QNAP TS-431XeU-8G 4-bay Rackmount NAS Review

1. Introduction2. QNAP TS-431XeU / Design3. QNAP QTS4. Usability5. Testing Methodology6. ATTO Disk Benchmark7. Intel NASPT8. IOMETER9. Encryption Performance10. Workload Scenarios11. Real Life File Testing12. Power13. Closing Thoughts14. View All Pages

With a depth of only 291mm, QNAP's 1U TS-431XeU has been designed to fit into smaller racks or cabinets for SMB's where space is a limiting factor or if being used in a standard rack the space saved can be used for extra cooling or better cable runs.

The Alpine AL-314 32-bit quad-core 1.7GHz processor together with the 8GB of DDR3-1600 memory gave the TS-431XeU-8G pretty good performance in our benchmark tests in all the arrays we built the disks in. The integrated hardware encryption engine in the AL-314 works very efficiently as well, keeping bandwidth loss when dealing with encrypted data down to a minimum.

Should you need more storage capacity than the TS-431XeU provides then help is on hand in the shape of QNAP's expansion enclosures. The TS-431XeU supports the UX-800U-RP (8 bay) and the UX-1200U-RP (12-bay) units via its USB 3.0 ports giving a total number of 24 disks that can be supported. The integrated 10GbE SFP+ port is a welcome addition providing support for faster networking capabilities if they are required.

QNAP's QTS is one of the better NAS OS in the market, quick and easy to install thanks to the QFinder app and the wizard based install procedure. It offers easy access to beginners and professionals alike either by using the icon based main page or by delving into the more complex control panel option. One thing to be aware of though is that some of the QTS apps won't be able to run due to the 32-bit processor.

Despite the small size of the cooling fans, the TS-431XeU is very quiet in operation. Although they literally roared into life every time the TS-431XeU was powered up, they very quickly quieten down.

We found the TS-431XeU-8G on Span.com for £633.60 HERE

Pros

• Compact depth.
• QTS OS.
• Integrated 10GbE SFP+ port

Cons

• 8GB is the maximum memory supported.
• 32-bit processor limits some of the QTS options it can use.

Kitguru says:  QNAP's TS-431XeU-8G is a compact 4-bay rackmount NAS ideal for the smaller office or one where space is at a premium with the added bonus of integrated 10GbE.

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