The QNAP TS-462 is a compact NAS for home or small business use that features 4 x 3,5 inch SATA III bays. It is based on an x86 architecture thanks to an Intel Celeron N4505 processor accompanied by 2 GB of RAM, expandable to 16 GB.
Integrated connectivity: a popular HDMI
The most outstanding features of this NAS include its two M.2 PCIe 3.0 ports for SSD, the use of expandable RAM memory (SO-DIMM format like the one found in laptops), and also the possibility of expansion via a PCI Express 3.0 x2 card which can give it more connectivity or processing options. This provides a performance boost in terms of processing speed and storage capacity.
Among the integrated connectivity options, it is worth mentioning its 3.1 Gbps USB 10 ports, its 45 GbE RJ-2,5 for the local network, or the HDMI 2.1 with 4K@60Hz output which adds versatility and allows the NAS to function as a small standalone PC for office tasks, video playback or web browsing.
Complete technical specifications
In terms of technical specifications, under the hood, the QNAP TS-462 is equipped with a CPU 4505-core, 2-thread Intel Celeron N2 up to 2.9 GHz, an Intel® UHD Graphics processor, a AES-NI encryption engine, 2 GB of RAM DDR4 SODIMM (1 x 2 GB) expandable up to 16 Go (2 x 8 GB modules), 4 GB flash memory, 4 x 3,5" 6Gb/s SATA storage bays, 2 M.2 ports 2280 PCIe Gen 3 x1, one port 2,5GbE (2,5G/1G/100M compatibility), 2 USB-A 3.1 ports, a HDMI 2.1 with 4K support at 60Hz, one PCI Gen 3 x2 slot. The white case measures 168 × 170 × 226 mm (depth) for a weight of 2,26 kg. It comes with a 90W power supply. We measured a consumption of 24 W in file transfer with 4 disks installed. The 120 mm fan is not the quietest and can be heard if the NAS is placed on your desk.
Aesthetic design
With dimensions of 168 × 170 × 226 mm, the QNAP TS-462 is a fairly compact NAS considering both its four 3,5-inch SATA III bays and its support for PCI Express expansion cards. Everything is used to the millimeter. It also combines an aesthetic design with its white color and a gold band that runs from the front to the right, where the power button is located, the multiple system and hard drive status LEDs, and the button for copy data from USB media.
In use
Let's be direct. At first connection, the HDMI socket is clearly a plus. It allows you to connect the device to a screen and see "what's going on". It is reassuring to see that everything is working, and that the installation is going well. Especially since the OS takes a good 5 minutes during the first boot, and anyway remains relatively long to be operational on subsequent starts. Fortunately, a NAS is made to stay on. Raid group sync time is also a black spot. Several hours for an installation of 4 x 500 GB disks. That's far too long!
Once this installation phase is complete, the TS-462 is a good NAS, which shows high performance for small business use. 2.5 Gbps Ethernet is fully exploited, and speeds of around 300 MB/s are often displayed during file transfers via Windows Explorer, provided that compatible cards are used on the PC. On the storage and file management side, the Qnap therefore plays its role well. It is also able to host small websites or an intranet, as these performances on the web server side are relevant. One could even say that the TS-462 surprises with its processing speed with its small 2 GB of RAM installed.
And while we're talking about development, since that's also our job, the TS-462 isn't really a turnkey product, and we had to go through command lines in SSH to install PHP 8 and our SQL server to perform some tests.
Brought home, we wanted to test the “All-in-One” side of the product, via the HDMI socket on a television. Having an additional multimedia NAS/PC at home is an attractive advantage over the competition. Unfortunately, the QTS 5.0.1 OS, probably still too young, never really worked properly during our test. The "Multimedia Console" interface, which includes photo, video and music services, using the Chrome browser, proved to be unstable, and we were unable to play the video files on the disk. Qnap has told us that it is working to resolve this instability. Nevertheless, the standard DLNA (via an Orange internet box or via the TV) works wonderfully, regardless of the file played (even 4K).
OS QTS 5.0.1: you have to get used to it
The QNAP TS-462 uses the QTS operating system, which is developed by QNAP. It is a Linux-based operating system that offers a friendly user interface, via a web browser, but not necessarily the most intuitive. On the other hand, it has the merit of being complete. The OS allows you to configure its storage settings, share files on the network, save data and manage users and groups. In short, classic.
Let's be honest, in writing, it is the competitor Synology that accompanies our daily lives, and this is the first time that we have laid our hands on QTS 5.0.1. After a difficult taking of landmarks, we end up finding ourselves there. The interface and general features seem to be aimed more at power-users than at beginners. We have repeatedly used the SSH interface to force a few installations, starting with our web server. Nevertheless, the ecosystem remains coherent, and the OS generally does what is asked of it. The ergonomics are good and everything is well translated for maximum clarity.
Finally, the Qnap TS-462 is a good product, offered in a price range of 550 to 600 euros, in a 2 GB RAM version. In domestic use, the HDMI socket will make the difference compared to competitors. In business use, even in the basic configuration, the NAS does not put its knees on the ground, even with a dozen workstations connected in file sharing. Scalable, both in RAM and via these extensions (Wifi 6, 10GbE/5GbE Multi-Gig network card, USB 3.2), it can quickly thumb its nose at certain high-end models from other NAS manufacturers. Remains the OS, a little young for our taste, which requires to be well apprehended to take full advantage of it.