UGREEN AI NAS Review – Is the iDX6011 Pro NAS a Kind of Greatness or Gimmick?

UGREEN has moved from being a peripheral brand in storage accessories to a recognisable name in turnkey NAS hardware in a relatively short time, helped in part by the NASync range that arrived via crowdfunding in 2024 and then transitioned into regular retail availability. The NASync iDX6011 series is the company’s next step, and it is a bigger swing than the earlier systems because it is trying to appeal to 2 different audiences at once. On one side, it is a high spec 6 bay NAS with features typically aimed at heavier workloads, including dual 10GbE, dual Thunderbolt 4, PCIe Gen4 expansion, and NVMe slots for caching or SSD volumes. On the other side, it is being marketed as a “local AI NAS” built around an on device assistant and offline processing, intended for people who like the idea of using natural language to search, summarise, and organise large private libraries without sending data to a public cloud. The practical question is whether buyers actually need an AI layer on a NAS, since many users simply want reliable storage, backups, and fast access, and will judge it on fundamentals like performance, noise, power, and software stability first. Based on hands on testing of the iDX6011 Pro hardware and the early UGOS Pro plus AI implementation, the platform looks close to finished on the hardware side, while the AI layer feels more like a developing feature set that is not yet consistently polished, which raises the possibility that UGREEN is attempting to deliver a full “appliance plus assistant” experience before every part of that assistant workflow is fully mature.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER! This is KICKSTARTER…

This product is being sold through a crowdfunding campaign rather than as a conventional retail NAS, and that changes the risk profile regardless of brand size or prior success. Pricing is tied to a refundable reservation deposit system and early bird tiers, and delivery timing is based on stated production and dispatch windows rather than the predictable stock availability that comes with established retail channels. Even though UGREEN has previously completed a large NAS crowdfunding campaign and later moved those products into normal retail, that track record does not remove the usual Kickstarter variables, such as software features changing between prototype and shipping units, performance tuning continuing during the campaign window, and schedules shifting due to manufacturing or regional fulfilment constraints. In this case, the hardware shown appears close to final, but the software, particularly the AI layer, is explicitly described as still in active optimisation, so any evaluation should treat feature completeness as provisional until the campaign is live, the final software build is confirmed, and post launch updates show what is actually delivered at scale.

UGREEN iDX6011 Pro Review – Quick Conclusion

The UGREEN NASync iDX6011 Pro is a high spec 6 bay NAS that, in hardware terms, behaves more like a compact workstation class storage appliance than a typical consumer NAS, with dual 10GbE, dual Thunderbolt 4, PCIe Gen4 x8 expansion, OCuLink, 8K HDMI, 2 x M.2 NVMe slots, and a dedicated 128GB system SSD, backed by an Intel Core Ultra 7 255H and 64GB fixed LPDDR5X memory. In testing, the fundamentals were generally strong, including RAID 5 throughput around 950 MB/s read and 670 MB/s write with SSD caching, internal NVMe performance around 5.5 to 6.0 GB/s, acceptable sustained thermals for a metal chassis under long access periods, and noise and power figures that tracked with a 6 drive high performance platform rather than a low power home NAS. The main performance concern was that SMB multichannel scaling was uneven, with reads around 2200 to 2300 MB/s but writes closer to 1300 to 1500 MB/s in a dual 10GbE client setup, suggesting software or tuning limits that may or may not improve by launch. UGOS Pro is broadly feature complete for mainstream NAS use, with Docker, VMs, snapshots, iSCSI, and comprehensive backup and sync options, but it still lacks some ecosystem level elements that established competitors deliver, including ZFS and a more comprehensive security posture scanner, and the app catalogue gap around Plex remains notable. The local AI layer, marketed as a key differentiator, is currently the least mature part of the product, with useful building blocks like document summarisation, audio transcription, and photo recognition, but inconsistent workflows that rely on manual uploads rather than directory level crawling, limited smart commands, and permission controls that can be too rigid for practical assistant use, while also not offering generative photo or video creation. Overall, the iDX6011 Pro looks close to finished on hardware and competitive on capability at its early campaign pricing, but the AI experience still feels in development, and the Kickstarter purchase route adds risk for buyers who expect fully polished features on day 1.

SOFTWARE - 7/10

HARDWARE - 9/10

PERFORMANCE - 8/10

PRICE - 8/10

VALUE - 9/10

8.2

PROS

High bandwidth connectivity as standard, including 10GbE x2 and Thunderbolt 4 x2
Strong expansion options for a turnkey NAS, with PCIe Gen4 x8 and OCuLink on the Pro model
6 bay capacity design with a quoted 196TB maximum raw storage ceiling
Dedicated 128GB system SSD keeps the OS separate from the main storage pool
NVMe support via 2 x M.2 Gen4 slots with tested performance around 5.5 to 6.0 GB/s
RAID support includes 0, 1, 5, 6, 10 plus JBOD and Basic for flexible storage layouts
Tested RAID 5 plus SSD cache throughput was close to the practical limits of 10GbE class networking in many scenarios
Cooling design and sustained thermal readings remained within normal bounds during extended access testing
UGOS Pro covers mainstream NAS needs, including Docker, VMs, snapshots, iSCSI, and broad backup and sync options

CONS

Crowdfunding purchase path adds delivery and feature risk compared with conventional retail availability
AI layer feels unfinished, with limited pre crawling, uneven knowledge base behaviour, and incomplete integration across file types
Fixed LPDDR5X memory limits future upgrade options, so configuration choice is permanent
UGOS ecosystem gaps remain, notably no ZFS support and no native Plex app at the time of testing

UGREEN iDX6011 Pro Review – Design and Storage

The iDX6011 Pro is physically a more industrial looking unit than UGREEN’s earlier NAS designs, with a full metal outer chassis that feels closer to workstation gear than living room appliance styling. It is not a sealed box either, as the side panels are removable and intended to give access to internal expansion areas, though the process uses a hex key rather than a simple tool free latch. That approach is functional and keeps the exterior clean, but it also makes routine access slightly slower if you expect to swap SSDs or a PCIe card regularly. Ventilation is distributed around the sides rather than concentrated in a single grille, and the chassis is raised off the surface to allow airflow beneath, which matters in a system designed to host 6 hard drives plus NVMe storage and a higher performance CPU class than entry NAS models.

Storage capacity is built around 6 front loading SATA bays, with UGREEN quoting 196TB maximum raw capacity for the platform. Drive insertion uses the same general tray approach seen on the company’s recent NAS units, including lockable bay fronts and a plastic click and load mechanism intended to speed up installation without tools. It is a conventional arrangement for a 6 bay desktop NAS, but the metal enclosure can make drive acoustics more noticeable depending on the HDD model and rotational behaviour, which becomes relevant when users populate the unit with larger capacity drives that often have more platters and more audible seek patterns. The front bay layout is straightforward, prioritising density and serviceability, with the expectation that this is a system meant to hold a large primary library rather than act as a small secondary backup target.

Alongside the 6 bays, UGREEN separates the operating system onto a dedicated 128GB internal SSD, which avoids consuming any of the user’s drive pool for the system partition and aligns with how most modern NAS vendors isolate OS storage. In practical terms, that makes initial setup cleaner and reduces the chance that a storage rebuild or volume reconfiguration impacts the boot environment, though it also means the overall platform depends on an internal system SSD that is not part of the RAID group. Two internal M.2 NVMe slots are available for SSD cache or SSD volumes, and in testing they behaved like high performance local storage rather than token add ons, which fits the broader design goal of making this NAS suitable for heavier workflows and not just cold storage. The storage story here is therefore split into 3 layers, hard drive bays for capacity, M.2 for performance acceleration, and a separate system SSD for OS stability.

The Pro model also adds a front mounted 3.71 inch LCD, which provides real time status visibility such as usage and system state at a glance. As implemented in early hardware, it appears more like a monitoring and basic control surface than a full management interface, and it is not treated as a secure console with authentication, so it is best understood as a convenience feature rather than an administrative tool. In a shared environment, that trade off matters because a display that is easy to use is also easy to interact with physically, so the value depends on where the unit is placed and who has access to it. For some users it will be useful simply to confirm system health without opening the web UI, but it does not replace normal management, and it is not aimed at the same kind of on device control that some touchscreen equipped NAS systems attempt.

Maintenance and long term usability are supported by design choices such as accessible cooling and a removable rear panel area, which makes it easier to clean and service the main fans compared with fully enclosed designs. The unit includes an internal power supply, reducing external power brick clutter, and cooling is built around a combination of rear system fans and a dedicated CPU cooling assembly using copper heat piping and a dual fan arrangement. User control in software focuses on the rear fans, while the CPU fan behaviour is not exposed in the same way, which is typical for compact systems where CPU thermals are managed automatically. Overall, the enclosure and storage layout suggest UGREEN is treating this as a high duty appliance expected to run continuously, host large volumes, and remain serviceable, even if some access choices like hex key panels are more conservative than tool free designs.

UGREEN iDX6011 Pro Review – Internal Hardware

At the centre of the iDX6011 lineup is a split CPU strategy, with the Pro model using Intel Core Ultra 7 255H and the non Pro models using Intel Core Ultra 5 125H, both in a 28W class envelope but with different core layouts and advertised AI compute capability. In practical terms, the Pro is the higher headroom option for simultaneous workloads, including heavier multitasking, more concurrent services, and more demanding local indexing or analysis tasks, while the Ultra 5 models are positioned as a lower cost entry that still retains the broader platform features. The Core Ultra family also brings an integrated graphics and NPU component, which matters here because UGREEN’s “local AI” positioning depends more on on device acceleration and sustained compute than on a simple low power NAS CPU. The important point from testing is that the system behaves like a higher performance appliance than the entry level NAS class, with clear implications for throughput, thermals, and power draw once you start adding drive count, caching, and background services.

Memory is LPDDR5X across all configurations, offered at 64GB on the Pro and one of the Ultra 5 models, and 32GB on the lower tier Ultra 5 model. This memory is fixed rather than modular, so there is no user upgrade path later, and buyers need to decide upfront how much headroom they want for containers, virtual machines, caching, and AI services. Fixed memory can bring benefits in bandwidth and power efficiency, but it also removes one of the typical ways NAS owners extend lifespan as demands grow. In the context of UGOS Pro, 32GB is likely to be workable for mainstream file services and lighter container use, but 64GB is the safer fit if the system is intended to run multiple applications at once, keep more services resident, or handle heavier indexing tasks, particularly when the AI layer is enabled and models are loaded into memory during use.

Storage connectivity inside the chassis is arranged so that the M.2 NVMe slots operate as high speed local devices rather than secondary add ons, and the system’s design encourages using them for caching or fast volumes alongside the 6 drive array. Beyond storage, the platform includes a PCIe Gen4 x8 expansion slot, which gives the unit a more flexible upgrade path than many turnkey NAS systems that are limited to fixed networking and fixed I O. The Pro model also includes an OCuLink port, which in practical testing allowed attachment of external PCIe devices such as a GPU dock, and the system recognised the hardware when connected, even though this is not the typical way consumer NAS boxes expand capability. This internal and external PCIe story is one of the defining hardware traits of the Pro model, because it creates options for future add ons that extend beyond storage, even if most buyers will never use it.

From an internal power and cooling perspective, the unit uses an internal PSU and a cooling layout that separates general chassis airflow from CPU cooling, with software fan control focused on the rear fans rather than the CPU fan assembly. That matters because the system’s CPU class, NVMe support, and expansion options can create load scenarios that are closer to small server behaviour than basic home NAS idle patterns, particularly during sustained indexing, RAID rebuilds, or heavy file operations across fast links like 10GbE and Thunderbolt.

The hardware review unit is described as a pre release prototype, and while the physical build appears close to final, some behaviour, especially around performance tuning and software integration, should be treated as subject to change before shipping. The overall internal hardware direction is clear though: this is not designed around the low power NAS CPU segment, and the component choices indicate UGREEN is targeting users who want workstation class connectivity and compute inside a NAS form factorAM, rather than a minimal file server.

UGREEN iDX6011 Pro Review – Ports and Connections

The iDX6011 Pro is configured around higher bandwidth connectivity than most mainstream 6 bay NAS units, and the port layout reflects an intention to sit closer to a workstation or small office backbone rather than being limited to standard home networking. Dual 10GbE is present across all configurations, providing both higher single link throughput and the option for link aggregation or segmented network roles depending on the user’s environment. In practice, dual 10GbE also opens the door to multichannel SMB performance in supported client setups, and the platform is clearly built with large file workflows in mind, where sequential transfer speed and low friction access matter as much as raw storage capacity. Unlike NAS designs that reserve high speed networking for optional add in cards, the iDX6011 platform treats 10GbE as baseline rather than upgrade.

Thunderbolt 4 appears as 2 ports, and in your testing this mattered because it enabled direct high speed attachment use cases and compatibility with external adapters and docks. The most obvious implication is fast ingest and offload for users working from laptops or mobile workstations where Thunderbolt is a primary high speed interface, but it also intersects with the Pro model’s expansion story because external PCIe style docks become viable. The unit also includes USB connectivity split between faster USB 3 class ports and USB 2 ports for lower bandwidth peripherals, plus an SD 4.0 card slot that is front placed for frequent media ingest. That placement is relevant because it avoids reaching behind the unit for daily tasks, which is more aligned with content creation workflows than with the typical NAS assumption of mostly remote file transfer.

Video output is handled through an 8K capable HDMI port, which supports the idea of using the NAS as a directly attached media endpoint as well as a server, though this is a secondary function compared with network access. The presence of HDMI also ties into the software layer you described, where the system can be used for local playback and controlled through the broader UGOS environment, but it is still a NAS first device rather than a dedicated media box. For users who want the NAS to sit near a display and act as a playback source, the port is present, but the value depends heavily on application availability and the user’s preferred media stack.

Expansion is where the Pro model separates itself, because it combines an internal PCIe Gen4 x8 slot with an external OCuLink port, while the non Pro models omit OCuLink. In testing, the OCuLink path successfully recognised an attached GPU dock, which indicates that UGREEN is not treating this as a purely decorative specification, even if most of the AI positioning is currently built around CPU and NPU resources rather than discrete GPU acceleration. The PCIe slot provides additional flexibility for add in networking or other cards within the physical constraints of the chassis, and together these interfaces make the iDX6011 Pro less locked to its factory I O than typical turnkey NAS appliances. That said, the practical value of these ports depends on driver support, how UGOS exposes attached hardware, and whether users plan to run third party operating systems where PCIe device support can be more familiar.

UGREEN iDX6011 Pro Review – Speed, Temp, Noise and Power Tests

In file transfer testing, the iDX6011 Pro showed performance that aligns with its connectivity and internal storage design, but also revealed at least one area where optimisation may still be needed. With 6 HDDs configured in RAID 5 and SSD caching enabled for read and write, throughput reached roughly 950 MB/s read and 670 MB/s write, which is consistent with a well tuned array benefitting from cache acceleration and a fast network path. The larger point is that the platform can make practical use of 10GbE class throughput without feeling artificially capped by an entry level CPU, and the results suggest the system is capable of handling sustained large file movement without immediately falling behind. The caveat is that this was tested on a pre release unit, and the way UGOS configures caching and network services can materially affect the final numbers.

The internal NVMe performance was strong, and importantly it was consistent whether measured through the UGOS interface or via SSH testing. In the built in NVMe benchmark, both drives returned around 6 GB/s reads and writes after repeated testing, and additional 1GB SSH tests also clustered around 5.5 to 6.0 GB/s. Those figures suggest the M.2 implementation is not a token feature and can support either aggressive caching configurations or fast SSD volumes for workloads that benefit from low latency access. This matters in the context of the iDX6011 Pro’s target audience because the NVMe layer is a primary tool for keeping responsiveness high when multiple services are active, when many small files are being indexed, or when a user wants a high performance workspace alongside bulk HDD capacity.

Where results were less ideal was in a dual 10GbE client scenario using SMB multichannel, where reads scaled well but writes did not. Using a USB4 laptop connected through a dual 10GbE to USB4 adapter, 2x 10GbE connections were visible and green-for-go on both ends! So, the system SHOUD saturate more than a single 10GbE link and make real use of multichannel behaviour to use both (with the right  media!) – which is exactly what we saw in sequential Read speed tests. Writes, however, sat around 1300 to 1500 MB/s, often behaving closer to a single 10GbE stream, with occasional dips that suggested the second link was not being fully utilised for upstream traffic in that setup. Jumbo frames were enabled with MTU set to 9000, and alternative approaches were tested, so the remaining explanation could be software overhead, SMB tuning, client limitations, or an area of UGOS optimisation that is not yet final in the pre release software build.

Thermally, the unit behaved within expected bounds for a metal chassis hosting multiple high capacity HDDs and sustained access patterns. After roughly 36 hours of continuous activity, surface readings showed around 35C at the top, roughly 38C around the drive bay area and side ventilation panels, and around 41 to 44C in lower vent channel areas where airflow is concentrated. The rear fan region was around 44 to 45C, the PSU region hovered around 38C, and the LCD area reached around 45C, with most of the base sitting around 35 to 38C. Importantly, internal software did not raise thermal warnings in normal testing, and the only notable heat related stress occurred during repetitive synthetic SSD write loops that are not representative of typical mixed use.

Noise and power draw reflect the fact that this is a higher performance NAS platform with 6 drive density and a stronger CPU class than low power appliances. With fans set to the lowest mode and drives idling after RAID setup and synchronisation, noise landed around 39 to 40 dBA, rising to around 40 to 43 dBA on automatic fan mode. With fans set to maximum, idle noise increased to around 48 dBA, and with active drive access plus high fan mode, measurements were around 50 to 51 dBA using 64TB NAS class HDDs, with the reminder that a metal chassis can transmit drive vibration and seek noise more readily than plastic enclosures. Power draw in a heavily populated configuration with 6 x 64TB drives, 2 x 1TB NVMe, and both 10GbE links active was around 67 to 68W at idle, rising to around 93 to 100W plus under active access, with the expectation that sustained CPU intensive AI tasks and any external GPU usage could push consumption substantially higher than typical home NAS patterns.

Test specification summary

• RAID and cache test: 6 HDDs in RAID 5, SSD read/write cache enabled

• RAID 5 throughput: ~950 MB/s read, ~670 MB/s write

• NVMe internal performance: ~5.5 to 6.0 GB/s read and write (UGOS benchmark and SSH tests)

• Dual 10GbE SMB multichannel via USB4 adapter: ~2200 to 2300 MB/s read, ~1300 to 1500 MB/s write

• Noise: ~39 to 40 dBA (low, idle), ~40 to 43 dBA (auto, idle), ~48 dBA (max, idle), ~50 to 51 dBA (high, active)

• Power: ~67 to 68W (idle with populated drives), ~93 to 100W plus (active access)

• Thermals after ~36 hours sustained access: top ~35C, bays ~38C, vents ~38C, lower channels ~41 to 44C, rear ~44 to 45C, LCD ~45C

UGREEN iDX6011 Pro Review – UGOS Software and Services

UGOS Pro on the iDX6011 Pro presents a broadly familiar turnkey NAS experience, with the same general design language and application structure used across UGREEN’s recent NAS products, and most of the mainstream services expected in a current platform. Initial setup and day to day navigation are oriented around a unified web interface and companion apps, with storage management, user permissions, and application deployment consolidated into a single environment rather than split across multiple tools. In practical use, this matters because the value of a higher end NAS is not just the hardware, but the ability to configure it quickly and maintain it without constant manual intervention, particularly once you start adding multiple shares, remote access rules, and background services that need to run reliably without ongoing tuning.

Core storage features cover the standard RAID modes offered by the platform, along with typical NAS file systems used here, and the ability to configure M.2 SSDs either as cache or as separate storage volumes depending on the desired balance between speed and simplicity. Snapshot support and file versioning are included, which is a baseline requirement for protecting against accidental deletion and some ransomware scenarios, and the system also provides a dedicated encrypted vault style storage area for data that needs an additional password protected layer beyond normal share permissions. For users building a general purpose private cloud, the platform includes the expected file sharing and access tools and supports the usual network protocols, reducing the need for third party add ons for basic file serving and multi device access.

On the services side, UGOS Pro supports Docker and virtual machine deployment, which expands the platform beyond file storage into general application hosting and light server roles. The presence of both container support and VM support is relevant in a system with fixed memory configurations, because it encourages buyers to evaluate the 32GB versus 64GB models based on their intent to run multiple services concurrently. In addition, iSCSI support is integrated and in testing could be set up in a straightforward manner, allowing the NAS to present block storage to client machines for workflows where mapped drives are not ideal. Backup and synchronisation features include multi target options, including NAS to NAS, NAS to cloud, and other scheduled operations with filtering and policy controls, which is the foundation most users will rely on rather than the newer AI layer.

Where UGOS Pro still shows gaps is less about missing basic NAS features and more about the absence of certain mature ecosystem level tools that established competitors provide. There is no ZFS option in the platform’s storage stack, which will matter to users who specifically want ZFS features and workflows, and the application ecosystem still lacks certain expected first party packages, with Plex media server being the most obvious omission in your evaluation despite alternatives like Jellyfin being possible. Security tooling is also mixed, with useful features such as 2FA, firewall controls, and automatic blocking, but without a comprehensive security posture scanner that audits weak passwords, exposed services, open ports, and other common misconfigurations in a way that guides less technical owners. The end result is a software platform that can cover the core NAS job for many users, but may still push power users toward third party operating systems or additional manual administration depending on priorities.

UGREEN iDX6011 Pro Review – What the AI Can and Cannot Do?

The AI layer on the iDX6011 Pro is built around Uliya, which functions as the interface for local model use and a set of assistant driven tools that sit alongside the normal UGOS experience. AI features are disabled by default on first use, and the local models are not pre installed, which means users must actively opt in and download what they want, rather than having the system continuously analyse data out of the box. Once enabled, the AI console exposes model choices and basic operational details such as estimated resource requirements, and it also includes permission style controls that determine which AI services are active, for example speech to text or large language model usage. There is also an option to connect cloud based AI providers via API key, and a separate option to allow online search as a supplement to responses, but the platform’s primary selling point is that most of its AI functions can run locally without transmitting content to a third party service.

What it can do in its current form is focused on analysis, summarisation, and retrieval rather than creation. Uliya supports conversational queries that can operate offline using local resources, with optional online search when enabled, and it can accept uploaded files for analysis, including images that it can describe at a basic content level. Document handling is one of the more practically useful parts, because the system can summarise documents and PDFs and then allow follow up questions based on that output, and this capability is integrated into the file manager via right click actions for supported file types. The voice memo tool extends this into audio, allowing recordings or imported audio files to be transcribed, summarised, and represented as a basic topic map, with export and translation options available using local processing for supported languages. Separately, UGREEN’s existing photo management features include recognition and categorisation that can identify people and other elements in photo libraries, and this part of the platform appears more mature than the newer assistant workflows.

What it cannot do is equally important, because some of the expected behaviours associated with “AI NAS” marketing are either absent or only partially implemented. There is no generative photo or video creation feature set, so the AI functionality is limited to text generation, transcription, and content analysis rather than producing new media. The system also does not currently provide broad pre scraping of user libraries in the way some users might expect, where a chosen directory is crawled in the background so that later conversational queries can pull from an already indexed knowledge store. Instead, several workflows rely on manual file uploads into a knowledge base, and the knowledge base itself feels under explained and inconsistent, sometimes returning incomplete or incorrect results when it cannot find enough relevant material within the data it is allowed to access. There is also limited visibility into how responses are formed, and no clear built in way to observe what portion of an answer is derived from local data versus general model knowledge when online search is disabled.

A recurring limitation in testing was the balance between privacy controls and usefulness. Permission settings exist, but they are comparatively rigid, and there is not yet the level of directory by directory or user by user access scoping that would allow an owner to confidently grant the assistant deeper access to some datasets while keeping other areas restricted. In practice, that can lead to cases where the assistant refuses or fails to answer a question because it lacks access, even when the user would prefer to grant broader permissions for a specific folder or project. Smart commands are present and can trigger a small set of device actions, but the command library is limited, and some attempts showed contextual confusion where a request was handled as a conversational prompt rather than an actionable instruction.

Across these areas, the underlying direction is clear, but the current implementation behaves more like an early stage feature set that needs expansion, better background indexing options, and broader integration across file types such as images, video, and spreadsheets before it matches the implied promise of a fully “assistant ready” NAS.

UGREEN iDX6011 Pro Review – Review and Conclusion

As a hardware platform, the iDX6011 Pro presents a clear step up in UGREEN’s NAS range, with a configuration that prioritises high bandwidth I O, expansion options, and enough CPU class performance to avoid feeling constrained in common multi service scenarios. The combination of 6 bays, NVMe support, dual 10GbE, dual Thunderbolt 4, PCIe expansion, and OCuLink creates a NAS that can serve both as large capacity storage and as a faster workspace tier when configured with caching or SSD volumes, and measured results generally reflect that intent. Thermals and acoustics were within expected limits for a dense metal chassis populated with high capacity drives, and while power draw is higher than low power NAS designs, it tracks with the component class and connectivity. In short, the hardware side looks close to finished and competitive on specification and practical performance, with the main open question being how much final tuning will improve edge cases such as multichannel write behaviour.

The AI services are the less settled part of the product, not because the core idea is unclear, but because the current workflows still require too much manual direction and the assistant is not yet integrated deeply enough across data types and system control. The most useful elements today are transcription, document summarisation, and the existing photo recognition features, while the larger “AI NAS” promise is limited by the absence of directory level pre crawling, a knowledge base that can feel incomplete, smart commands that are not yet extensive, and permission controls that do not provide fine grained scoping. For buyers primarily interested in a high spec NAS at early campaign pricing, and who view AI as optional or developing, the platform may be straightforward to justify if crowdfunding risk is acceptable. For buyers whose purchase decision depends on a polished local assistant experience that is ready to analyse and retrieve information from large libraries with minimal setup, the current AI layer suggests waiting to see how the feature set and optimisation mature by the time the campaign software build is final.

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5 Mistakes New NAS Buyers ALWAYS MAKE

If you are buying a NAS for the first time, it is very easy to focus on brand names, bay counts and discounts while overlooking practical issues that will shape your experience for the next 5 to 7 years. New buyers often underestimate noise in real rooms, forget to plan for future capacity growth, misjudge the usefulness of SSD cache, ignore long term power consumption, or assume that a couple of very large drives are always the best value. On top of that, many people treat a NAS like a simple external drive rather than a 24/7 network device that will sit near family members or co workers and quietly draw power every day. This article looks at 5 common mistakes that first time NAS owners make and explains how each one happens, what it looks like in normal home or small office use, and the straightforward checks you can perform before you spend any money so you do not end up with a noisy, inefficient or inflexible system.

Mistake #1: Underestimating NAS Noise in REAL-WORLD Use (IGNORE the official Specs Sheets)

A common mistake with a first NAS is to assume it will sound like a quiet router or a small external drive. In practice a NAS contains several moving parts that generate and transmit noise into the room, especially at night or in a small flat. Drive seek clicks, spindle hum, fan airflow and vibration passing into the furniture all add together. If the system ends up in a bedroom, living room or small home office, the constant whirr can lead to complaints from other people in the house and leave the owner wondering whether the device is faulty when it is simply behaving as designed. It is also easy to forget that scheduled tasks such as antivirus scans, backups and indexing will often push the CPU, fans and disks harder than normal file access, so a system that seems acceptable during light daytime use can become noticeably louder when these jobs run.

Noise levels are heavily influenced by physical design choices that new buyers rarely consider. Metal chassis units tend to amplify vibration compared with plastic enclosures, which means every drive click and fan change is more noticeable. Larger capacity HDDs, particularly above 8TB, usually contain more platters and a more active actuator assembly, which produces sharper clicks and a deeper background rumble than smaller disks. Fan design also matters. Rear mounted fans tend to push sound directly into the room, while models with downward facing or internal fans may spread the noise more evenly into the surface under the NAS. Even the desk or cabinet matters, since hard surfaces can resonate and make a quiet system sound louder. Simple changes such as placing the NAS on a foam pad, an anti vibration mat or thick rubber feet will reduce the amount of vibration transferred into the furniture and can make a noticeable difference to perceived noise without changing the hardware.

The practical way to avoid this problem is to plan acoustics at the same time as you choose capacity and CPU. If the NAS must live in an occupied room, it makes sense to look at lower noise HDD lines, to avoid the very largest capacities where possible, and to consider using SATA SSDs for the working volume if budget allows. Checking vendor spec sheets for noise ratings in dB is useful, but you should also think about where the NAS will physically sit and how air can flow around it, since putting a box in a sealed cupboard simply forces the fans to run harder. Most modern NAS systems allow fan speed profiles and drive hibernation, which can reduce noise during idle periods, and many also support power schedules so the unit can power down completely during hours when it is not needed. You can also move heavy jobs such as RAID scrubs, indexing and backup windows into predictable time slots, for example overnight if the NAS is in a separate room, so that short periods of higher noise are less disruptive while the system remains quiet for normal daytime access.

Mistake #2: Ignoring Future Capacity and Expansion (PLAN AHEAD!)

A second common mistake is to buy a NAS that only matches your current data footprint with no realistic allowance for growth. Many first time buyers look at their existing files, see that they use 2TB or 4TB, then choose a 2 bay unit and a pair of modest drives that cover today with a small buffer. Once the NAS is in use, however, new cameras, phones and laptops start backing up to it, family members begin storing photos and videos, and it often becomes the default place for downloads and shared work files. Within a year or 2, the system that once looked spacious can be near its usable limit, especially once you take RAID overhead and snapshots into account.

The physical bay count and the way you populate those bays on day 1 has a direct impact on how easy it will be to grow later. A 2 bay NAS that starts fully populated leaves you with only a couple of options when you run out of room. You either replace both drives with larger ones, which is expensive and involves a full rebuild, or you bolt on an external expansion chassis if the vendor offers one. A 4 bay unit that initially uses only 2 drives gives you a much smoother path. You can add extra disks one at a time, or take advantage of flexible RAID schemes from some brands that allow mixing different drive sizes over time, which is far more forgiving when budgets are tight or upgrade windows are short.

Avoiding this mistake means planning capacity as a multi year decision rather than a single purchase. It is usually better to buy a slightly larger chassis with more bays than you think you need, then start with a sensible number of mid sized drives that offer a good cost per TB. This gives you headroom to add disks later without reorganising everything and lets the array performance improve as you add more spindles. It also leaves space for other changes such as introducing SSD volumes or cache in the future without having to retire the entire unit. In short, it is safer to overspec the enclosure a little and understuff it at the start than to buy the smallest possible model and discover that you have run out of practical expansion options far sooner than expected.

Mistake #3: Assuming SSD Cache and RAM Upgrades are a Magic Performance Fix (SAVE YOUR MONEY!)

New NAS owners often treat SSD cache and RAM upgrades as a universal answer to “my NAS feels slow”, without checking whether the underlying workload or hardware actually benefits. It is common to see a 2 or 4 bay system with a modest CPU and a couple of M.2 slots promoted heavily as “cache ready”, which encourages buyers to add SSDs and memory on day 1. In reality, if the processor is already running close to 100 percent under load, extra RAM will mostly sit idle and cache will only accelerate specific types of access. For simple sequential workloads such as bulk media streaming or large backup jobs, disk performance and network limits usually matter more than having faster cache in front of the array, so the investment does not translate into a noticeable improvement.

SSD cache in particular is often misunderstood. Write cache temporarily lands incoming data on SSDs and then flushes it to HDDs later, which can smooth out bursty writes but does not change the final speed of the array. Read cache keeps copies of frequently accessed “hot” data on SSDs, but in most NAS use this tends to be small random IO, metadata and thumbnails rather than entire large media files. Some platforms allow you to tune cache block size and policy, which can help in database or VM heavy environments, but for simple file sharing the benefit is limited. If a NAS mainly serves big video files to a handful of clients, using SSD cache rarely justifies the cost. In many cases, placing the NAS operating system, app data and indexes on an SSD volume, or using SSDs as a small primary pool for truly performance sensitive shares, delivers more predictable advantages than a generic cache layer.

The same caution applies to memory upgrades. More RAM allows the NAS to keep more filesystem cache and run more services concurrently, but it does not compensate for an underpowered CPU or a saturated network link. A basic check of CPU and memory utilisation under your typical workload is essential before buying additional modules. If CPU usage is consistently low while memory is pegged, extra RAM may help. If the processor is the bottleneck, adding memory or cache will not change the response time of apps and shares. For most first time buyers, it is more sensible to size CPU, network and base storage correctly first, then consider SSD based OS volumes, manual or automated tiering, and targeted RAM upgrades later if monitoring shows clear evidence that these changes will address a real bottleneck rather than an assumed one.

Note – If you are a QNAP NAS owner, you CAN use an alternative to ‘SSD Cache’, but using QTier – this MOVES (not copy) to data from slower HDDs and onto faster SSDs, as data is frequently accessed.

Mistake #4: Treating Power Consumption as an Afterthought (You Have CONTROL)

Many new NAS buyers focus on purchase price and capacity, then only think about power consumption after the first full month of electricity bills. A NAS is designed to be available around the clock, which means that even modest differences in idle draw add up over a year. Larger HDDs with more platters, multiple bays running full time, and older or less efficient CPUs all contribute to a steady baseline load, even when no one is actively using the system. In small flats or home offices this continuous draw can be a surprise, particularly for users coming from purely cloud based workflows where the power cost is hidden in the subscription fee.

Hardware choices have a direct impact on how much power a NAS will use at idle and under load. High capacity HDDs tend to have higher idle consumption because the mechanics must be ready to spin and seek immediately. A system with fewer, larger disks may draw more power at rest than a similar capacity built from several smaller drives, although this is not a strict rule and depends on the specific models. CPU generation and class matter as well. Modern low power x86 chips such as Intel N series parts can idle in the single digit watt range but still turbo high enough for typical home workloads, while older desktop class processors often draw more even when idle. Buyers who only look at drive capacity and bay count without checking HDD datasheets and CPU TDP figures can easily end up with a system that runs hotter and more power hungry than necessary for basic file serving and backups.

Software features and configuration also play a major role, yet many first time owners never touch these options after initial setup. Enabling HDD hibernation for lightly used volumes can drop disk consumption from around 8 to 12 W per drive to well under 1 W when idle, multiplied across several bays. Most NAS platforms support scheduled power on and power off, which allows you to shut the system down completely during hours when it is not needed and wake it automatically for work periods or backup windows. Moving heavy jobs such as backups, RAID scrubs and indexing into specific time slots also helps, since the system can stay in a lower power state for more of the day. Simple measures like these, applied on top of sensible hardware selection, make the difference between a NAS that quietly adds a manageable cost to your electricity bill and one that runs at full power far more often than your usage requires.

Mistake #5: Assuming Fewer Large Drives are Better (Often the REVERSE is Better)

A frequent assumption among new NAS buyers is that the best approach is to purchase the largest individual HDDs they can afford, fit a pair into a small enclosure and rely on that pair for both capacity and protection. On paper this looks simple and neat. Two 30TB drives in a 2 bay unit appear to offer an easy route to 30TB of usable space with RAID protection. However, this approach often produces a poor price per TB compared with building the same or greater capacity from several mid sized disks, and it concentrates a lot of risk and cost into each individual drive. When one of these large disks fails or needs replacing, the financial hit is substantial and rebuilds can be lengthy.

In most cases, the price per terabyte on both sides will remain largely consistent at each capacity. HOWEVER, when you start putting these drives into a NAS/DAS enclosure and acting in the RAID configuration, it soon becomes apparent that the ben efits in Drive #s in a RAID 1 vs a RAID 5 immediately show a saving in almost every single capacity the smaller you go! Below are two examples of achieving 12TB in a NAS enclosure using RAID 1 vs using RAID 5 (so, still maintaining 1 disk drive failure protection and having 12TB of storage to use):

12TB Storage in a RAID 1 MIRROR	12TB Storage in a RAID 5

Looking at retail pricing makes the problem clear. Large capacity HDDs carry a significant premium that is not always reflected in proportional capacity gains. At the same time that a 30TB drive might cost 500 to 600 in local currency, 10TB or 12TB drives can often be found for less than 200 each. Four 12TB drives in RAID 5 or similar single disk fault tolerant layouts can deliver 36TB of usable space for less money than a pair of 30TB disks that only provide 30TB usable, while also offering more spindles for better aggregate performance. The trade off is higher drive count, which brings extra power use, more noise and additional points of failure, but in purely cost per TB terms the multi-drive configuration is often more efficient.

The practical lesson is that drive selection for a first NAS should consider more than headline capacity. New buyers should compare price per TB across several HDD sizes, factor in the desired RAID level and protection scheme, and understand how many drives their chassis can support now and in future. In many cases it is more effective to choose a slightly larger enclosure and populate it with several mid sized disks that offer a good value point, rather than filling a small unit with the largest drives available. This gives better flexibility for future expansion, more options if a disk fails, and a storage layout that balances cost, capacity and performance instead of relying entirely on a small number of very large and expensive disks.

Larger NAS/DAS systems are always more expensive, as they need to have more physical space, resource use in production and power/PSU sizes to run the larger enclosure. Add to this, thanks to memory shortages right now, that smaller scale NAS systems are starting to arrive with more memory by default (as 2-4GB is becoming less cost-effective to produce with chip shortages) and often with little/no increase in the base price. For example, below is the TS-264 and TS-464 NAS. Same CPU, design and ports – however the 2-Bay system has 8GB memory by default AND IS STILL $134 cheaper! So, this can often mean that you can save money on smaller quantities of larger capacity HDDs becuase the enclosure they are going in is cheaper over all.

Conclusion – PLAN AHEAD!

New NAS buyers rarely set out to make poor choices. The problems described above usually arise because a NAS is treated like a simple storage box rather than a device that will run all day, sit in shared spaces and gradually absorb more roles over several years. Noise, expansion, SSD cache, power consumption and drive sizing are all easy to overlook when you are comparing spec sheets or promotional bundles, yet each one has a direct and practical impact on how comfortable and economical the system will be to live with. The safest approach is to treat the first NAS purchase as a medium term infrastructure decision rather than a one off gadget. That means thinking realistically about where the box will sit, how many people will rely on it, how much data is likely to arrive over time and how much power draw and running cost is acceptable. A slightly quieter chassis, a few more bays, a balanced drive choice and sensible use of features like hibernation and scheduling will matter more in day to day use than chasing the biggest individual drives or adding SSD cache on day 1. By addressing these 5 areas before you buy, you reduce the risk of needing early upgrades or workarounds and increase the chance that the NAS you choose will remain suitable for several years without constant attention.

5 affordable Turnkey 10GbE NAS Solutions (Between $499 and $699)

For years, 10GbE networking has been seen as a premium feature reserved for high-end or enterprise-grade NAS devices, often pushing total system costs well beyond the reach of home users and small businesses. However, as controller prices have dropped and demand for faster data transfers has grown, a new wave of affordable NAS solutions has started to appear with built-in 10GbE. These systems no longer require expensive proprietary upgrade cards or third-party NICs, and many sit comfortably below the $699 / £599 price point. They cover a range of use cases, from compact SSD-based NAS devices to rackmount storage appliances and versatile desktop units. Below is a selection of some of the most notable options currently available, each offering a balance of performance, connectivity, and affordability for users who want to move beyond 1GbE or 2.5GbE without breaking the bank.

UniFi UNAS Pro (7-Bay, Rackmount)

I keep coming back to two words for the UniFi UNAS Pro—fundamentals and consistency. UniFi has clearly focused on making this system a strong addition to their ecosystem, prioritizing the essential storage needs of a NAS. They’ve succeeded in this, but comparisons with long-established competitors are inevitable. While solid, reliable, and stable, the UniFi UNAS Pro will take time to be competitive on the software front. If you’re deeply invested in the UniFi ecosystem, you’ll appreciate its ease of use and integration. However, outside of a UniFi network, it may feel feature-light compared to alternatives. The pricing is competitive for a launch product at $499, and while it’s not the best NAS on the market, it’s the most user-friendly and UniFi-ready. It will likely satisfy many users’ needs. I can certainly see this being integrated into existing UniFi networks as a 2nd stage backup alongside their already existing 3rd party NAS solution, with the potential to graduating to their primary storage as Ubiquiti continue to evolve this platform above and beyond the fundamentals their have nailed down in the UNAS Pro system.

• Approx. Price: $499 / £400

• Specs: ARM Cortex-A57 quad-core CPU, 8 GB RAM, seven 2.5″/3.5″ SATA bays, 1×10GbE SFP+ and 1×1GbE.

• Why It Stands Out: Exceptional price-to-performance for pure storage needs. Lacks advanced multimedia or container apps but ideal for high-speed backups in a rackmount setup.

BUILD QUALITY - 10/10

HARDWARE - 7/10

PERFORMANCE - 7/10

PRICE - 9/10

VALUE - 8/10

8.2

PROS

Nails down the fundamentals of NAS Storage very well
Easy to use GUI and well suited in the UniFi Ecosystem/UX
Complete Offline Use is supported
Use of a UI account is NOT compulsory
Excellently deployed Snapshot Features
10GbE out-the-box
Open HDD Compatibility, but also 1st party options too
Backup and Restoration Options Nailed down perfectly
Very power efficient and CPU/, Memory utilization rarely high
Compact, Quite and well designed chassis
The LCD controls are completely \'different level\' compared to other brands in the market
Promised competitive pricing
FAST deployment (3-5mins tops)
Reactive Storage expandability and easy-to-understand storage failover options
Mobile app deployment is intuitive/fast
Feels stable, secure and reliable at all times
Performance is respectable (considering SATA Bay count and CPU) but also sustained performance is very good
Single screen dashboard is clear and intuitive
Ditto for the native file explorer

CONS

7 Bays is a bit unusual, plus feels like the existing UNVR with different firmware
Additional App installation (eg. \'Protect\') not currently supported. So no container support for 3rd party apps
Network Controls are limited
Works at it\'s best in an existing UniFi managed network, feels a little limited in \'standalone\'
Multiple storage pools not supported (nor is RAID 0)
Lack of Scheduled On/Off
Lack of redundant PSU
Only 1 10Gb port and 1x 1GbE, no USBs for expanded storage or an expansion

Asustor Flashstor 12 Gen 1 (Compact NVMe NAS)

The Asustor Flashstor Gen 2 12-Bay NAS is a robust and versatile solution for users with demanding storage needs. Its combination of high-performance hardware, extensive connectivity options, and compact design makes it a standout choice for content creators, small businesses, and enthusiasts. With dual 10GbE ports, USB 4.0 connectivity, and support for up to 12 M.2 NVMe drives, it offers exceptional speed and scalability. While the device has a few quirks, such as its mixed PCIe slot speeds and lack of M.2 heat sinks, these are manageable with proper planning and aftermarket solutions. The Flashstor Gen 2 excels in raw performance, handling intensive workflows with ease and maintaining low noise levels even under load. Its power efficiency and robust thermal management further enhance its appeal for 24/7 operation. For users prioritizing hardware capabilities and performance, the Flashstor Gen 2 delivers on its promises. While its complexity may deter less experienced users, those with the technical expertise to configure and optimize the system will find it a valuable addition to their workflow.

• Approx. Price: $750 / £600

• Specs: Intel Celeron N5105, 12×M.2 NVMe slots, single 10GbE port, compact form factor.

• Notable Traits: High-density SSD storage in a small desktop chassis. Excellent value for SSD-heavy builds.

SOFTWARE - 6/10

HARDWARE - 9/10

PERFORMANCE - 10/10

PRICE - 7/10

VALUE - 8/10

8.0

PROS

Exceptional Performance: Dual 10-Gigabit Ethernet ports and USB 4.0 connectivity deliver fast and reliable data transfer speeds, ideal for 4K editing and collaborative environments.
Extensive Storage Options: Supports up to 12 M.2 NVMe SSDs, allowing for large-scale, high-speed storage arrays.
ECC Memory Support: Includes 16GB of DDR5-4800 ECC memory (expandable to 64GB), ensuring data integrity for critical applications.
Compact Design: Small footprint makes it perfect for workspaces with limited room.
Quiet Operation: Dual-fan system keeps noise levels low, even under heavy loads.
Flexible Connectivity: Features two USB 4.0 Type-C ports and three USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports for direct storage access and peripheral integration.
Power Efficiency: Low power consumption (32.2W idle, 56W under load) makes it economical to run, even for 24/7 operation.
Thermal Management Enhancements: Dual fans and copper heat pipes efficiently dissipate heat, ensuring stable performance.
Support for Third-Party Operating Systems: Compatible with platforms like TrueNAS and Unraid for advanced customization.

CONS

Mixed PCIe Slot Speeds: Inconsistent PCIe bandwidth across M.2 slots complicates unified RAID configurations.
Lack of M.2 Heat Sinks: NVMe slots do not include heat sinks, requiring aftermarket cooling solutions for intensive workloads.
No Integrated Graphics: The AMD Ryzen V3C14 processor lacks integrated graphics, limiting hardware transcoding and multimedia capabilities.
Steep Price: The 12-bay model’s cost ($1,300–$1,400) and the six-bay version’s lack of ECC memory make them expensive compared to alternatives.

UGREEN NASync DXP4800 Plus

BOTTOM LINE – The UGREEN NASYnc DXP4800 Plus does not feel ‘finished’ yet and still needs more time in the over, but UGREEN have been very clear with me that this product is not intended for release and fulfilment till summer 2024 and improvements, optimization and product completion is still in progress. Judging the UGREEN NAS systems, when what we have is a pre-release and pre-crowdfunding sample, was always going to be tough. The DXP4800 PLUS is a very well put-together NAS solution, arriving with a fantastic launching price point (arguably even at its RRP for the hardware on offer). UGREEN has clearly made efforts here to carve out their own style, adding their own aesthetic to the traditional 4-bay server box design that plagues NAS boxes at this scale. Equally, although they are not the first brand to consider Kickstarter/Crowdfunding for launching a new product in the NAS/personal-cloud sector, this is easily one of the most confident entries I have seen yet. The fact that this system arrives on the market primarily as a crowdfunded solution (though almost certainly, if successful, will roll out at traditional retail) is definitely going to give users some pause for thought. Equally, the UGREEN NAS software, still in beta at the time of writing, although very responsive and nailing down the basics, still feels like it needs more work to compete with the bigger boys at Synology and QNAP. Hardware architecture, scalability, and performance are all pretty impressive, though the performance of the Gen 4×4 M.2 NVMe slots didn’t seem to hit the numbers I was expecting. Perhaps a question of PCIe bottlenecking internally, or a need for further tweaking and optimization as the system continues development. Bottom line, with expected software updates to roll out closer to launch and fulfillment, such as an expanded App center and mobile client, the UGREEN DXP4800 Plus is definitely a device worth keeping an eye on in the growing Turnkey and semi-DIY NAS market. As an alternative to public cloud services, this is a no-brainer and worth the entry price point. As an alternative to established Turnkey NAS Solutions, we will hold off judgment till it is publicly released.

• Approx. Price: $595 / £475

• Specs: Intel Pentium Gold 8505 (6-thread), 8 GB DDR5, 4×SATA + 2×M.2 slots, 1×10GbE and 1×2.5GbE, plus HDMI, USB-C, USB-A, and SD reader.

• Why It’s Attractive: Well-rounded design with rich connectivity and media support, undercuts most rivals on price and features.

SOFTWARE - 6/10

HARDWARE - 9/10

PERFORMANCE - 6/10

PRICE - 9/10

VALUE - 8/10

7.6

PROS

Exceptional Hardware for the Price
4 HDDs + 2x Gen 4x4 M.2 in 1 box under $400
Good Balanced CPU choice in the Pentium Gold 8505
10GbE and 2.5GbE as standard
An SD Card Slot (wielrd rare!)
10/10 Build Quality
Great Scalability
Fantastic Mobile Application (even vs Synology and QNAP etc)
Desktop/Browser GUI shows promise
Established Brand entering the NAS Market
Not too noisy (comparatively)
Very Appealing retail package+accessories

CONS

10GbE Performance was underwhelming
Crowdfunding choice is confusing
Software (still in Beta) is still far from ready 22/3/24
non-UGREEN PSU is unexpected

TerraMaster F4-424 Max / F6-424 Max

The TerraMaster F4-424 Max is a robust 4-bay NAS system that offers a powerful mix of features and flexibility for a wide range of tasks. Powered by the Intel i5-1235U CPU with 10 cores and 12 threads, the F4-424 Max excels at resource-intensive applications such as Plex media streaming, 4K hardware transcoding, and virtual machine hosting. Its dual M.2 NVMe slots running at PCIe Gen 4 speeds significantly improve storage performance, especially when used for caching, while the two 10GbE ports offer high-speed networking environments, allowing for 20Gbps throughput via link aggregation.

In terms of software, TOS 6 brings notable improvements, although it still lags behind the more polished ecosystems of Synology DSM and QNAP QTS. That said, TerraMaster’s continuous software evolution with each new version of TOS ensures that users have access to more robust tools and security features. For its price point of $899.99, the F4-424 Max is a compelling option for those seeking high-performance NAS solutions with scalability in mind. While the Pro model offers competitive performance, the Max takes it a step further with advanced networking, making it ideal for environments where speed is a priority.

• Approx. Price: $675 / £550 (F4-424 Max, during sale) – $899 / £700 (F6-424 Max, regular)

• Specs: Intel Core i5-1235U (10-core), 8 GB RAM, dual 10GbE ports, dual M.2, with 4 or 6 SATA bays depending on model.

• Why It Helps: The F4-424 Max frequently drops below the $800 mark in promotions, offering unusually strong CPU performance and dual 10GbE at a mid-range price point.

SOFTWARE - 6/10

HARDWARE - 9/10

PERFORMANCE - 9/10

PRICE - 9/10

VALUE - 8/10

8.2

PROS

Powerful Hardware: Intel i5-1235U with 10 cores and 12 threads for resource-heavy tasks.
Dual 10GbE Ports: High-speed networking capabilities with link aggregation for up to 20Gbps, ideal for large file transfers.
PCIe Gen 4 NVMe Support: Two M.2 NVMe slots offering exceptional performance for caching or additional high-speed storage.
Efficient Cooling: The large 120mm fan ensures quiet and effective cooling, making it suitable for home and office environments.
Improved TOS 6 Software: Enhancements in GUI, backup tools, and overall security bring TOS closer to its competitors.

CONS

Higher Price Tag: At $899.99, it’s more expensive than TerraMaster’s other models, which may deter budget-conscious buyers.
No PCIe Expansion: Lack of a PCIe slot limits potential for future upgrades, such as adding 10GbE cards or more M.2 drives.
Presentation: The software has improved a lot, but still feels inconsistent in places compared with alternatives from brands such as Synology and QNAP.

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