QNAP TS-431X3 review: A capable NAS with super-fast 10Gb networking

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central

QNAP is one of the almost popular brands for network-attached storage enclosures and the new TS-431X3 is a promising small unit with some capable features. Namely, the 1Gb, 2.5Gb, and 10Gb SFP+ connections, allowing for some seriously rapid transfer speeds. Information technology'due south actually part of QNAP'southward more than affordable enclosure series, which makes this all the more heady.

It's hard to find 10Gb or even 2.5Gb ports in NAS enclosures that cost less than $500. QNAP designed the TS-431X3 to accept only enough performance to go along upwardly with the 10Gb connection, all whilst keeping costs depression to aggressively toll the enclosure against competing products from other vendors. Has the attempt paid off and is this the best NAS for home employ?

If yous're wanting to save money on your new NAS purchase, QNAP NAS enclosures tin can and do oft become on auction. Blackness Friday upon u.s.a. and you tin find a whole range of discounts across plenty of tech products. If yous manage to see this NAS for less than its usual toll of $450, information technology's a proficient bargain.

10Gb NAS

QNAP TS-431X3

$449

Bottom line: QNAP fabricated quite the compelling NAS enclosure for serious file storage.

Pros

• Four drive bays
• Great value
• Upgradable RAM
• two.5Gb and 10Gb LAN
• Lower power draw

Cons

• Somewhat weak CPU
• No M.2 slots

QNAP TS-431X3 tech specs

Category	QNAP TS-431X3
CPU	AnnapurnaLabs AL-314
RAM	4 GB DDR3 (max 8 GB)
Bulldoze bays	4x (SSD/HDD)
Capacity	64 TB
Cooling	1x 120 mm fan
Ports	1x 10Gb LAN SFP+ 1x 2.5Gb LAN 1x 1Gb LAN 3x USB 3.two Gen 1 (one front, 2 dorsum)
Power draw	26.7 Westward
Dimensions	169 ten 160 x 219 mm (half dozen.65 x vi.29 x 8.62 inches)
Weight	2.01 kg (4.43 lbs)

You lot'll dearest how fast the QNAP TS-431X3 NAS is

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central

The NAS market place is pretty competitive, especially within the depression- to mid-range segments. For less than $500, you can pocketbook yourself a capable network server that can not only play host to all your data storage needs but likewise do some funky stuff like hosting all your media for streaming. QNAP'south TS-431X3 is an interesting NAS.

QNAP'south TS-431X3 CPU isn't anything special, just the 10Gb SFP+ port sure is.

I say that because it's primarily targeting the onetime with four bulldoze trophy and a 32-bit ARM processor. You won't want to run Plex Media Server or other highly demanding apps and services, but for bankroll up all your devices, saving money on cloud storage, too every bit setting upwardly a centralized information server, information technology'southward more than enough.

That'south besides where the specifications become actually interesting. Usually, we'd find at most a ii.5Gb LAN port or two 1Gb LAN ports that tin be linked for additional bandwidth. That'southward not the case with the QNAP TS-431X3. The company decided to bring down a 10Gb SFP+ connector from more premium (and expensive) NAS enclosures to this mid-range model.

For the design, QNAP managed to cram everything into a meaty four-bay chassis. Information technology's smaller than a competing Synology DS420+, which means you lot can fit this NAS in places with restricted space. It's the usual black slab of metal and plastic you lot'd expect from a consumer-grade NAS enclosure, but with some cool design elements that fix information technology apart from the rest.

The QNAP TS-431X3 is perfectly suited for file storage at home and in the office.

On the forepart, we have some LED indicators for status, LAN, disks, and fifty-fifty the USB. At that place'south QNAP branding, the four bulldoze bays, two buttons (one for ability and the other for transfer), as well as 1 of the iii available USB iii.1 Gen two ports. The sides and top are articulate, aside from a piano black strip that traverses the top edge of the chassis.

The rear of the QNAP TS-431X3 is where the magic happens with a unmarried 1Gb LAN port, joined by another unmarried 2.5Gb LAN port, and the all-mighty 10Gb SFP+ LAN port. Even if you only have a 1Gb capable network configured right now, it's like shooting fish in a barrel to upgrade your infrastructure with a new router and/or switch without needing to supplant your NAS.

Picking the best drives for your NAS

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central

Your NAS enclosure isn't much expert to you without a difficult bulldoze or few installed and that's where our round-up of the best NAS drives comes into play. If yous need to option a new drive to store all your stuff on, we've got you lot covered.

Best storage drives for NAS

To exam the QNAP TS-431X3 out, I threw in 2 trusty 2TB Seagate IronWolf NAS drives to see just what kind of numbers we'd get. Unfortunately, I was unable to exam the 10Gb speeds since my switch isn't working. I'll exist certain to follow-upwardly with an commodity covering this once it's been replaced.

On newspaper, the NAS enclosure should offer full speeds, so long equally you're not doing anything else intensive on the server. The CPU should exist more than capable of handling a connection or two, assuasive for massive files to be stored and accessed remotely. For both 1Gb and two.5Gb, the TS-431X3 easily handled everything I threw at it.

A few exam runs saw a stable transfer charge per unit of around 240MB/s using the single 2.5Gb LAN port. The CPU was barely used and so I don't encounter much of an event with the 10Gb link. Splendid results for file storage. The 4GB of pre-installed RAM shouldn't exist an issue either, simply if you practice happen to hit the limit or the NAS feels a fiddling sluggish, it can exist bumped to 8GB.

QNAP's Bone is a joy to use

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Fundamental

Every QNAP NAS is powered past the company'due south custom fork of Linux, called the QTS. If you've used a Synology or ASUSTOR NAS earlier, y'all'll feel right at home here since the majority of settings, functions, and apps are constitute in similar places. An app shop allows y'all to download and install various QNAP and tertiary-political party software.

Upon setting up your TS-431X3 NAS for the beginning time, y'all'll demand to locate its IP address using your router admin panel or past using QNAP Qfinder Pro. Once you've connected to the enclosure using your favorite spider web browser, the initial setup magician takes a few moments of your fourth dimension.

Source: Windows Central

After you've passed through the magician, the NAS will restart and load upwards QTS. This is essentially a desktop-like environs for managing everything on your NAS. Yous tin use it to check the condition of your NAS and its hard drives, movement across files, install apps, configure disks and partitions, as well as set boosted user accounts.

Whether you plan on running a media server, configuring all your devices to automatically backup to the enclosure, or provide access to friends and family to shop and admission files, QTS volition get y'all upwards and running in no fourth dimension at all. The feel is flawless and the hardware inside the enclosure runs everything without a hitch.

What you lot might dislike about the QNAP TS-431X3

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central

The elephant in the room is the processor. It'south non terrible if all you lot plan on doing is storing files and using 3rd-party services that don't require beefy specifications. I get that QNAP had to cut corners somewhere to keep the price low, merely if they could accept squeezed in an Intel processor, this would have boosted performance considerably where graphics are concerned.

I also found the LEDs to be a little on the weak side, depending on the angle yous're looking at the NAS. I do like how the front plate covers the LEDs so y'all don't see blank boxes when they're not lit, simply if you enjoy staring at the flashing lights offset, set to be disappointed.

So, should you purchase the QNAP TS-431X3?

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Primal

Affordability is relative, especially when discussing NAS enclosures. The QNAP TS-431X3 isn't budget-friendly, simply for what y'all get included with the unit of measurement, information technology'due south a solid price. Should you have a network capable of treatment 10Gb speeds, you'll be more than happy with this enclosure.

Information technology'southward non the most powerful NAS around, simply it's not designed to exist. The Amazon ARM CPU is only 32-bit and you shouldn't endeavor to run Plex on this NAS, but if y'all're more into building a network solution for storing files and backups, the TS-431X3 is available with rapid transfer speeds.

The RAM is a trivial on the slow slide, being DDR3 and not DDR4, merely it can exist upgraded to 8GB. The four drive trophy allow yous to store upward to 64TB of data, depending on which RAID configuration you opt for. The enclosure is repose and the QNAP Os is bright to use. If 10Gb networking is what you care near for, this NAS is worth shortlisting.

10Gb NAS

QNAP TS-431X3

QNAP packs a punch with this NAS

The TS-431X3 has features you'd ordinarily find in more expensive enclosures, similar the bachelor 10Gb SFP+ port. Have a speedy network? This is a great affordable NAS for you.

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