QNAP TS-251 2-Bay NAS for $249.99 - Regularly $329.99 - Expires Today 3/30

[voodoo7817]

One of the better performing 2-bay NAS is on sale today. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822107170. Use coupon code AFEX330A for $80 off.

I have the TS-451 (which I got for $350) and it works really well for me. If you only need 2 bays this is a good deal.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Wow, HDMI out? This must be much more than just a NAS. Local HD media watching connected to the bigscreen too?

 

[voodoo7817]

I don't use the HDMI out but my understanding is that it works pretty well. I'm pretty sure the software that it uses is XBMC and it does not have issues playing (almost) all file types at resolutions up to 4k (and I guess beyond?).

The only 'downside' to this NAS is that it's not able to transcode multiple hd streams to multiple devices, but then again nothing near this price point can.

Edited to add: Original MSRP on this device was $499, so the older reviews that describe this model as not offering great price for performance would likely change their tune at $249.

One last edit: If you want more RAM for this NAS, you can upgrade this unit yourself. I have not done that on my TS-451, but there are guides on the internet for those interested.

 

[mikeford]

How does this compare to the Lenovo iX2-DL, 2 bay $50 NAS?

 

[voodoo7817]

I don't consider myself an expert, but at a quick glance here are what I see as the main differences:

QNAP on left, Lenovo on right

Intel Celeron J1800 2.41 GHz vs Marvell 1.3 Ghz processor
1GB RAM (upgradeable to 8gb) vs 256MB RAM (Idk about upgrades)
Edited to add: Data transfer on QNAP is ~100mb/s while the Lenovo is ~35mb/s.

2 ethernet ports vs 1 ethernet port
HDMI-out vs no hdmi out
2 USB 3.0 ports and 2 USB 2.0 ports (including front panel) vs 1 USB 2.0 port

Also, I think it's reasonable to assume that the QNAP software is more fully featured and easier to use, but I really can't speak to specifics.

My guess is that for many people, the $50 unit will probably be enough, especially for those just first dipping their toes into network storage, but for those who want better performance, more features, and ease of use, the QNAP could be worth the investment. It was for me.

 

[exar333]

I have this QNAP and it is great. Great buy for this price!

 

[maddogchen]

darn....i already have a qnap thats not as good....maybe in 5 years they'll have quad-cores for this price.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I'd love to get this, but it's a little out of my price range, don't need the media transcode abilities, nor the HDMI port, and my WLAN AC1200 USB adapters seem to max out at around 22MB/sec, so the extra performance would be wasted, unless I went wired on my LAN.

 

[krnmastersgt]

I'd love to get this, but it's a little out of my price range, don't need the media transcode abilities, nor the HDMI port, and my WLAN AC1200 USB adapters seem to max out at around 22MB/sec, so the extra performance would be wasted, unless I went wired on my LAN.

Then have no fear, Amazon Gold Box deals are here to drain your wallet!

http://smile.amazon.com/b/ref=lp_11...1&ie=UTF8&node=11027393011&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

I'd mainly be looking into that QNAP 231 since it's what you want of the 251, dropping the features you don't need and being cheaper

Also there's them Seagate 4TB NAS drives, not sure I like the price of a NAS class drive to justify picking up Seagate though (historically bad experiences personally).

 

[exar333]

The 251 is a FANTASTIC SFF Plex server. It is plenty-fast for transcoding on-the-fly and comes with a great suite of QNAP software. For this price, its a great buy....

Update: Looks to be back to $329...