Tuesday, August 04, 2020
TerraMaster is an impressive network-attached storage (NAS) enclosure vendor. The NAS they provide usually rock similar specifications than competing NAS but are priced more aggressively. They're also not black slabs of plastic and metal, but instead, come with a brushed aluminum finish. Here are the best NAS enclosures from TerraMaster available for you to choose from.
Best Overall: TerraMaster F2-221
| Category | TerraMaster F2-221 |
|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Celeron J3355 |
| RAM | 2GB DDR3 (max 6GB) |
| Drive bays | 2x (SSD/HDD) |
| Capacity | 32TB |
| Cooling | 1x 80 mm fan |
| Ports | 2x 1Gb LAN 2x Rear USB 3.0 |
| Power draw | Up to 25.6W |
| Dimensions | 227 x 119 x 133 mm ( x x inches) |
| Weight | 1.47 kg ( lbs) |
The TerraMaster F2-221 is our favorite NAS for more owners. If you're buying your very first enclosure or simply need a small unit for the home or small office, this is the best enclosure from TerraMaster for price and performance. Powered by an Intel Celeron J3355 processor alongside 2GB of RAM, it's also quite fast.
That RAM can be upgraded too, up to 6GB. The two drive bays can hold a capacity of up to 32TB of data, so you can be sure you'll be able to store plenty of files on the F2-221. To keep everything cool and running well, the company opted to include a single 80mm on the rear of the unit.
For the design, it's the same aluminum finish we've come to know and love from TerraMaster. There are a few ports, too, including two 1Gb LAN ports and a further two USB 3.0. There's no 2.5Gb, nor USB 3.2, but it's better than nothing.
Pros:
- Good price
- Capable Intel processor
- Upgradable RAM
- Dual 1Gb LAN
- Capacity of 32TB
Cons:
- No M.2 slots
- No 2.5Gb LAN
Best Overall
TerraMaster F2-221
The best TerraMaster NAS
The F2-221 almost ticks all the boxes for a stunning TerraMaster NAS. You've got a great CPU, upgradable RAM, but no M.2 slot or 2.5Gb LAN.
Best Budget: TerraMaster F2-210
| Category | TerraMaster F2-210 |
|---|---|
| CPU | Realtek RTD1296 |
| RAM | 1GB DDR3 (max 1GB) |
| Drive bays | 2x (SSD/HDD) |
| Capacity | 32TB |
| Cooling | 1x 80 mm fan |
| Ports | 1x 1Gb LAN 2x Rear USB 3.0 |
| Power draw | Up to 25.6W |
| Dimensions | 227 x 119 x 133 mm ( x x inches) |
| Weight | 1.35 kg ( lbs) |
TerraMaster's more affordable enclosure comes in the form of the F2-210. It shares the same design as the rest of the TerraMaster portfolio but comes with a more aggressive price. This is reflected in the configuration, however. This NAS doesn't have an Intel CPU, but a Realtek ARM processor instead.
This isn't a massive issue if you only plan on using the NAS for file storage, but you'll need to steer clear of Plex and other intensive applications. The RAM is also limited at just 1GB and cannot be upgraded. Still, because it's a two-bay NAS enclosure, you can install up to 32TB of capacity.
On the rear of the device, you'll find a single 1Gb LAN port and two USB 3.0 ports. It's more affordable but comes with fewer features compared to our best overall pick, the F2-221.
Pros:
- Affordable
- Capacity of 32TB
- Ideal for file storage
Cons:
- ARM processor
- Only 1GB RAM
- No M.2 slots
- Only 1 Gb LAN port
Best Budget
TerraMaster F2-210
Save money on your NAS
This NAS is relatively affordable, making it ideal for newcomers to the world of NAS. You will lose out on a second 1Gb port and be stuck with an ARM processor.
Best for Plex: TerraMaster F4-422
| Category | TerraMaster F4-422 |
|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Celeron J3455 |
| RAM | 4GB DDR3 (max 8GB) |
| Drive bays | 4x (SSD/HDD) |
| Capacity | 64TB |
| Cooling | 2x 80 mm fan |
| Ports | 2x 1Gb LAN 1x 10Gb LAN 2x Rear USB 3.0 |
| Power draw | Up to 46.6W |
| Dimensions | 227 x 225 x 136 mm ( x x inches) |
| Weight | 2.3 kg ( lbs) |
The TerraMaster F4-422 is almost what you'd get if you took the F2-221 and stretched it to contain a further two drive bays. With four in total, it's possible to store up to 64TB of data on this enclosure. There's the speedy Intel Celeron J3455 processor installed, alongside 4GB of RAM, which can be bumped to a maximum of 8GB.
For ports, TerraMaster went all out with dual 1Gb LAN and a single 10Gb LAN, as well as two USB 3.0 ports. Everything is cooled by the two 80mm fans, and the enclosure looks great with the aluminum finish. While you can store plenty of things on the F4-422, TerraMaster didn't include any M.2 slots, so you won't be able to improve access speeds with cache.
This is a shame as the F4-422 is almost perfect for those who need to store everything on a NAS, and it'll even do well for Plex.
Pros:
- Good price
- Capable Intel processor
- Upgradable RAM
- 10Gb LAN
- Capacity of 64TB
Cons:
- No M.2 slots
Best for Plex
TerraMaster F4-422
TerraMaster's new mid-tier beast
The F4-422 is an excellent mid-tier NAS from TerraMaster. It houses capable Intel processor, upgradable RAM, and even 10Gb LAN, but no M.2 slot is a real bummer.
Best Capacity: TerraMaster F5-221
| Category | TerraMaster F5-221 |
|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Celeron J3355 |
| RAM | 2GB DDR3 (max 6GB) |
| Drive bays | 5x (SSD/HDD) |
| Capacity | 80TB |
| Cooling | 2x 80 mm fan |
| Ports | 2x 1Gb LAN 2x Rear USB 3.0 |
| Power draw | Up to 56.6W |
| Dimensions | 227 x 225 x 136 mm ( x x inches) |
| Weight | 2.33 kg ( lbs) |
This is a beast of a NAS, rocking five drive bays allowing for up to 80TB of data to be stored. Partnered with an Intel Celeron J3355 processor, it's possible to do a great many things on the F5-221, including running a multimedia server like Plex. It shares the same design as other NAS enclosures in this collection, albeit with slightly different dimensions for the additional drive bays.
RAM is set at 2GB from the factory, though this can be improved to 6GB. There are two 80mm fans this time around to keep all the drives and other internals running within temperature limits. Ports selection is lackluster, however. You've only got two 1Gb LAN and two USB 3.0. Where are the 2.5Gb or 10Gb ports?
If you need a box to store even more data, look no further than the TerraMaster F5-221.
Pros:
- Good price
- Capable Intel processor
- Upgradable RAM
- Dual 1Gb LAN
- Capacity of 80TB
Cons:
- No M.2 slots
- No 2.5Gb LAN
Best Capacity
TerraMaster F5-221
For when you need to store all the things
This TerraMaster NAS has five drive bays for up to 80TB of storage capacity, upgradable RAM, and a pretty good Intel processor. It's perfect for those needing to store more stuff.
Picking the best TerraMaster NAS to buy
The best overall TerraMaster NAS enclosure goes to the F2-221. This unit allows you to install two drives, store all your data, save money on cloud storage subscriptions, and more, all for a reasonable price.
If you need something a little better suited to more performance-heavy applications like Plex, it's best to upgrade to the F4-422. This NAS comes rocking an Intel Celeron J3455 processor, four drive bays, 10Gb LAN, and plenty of other features to make for a killer NAS setup. So long as you can void the lack of any M.2 slots.
Choosing some hard drives for your NAS
Like other vendors, TerraMaster sells the enclosure, which means they don't come with any hard drives. This is why the total cost of a NAS can be even higher than the price of the enclosure itself. You could use desktop drives, but it's better to use hard drives that are specifically designed for NAS use. These storage devices come with advanced features for continuous operation.
Choosing a drive depends on your budget and how much data you plan on storing. For data protection, it's best to run at least two drives in some form of redundant array of independent disks (RAID), which will help prevent any data loss. Thus, should you buy two 2TB drives and run them in RAID1, you'll only have 2TB of space for all your files.
The best storage drives for NAS
To get the most out of your NAS enclosure, you'll need to install some hard drives. We've rounded up some of our favorites, allowing you to store all the data on your NAS. Whether you need to save a little and go with a 2TB drive or go all out with 16TB or even an SSD for rapid transfer rates, we got you covered.
If you're new to NAS and only plan on testing out the concept, we'd recommend 2TB hard drives. It's possible to go all the way up to 16TB per hard drive, though you'll need to part with some serious cash to do so.
Credits — The team that worked on this guide
Rich Edmonds is a staff reviewer at Windows Central, which means he tests out more software and hardware than he cares to remember. Joining Mobile Nations in 2010, you can usually find him inside a PC case tinkering around when not at a screen fighting with Grammarly to use British words. Hit him up on Twitter: @RichEdmonds.
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