TerraMaster F2-223 review: Great value NAS with two bays and an Intel CPU
TerraMaster's most affordable 2-bay Intel NAS offers excellent value.
The TerraMaster F2-223 is a two-bay NAS that's part of the company's push into 2023 with more advanced internals. Compared to its predecessor, TerraMaster loaded in a new low-power Intel Celeron processor, support for up to 32GB of DDR4 RAM, and launched the enclosure with a new version of TerraMaster's NAS operating system.
What's better than buying your very first NAS or an enclosure as an upgrade over an existing unit? A discounted NAS, of course! Amazon Prime Day is in full swing and we're already into the second day. History shows this as one of the prime (sorry, pun intended!) moments of the year to save big on some of the best NAS from brands such as Synology, TerraMaster, Asustor, and QNAP. If you've yet to use NAS and are wondering what all the fuss is about, think of them as smart external storage where you can not only store files and access them across the network but run apps and services too.
Synology's DiskStation DS923+ NAS is at an all-time low just for Prime Day
Save more than $100 on Synology's newest four-bay NAS
Synology is responsible for one of the best NAS ecosystems available. The company's enclosures are well-built and offer good specifications for the price, but it's the DiskStation Manager (DMS) operating system that really makes the DiskStation catalog of NAS truly shine above the competition. Those who have had the pleasure of using an OS such as Windows, macOS, or Linux for extended periods will feel right at home when using a Synology NAS like the DiskStation DS923+.
TerraMaster's best NAS for Plex is discounted for Prime Day
Save $100 on the best NAS from TerraMaster for running Plex Media Server
Creating your very own Plex Media Server is a great way to catalog, stream, and enjoy purchased media content, be it music, shows, or movies. To make the most out of Plex, it's important to consider just how much media you have available to store, what kind of processing power you'll need for transcoding (if at all), and how many people will be accessing the server. The TerraMaster F4-423 is one of the more affordable Intel-powered four-bay NAS options from the company with 2.5GbE networking and other highlights that make it a powerful enclosure.
You won't find a cheaper Intel-powered NAS than this Prime Day deal
This budget-friendly NAS can even handle 4K transcoding through Plex.
The TerraMaster F2-223 is a powerful NAS for the price. Even at MSRP we'd recommend buying this enclosure to save money and still be able to enjoy Intel performance. The processor is an important consideration for prebuilt NAS as it's what largely determines what you will be able to do on the enclosure. More affordable NAS usually come with ARM processors that are considerably weaker as they often come with lower clock speeds and no integrated graphics processing. When shopping around for the best Plex NAS, an Intel CPU is the recommended go-to chip.
Best Buy has its own Prime Day sale and here are 9 of our favorite deals
Check out these highlight deals from Best Buy's own Prime Day.
When Prime Day arrives, it's usually Amazon that takes center stage on the retail front, but these days its competitors aren't simply going to lay down and allow the shopping giant enjoy all the traffic. For 2023's Prime Day, Best Buy is celebrating by launching its own Black Friday in July event, which is essentially the retailer's version of Prime Day with countless discounts across various product categories.
Hard drives have typically been the go-to storage medium for loading up a NAS with data but flash storage in the form of SSDs have grown in popularity as NAS owners look for quieter and faster drives. The best SSDs for NAS have dropped in price in recent years, allowing for a substantially better price-per-GB, and we're going to provide you with our favorites for using inside the leading enclosures.
Best budget NAS in 2023
Save some money on smarter storage with these enticing budget NAS enclosures
Prebuilt network-attached storage (NAS) enclosures can cost as little as $100, but they can also become extremely expensive when considering servers with countless bays, powerful Intel processors, and plenty of connectivity options. This guide will highlight some of the best budget NAS available, including those with a focus on offering better value. We've included the best NAS from Synology, TerraMaster, Asustor, and QNAP, among other brands.
Best NAS devices in 2023
Looking to handle your own backups and media streaming? These are the very best NAS for home, work, and play
A network-attached storage (NAS) device is essentially a mini server with a focus on storing data. These powerful little enclosures are excellent for the home or in a bustling office, providing a centralized location for data and backups to be stored, as well as a platform for services such as Plex Media Server to be managed from. This guide will run you through the very best NAS servers available from top brands, including ASUSTOR, QNAP, Synology, and TerraMaster.
Best Plex NAS in 2023
Create your very own media streaming service with one of these powerful NAS enclosures
Plex Media Server is a media platform that allows one to store, catalog, and stream music, movies, shows, photos, and more using their own purchased/owned files. Think of it as combining Spotify, Google Photos, Netflix, and OneDrive all into one service. It's free, with an optional upgrade to unlock additional benefits, including hardware transcoding. We've compiled a list of the best NAS for Plex that will happily transcode and stream 4K movies and then some.
Intel-powered four-bay NAS enclosures can quickly become incredibly expensive, particularly for those buying their very first server. Looking at the QNAP TS-464 vs. Asustor Lockerstor 4 Gen 2 (AS6704T), both NAS cost in the region of $550 - $600, making them an expensive addition to the home or office. Where they shine is with their Intel processors and accompanying specifications, which include multiple M.2 SSD slots, PCIe expansion, HDMI output, and excellent operating systems.
Asustor is one of the most prominent brands in the NAS business. The company has been around for decades and makes some of the best NAS enclosures available. In this guide, we'll be showcasing the very best Asustor NAS, whether you wish to create your own Plex Media Server, store some backups, run a small business, or all of the above.
Synology DiskStation DS923+ vs. QNAP TS-464: Which NAS is best?
Should you go with Synology or QNAP for your 4-bay NAS? Here's what you need to know.
The Synology DiskStation DS923+ is one of the latest four-bay NAS from the company and switches out the Intel Celeron chip for an AMD Ryzen processor. The QNAP TS-464 is more of a traditional Intel-powered enclosure with a focus on providing as much performance for running services such as Plex Media Server. QNAP's NAS is in an interesting position in that it's more affordable than the DS923+ from Synology, yet offers faster networking connections with two 2.5GbE ports. However, either NAS would make for an excellent place to store countless files at home or in the office.
TerraMaster makes some of the more affordable network-attached storage (NAS) enclosures. We've compared how they are against other brands, such as Synology, Asustor, and QNAP, but how does one choose between TerraMaster NAS? This guide will highlight some of the best TerraMaster NAS available, for home, business, Plex, and more.
QNAP TS-464 review: One of the best compact NAS devices for running Plex
QNAP's TS-464 has just about everything you'd need in a powerful compact NAS
QNAP is responsible for some of the more powerful network-attached storage (NAS) enclosures, including the QNAP TS-464. This four-bay NAS has an Intel Celeron processor, expandable system memory, M.2 SSD slots, a PCI expansion slot, dual 2.5GbE networking, and a dedicated HDMI port. It's designed for use at home or in the office and is more than capable of running more demanding apps and services such as Plex Media Server. We're going to take a quick look at the TS-464 and see if it's a contender for our best Plex NAS collection.
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Synology DiskStation DS923+ review: An AMD-powered NAS with a few minor flaws
Taking Synology's 2023 four-bay premium home NAS for a spin.
Synology has been refreshing its catalog of NAS enclosures for the 2023 season and today we're looking at what replaces the existing DiskStation DS920+. The new Synology DiskStation DS923+ is an AMD-powered enclosure with M.2 SSD storage support, the same excellent DSM operating system, and improved specs. It has the specification sheet to warrant a place on our list for best Synology NAS, but just how good is it for daily use?
Best wireless charger for earbuds in 2023
Use the same wireless charger for your phone, smartwatch, and earbuds.
The best wireless earbuds are usually charged within their case. While many models only support wired charging via a Micro-USB or USB-C port, some also support wireless charging for extra convenience. And since everyone uses the Qi wireless charging standard, you can theoretically charge the earbuds on any wireless charger.
Synology vs. QNAP: Which NAS is right for you?
Sometimes the smallest things make all the difference
The network-attached storage (NAS) space is dominated by a handful of brands, including Synology and QNAP. The two companies have countless NAS models available, everything from one-bay consumer NAS to enterprise towers with numerous bays and advanced features. In this guide, we're going to run you through some of the similarities and differences between Synology and QNAP NAS, as well as a few pointers to help you pick the right NAS for you. To start your NAS journey, we suggest getting either the Synology DiskStation DS220+ or the QNAP TS-251D.
SteelSeries Stratus+ vs. Razer Kishi v2: Which controller is best for you?
Should you go with a traditional gamepad or turn your phone into a Switch?
When choosing the best Android controller, the SteelSeries Stratus+ and Razer Kishi V2 are two very different gamepads. They're rated as among the best Android controllers available, but which one you should buy for your Android smartphone depends on how you prefer to play mobile games. If you want a more traditional controller experience, the Razer Kishi V2 is for you. If you want to transform your smartphone into a console, the SteelSeries Stratus+ is a better fit.