Methodology
Theoretical and Practical Considerations
To evaluate the F4-425 Plus’s performance, we conducted a series of tests covering internal and external storage operations. These tests were designed to assess the NAS’s capabilities across diverse scenarios, including synthetic benchmarks, real-world file transfers, internal drive-to-drive transfers, and external USB-to-drive backups. Internal transfers highlight how effectively the NAS utilizes its internal bandwidth when moving data between storage volumes, while external USB tests assess its ability to handle archival or redundant backups. The methodology provides a robust evaluation of the NAS’s capabilities across a wide range of use cases.
Hardware Configuration
The F4-425 Plus supports both SATA and NVMe drives. We tested the drives in RAID and EXT4 format.
| NAS Configuration | |
|---|---|
| Internal Disks | 4x ADATA SU800 240GB, 3x Crucial P3 Plus 1TB |
| External Disk | Crucial P3 Plus 1TB in USB 4 enclosure |
| Firmware | TOS 6.0.783 – 01200 |
We connected a USB 4 external NVMe to the NAS to test external storage backup performance. The USB 4.0 interface exceeds the 10Gbps limit of the NAS’s USB ports, so it’s not a bottleneck.
The NAS and client PC were connected using a 5 Gbps Ethernet link with a theoretical maximum throughput of ~625 MB/s. This ensured the network connection was unlikely to bottleneck the performance of the internal storage devices under test. Testing was conducted in a controlled environment, with no competing network traffic or unnecessary background processes on the client device.
Testing Procedures
The evaluation consisted of the following test categories:
1. Synthetic Benchmarks:
– CrystalDiskMark (CDM) and ATTO Disk Benchmark: These tools measured sequential and random read/write speeds, providing standardized performance metrics across configurations.
2. Real-World File Transfers:
– Single Large File Test: A large file (several gigabytes) was transferred between the NAS and the client PC. To be specific, a large 4k movie file at 24.78GB.
– Multiple Small Files Test: A directory containing numerous small files was transferred to simulate workloads involving document libraries or project files. In this case, it involved transferring 3,100 photos, totaling 7.17GB.
3. Internal Transfer Tests:
– Data was transferred between internal storage devices within the NAS to evaluate internal bandwidth and processing efficiency. These tests highlighted the NAS’s ability to efficiently handle internal data movement, such as rearranging or migrating files between its internal drives.
4. External USB-to-Drive Tests:
– A USB 4.0 external NVMe was used to back up data. These tests measured the NAS’s capability to handle backups from external devices, a common scenario for users managing archival or redundant data storage.
Metrics Evaluated
The primary metrics assessed included:
– Sequential Read/Write Speeds: Measured in megabytes per second (MB/s), these indicate the NAS’s ability to handle continuous data streams.
– Random Read/Write Speeds: These metrics are critical for workloads involving fragmented data or small files.
– Real-World Transfer Rates: Observed during file transfer tests between the NAS and the client device, as well as between the NAS’s internal drives.
– Backup Speeds: Measured during USB-to-drive transfers, reflecting the NAS’s efficiency in handling external storage backups.
