TerraMaster is a serious NAS producer that predominantly focuses on the funds section, however in recent times the model has began making mid-range and high-end servers. The F4-423 is an fascinating 4-bay NAS that’s powered by the confirmed Intel Celeron platform, and it continues to be a stable alternative two years after its debut.
What’s fascinating is that the F4-423 has twin 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet ports; increasingly manufacturers are actually providing multi-Gigabit connectivity as commonplace, so this provides you significantly better headroom in terms of information transfers. The remainder of the {hardware} is first rate too — you get 4GB of RAM, twin M.2 slots, and the NAS can maintain a complete of 80TB of information.
The most important limitation of earlier TerraMaster NAS servers was the software program, however the producer rolled out a brand new model at first of the yr, dubbed TOS 6, with a cleaner UI and polished options. The F4-423 debuted at $459, nevertheless it has been round for some time, and you’ll get it at $389 on Amazon, making it an incredible worth for those who want a robust 4-bay server.
TerraMaster does not change the design of its NAS servers, and the F4-423 seems equivalent to the F2-221 and the 10GbE F5-422 that I reviewed beforehand. The NAS has a metallic enclosure and is decked out in white, and the colour scheme tends to face out a bit from the black-clad fashions offered by most different distributors. That mentioned, the design is elegant, and there are completely no points with the construct high quality.
The entrance has the drive bays, and you’ll set up 3.5-inch HDDs with out the usage of any instruments. There’s additionally a provision to make use of 2.5-inch HDDs or SSDs, and also you get two M.2 2280 slots as effectively. The F4-423 incorporates a single 4GB DRAM module, however there are two SO-DIMM slots, and you’ll simply add an extra reminiscence module do you have to want it — the NAS accommodates as much as 32GB throughout each slots (16GB in every). Putting in a brand new reminiscence module or M.2 slot requires dismantling the NAS, and TerraMaster ought to actually begin providing a better approach to do that.
There are particular person standing LEDs for every HDD, and also you get one for LAN connectivity and energy. Each of the USB 3.1 ports are positioned on the again, and like most different TerraMaster servers, you get an HDMI port, making it extremely handy to attach the F4-423 to a TV.
The most important speaking level on this space is the twin 2.5GbE Ethernet ports; even when you do not have a multi-Gigabit community arrange proper now, you may reap the benefits of the connectivity do you have to make the change down the road. In an analogous vein, the Intel Celeron N5095 continues to be a standout alternative on this class, and it has {hardware} transcoding, so for those who’re taking a look at a Plex media server that may deal with transcodes, the F4-423 is a good alternative.
The F4-423 does not get loud in every day use, and even below load, the noise from the twin 80mm followers on the again is not noticeably excessive. I slotted in 6TB IronWolf drives within the NAS, and in over a yr of use, I did not see any points in any way in terms of day-to-day efficiency; the F4-423 has been very dependable on this regard.
Whereas the {hardware} is among the many greatest on this section, the one shortcoming with the NAS is the software program. TerraMaster is making progress on this space with TOS, and to the model’s credit score, TOS 5 amends numerous the problems from earlier years. TOS 6 is popping out to be an enormous improve, and it overhauls numerous the privateness and safety features and introduces a cleaner and fashionable UI.
It is nonetheless in public beta as of writing, and I would not advocate putting in it in your NAS, however what I’ve seen of it to this point is thrilling. And for those who do not just like the look of TOS, you may at all times set up your individual, like TrueNAS Scale. It is comparatively straightforward to do, and the extensibility makes the F4-423 an honest possibility if you wish to tinker with the software program.
Two years after its launch, the F4-423 continues to be a terrific total NAS, and whereas the the F4-424 Professional is now obtainable and has higher {hardware}, it additionally prices $699. Should you want a 4-bay house NAS server with one of the best {hardware} on this section and wish to maximize worth, the F4-423 has lots to supply.
TerraMaster F4-423 4-Bay NAS
