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Après des années de galère avec un NAS bruyant puis un miniPC pas beaucoup mieux, j'ai fini par trouver la configuration Plex idéale. Un Mac Mini M4 , deux SSD Lexar SL500 , et le silence absolu. Retour d'expérience.

Le bruit, l'ennemi numéro un

J'ai un serveur Plex depuis des années. Un serveur que je partage avec ma famille et mes amis les plus proches, et qui me sert à stocker des films et des séries souvent introuvables sur les plateformes légales, ou des versions numérisées de DVD et Blu-Ray que j'ai achetés, mais que je veux pouvoir streamer sur mon Apple TV. Vous voyez l'idée. Pendant longtemps, tout ça tournait sur un NAS Synology d'entrée de gamme. Ça marchait, mais dès que je voulais transcoder un film pour le regarder à distance, c'était mort. Lecture directe obligatoire, avec les problèmes de débit que ça implique, surtout à l'époque où j'étais encore en ADSL. Il y a trois ou quatre ans, j'ai décidé de monter d'un cran en déportant le serveur Plex sur un miniPC Beelink. Plus de puissance, transcodage enfin possible, bien pratique pour moi à distance ou pour mes proches qui n'ont pas forcément la fibre.

Sauf que toutes ces solutions avaient le même défaut. Le bruit. Entre les disques durs mécaniques, le ventilateur du NAS Synology qui ronronnait en permanence et celui du miniPC Beelink qui se mettait à souffler dès qu'on lui demandait un peu d'effort, c'était toujours pénible. Et comme je n'ai jamais eu la place de planquer tout ça dans un bureau ou un placard technique, le serveur a toujours tourné dans mon salon. Autant dire que les soirs de film, l'ambiance était moyennement au rendez-vous.

Le Mac Mini M4, une bête silencieuse

Et puis il y a quelques semaines, j'ai tout changé. Adios le miniPC, filé à un ami, et place au Mac Mini M4. Ce petit machin tout mignon, complètement silencieux, est une vraie bête de course pour Plex. On parle de quatre à cinq transcodages simultanés sans broncher, avec une sollicitation processeur qui reste sous les 3 à 4%. C'est presque absurde. Le tout en restant frais, sans ventilateur qui se déclenche, sans bruit parasite. Rien. Le silence total.

Pour l'administration, pas besoin d'écran ni de clavier. Tout se fait à distance via l'application Partage d'écran de macOS. Le Mac Mini est branché directement sur ma Livebox, et ça tourne comme une horloge. Et comme bonus, ça me fait un second Mac pour faire des tests quand j'en ai besoin. Pas mal pour une machine qui fait à peine la taille d'une main.

Les SSD Lexar SL500 en remplacement du NAS

Pour compléter le tableau, j'ai déplacé mes données les plus consultées, les films et les séries que ma famille et moi regardons le plus souvent, sur deux SSD SL500 de chez Lexar. Et là, c'est le coup de grâce pour le bruit. Non seulement les ventilateurs ont disparu avec le Mac Mini, mais les vibrations et le ronronnement des disques mécaniques du NAS aussi. Le silence est total. J'ai quand même gardé un NAS Synology en arrière-plan pour stocker les données froides, mon Time Machine et les films que personne ne regarde jamais. Il reste accessible à Plex au cas où, mais il est si peu sollicité qu'on l'entend à peine.

Le résultat, c'est une configuration compacte, silencieuse, et qui gère sans effort tout ce que je lui demande. Le Mac Mini fait tourner Plex comme si de rien n'était, les SSD Lexar offrent des temps d'accès instantanés, et le NAS se contente de dormir dans son coin.

Franchement, si vous êtes du genre à soigner votre setup multimédia à la maison, ce genre de configuration change la vie. Ça a un coût, on ne va pas se mentir, un Mac Mini M4 plus deux SSD externes ce n'est pas donné. Mais le confort au quotidien est incomparable. Plus de bruit, des performances de dingue pour le transcodage, et une machine qui ne chauffe même pas. Si vous avez la possibilité de basculer votre serveur Plex sur un Mac Mini, n'hésitez pas trop longtemps. Moi en tout cas, je ne reviendrais pas en arrière.

Si vous voulez vous équiper, voilà ma config :

• Mac mini M4
• SSD SL500 de chez Lexar

ZimaCube 2 NAS Announced – Bigger? Better? The Same?

IceWhale’s original ZimaCube and ZimaCube Pro established the company’s move beyond compact single-board servers and into desktop NAS hardware aimed at prosumers, creators, and home lab users. The standard ZimaCube launched at $699 with an Intel N100, while the ZimaCube Pro raised the ceiling with an Intel Core i5-1235U, 10GbE, Thunderbolt 4, faster 7th-bay M.2 performance, and broader appeal for heavier workloads. Both systems were positioned less as closed NAS appliances and more as flexible personal cloud platforms, with ZimaOS pre-installed and support for alternative operating systems such as TrueNAS, Unraid, Proxmox, pfSense, and Linux distributions. As with many crowdfunded hardware products, the first generation also required some early post-launch refinement, particularly around areas such as fan behaviour, thermal tuning, and broader system optimisation, which was reflected in community support discussions and early optimisation guidance from IceWhale.

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The newly revealed ZimaCube 2 family builds directly on that same idea, but with a clearer emphasis on higher-performance local storage, hybrid workloads, and hardware expansion. The new range starts with the $799 ZimaCube 2 Standard, moves to the $1,299 ZimaCube 2 Pro, and extends to a $2,499 Creator Pack that adds 64GB of memory, 1TB of SSD storage, and an NVIDIA RTX Pro 2000 GPU. Based on the specifications revealed so far, IceWhale is positioning this generation as a more capable platform for media serving, virtualization, containers, AI-assisted workloads, and direct-attached creative workflows, while continuing to stress open hardware, multi-OS support, and the absence of ecosystem lock-in. Unlike the first ZimaCube generation, which began as a Kickstarter-era product, the ZimaCube 2 line is already being presented through standard pre-order retail channels ahead of its expected March 30 shipment window.

ZimaCube 2 – Design & Storage

From a design standpoint, the ZimaCube 2 family appears to retain the same broad desktop form factor as the earlier models, with listed dimensions of 240 x 221 x 220 mm. IceWhale is continuing with the same general visual approach: a compact metal chassis, magnetic front panel, and a visible RGB lighting element rather than the more utilitarian styling used by many conventional NAS systems. The company is also still presenting the system as something intended to sit on a desk rather than be hidden away, which places equal weight on appearance, acoustics, and accessibility alongside storage capacity.

The storage layout remains one of the more distinctive parts of the design. As before, the system uses a 6-bay SATA arrangement for 3.5-inch and 2.5-inch drives, but it is paired with a separate 7th-bay expansion structure built around 4 M.2 slots.

IceWhale continues to frame this as a hybrid storage design, separating bulk-capacity HDD storage from faster solid-state tiers for cache, active project data, applications, or virtualised workloads. In practical terms, that gives the ZimaCube 2 a broader remit than a basic backup NAS, since it is being positioned to handle both long-term storage and higher-speed local workloads within the same enclosure.

What is different in this generation is less the physical layout itself and more the way IceWhale is defining its purpose. The company is now pushing the 6+4 architecture more explicitly as a tiered storage platform for creators, self-hosters, and home lab users, with references to 164TB+ capacity, active “hot zone” NVMe storage, and room for long-term archive duties. That said, the overall storage philosophy is still familiar rather than radically new: the ZimaCube 2 appears to refine and repackage an existing concept instead of introducing a fundamentally different chassis or bay arrangement. The main change is that IceWhale is placing greater emphasis on workflow separation, SSD acceleration, and long-term expandability than it did with the original launch material.

ZimaCube 2 – Internal Hardware

Internally, the ZimaCube 2 range is split more clearly than the first generation. The base ZimaCube 2 moves to an Intel Core i3-1215U with 8GB of DDR5 memory, while the ZimaCube 2 Pro uses an Intel Core i5-1235U with 16GB of DDR5. At the top end, the Creator Pack keeps the same Core i5 platform but adds 64GB of memory, 1TB of NVMe storage, and a discrete NVIDIA RTX Pro 2000. That gives IceWhale a broader spread than before, from an entry configuration that is still positioned above the original N100-based ZimaCube to a much more workstation-like variant aimed at GPU-assisted workloads.

The wider platform also reflects a shift in how IceWhale wants these systems to be used. The first ZimaCube family already supported alternative operating systems, containers, media serving, and some expansion, but the ZimaCube 2 line places far more emphasis on concurrent mixed workloads. IceWhale is explicitly framing the hardware around virtual machines, Docker containers, AI tools, real-time media handling, and direct high-speed project access, which explains the move to newer mobile Intel processors, DDR5 memory, and a more aggressive expansion story. In that sense, the second generation is less a conventional NAS refresh and more an attempt to position the product as a compact storage server with broader compute utility.

In practical terms, the main difference is not clock speed, since both chips top out at 4.40GHz, but core count and thread count. The i5-1235U adds 4 more Efficient cores, 4 more threads, and 2MB more cache, which should make it noticeably better suited to heavier multitasking, containers, background services, and mixed NAS plus VM workloads.

At the same time, the headline changes need to be read carefully. The ZimaCube 2 Pro remains on the same Core i5-1235U class processor as the previous ZimaCube Pro, so not every model represents a major CPU leap. The more meaningful changes are in how the range is tiered, the addition of a pre-configured GPU-equipped Creator Pack, and the clearer effort to make higher-end use cases part of the official positioning rather than secondary possibilities. For buyers comparing model to model, the internal hardware story is therefore partly about real platform flexibility and partly about IceWhale packaging familiar capabilities into more defined product tiers.

ZimaCube 2 – Ports & Connections

The connectivity story is one of the clearer areas where IceWhale is trying to separate the ZimaCube 2 family from entry-level NAS hardware. Across the new range, the headline feature is the inclusion of 2 rear Thunderbolt 4 or USB4-class USB-C connections rated at 40Gbps on both the standard and Pro tier, which IceWhale is positioning for direct Mac or PC attachment as well as high-speed external expansion. That is a notable distinction from many mainstream NAS products, which typically rely on Ethernet alone for primary high-speed access. Here, IceWhale is clearly trying to support both networked storage use and direct-attached workflow scenarios from the same box.

Networking is also relatively strong on paper. Based on the revealed specifications, the ZimaCube 2 family includes 2 x Intel i226 2.5GbE ports and 1 x Marvell AQC113 10GbE port exclusively on the Pro model. In practical terms, that allows for several deployment options, including direct multi-gig connections, use as a higher-speed shared storage node, or separation of management and data traffic. For users comparing it with the previous generation, the main point is that higher-end network capability now appears to be treated as a core part of the wider ZimaCube 2 platform rather than something reserved only for the Pro model.

The rest of the external I/O is fairly conventional but functional. IceWhale lists 4 x USB-A 3.0 ports, 1 x USB-C 3.0 port, DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.0, and a 3.5mm audio jack. Combined with the PCIe expansion support inside the chassis, that gives the platform a broader connection profile than a typical sealed NAS appliance. Even so, the real significance here is not any single port in isolation, but the fact that IceWhale continues to present the ZimaCube 2 as a hybrid device that sits somewhere between a NAS, a small server, and a compact workstation-class storage platform.

ZimaCube 2 vs ZimaCube 1 – What Has Changed?

The biggest change is at the bottom of the range. The original ZimaCube was built around Intel’s N100, DDR4 memory, Gen 3 expansion, and 2 x 2.5GbE, which made it the more basic model in the lineup. By contrast, the new ZimaCube 2 raises the baseline to a Core i3-1215U with DDR5 memory, while keeping the same overall 6-bay chassis concept and hybrid storage approach. That is a meaningful improvement in entry-level compute capability, but it does not completely remove the gap between standard and Pro variants, since the non-Pro ZimaCube 2 still stops at 2 x 2.5GbE and does not gain the extra 10GbE port.

The Pro side is a more mixed story. The original ZimaCube Pro already offered a Core i5-1235U, DDR5, 10GbE, Thunderbolt 4, and faster M.2 performance in the 7th bay, so the ZimaCube 2 Pro does not represent the same kind of obvious jump seen on the standard model. In CPU terms, it appears to stay in essentially the same class, which makes this look more like a product refinement than a full hardware reset. IceWhale is clearly pushing the second generation more aggressively toward creator workflows, virtualization, AI-related use cases, and direct-attached high-speed storage, but that broader messaging should not be mistaken for a major leap in every core hardware area.

That leaves the ZimaCube 2 generation looking unevenly improved depending on which model is being compared. The standard ZimaCube 2 is substantially more capable than the first non-Pro system, while the ZimaCube 2 Pro looks more like a cleaner, more retail-ready continuation of what the first Pro already set out to do. The new Creator Pack is the main addition that materially changes the shape of the lineup, since it introduces a pre-configured GPU-equipped option rather than leaving that path entirely to user expansion. So while IceWhale is presenting the ZimaCube 2 family as a broader second-generation platform, the actual extent of change varies quite sharply between the base and Pro tiers.

ZimaOS – The Software that is included with the ZimaCube 2 (Is it actually any good?)

ZimaOS is IceWhale’s Linux-based NAS operating system, developed out of the earlier CasaOS foundation and originally tied closely to the ZimaCube hardware before becoming available more broadly as a standalone platform. In practical terms, its main appeal is that it tries to lower the barrier to entry for first-time NAS users without stripping away too much of the flexibility expected from a self-hosted system. Based on the information provided, the software combines a browser-based management interface with a dedicated Zima Client application for desktop and mobile, giving it a more guided and consumer-facing feel than many free NAS operating systems.

Installation appears relatively straightforward, using a standard image-writing process and USB boot method, and the platform is light enough to run on modest boot media rather than requiring a large dedicated SSD. The interface focuses heavily on accessibility: native file browsing, straightforward share creation, basic RAID setup, network management, cloud and LAN storage integration, drive mapping, local backup jobs, and remote access are all presented in a simplified GUI rather than being heavily dependent on command line work. That simplicity is one of its clearest points of distinction from platforms such as TrueNAS and OpenMediaVault, which can offer deeper storage control but are often more intimidating to less experienced users.

At the same time, ZimaOS is not being positioned as a stripped-down toy platform. IceWhale is clearly treating it as a full software layer for a turnkey NAS or personal cloud deployment, with support for app containers, developer mode, SSH access, SMB sharing, Time Machine compatibility, AI-assisted semantic search, and direct Thunderbolt connectivity on supported hardware. The client application is also an important part of the package, since it extends the platform beyond simple browser access by adding local discovery, mapped access, backup synchronisation, and peer-to-peer file transfer in a way that many free NAS platforms do not include by default.

However, the software still has some visible limits: configuration depth remains lighter than enterprise-oriented rivals, some features appear to be more polished than others, and direct Thunderbolt or USB4 support may still depend heavily on driver compatibility and the exact hardware being used. Its RAID tools are deliberately simple, but do not currently match the flexibility of more mature systems in areas such as mixed-drive storage schemes.

Pricing also shows how IceWhale is segmenting the platform in 2026: the base ZimaOS Free tier includes core features, the Zima Client for mobile and PC, Thunderbolt support, developer mode, support for up to 4 disks, and 3 members, while ZimaOS+ adds unlimited disks and unlimited users for a $29 lifetime license (to confirm, any ZimaCube, Zimaboard and ZimaBlade device includes the lifetime license). Taken together, ZimaOS appears to sit in a useful middle ground: more approachable than many traditional NAS operating systems, more complete than many lightweight hobbyist options, and increasingly viable both as bundled software for ZimaCube hardware and as a standalone OS for low-cost custom systems.

ZimaCube 2 – Worth it? Price and Release Date?

Taken at face value, the ZimaCube 2 family looks more like a measured revision of the original concept than a major generational leap. Compared with the first ZimaCube, there are clear upgrades in entry-level processor choice, memory platform, expansion framing, and product segmentation, but the broader structure remains very familiar. The unchanged chassis dimensions, continued 6-bay plus 7th-bay layout, and the fact that the Pro model remains in essentially the same CPU class as before all make this feel closer to the kind of 2 to 3 year refresh cycle often seen from established turnkey NAS vendors such as Synology and QNAP, rather than a wholly new platform that significantly expands the portfolio or redefines what the product is.

That said, this does not make the ZimaCube 2 underwhelming in absolute terms. Even if the scale of change appears evolutionary rather than transformative, it is still a notably well-equipped system on paper, with ZimaOS included, direct Thunderbolt 4 or USB4 connectivity, PCIe expansion, hybrid storage flexibility, and a full hardware and software turnkey approach that many DIY alternatives do not offer in one package. The result is a platform that may not radically depart from the first ZimaCube’s formula, but still presents a relatively complete and capable storage server solution for users who want open deployment options without having to assemble and integrate everything themselves.

In pricing terms, IceWhale is placing the ZimaCube 2 range above the original entry model but still within the upper end of the prosumer NAS and compact server market. The ZimaCube 2 starts at $799, the ZimaCube 2 Pro rises to $1,299, and the Creator Pack reaches $2,499 with its added GPU, memory, and larger SSD allocation. That means the new range is not being introduced as a low-cost disruption, but rather as a more fully specified turnkey platform aimed at users who want performance, flexibility, and direct connectivity in a single package. IceWhale is currently listing the systems as pre-orders, with shipping expected to begin from March 30, suggesting that the second generation is being brought to market through a more conventional retail path than the original crowdfunding-led launch.

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– Article invité, rédigé par Vincent Lautier, contient des liens affiliés Amazon –

Tiens, et si on parlait de NAS aujourd’hui ? On va même parle d’une nouveauté qui est sortie il y a quelques jours, le UGREEN NASync DXP4800 Pro . On ne parle pas de la version "Plus", mais bien du modèle "Pro" qui commence à avoir de sérieux arguments pour lui.

Pour tout vous dire, j'ai profité du besoin d’un couple d'amis pour leur faire une installation propre, avec ce modèle, et c’est vraiment un super produit. Lui est sur PC, elle sur Mac, et ils bossent tout les deux dans la création audiovisuelle. Sauf que voilà, comme souvent dans ces métiers, avec des centaines de gigas de russes qui trainent un peu partout, la gestion des données devient vite un sujet sensible et d'inquiétude, avec plein de disques durs externes un peu partout, en vrac, rien de pratique.

Si on regarde dans les détails son équipement c'est vraiment pas mal du tout. Le bouzin est équipé d'un processeur  Intel Core i3-1315U avec 6 cœurs, de 8 Go de RAM DDR5 (qu'on peut pousser jusqu'à 96 Go) et surtout d'un port 10GbE et d'un port 2,5GbE. On a aussi deux emplacements M.2 NVMe pour le cache, c'est complètement optionnel mais ça peut servir pour booster les accès aux petits fichiers. Alors oui, vous allez me dire que ce NAS est peut-être un peu surdimenssioné pour un usage à la maison, mais quand on a aussi un usage pro ou semi-pro, c'est quand même rassurant d'avoir une machine qui ne sera pas à genoux dans trois ans, et qui est évolutive.

Pour l'installation des disques, on a essayé d'être stratégiques en optimisant au mieux les 4 baies. On a monté les deux premiers disques en RAID 1 pour tout ce qui touche au boulot : sauvegarde des projets, rushs originaux et documents administratifs. C'est la ceinture et les bretelles, si un disque lâche, le travail est en sécurité. Pour les deux autres baies, on est partis sur du RAID 0 dédié à Plex. Pourquoi ? Parce que leur bibliothèque de films, on s'en fiche un peu de la perdre. Si un disque fini par décéder, ce n'est pas un drame national, on re-télécharge les fichiers et c'est reparti.

Ce qui m'a vraiment bluffé, c'est la rapidité de la mise en route. En quelques minutes, l'UGOS Pro, le système d'exploitation maison basé sur Debian, était opérationnel. UGREEN a fait un boulot assez dingue sur l'interface : c'est propre, c'est fluide et on n'est pas perdu dans des menus labyrinthiques. On sent que la marque veut venir chasser sur les terres de Synology en proposant une expérience utilisateur léchée tout en gardant une puissance matérielle brute supérieure. L’installation de Plex n’est pas encore proposée nativement sur l’OS de UGREEN (ça reste possible, en passant par Docker). Mais très franchement, même sur mon Synology je préfère avoir Plex qui tourne sur une machine déporté (en l’occurrence un Mac mini dans mon cas). Pour eux, ça sera sur le PC de la maison. Le NAS servant uniquement pour le stockage et le partage de données.

Ce NAS est disponible pour sa sortie à 699,99€ en promo (au lieu de 779,99€, il faut cocher le coupon sur Amazon) , ça n’est pas donné, mais c’est vraiment un NAS très solide, bien fini, et qui doit faire le job pendant au moins 7-8 ans. Puis quand on regarde la qualité de fabrication en aluminium et la connectivité réseau, le rapport performance-prix est vraiment bon. C'est une machine de guerre silencieuse qui s'intègre parfaitement dans un bureau ou un salon. Mes amis ont maintenant un système où le PC et le Mac communiquent sans friction, avec une vitesse de transfert qui permet de monter directement depuis le NAS.

Si vous voulez un NAS solide, qui tiendra dans le temps, et que vous n'avez pas à bidouiller dans tous les sens, c'est franchement un très bon choix, et pour tout vous dire j'ai même envie d'en prendre un pour moi ha ha.

Le NAS UGREEN DXP4800 Pro est disponible ici sur Amazon , et n’oubliez pas de cocher le coupon pour avoir la promo !

Article invité publié par Vincent Lautier . Vous pouvez aussi faire un saut sur mon blog , ma page de recommandations Amazon , ou lire tous les tests que je publie dans la catégorie "Gadgets Tech" , comme cette liseuse Android de dingue ou ces AirTags pour Android !