A luxury storage space
Obviously, a high end product is generally carried over into the price and here you will not be disappointed. In order to obtain a comparable base price for the empty casings as well as the Buffalo model, we took the average price for 250 GB, 500 GB, 750 GB and 1 TB drives and then multiplied it by four (or 5 in the case of the Thecus N5200B) and then added the barebones NAS value to give you a better idea of what such a system costs.
Here we would like to point out that of all capacities, the best size/price is that of 500 GB followed by 750 GB drives. The cost per gigabit turned out to be equivalent – and frankly quite high – for 250 GB and 1 TB.
This is another characteristic that enables us to differentiate the various products. The Synology CS407 and Thecus N4100+ are found in the exact same price category while the Qnap TS-409 Pro with similar characteristics but being more recent (just released) and with higher performances costs 200 € more. However, its price should go down as availability increases – or at least we hope so.
Note that we have also included different versions of the same model tested. For example, the Qnap TS-409 non Pro (non-compatible with ADS and NFS – see below) enables saving 50 € without losing performance or essential functions in home use.
Buffalo only arrived in France very recently. We have included its MSRP in the table but its products are still rare with large price variations from one retailer to another. Giving you an average price therefore wouldn’t be representative. However, note that in actuality, it’s possible to find much these models for less expensive, notably for the 1 TB version.
The Thecus N5200B/BR Pro clearly assumes a position in the ultra high end with a price almost 100 € above the TS-409 Pro. But either way, with a capacity of 5 drives and exceptional performances, this system is clearly on the top shelf. The 50 € difference between the B and BR models is the result of the integration of a 4 port Gigabit switch in the latter. Note that there is also a non-Pro version but it’s not as fast.
Are we required to buy all the drives at once in the beginning? It depends on the model:
– The Thecus N5200BR Pro allows starting with two drives in Raid 0 or Raid 1. You can then move to a Raid 5 of three, four, or five drives. If you have three drives in the beginning, you might as well directly create a Raid 5 storage that you can then increase to four or five drives. More symbolic than anything, you can also extend the capacity of a Raid 0 by adding as many drives as possible or even convert a Raid 1 into Raid 0.
– Qnap offers similar possibilities but enables starting with a single drive which is even better. It can then integrate a Raid 1, Raid 5 or Raid 6 storage. You can also start with two (Raid 1) or three (Raid 5) drives and then make the transition to Raid 5 or a Raid 6 of four drives.
- For Synology, migration possibilities are only an option with its firmware 571 which is currently in its beta version. It’s very limited and simply consists of expansion of a Raid 5 of 3 drives into 4 drives.
– No capability of this type is possible with Buffalo (normal, as it isn’t sold empty) and the Thecus N4100+. For the latter, if you wish to start with one or two drives, the only solution consists of saving your data on the PC when adding drives, install the drives, create a Raid 5 storage and then re-transfer your data.
Synology, Qnap and Thecus (exclusively on the N5200 Pro) offer a Raid 5 storage expansion function. If you replace all the drives with high capacity models one by one, the NAS then creates storage space taking into account the new capacity.
Finally, while the risk of incompatibility is minimal, manufacturers provide a list of hard drives (reference number and capacity) with which the NAS is certified. Here is where to find them:
– Qnap
– Thecus : English et French
– Synology : Site et Wiki
Some manufacturers also provide compatibility lists for power inverters, printers, Wi-Fi USB keys, etc. If you do not find them in the above links, do not hesitate to download the product guides for the device in question. This is where, for example, you will find the list of power inverters that are compatible with Thecus’ NAS.
