QNAP TS-453D: Time to Start Upgrading Your Network Setup to 2.5 GbE

Conclusion

The TS-x53D is a great NAS for anyone who is looking to replace their older device or is looking to get their first one for storage. We are glad to see that regardless of which drive bay model you choose, the internal for the TS-x53D are all the same: the Celeron J4125 processor, two 2.5GbE ports, and one HDMI 2.0 port. In addition, the 4GB memory is standard across the board with 8GB models available as option. The TS-x53D brings not just performance improvement but also HDMI 2.0 port support and the much needed 2.5GbE to the NAS as it is about time that faster network port starts to appear in the consumer products. Compare to some of the older QNAP consumer oriented NAS such as TS-x53Be, the missing of the audio port and the second additional HDMI port could deter some people from upgrading but we feel the trade-off for the faster network transfer speed is definitely worth it.

Feature-wise, the two bay-model TS-253D-4G at and the TS-253D-8G differ slightly from the higher bay models in that they support RAID 0, 1, JBOD, and single configuration. It also is equipped with expansion slot for PCIe Gen 2×4. This means you could install expansion card that requires PCIe Gen 2×4 for full bandwidth support whereas the higher bay unit would be limited to x2 bandwidth. For home user who use NAS as a storage and streaming device, it may sufficient if data redundancy is not something you care too much.

We feel that the 4-bay model TS-453D-4G we reviewed today that is retailed at $579.00, which is $100 more than the 2-bay unit, strikes a good balance of features, performance, and price. Compare to the 2-bay unit that offers RAID 0, 1, JBOD, single, we gained additional RAID 5, 6, and 10 support. The obvious trade off would be the aforementioned add-on PCIe slot at reduced to x2. Despite this, we feel this is the best option in the lineup.

The six bay model, the TS-653D-4G, is retailed at $100 more and gained RAID 50 support for the combination of data protection offered by RAID 5 and better write performance and faster rebuild than RAID 5 offers. At this price point, it becomes a decision that you have to make that whether you want a NAS with native 2.5GbE port or go with a similarly priced model with 1GbE port with an add-on card. We feel that users may be better off consider higher performance SMB NAS such as the TS-473 with PCIe 3.0 support and utilize the PCIe 3.0 x4 expansion slot to expand the network speed via the $50 add-on QXG-5G1T-111C card.

Regardless which drive bay model you choose, you would definitely enjoy the  improved network speed if not now, it would at least be future-proofing and ready when you upgrade your network setup.

The QNAP TS-453D earns Bjorn3D’s coveted Golden Bear Award for its excellent performance with the integrated forward-looking 2.5GbE and near silent operation.