Introduction

We would like to thank QNAP for supplying the review sample.

QNAP is a well-established NAS manufacturer, and their products cover all needs from home use and up to enterprise environments. Their recently released TS-x70 line consists of high-performance NAS servers which address SMB (Small and Medium-sized Business) environments or high-enthusiast users who want a top-performing NAS server for their home and have no problem paying a premium for it.

Today, we will take a close look at the TS-470. A 4-bay NAS with up to 450 MB/s read and 423 MB/s write speeds, it also supports 10GbE networking with an optional expansion card. The aforementioned speeds can be attained in a normal Gigabit network thanks to the four Ethernet ports it is equipped with from the factory; that is, if a compatible switch is used. The TS-470 can even be scaled to hold up to 36 HDDs with 144 TB raw capacity through these optional REXP-1600U-RP RAID expansion enclosures. As you will have figured out by now, this isn't an entry level NAS, but a really powerful option that can handle everything you will throw at it.

This NAS not only comes with four Gigabit Ethernet ports, but also an Intel Celeron 2.6 GHz dual-core CPU, which is more than enough to handle its needs, and 2 GB DDR3 RAM. It can also take SSDs, which can be used as cache drives to boost transfer speeds; that is, in addition to plain HDDs since this NAS supports SATA III. However, its most important feature is probably QNAP’s excellent operating system, a custom-tailored Linux edition that offers a multi-windowed, multi-tasking GUI. QNAP put all their years of experience in building NAS servers into making a really sleek operating system that even allows inexperienced users to get the most out of NAS servers. There are also plenty of extra application packages we will take a close look at in this review, which then allows this unit to meet nearly any challenge head on, boosting the server's usability tremendously.

The only downside of all the above is that the end user has to pay for the software since thousands of hours have been spent on its development, which many fail to understand. Fact is that many users still judge these NAS-ready solutions solely by their hardware, overlooking the support and software these come with. A FreeNAS-based solution can surely be much cheaper and even more powerful, but it will lack the platform-oriented software and will come with limited support. But enough with the long prolong: We made our point, detailing the price of these ready and obviously more expensive NAS solutions over custom-made ones and are now ready to skip to the TS-470's specifications.

Specifications

The NAS is equipped with a dual-core Intel Celeron CPU clocked at 2.6 GHz and has 2 GB of DDR3 RAM. These components are fully utilized by a custom-tailored Linux operating system QNAP developed and improved upon for many years now, so it is rock stable and comes with a plethora of features. The TS-470 can also take up to four HDDs for a total of 16 TB if 4 TB disks are used. All popular RAID levels are supported, including RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, and 10.

Contrary to the previous TS-x69 generation, all TS-x70 servers come with four Gigabit Ethernet ports thanks to an additional PCIe card holding the extra pair. Users that want even higher speeds and have the appropriate equipment can replace the dual-port GbE PCI-E NIC with a dual-port 10 GbE NIC that is sold separately. The other I/O ports the NAS comes with fully equip it since it has two USB 3.0 and three USB 2.0 ports, two eSATA ports and full audio-in and out ports, along with an HDMI one. Its dimensions are compact enough considering it uses an internal PSU, not an external power brick.

QNAP says the NAS to consume less than 24 W at idle and only 38.4 W while operating normally, which would allow you to operate it constantly, around the clock, without having to worry about increasing your energy bill. We will naturally verify the above readings during our power consumption tests by using the same configuration—four 500 GB HDDs—with QNAP's NAS.

The TS-470's PSU is very strong for the needs of this unit as it can deliver up to 250 W. QNAP apparently meant to ensure that it will easily cover the needs of the NAS in all situations. A 92 mm diameter fan removes the heat out of the server's internals, and users have the ability to configure its speed profile. QNAP provides a two year warranty for this product; the same amount as for most of their NAS servers, and the TS-470's price looks rather intimidating.

Packaging

The TS-470 comes in a pretty large white box. The model description is on top, in a pale blue frame, along with a photo of the NAS.


There is a larger photo of the NAS with the LCD screen in operation at the front, and right next to it is a graph depicting the very high network transfer speeds the TS-470 can achieve with its four Gigabit Ethernet ports. In the top-left corner is the model number along with a description of the NAS's most crucial features, while we find a brief features list and several badges for the TS-470's software/protocol compatibilities on the front-right side of the package.


This side of the box is dedicated to the cloud features of the NAS and mentions the mobile applications through which you can control its functions. A scheme here depicts the app packages that can be installed on the NAS to boost its usability.


A multilingual description of the functions/roles this NAS supports is listed here, along with a link to QNAP's HDD/SSD compatibility page, which you should visit before you decide on the drives for this NAS.


This side has a useful graph describing the various buttons and ports located at the front and rear.


The rear of the box shows off QNAP's fresh QTS administration interface, which is admittedly one of the best in its category. QNAP may have switched to the windowed OS rather late, but they carefully planned the transition and did a great job.

Contents & Bundle

A "thank you" message welcomes you once you open the box, along with links and QR codes to QNAP's Download & Support and Social pages. Two thick pieces of packing foam and a plastic bag protect the NAS inside the box well.


A smaller box contains all the accessories of the TS-470. These include four Ethernet cables, an AC power cord, a software disc, and a quick installation guide. Inside the same box are the keys for the lockable trays and all screws for HDD installation.

Exterior

The TS-470 follows the same design as all QNAP NAS servers since it uses the same metallic case. The brushed finish on top and the sides looks nice while its rounded edges are appealing. We strongly believe that this case, although it looks rather plain, is a good choice for a professional-grade NAS that costs over 1000 bucks; its low profile, appearance-wise, also allows it to fit into a modern home environment nicely, not only business ones.


The front-left corner holds QNAP's logo, and we find the on/off switch and copy button surrounding the front USB port, which unfortunately isn't USB 3.0, but compatible with the older and slower USB 2.0 protocol, further down below it. The two-line LCD above the HDD trays has three LED indicators (Status, USB, and LAN) on its bottom-left, and a button on the opposite side even allows you to perform several basic administrative tasks—get the NAS's IP address, check on system temperature, etc. The LCD screen deactivates automatically once the start-up or reboot phase finishes to keep energy consumption as low as possible.


A small decal on top also provides information about the sequence of HDDs and another, much larger button provides the cloud key through which buyers can easily create their own personal cloud.


Only one of the two sides has a vent through which fresh air enters the internals of the NAS.


The main system fan with a diameter of 92 mm, small PSU fan, and several I/O ports, including four Gigabit Ethernet ports, two pairs of USB 2.0 and 3.0 and two eSATA ports, and an HDMI and audio in/out, are all crammed into the rear of the unit. There is also a Kensington lock and reset button on this side.


Four plastic stands have been attached to the bottom of the NAS.


We took some photos with the trays/caddies removed. You will have a chance to take a much more thorough look at the TS-470's internals on the next page.


The trays support 3.5" and 2.5" disks. They are of good quality and feature locks, which are essential in business environments where physical data safety is very important.

A Look Inside

It's time now time to strip this NAS down to discover which components it hides inside its casing.


Taking apart the TS-470 was a little harder than previous TS-x69 units because of the new heatsink that cools down the upgraded CPU. The additional Network Expansion card also had to be removed first in order to dislodge some screws that held the SATA expansion card in place. We were left with a plethora of screws after fully taking apart the TS-470, and you should also take into account that you will void the warranty if you remove the mainboard or the plastic cover that protects its rear side, though you will luckily only have to remove the trays to install a SO-DIMM into the free SO-DIMM slot, making the RAM upgrading procedure significantly simpler than in TS-x69 models since you don't have to remove any screws.


The NAS uses a normal, socketed CPU, so you can easily swap it out if you want, though you should first figure out whether the heatsink will be able to handle a stronger processor.


The heatsink that cools down the PSU is passive and quite large. As you can see from the photos above, it also utilizes two heatpipes. Our test sessions verified that it does a great job at keeping the CPU at low enough temperatures. That said, the G550 CPU doesn't have significant cooling requirements.


The chipset, Intel H61, is passively cooled to contribute to the unit's overall silent operation.


ARealtek ALC662 5.1 Channel High Audio Codec handles audio. It is a basic IC that will, however, cover the needs of a professional-grade NAS acting as a multimedia center from time to time.


An Asmedia ASM1442 controls the HDMI port HD Station fully exploits.


The USB 3.0 ports are controlled by an Etrontech EJ188H since the H61 chipset only supports the older and slower USB 2.0 protocol.


The hardware monitor IC is a Fintek F71869AD.


We found an Intel WG82574L Gigabit Ethernet controller next to a mini-PCIE slot.


The dual Gigabit card has been installed into the mainboard's 16x PCIe slot.


Like for most QNAP units, the flash memory is provided by Apacer.


Probably the same mainboard as for the TS-670 Pro.


The system's buzzer is installed right next to the BIOS battery.


One 2 GB SO-DIMM is installed into one of two free RAM slots.


The functions of the LCD screen are handled by a Microchip PIC16F73 8-bit microcontroller.


We found a PEX 8603, a PCI Express Gen 2 switch with three lanes and three ports, on the Ethernet card. Two Intel WGI210ATs act as Ethernet controllers.


The PCIe expansion card holding all SATA ports is directly powered by the PSU through a 12-pin connector. One Marvell 88SE9235 controller, compatible with the SATA 6 GB/s protocol, is installed on this card. We also spotted two SANYO (OS-CON) polymer caps on the obverse side of this card, along with a reference to the TS-470 Pro. The latter unit obviously uses exactly the same expansion card.


The 1U PSU is provided by FSP, and its model number is FSP250-50LC. Its maximum capacity is 250 W, and it is 80 Plus Bronze certified. It can provide up to 18 A on the +12V rail and 14 A maximum on 5V, which will easily cover the needs of the TS-470.


The 92 mm cooling fan is provided by Y.S. Tech. Its model number is FD129225LB (12 V, 0.15 A, 1900 RPM, 40.2 CFM, 25 dBA, and 80000 MTBF). It uses ball-bearings and will, as such, last fairly long.

Software

Put the bundled software disk into a drive and take a good look at the quick installation guide before proceeding with NAS installation. Besides the aforementioned guide, which we will check out later, you will also find several useful utilities you should install on a client PC—namely, Qfinder, NetBack Replicator, Qget, which allows you to manage BT/HTTP/FTP download jobs on your Windows PC remotely, and MyCloudNAS Connect.


NetBack Replicator will back your data on a workstation/client PC up to the NAS.


QNAP provides NetBack for free. Not only does it offer real-time synchronization, but you can also program it to perform scheduled backups and auto-backup to the Turbo NAS from multiple PCs. It also supports backing up to a remote server via FTP and WebDAV through the Internet.


The MyCloudNAS application allows you to easily connect to QNAP's free Personal Cloud service.


You can also visit start.qnap.com to enter the "Cloud Key" on the sticker at the top the NAS, which will quickly setup a QNAPcloud account.


QGet is QNAP's free utility for download management. The software is available for Windows and Mac computers. It allows you to manage BT-, HTTP-, and FTP Download Station tasks on multiple Turbo NAS servers and enables you to add, remove, or watch your BT download jobs on the NAS from a workstation.


QGet supports intuitive Drag and Drop of torrent files and HTTP or FTP URL to the software interface for convenient adding of download tasks.