complete software and services package of QNAP QTS (currently in version 5.0). This is a complete operating system. similar in design and presentation to 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 QTS software on the TS-462 also includes a few extra SSD tools for anti-wearing on SSDs, better 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 TS-462 NAS is a difficult task, as we have to look at two key things. Is QTS a good software platform and is it safe
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 develops an inadvertent learning curve that may catch some novice users unaware. Likewise, although QTS 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 flexibly by comparison (from file/folder structure to 3rd party services support and connectivity). That said, 2020-2021 were a bumpy road for the brand and a series of ransomware attacks were targetted at the brand 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, 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 add 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 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 si 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:
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 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.
Then security when using your TS-462 NAS (again, a continued area of contention and criticism for QNAP in the past) in 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 their 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 TS-462, 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 TS-462 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 TS-462, 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.
So, software on the QNAP TS-462 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 TS-462 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 video review for the QNAP TS-462 NAS
QNAP TS-462 NAS Review – Conclusion & Verdict
The QNAP TS-462 NAS is a substantial update on the QNAP TS-451D (even worth considering for those who opted for the TS-451D or TS-451A 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 initial 2GB of memory (which you are almost certainly going to upgrade immediately, given QTS will eat up at least half of that to run the baseline/1st party apps generally). 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-462, you will have little to no complaints, 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.
Choosing the QNAP TS-462 NAS over the increasing range of 4-Bay’s in the brand’s portfolio is a little less straightforward, with the TS-462 nestled somewhere between the TS-453E, TS-464, TVS-h474, TS-473A, TBS-464 and TS-453D (with several more 4-Bay options in the TS-x51+, TS-31P3 AND TS-31K still listed on their official site). I also think the TS-462 would do better to have been released alongside the TS-464 (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-462 made alot more sense! The QNAP TS-462 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-462 is a great 4-Bay NAS and a solid refresh/update on the TS-451D, but if you can stretch your budget a fraction more, I recommend opting for the TS-464 ($100-200 more, at most) 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!
PROs of the QNAP TS-462 NAS
CONs of the QNAP TS-462 NAS
Very compact chassis design, despite large storage potential
A BIG jump in hardware and scale from the QNAP TS-451D
Easily one of the most hardware-packed SMB/Mid-range 2-Bay on the market
HDMI 2.1 Support is fantastically future-proof!
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
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
HD Station application needs more updates by the brand
Base 2GB Memory is quite small!
Software can be a little inconsistent under excessive use and features a steeper learning curve than Synology
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