QNAP Launches TVS-882ST3 8-Bay 2.5-inch Thunderbolt 3 NAS

QNAP launches their TVS-882ST3 and it is anything but ordinary. The new TVS-882ST3 is a Thunderbolt 3 DAS, 10GbE NAS, and iSCSI SAN three-in-one solution for 2.5″ drives, built upon a powerful hardware base.

The 8-bay NAS is perfect for an all SSD setup. The small size makes it suitable for a setup in various locations and it also comes with 4K HDMI output as well as audio in and out ports.

“The TVS-882ST3 combines versatile high-speed interfaces including Thunderbolt 3, 10GbE, and USB 3.1 (Gen2 10Gbps Type-C and Type-A) in a powerful NAS solution to realize optimized data transfer in different applications,” said Jason Hsu, Product Manager of QNAP, adding “with its compact frame and eight 2.5″ bays that are ideal for SSDs, the TVS-882ST3 is perfect for small offices and teams looking for a NAS with performance and functionality that is normally reserved for high-end servers.”

Processor and Memory

You can get the new TVS-882ST3 with 2 different processors and various memory configurations. The processor options are the Intel Core i7-6700HQ and the Core i5-6442EQ. Both are quad-core processors that will deliver a great base performance for all the connection options. There are 8GB and 16GB DDR4 models available, but all of them are upgradable to 32GB.

Multiple-Gigabit USB and Network Connections

While the processor and RAM options are pretty great, the connection options are what mostly sets this system apart from the rest on the market. There are two ordinary Gigabit Ethernet connections, but that’s where the similarities stop. You also get two 10GbE GBASE-T network connections and two USB 3.1 Gen.2 10Gbps connectors. There are a couple of normal USB 3.0 ports too.

Thunderbolt 3 comes with some great advantages such as daisy-chaining up to six devices onto the same port. It can also handle up to 40Gbps which is great when a lot of hardware is connected through a single cable. The system comes with two Thunderbolt 3 ports.

Thanks to the QTS 4.3 OS, it also comes with the innovative Thunderbolt-to-Ethernet (T2E) Converter which allows Thunderbolt-enabled devices to access 10GbE network resources over a Thunderbolt connection to the NAS. This converter introduces a flexible and cost-effective data transfer method for non-Ethernet devices.

Storage Expansion

With all the connection available, it’s quite easy to expand the TVS-882ST3’s storage. Users can connect up to six Thunderbolt 2 expansion enclosures (8-bay TX-800P or 5-bay TX-500P) or two USB 3.0 expansion enclosures (8-bay UX-800P or 5-bay UX-500P). The system also supports the relatively new VJBOD technology (Virtual JBOD) that leverages the unused storage capacity of other QNAP NAS.

The new TVS-882ST3 Thunderbolt 3 NAS is available now, but QNAP didn’t announce a pricing of the units.