At first sight
Expert rating
Pros
- High transfer speed
- Compact design
- Lots of upgrade options
- HDMI connection
Cons
- High price
- Increased power consumption
Our verdict
Even out of the box, the QNAP TS-264-8G is an extremely fast 2.5GbE NAS server. At the same time, it also requires a correspondingly high purchase price for empty housing.
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Best prices today
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US$439
Best prices today: Qnap Turbostation TS-264-8G
The QNAP Turbostation TS-264-8G network storage is an expensive NAS enclosure for home and home office use. However, a two-disk NAS server is very popular. In this review we will look at the reasons.
Features: Many offers for pick-up.
In the QNAP Turbostation TS-264-8G NAS system, two components immediately stand out: an Intel Celeron N5095 processor with four cores and a clock speed of up to 2.9 GHz. It comes with Intel UHD Graphics and is optimized for multitasking. It also comes with 8GB of RAM (DDR4 SODIMM). This generous RAM configuration can be expanded up to 16GB with a second 8GB module – not a bad feat for a home server.
In addition to classic 3.5-inch hard drives, the two hard drive bays can also accommodate narrower 2.5-inch versions or SSDs.
The QNAP TS-264-8G also offers flexible upgrade options: with two M.2 slots, the network storage can be expanded with NVMe SSDs. They can be configured as cache accelerators as well as additional storage space.
A PCIe 3.0 slot is also integrated, which can be used to further expand the network storage using the manufacturer's own expansion cards – for example, to add a 10GbE LAN port or additional NVMe SSDs. A larger upgrade is not possible in this class of NAS.
Foundry
On the front panel of the case there is a USB 3.2 Gen2 port, which is equipped with a copy function. The rear panel features a standard USB-A port, two USB 2.0 ports, and one HDMI port. The HDMI port is designed to simplify virtualization applications by allowing you to connect a display so that the NAS can then be used as a computer.
Two 2.5GbE LAN ports complete the extensive capabilities. Two Ethernet ports can even be combined using link aggregation.
High Output Power QNAP TS-264-8G
Even without the upgrade option, the QNAP Turbostation TS-264-8G NAS server performed very well in tests. We use two NAS hard drives – more precisely, 3.5-inch Seagate Ironwolf ST4000NE001 models with a capacity of 4 TB each, which are configured in a Raid 1 network. We use only one of the two 2.5 Gigabit LAN ports for this purpose.
Even tests conducted using the NAS Performance Tester showed impressive data transfer speeds, with the QNAP model writing an 8000 MB packet at 247 MB/s and reading it at almost 285 MB/s. It's even faster with smaller data packets – for example, at 400 MB, write speeds are almost 252 MB/s and read speeds are 296 MB/s.
What is not self-evident: High performance has been proven in practice. When ripping a 4K movie Tears of steel round trip, the QNAP Turbostation TS-264-8G NAS achieves a good 223 MB/s write and 261 MB/s read. In both cases these are new entries in the test field.
A good 42MB/s is also the best result from writing our 2GB backup. The TS-264-8G also takes first place with speeds of over 103MB/s when recording backups and movies simultaneously.
Easy setup
You don't need to be a NAS expert to set up the QNAP Turbostation TS-264-8G NAS Server. 3.5-inch hard drives can be attached to the carriers without tools using clamps. Network attached storage can be easily identified on your home network using the free tool Qfinder Pro, which can be downloaded from the manufacturer.(www.qnap.com/qfinderpro). The test recognizes the device as “The server has not yet been initialized.”
Once you click on the notification, the commissioning process will begin with basic steps such as checking the firmware version, creating an account, and selecting the time zone. Here you can also specify whether you want to access the NAS system via an automatic or static IP address. As always with QNAP, you will receive a summary of the settings made before initialization began.
After installing the firmware, you will find instructions on the next steps on the right side of the screen. For example, you create a storage pool, specify a RAID mode, and define a snapshot storage allocation.
Again, summary information is provided before storage pools are created. This takes time – it's best to give the NAS server time overnight. After that, specify your volume(s).
Foundry
QTS Firmware: Clear, with many applications.
You make NAS settings in the QTS firmware. It is organized graphically – as is now the case with most NAS manufacturers. QNAP is known for its extensive app store, locally called App Center. This can be used to add additional functionality. For example, you can load your NAS with media servers such as Plex, Minim or Kazoo and protect the device from malware.
The QTS firmware is comprehensive and offers all the important settings. Central areas such as Storage and Snapshots are located directly on the interface and can be quickly accessed – similar to a NAS competitor.
Feature: With this NAS you can even switch to the QuTS Hero operating system, which thanks to the ZFS file system is especially suitable for mixed storage consisting of HDD and SSD. However, switching requires at least QTS version 5.2.1.
Environment and health
As always with 2.5GbE network attached storage, power consumption is higher than comparable 1GbE NAS systems. In the case of the QNAP TS-264-8G, we notice this already in the test, when only HDDs are installed in the system.
During operation, the measuring device shows up to 33.7 W. And even in standby and sleep modes at 26.5 and 16.8 W there is noticeably more power consumption. The fact that the device still consumes 1.9 W when switched off is no longer a big deal, although this value is also relatively high.
Even if the case temperature rises under load, the air control works well as the values remain in the green range throughout the test.
Turbo station QNAP TS-264-8G: test results and technical data
| Turbo station QNAP TS-264-8G: Test results | |
| Verified firmware version | QTS 5.2.7.3297 |
| Write UHD Movies/Read UHD Movies (MB/s) | 223.40 / 261.41 |
| Backup Write (MB/s) | 42.43 |
| UHD movie copy and backup recording (simultaneous) (MB/s) | 103.53 |
| NAS Performance Tester: 100MB Write/Read (MB/s) | 253.80 / 294.39 |
| NAS Performance Tester: 400MB Write/Read (MB/s) | 251.67 / 296.11 |
| NAS Performance Tester: 8000 MB Write/Read (MB/s) | 247.31/284.89 |
| Installation/control panel/buttons | Simple / LEDs only / yes (copy) |
| Replacing the hard drive/changing the hard drive while working | No tools / yes |
| Status messages via | Alarm/Email/SMS |
| Power Consumption: Standby/Sleep/Load/Off. | 26.5/16.8/33.7/1.9 W |
| Temperature: idle/load | 22/28.5° Celsius |
| Operating noise: Idle/load | Quiet/medium |
| Dimensions (W × D × H) / weight (without equipment) | 113 x 228 x 170 millimeters / 1.6 kilograms |
View QNAP TS-264-8G Turbo Station on Amazon
| Turbostation QNAP TS-264-8G: Features | |
| Number of HDD bays/internal drives | 2 / 0 |
| Ports: USB 3.0 (USB 3.2 Gen2) / USB 2.0 / Network / Anti-theft | 2 / 2 / 2 / yes |
| File system(s) | EXT4 |
| Memory: available/upgradable | 8,192 MB DDR4 / yes |
| Processor (clock speed) | Intel Celeron N5095 (2.9 GHz boost) |
| Large frame support | Yes |
| Encryption | Yes |
| Scope of delivery | Power supply, power cable, LAN cable (1 pc.), screws 6 and 8 pcs. (2.5″ SSD), Extended Warranty, Quick Installation Guide, Limited Warranty |
| Included programs | Qfinder Pro (Download) |
| Server Services: FTP/Print/Web Server/Web Access | Yes / no / yes / yes |
| Media server via: DLNA/UPnP-AV/iTunes | Yes/yes/no |
| Raid modes: 0/1/5/1 5/Matrix/JBOD | Yes / yes / no / no / no / yes |
| IPV6 compatible | Yes/yes |
| Installation of 2.5-inch HDD/SSD is possible. | Yes |
| Additionally | PCIe 3.0 expansion card slot (5/10GbE), 2 M.2 slots |
| Internet | www.qnap.com/de |
| Manufacturer's warranty | 36 months |
