TerraMaster is really pushing the envelope with the F2-425, an x86-based NAS system featuring a 2.5GbE connection at a very compelling price point. What gap in the market is it filling, and why might it be the one you need?
It’s no secret that in the past couple of years, there’s been an influx of NAS products, mainly from Chinese brands, aiming to fill every imaginable price point at the lower end of the market. As NAS technology from the past is integrated into consumer-grade devices, competition has intensified.
Other popular and well-known NAS brands have long offered products in the $249 range, but typically powered by ARM-based chips, limited to standard Gigabit connections, and designed just for file storage. TerraMaster, on the other hand, brings to market an x86 system with 4GB of DDR4 RAM and a 2.5GbE connection, all for just $249.
The F2-425’s design follows the familiar NAS formula: a two-bay drive setup, toolless installation for 3.5-inch drives, and TOS 6, TerraMaster’s own NAS operating system, refined over the years. The x86 CPU here is Intel’s N5095, which won’t set any performance records but is more than capable for most tasks. The 4GB of RAM isn’t ECC, but neither is anything else at this price point.
So, who is this product really for, and how far can it take you? Stick around as we break down the details we like about the F2-425 and explore what makes it shine beyond the obvious.
- Manufacturer: TerraMaster
- Model Number: F2-425
- Processor: Intel® N5095 (2.9 GHz turbo clock)
- Memory: 4 GB DDR4 non-ECC SODIMM (1x 4 GB) 3200MT/s (expandable up to 16GB)
- Flash Memory: 4GB
- Operating System: TerraMaster OS 6 – TOS6 (Linux Based)
- RAID Levels: TRAID, TRAID＋, Single, JBOD, RAID 0 / 1 /
- Drive Bays: 2x
- M.2 Drive Slots: –
- Maximum Drives with External units: –
- File System (Internal Drives): EXT4, Btrfs
- File System (External Drives): FAT32, NTFS, EXT3, EXT4, HFS+, Btrfs
- Networking: 1x .55 Gigabit Ethernet (2.5G/1G/100M)
- PCIe Expansion Slots: –
- I/O Ports: 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps), 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (5Gbps)
- Multimedia Output: 1 x HDMI 2.0b
- Dimensions (W x H x D): 119 x 222 x 154mm
- Weight: 1.5kg (3.31lb)
- Power Consumption (manufacturer’s measurements): 22.0 W(read/write), 11.0 W (hibernation) [Fully loaded Seagate 4TB ST4000VN008]
- Power Supply: External, 48W, 100–240 V
- Fan(s): 1x 80mm (Snowfan YY8025L12S, 12V, 0.43A)
- Warranty: 2 years
- Price at Time of Review: $249.99
