QNAP Turbo Station TS-431 4-Bay SOHO NAS Review

Final Thoughts

Pricing

When most people think pre-built NAS with four bays, they also think that it will cost them an arm and a leg to get it. But not so with the QNAP TS-431 that can be had for a very reasonable £209.98 at Amazon or £209.99 at Overclockers UK. US readers can pick it up at Amazon for $289.99 or NewEgg for $289.99 while German readers can find it starting from €270 through Geizhals.

Overview

QNAP has been in the NAS business for a long time and they have an amazing operating system running on their devices. The QTS becomes better with each update and more functions and features are added. I like where it has gotten to and where it’s going. The new cloud-based setup was a breeze and I like the option to do it that way and from any browser on any device.

The hardware used is simple from a strictly parts point of view, but they work great together. The NAS performed just as well in our real-world NAS performance testing as it was promised on the product page with up to 110MB/s transfer speeds. I love the dual LAN connection and the functionality that brings along, especially in this price category. USB 3.0 and eSATA ports ensure that you can connect plenty of extra storage as well as WiFi sticks, webcams, printers and much more directly to your NAS.

The white design is a much wanted one at the moment as the TS-431 fits right into that scheme. It has a subtle design without any distractions, but it works. It is a well-built unit and the insides are sturdier than you’d think for the overall weight. The only thing that felt a little cheap were the drive-trays. Not that they didn’t work or that I think that they’ll break or something, but simply from the somewhat hard locking mechanism; how often do we change our drives anyway – not often.

Looking at all this and putting it together and there is no doubt that this is a great device. A device well suited for home users, both beginners and enthusiasts, just as well as small businesses without a too big a staff. Combined with the low purchase cost and the ever-growing hard disks capacities at cheaper prices and you have a powerful budget entry into the NAS world.

Pros:

• Great price vs performance ratio
• USB 3.0 and eSATA
• Great operating system
• Dual Gigabit Ethernet

Cons:

• Drive-tray locking mechanism felt a bit cheap

“QNAP has created one of the best SOHO NAS’ when looking at the performance vs price. It’s packed with feature, has a good performance, and doesn’t even cost much. That’s a winner.”

Thanks to QNAP for providing us with this review sample.