Specifications

A PLX NAS 7821 CPU is the brain of the KD20. It includes a dual-core ARM 11 MP. Each core runs at 750 MHz and has application-specific hardware engines for networking-, storage-, and security functions. The NAS 7821 also provides two integrated SATA ports, hardware-based RAID 0 and RAID 1, RGMII, and two USB 2.0 Host/Device ports. The operating system of the KD20 is based on Linux, and the unit only has 256 MB of available RAM.

Its storage capacity can reach 8 TB if two HDDs with 4 TB capacity each are used, and there is support for JBOD and RAID 0- and 1 levels. You can of course install one disk if your budget is limited. Finally, both HDD bays support hot-swap.

The NAS uses a single Gigabit Ethernet port for networking. The additional I/O includes two USB 2.0- and one USB 3.0 port, and an SD-card reader that will proof useful once you have to transfer photos you took with your camera to the NAS.

The dimensions of the KD20 are pretty compact, which is convenient in a crowded home office. Also, its weight is low, even with two HDDs installed.

The without a doubt most crucial advantage of NAS servers, compared to custom-made PC servers, is their very low energy consumption that allows them to operate 24/7 (aka continuously) without having to worry about a drastically increased electricity bill. Their power consumption is actually so low that you will barely notice an increase on your bill. According to Shuttle, the KD20 only consumes 9 W at idle and 21 W in a worst case scenario. This means that its external power supply is greatly overrated at 65 W as even a 40-50 W one could easily handle the task. Shuttle apparently sought to be on the safe side, especially since mechanical HDDs exhibit significant power spikes during start-up. Finally, the cooling of the NAS is handled by a small 70 mm fan that, according to Shuttle, operates in a hybrid mode by engaging after a specific temperature threshold has been reached.

The KD20 comes with a three year warranty, which is longer than the high-end competition (QNAP and Synology). Its price is affordable, at least for a NAS server.