QNAP NAS devices run QTS OS and are known for hardware expandability, including PCIe slots, higher default RAM, and HDMI output. Popular with power users running VMs, containers, and multimedia workloads.
The TS-464 is the sweet spot with its Intel Celeron N5105, 8GB RAM, 4 bays, dual 2.5GbE, and two M.2 NVMe slots for SSD caching. The TS-664 adds two more bays for growing storage needs. QNAP supports PCIe expansion for 10GbE or additional NVMe storage - a major advantage over Synology at this price point. QTS supports Virtualization Station for full VMs and Container Station for Docker.
| Price | Brand / Model | Bays | Network | Processor | RAM | Warranty | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | TS-233 2-Bay Desktop NAS Diskless TS-233-US | 2-Bay Diskless | GbE | ARM Cortex-A55 | 2GB DDR4 | 3yr | Buy → |
| — | TS-464 4-Bay Desktop NAS Diskless TS-464-8G-US | 4-Bay Diskless | 2.5GbE | Intel Celeron N5105 | 8GB DDR4 | 3yr | Buy → |
| — | TS-664 6-Bay Desktop NAS Diskless TS-664-8G-US | 6-Bay Diskless | 2.5GbE | Intel Celeron N5105 | 8GB DDR4 | 3yr | Buy → |
| — | TS-462 4-Bay Desktop NAS TS-462-4G | 4-Bay Diskless | GbE | Intel Celeron N5105 | 4GB DDR4 | 3yr | Buy → |
Yes. QNAP models with PCIe slots (TS-464, TS-664, and higher) support 10GbE network cards. QNAP sells the QXG-10G1T (10GBASE-T) and QXG-10G2SF-X710 (SFP+) cards. Third-party Intel X540/X710 cards also work. This is a key advantage over Synology where 10GbE expansion is more limited.
QTS offers more hardware features (PCIe expansion, HDMI, higher RAM) and supports full VM workloads via Virtualization Station. However, DSM is considered more stable and polished, with better mobile apps and a larger third-party app ecosystem. QTS has improved significantly in recent years but historically had more security vulnerabilities than DSM.
The TS-464 with its Intel Celeron N5105 supports hardware transcoding for Plex, handling multiple 4K streams. It ships with 8GB RAM and includes HDMI output for direct media playback. For heavier Plex use, the TS-664 offers 6 bays for larger media libraries while using the same capable processor.