Introduction

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


QNAP isn't restricting itself to Intel and Marvell SoCs in its NAS offerings and has several models featuring AMD CPUs. One of these is the TS-x73 line consisting of three models with four, six, or eight bays respectively. All TS-x73 models are equipped with an AMD RX-421ND quad-core CPU and two PCIe slots for an optional QM2 card for M.2 SSDs and 10GbE RJ45 connectivity, a wireless network card, or a graphics card. Yes, the time has come for NAS server to support graphics cards, which will greatly enhance their multimedia capabilities. With a dedicated GPU, the TS-x73 models will not only feature enhanced multimedia encoding capabilities, but HDMI outputs, which are, in our opinion, essential for any multimedia device.

We will evaluate the smallest member of the line, the TS-473. It is available in two versions that are only differentiated by the amount of RAM. The TS-473-4G, as its model number denotes, has 4 GB of RAM, which is more than enough for a NAS server for business environments. Besides the four bays for 3.5" or 2.5" disks, the TS-473 is also equipped with two M.2 slots for M.2 SSDs with 2260 or 2280 form factors. The RX-421ND only has a 35 W TDP, so we expect low power consumption and a silent operation. Fans that keep the SSDs or hard drives cool also play an incredibly important role in NAS servers since such drives are supposed to operate around the clock, with the low TDP SoC being cooled passively in many cases.

Specifications

The AMD R-Series RX-421ND quad-core CPU is clocked at 2.1 GHz and features Turbo Core for up to 3.4 GHz. If you decide to replace the pre-installed DIMMs, the server's RAM can be expanded to 64 GB (4 x 16 GB) because of four available RAM slots. This is a lot of memory for a NAS server running a custom-tailored Linux operating system that is light on system resources.

Besides the four bays, there are also two M.2 slots for installing compatible SSDs, which can used as the system's cache for faster network transfers. The two PCIe expansion slots can also take cards that provide additional M.2 slots should you need more. Thanks to those PCIe slots, the TS-473 can also take 10 Gb Ethernet cards or graphics cards (e.g. NVIDIA GT1030). It is nice to see NAS servers capable of upgrading their transcoding and general multimedia capabilities with graphics cards. Lastly, you can also install a compatible wireless network card into the server's PCIe slots, and in combination with the Wireless AP Station application, the TS-473 can even take on the role of a wireless access point.

There our four USB 3.0 ports of which one is conveniently located at the face of the NAS. QNAP also equipped this NAS with two 3.5 mm dynamic microphone ports, a 3.5 mm line-out port, and one more port for connecting external speakers (the NAS already has one). According to QNAP, you cannot use the line-out and speaker port simultaneously.

Internally, there is an IR sensor for compatibility with the optional QNAP RM-IR004 remote control or other smart devices with IR transmitters. At 250 W max power output, the embedded power supply is quite strong for a NAS. Finally, in the cooling section, we find two fans, one with a diameter of 120 mm that cools down the drives and a smaller 60 mm fan for the CPU's heatsink.

With a price close to $680, the TS-473-4G surely is not an affordable NAS. However, it has a rich feature set due to its capable hardware, and we should not forget that the operating system and QNAP applications, along with QNAP's provided support, aren't cheap. If you want good support and a state-of-the-art operating system with constant updates and new capabilities added frequently, you have to pay for it.

Packaging

The box is large and doesn't feature any fancy graphics. The only colored bit is a sticker depicting the NAS and its features.

Contents And Bundle

The bundle includes two Ethernet cables, a quick installation guide, warranty leaflet, power cord, and screws for the installation of the drives and the M.2 SSDs, with heatsinks for the latter.


The power cord in our sample is of the EU type since our lab is in Europe.