Where does it fit in?
The TS-421 NAS has been given the task of introducing the world to Qnap's refreshed operating system, QTS 4.0. It's both a privilege and a burden, as though QTS 4.0 has plenty going for it, Qnap's rapid product launch cycle leaves the TS-421 sat in the midst of half-a-dozen similar alternatives.
Choosing a Qnap NAS just got a little more complicated, and those in the market for one of the Taiwanese outfit's four-bay tower solutions now have to ask themselves: how much do they need QTS 4.0?
| Model | TS-412 |
TS-420 |
TS-421 |
TS-419P II |
TS-469L |
TS-469 Pro |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Segment | Home/SOHO |
Home/SOHO |
Home/SOHO |
Home/SOHO |
Home/SOHO |
SOHO/ SMB |
| Current OS | QTS 3 |
QTS 4 |
QTS 4 |
QTS 3 |
QTS 3 |
QTS 3 |
| CPU | Marvell 1.2 GHz (Single-Core) |
Marvell 1.6 GHz (Single-Core) |
Marvell 2.0 GHz (Single-Core) |
Marvell 2.0 GHz (Single-Core) |
Intel Atom 2.13 GHz (Dual-Core) |
Intel Atom 2.13 GHz (Dual-Core) |
| Memory | 256MB RAM |
512MB RAM |
1GB RAM |
512MB RAM |
1GB RAM |
1GB RAM |
| Flash | 16MB |
16MB |
16MB |
16MB |
512MB (DOM) |
512MB (DOM) |
| Extra RAM Slot | - |
- |
- |
- |
Yes (Max 3 GB) |
Yes (Max 3 GB) |
| SATA Support | 3Gbps |
3Gbps |
3Gbps |
3Gbps |
3Gbps |
6Gbps / 3Gbps |
| Swappable HDDs | Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes, with keylock |
| Gigabit LAN Ports | 2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
| USB 2.0 | 4 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
5 |
5 |
| USB 3.0 | - |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
| eSATA | 2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
| HDMI | - |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
1 |
| Approx. Price |
The forward-looking software is a sign of things to come, and we suspect the refreshed operating system will become available to a wider range of Qnap NAS devices in the coming months, but for the time being at least, it remains exclusive to the TS-x21 series and the TS-x20 series.
Conclusion
Introduced as a direct successor to the TS-419P II, the TS-421 offers twice the amount of RAM and various software advancements, but the hardware has barely progressed and performance is limited as a consequence. As it stands, the TS-469L remains the sweet spot for price and performance.
The Good
Simple installation
Refreshed QTS 4.0 operating system
Powerful feature set
Multiple backup options
Excellent multimedia tools
The Bad
Limited single-core performance
TS-469L is better value for money
HEXUS Where2Buy
The Qnap TS-421 NAS is available to purchase from Scan Computers*.
HEXUS Right2Reply
At HEXUS, we invite the companies whose products we test to comment on our articles. If any company representatives for the products reviewed choose to respond, we'll publish their commentary here verbatim.
*UK-based HEXUS community members are eligible for free delivery and priority customer service through the SCAN.care@HEXUS forum.
