At first we would like to thank QNAP for offering a sample of their TS-453mini NAS for testing and reviewing.

 

 

 

About QNAP:

 

“QNAP Systems, Inc., as its brand promise "Quality Network Appliance Provider", aims to deliver comprehensive offerings of cutting edge network attached storage (NAS) and network video recorder (NVR) solutions featured with ease-of-use, robust operation, large storage capacity, and trustworthy reliability. QNAP integrates technologies and designs to bring forth quality products that effectively improve business efficiency on file sharing, virtualization applications, storage management and surveillance in the business environments, as well as enrich entertainment life for home users with the offering of a fun multimedia center experience. Headquartered in Taipei, QNAP delivers its solutions to the global market with nonstop innovation and passion.”

 

Innovative design and easy system upgrade

 

The glossy TS-453mini features a stylish vertical design that takes up 29% less desktop space*, making it suitable for offices or even study rooms at home. Compared with the traditional NAS cooling fan, the TS-453mini houses a quiet internal compact exhaust that helps dissipate heat, delivers less noise and reduces dust. With the tool-less design, you can easily remove the TS-453mini’s magnetic top cover to add or replace hot-swappable 3.5” hard drives**. Upgrading the RAM of a NAS has also never been easier with a conveniently accessible cover at the bottom. This streamlined architecture design helps you maintain the TS-453mini with minimal effort.

 

Smart LED

 

The aesthetically-designed skyline LED indicator will flash a blue light to remind you the system is in S3 sleep mode. Based on the surrounding environment, you can adjust the brightness of all system indicators (from a scale from 0 to 100, in 20-step increments) and also schedule the system to automatically dim the LEDs at certain times when needed.

 

Quad-core CPU delivering high performance

 

Powered by a quad-core Intel® Celeron® 2.0GHz processor with 2GB energy-efficient DDR3L RAM (upgradable to 8GB), coupled with the support of SATA 6Gb/s, 2 Gigabit LAN ports and HDMI output, the TS-453mini is a powerful NAS that delivers up to 220 MB/s read & write speeds. The TS-453mini can also automatically increase the processor's clock rate from 2.0GHz to 2.41GHz when needed for CPU-intensive tasks. The TS-453mini’s fast encryption and decryption performance provides transfer speeds of up to 220 MB/s with AES 256-bit volume encryption, boosting system performance & security while ensuring the safety of sensitive business data stored in the TS-453mini.

 

QTS - Simple and efficient

 

Thanks to the intuitive user interface of QTS, system operations of the TS-453mini are smooth and handy. Its intelligent desktop allows you to find desired functions quickly, create desktop shortcuts or group shortcuts, monitor important system information on a real-time basis, and open multiple application windows to run multiple tasks concurrently, bringing greater operating efficiency.

 

Qsirch – A smarter, faster way to search

 

Quickly and easily find documents, photos, videos, and music with Qsirch, QNAP’s new built-in NAS search application lets you find what you need by real-time, natural search. Simply type in as much as you know about what you are trying to find, including bits of the file name or even words/phrases in the document, and Qsirch will display a list of matches, complete with thumbnails, as you type. Qsirch even remembers your search history so you can quickly navigate to files you’ve previously searched for. Qsirch is a huge productivity boost – it greatly reduces the amount of time spent looking for files on the NAS so you can focus on other tasks.

 

SSD cache acceleration

 

The TS-453mini supports SSD caching which can greatly boost IOPS performance of storage volumes. It is perfect for improving overall workflow of IOPS-demanding applications such as virtualization.

 

Use your TS-453mini as a PC with the exclusive QvPC Technology

 

QNAP’s exclusive QvPC Technology consolidates a number of high-end technologies including virtual machine (VM) integration, multimedia transcoding, HDMI output, cloud integration and NAS connection technologies, allowing users to operate the TS-453mini as a PC when they plug in a keyboard, mouse and monitor. With QvPC Technology, the TS-453mini is transformed into a cost-effective device with PC functionalities for users to directly access stored data, run multiple applications using Windows/Linux/UNIX/Android-based VMs, surf the web on Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox, enjoy Full HD videos with up to 7.1 channel audio with Kodi, monitor Surveillance Station in real time with local display, and much more.

 

Run additional operating systems on the TS-453mini

 

With the support for Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x), the TS-453mini can operate the Virtualization Station, transforming the TS-453mini into a 2-in-a-box NAS that can function as an all-in-one NAS and a virtualization platform that supports multiple operating systems, fast VM creation, VM import/export, snapshot, and enables desktop operations on web browsers. With the easy-to-use interface, you can centrally manage all of the VMs created on the TS-453mini with minimal effort. You can also download VMs on demand from online VM markets and import them to the TS-453mini without any complex procedures.

 

Cross-platform file sharing, centralized data storage

 

The TS-453mini supports SMB/CIFS, NFS, and AFP protocols for file sharing across Windows, Mac, Linux/UNIX networks. Data, logs and ISO images of CDs and DVDs can be centrally stored on the TS-453mini and protected by an integrated antivirus solution. The Windows AD and LDAP services enable system administrators to configure user permissions by using an existing Windows AD server, LDAP server or built-in LDAP service. The TS-453mini supports SAMBA v4 and can act as a Windows domain controller to manage privilege settings.

 

Well-rounded backup solutions to secure data

 

QNAP NetBak Replicator supports real-time and scheduled data backup on Windows including Outlook email archiving. Apple Time Machine is also supported to provide Mac OS X users with a solution to effortlessly back up data to the TS-453mini. The USB 3.0 port on the front panel of the TS-453mini features a one-touch-copy function for you to instantly back up data from external drives to the TS-453mini with just one click, or alternatively to back up data from the TS-453mini to external drives. A wide range of third-party backup software such as Acronis® True Image and Symantec® Backup Exec are also supported.

 

Disaster recovery solutions brings peace of mind

 

The TS-453mini offers various data recovery options. RTRR (Real-Time Remote Replication) supports real time or scheduled data backup to a remote Turbo NAS or FTP server and synchronizes files to a remote folder from a local folder with better backup efficiency and reduced backup time. The TS-453mini also supports rsync protocol to back up data to another remote server on scheduled basis. Data can also be backed up to and restored from a range of cloud storage services, including Amazon® S3, Amazon Glacier, Microsoft® Azure, ElephantDrive®, Dropbox® and Google Cloud Storage.

 

Comprehensive security options

 

In open network environments, business data may be exposed in a potential hack. The TS-453mini provides numerous security options, such as encrypted access, IP blocking, and more. IT administrators can also control the access rights of each user to different folders, preventing unauthorized access to important files. The TS-453mini is validated with military-level FIPS 140-2 AES 256-bit encryption, preventing sensitive business data from unauthorized access and breach even if the hard drives or the entire system were stolen.

 

Real-time & offline HD video transcoding

 

The TS-453mini delivers superior real-time Full HD video transcoding to convert videos to formats that can be smoothly played on PCs, mobile devices and Smart TVs. It allows for up to 5 devices to simultaneously view different videos stored on the TS-453mini with on-the-fly hardware accelerated transcoding. The TS-453mini allows you to enjoy instant videos on multiple devices - even those that lack computing power or have limited file format support - without the need for complicated and time-consuming file conversion.

 

With the benefit of offline transcoding, if you can only connect to an Internet connection with limited/restricted bandwidth, you can still enjoy smooth videos by selecting a pre-rendered lower resolution to play the videos via File Station, Video Station, or the Qfile mobile app without affecting the TS-453mini’s system performance running other applications. The TS-453mini also allows you to set a dedicated folder for automatic video transcoding.

 

Full HD videos local display with HD Station via HDMI

 

QNAP HD Station integrates the powerful Kodi media player and web browser. With HDMI connectivity, you can connect the TS-453mini to a HDTV to enjoy your multimedia on the big screen. The splendid user interface and support for 7.1-surround sound passthrough* brings smooth playback of Full HD 1080p videos**. You can even watch YouTube videos, surf the web and manage the Turbo NAS using Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox with multilingual keyboard input. The HD Station supports multi-tasking and user authentication so only authorized users can access data stored on the TS-453mini via HDMI monitors.

 

The TS-453mini is packed with QNAP RM-IR002 remote control for you to conveniently control the HD Station via the built-in IR receiver of the TS-453mini. You can also turn your mobile devices into remote controls by installing the Qremote app. The HD Station also supports YouTube Pairing, allowing you to select a YouTube video on your smartphone, tablet or computer and play it on HDTV via the TS-453mini.

 

File synchronization across multiple devices

 

The Qsync utility turns your TS-453mini into a safe data center for file synchronization with a large storage capacity. Any file uploaded to the TS-453mini will be made available for all linked devices, such as computers, laptops or mobile devices. Qsync is especially useful for frequent travelers to manage files and always have the most updated files on different devices. Qsync provides multiple ways of file synchronization and group file sharing, greatly enhancing the flexibility of collaboration.

 

Storage for comprehensive virtualization applications

 

The TS-453mini supports VMware® and Citrix®, and is compatible with Microsoft® Hyper-V™ and Windows Server 2012, benefiting flexible deployment and management in the virtualization environments. The TS-453mini supports VMware VAAI and Microsoft ODX to increase performance by offloading server loading for ESXi server and Hyper-V respectively, and supports QNAP vSphere Client plug-in and QNAP SMI-S provider with enhanced operational efficiency and management in virtualization applications.

 

Comprehensive surveillance solution providing 24/7 security

 

Surveillance Station is professional network surveillance Video Management System (VMS) that offers a user-friendly management interface, over 2,700 compatible IP camera models, and expandable IP camera channel licenses. It supports real-time monitoring, video & audio recording and playback with a wide range of customizable settings. You can also install the Vmobile mobile app on your iOS® or Android™ devices to manage the monitored channels anytime and anywhere to safeguard your office environment, or install the Vcam mobile app to turn your device into a network camera to instantly record to your TS-453mini. The TS-453mini offers 2 free IP camera channels and you can expand up to 24 channels by purchasing additional licenses.

 

Signage Station - Creatively present your animated content and ads

 

With the Signage Station, it is easy to create content for a wide range of materials such as menu boards, advertisements, posters, and business profiles. The Signage Station is a great tool to invigorate your advertisements or animated materials for promoting your services, and to update contents in a timely manner. The iArtist Lite application, with intuitive editing tools, helps you create these signs with simple drag & drop tools. Your creativity can now travel around the world with a few simple steps to instantly get published, revised, and shared.

 

Sync and enjoy with your mobile devices

 

The TS-453mini is your private cloud storage that virtually enlarges the capacity of your mobile devices. Qfile allows you to access, upload, download, manage, and share stored files easily as if you are carrying tons of files in your pocket. If Qfile is installed on an iOS device, users can also browse videos & photos stored on the TS-453mini and play via Apple TV. Qmanager lets you monitor & manage the TS-453mini remotely and efficiently without turning on a PC, and you can enjoy and share music, photos and videos on the TS-453mini anywhere and anytime with Qmusic, Qphoto and Qvideo apps.

 

Install-on-demand apps to extend NAS functionality

 

The TS-453mini has a built-in App Center that provides various install-on-demand apps developed by QNAP and third-party developers, including tools for backup/sync, business, content management, communications, download, entertainment, and much more. It is also a centralized location for managing & updating installed apps. In addition, QNAP’s development platform embraces the open-source spirit to enable developers to create their own apps, adding potentially limitless potential for the TS-453mini.

 

Economical storage expansion with scale-up solution

 

The TS-453mini offers a high performance yet affordable storage solution to fulfill the needs of small/home offices in archiving rapidly growing data & large files. The TS-453mini supports capacity expansion by connecting a QNAP expansion enclosure. With the QNAP scale-up solution, the raw storage capacity can be expanded on demand, making the TS-453mini an ideal file center with a large storage capacity for digital data.

 

Energy-saving

 

The TS-453mini features a 22nm CPU and DDR3L RAM which feature low voltage requirements and low power consumption whilst maintaining high performance in system operations. Other eco-friendly designs include S3 sleep mode, scheduled power on/off, hard disk standby mode, and Wake on LAN.

 

Additional SMB-ready features

 

The TS-453mini supports various business applications as an all-in-one Turbo NAS with cost-efficiency.

 

The Turbo NAS supports FTP server to share large files, with user-defined settings including bandwidth limitation, number of connections, and write-only permissions.

The Turbo NAS supports VPN server which provides an easy way for IT administrators to build up a secure private network and allows the staff to log on from outside the office and access business resources securely such as files and Internet connections.

 

 

QNAP has been quite at work lately in order to deliver a newer NAS design which takes less space than others, is quieter and is perfect to be used in most offices or study rooms. It was also built for easy HDD replacement, can work with both 2.5’’ and 3.5’’ drives, while RAM upgrade is a breeze. This model is also based on an Intel platform, which has at its core the Celeron J1900 quad-core processor at 2GHz with a maximum boost of 2.41GHz.

 

The TS-453mini is shipped inside a medium-sized box but with a new color scheme:

 

 

 

On the frontal area of the packaging, we will get to see a drawing of the NAS sitting next to a computer screen and a mouse/keyboard combo, which represents the QvPC technology which allows the product to function without an extra computer and we are also reminded some of the supported technologies:

 

 

 

On one of the sides, QNAP saw fit to show us the product main interfaces:

 

 

 

An exploded view is also shown outside the box:

 

 

 

We can say the same about the main product functionality which are also listed on the external packaging, in many different languages:

 

 

 

After lifting the top cover we will get to see a list of box contents:

 

 

 

On the top layer we have the documentation along with the bundle:

 

 

 

 

Besides the power lead which you have seen in the previous photo, we will also get screws necessary for installing 2.5’’ drives on the trays, a remote, two LAN cables, one power adapter but also a small leaflet with the remote instructions:

 

 

 

The power adapter was manufactured by the well-known Delta Electronics and on the output we have 12V at 7.5A:

 

 

 

The NAS gets accompanied with a free QNAP RM-IR002 remote control for using the NAS while on HDMI interface more conveniently in the living-room:

 

 

 

On its lower area we will get to see its battery compartment:

 

 

We have found inside the CR2032 battery which is a very familiar model:

 

 

The installation procedure is summarized on a small leaflet with instructions and drawings:

 

 

Besides the foam protective material we have found inside the cardboard enclosure, the TS-453mini is also fully wrapped inside a transparent plastic bag:

 

 

This is not all! Since most of the NAS chassis is made from shiny black plastic, the manufacturer saw fit to also include protective film all around:

 

 

Let’s remove the film in order to take a look at the product:

 

 

In the front, we have the LED interface along with the QNAP chromed logo; further down we will get to see the Power button along with the USB Copy button and one USB 3.0 port:

 

 

Near the top cover of the NAS we have a blue LED of medium intensity which acts as a Power LED, while the lower display represents the current NAS status, one LED for each HDD bay, one for network activity but also one which lights up when USB storage is connected:

 

 

On the right side of the unit we will get to see a large sticker which shows us how to enable the myQNAPcloud service:

 

 

 

Also here we will find a small sticker which informs us to sit the NAS on a flat surface for correct ventilation to occur:

 

 

 

On the back side of the NAS we will get to see the DC-IN port, two USB 2.0 ports, two LAN ports, another two USB 3.0 ports, but also one HDMI:

 

 

 

The left side is clear, without any other interfaces:

 

 

 

On the bottom side of the unit we do have a small compartment which we can open by removing the screw, some stickers, four rubber feet and, of course the ventilation grill; the manufacturer has no longer included regular fans but a blower-type cooling system which is more compact:

 

 

 

After removing the top cover which is held secure with magnetic force, we will be able to see the four HDD trays along with another ventilation grill:

 

 

 

If we remove all trays, we will be able to take a look inside, which reveals the daughter-board entirely:

 

 

 

Remember about the bottom compartment we have told you about before? Well, after removing the small screw we have full access to the RAM, which can be upgraded at ease with one extra 2GB module or we can go for dual 4GB modules for a total of 8GB RAM (if we are running virtual machines this upgrade is a must-have):

 

 

 

The trays are made completely from plastic and do not feature secure locking mechanisms:

 

 

 

On their back side we are instructed where to insert screws when 2.5’’ drives are installed:

 

 

 

As with Synology trays, we also have the option not to use the screwless features and remove the plastic components from the laterals, in order to use screws when mounting 3.5’’ drives:

 

 

 

For testing purposes, we will use our trusty SSDs in RAID 0:

 

 

 

When the system is set up, the LED lights will signal accordingly:

 

 

 

After we have powered the NAS, we can use the QNAP Qfinder application for easy detection on the network; the app will prompt us then to initialize the device:

 

 

 

The web interface will then prompt us to choose the type of usage TS-453mini will have (Home or Business):

 

 

 

 

The first page of the wizard will prompt us to define and administrator password along with the NAS name:

 

 

 

Next we have the possibility to set the date and time:

 

 

 

The configuration of network settings is next:

 

 

 

From the initialization we can also choose which file services should be enabled and which applications should be installed from the start:

 

 

 

The last part of the wizard will prompt us to select the drives and prompt for a RAID type:

 

 

 

 

The whole setup process can be then watched from the interface:

 

 

 

After all is finalized, we will be asked to go to the NAS Management section:

 

 

 

The first thing we will see after accessing the GUI is the login interface:

 

 

 

QTS interface has been getting a lot of enhancements and stability patches lately in order to keep everything going smooth. The GUI was designed in such a way so it would imitate the OS from a mobile device like a tablet or smartphone and is easy to work with:

 

 

 

By clicking the top left button, we will get a list for accessing all available applications much quicker:

 

 

 

The interface is also equipped with certain widgets which are handy in order to check the system status quickly:

 

 

 

From the user area, we can perform different operations like password change, sleep, restart and so on:

 

 

 

In order to modify the system settings of our server, we will have to navigate to the Control Panel section:

 

 

 

The options are grouped in different categories; the first one we can see is the System Settings which incorporates menus like General Settings, Storage Manager, Network, Security, Hardware and many more:

 

 

 

From the General Settings menu, we can adjust several options like the server name, secure connection port, adjust the time setting, DST, Codepage, Password strength, Login Screen options and so on:

 

 

 

 

 

The Storage Manager area takes care of the drive setup and here we can create new Storage Pools, Volumes, enable Cache Acceleration etc.:

 

 

 

 

 

 

By default, the system wizard will create a volume which does not take all available space:

 

 

 

Of course, we can extend it to maximum with a single step:

 

 

 

The Network menu allows us to work with the TCP/IP settings, Wi-Fi in case we have a compatible dongle attached, IPv6 settings, Service Binding, Proxy settings or DDNS services:

 

 

 

From the Security area we can configure firewall-related settings:

 

 

 

The Hardware section is divided into three sub-menus (General, Buzzer, Smart Fan):

 

 

 

 

 

From the Power menu we can access other power-management options:

 

 

 

Notifications can be also enabled by configuring the next menu:

 

 

 

From the Firmware Update area we can perform automatic device updates or manually when we specify a file to be uploaded onto the server:

 

 

 

Moving on, we will get to see the Backup / Restore section which aids with restoring the settings from a file or we can bring the system to a factory default state:

 

 

 

Connected external devices can be checked out from the same menu:

 

 

 

The System Status menu opens in a new window and here we will be able to check the System Information, current Network Status, running System Services, some Hardware Information, but we can also work with the Resource Monitor:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We can say the same about System Logs, which incorporates the System Event Logs, System Connection Logs, Online Users which are connected to the server but also work with the Syslog Client Management:

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Privilege Settings menu is next, which allows us to create/edit users, adjust user groups, work with the shared folders and more:

 

 

 

 

 

Some folders are created by default and are placed on the first created volume:

 

 

 

A disk quota can be also specified if needed:

 

 

 

The server can be logged in to an Active Directory environment or it can act as a domain controller by itself, which is great!

 

 

 

 

Here are the functions the server can take as a domain controller:

 

 

 

Next we could remind of Network Services main menu:

 

 

 

Here we will be able to enable the required file systems, but we also have other sub-menus for FTP, Telnet/SSH or SNMP protocols:

 

 

 

The Network Recycle bin is useful for recovering files if they have been accidentally deleted and this function is turned on by default:

 

 

 

Qsync is a tool for making file synchronization across devices possible:

 

 

 

The last section is called Applications:

 

 

 

Depending on the installed applications, Station Manager will offer us multiple ways of reaching these:

 

 

 

HybridDesk Station takes care of the HDMI interface and here we can install/uninstall the applications we would like to use:

 

 

 

We can also choose how transcoding jobs will be handled:

 

 

 

From the Photo Station application, we will be able to check out our photos after they have been indexed and thumbnails have been generated:

 

 

 

The application also has slideshow options, we can rotate the photos as desired and more:

 

 

 

Music Station has a similar arrangement, only this time we are discussing about audio files:

 

 

 

The audio file which is currently playing will be shown on the bottom area:

 

 

 

Tunein online radio services are also accessible through this application:

 

 

 

Download Station will assist us with the needed download tasks and also supports drag-and-drop functionality:

 

 

 

With the help of File Station, we can work with the files available on the server, but also access the Recycle bin or create share links:

 

 

 

Here are some of the actions we can perform when right-clicking on a file:

 

 

 

Backup Station is another useful application which permits all kind of backups to other devices or online to cloud storage:

 

 

 

myQNAPcloud feature allows us to access our server remotely, in a fully secure way:

 

 

 

If we navigate to the App Center area, we will get to see the available application modules for our server, which will greatly help to enhance its functionality:

 

 

 

Notes Station is a multi-functional application with lots of pre-defined templates:

 

 

 

With Virtualization Station we can run one or multiple virtual machine; the only requirement is to have more RAM than the 2GB pre-installed, since with the current configuration we are very limited with the choices; here are some shots with the application;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If we get bored of Video Station, we can always install and run Plex, which opens up in a different browser tab; after we have specified the paths where the multimedia content is available, indexing will start and via Internet connection extra information will be picked up for each title:

 

 

 

 

We can of course use the NAS without a PC, by either using the supplied remote or by connecting to the unit a mouse/keyboard setup; after the Linux distribution will load, we will be prompted to log in to our user:

 

 

 

We will be welcomed afterwards with the desktop and applications we have previously installed:

 

 

 

If we click on the Settings button, we will be able to work with some custom options:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the available browsers is Chrome:

 

 

 

Next we have the Clementine music player, which works great for organizing our libraries:

 

 

 

Another installable music player QNAP proposes is DeadBeeF:

 

 

 

The second browser option is Mozilla Firefox:

 

 

 

The first choice of media center application is KODI, which was developed by the XBMC foundation:

 

 

 

 

The QTS interface can be easily accessed from the dashboard too:

 

 

 

 

OpenTTD is one of the installable games for the server:

 

 

 

We also have the Spotify service available:

 

 

 

Another game we would like to mention is SuperTux:

 

 

 

Tunein Radio is available separately for browsing through a very large library:

 

 

 

 

Again, we can install another game on the server, which is The Battle for Wesnoth:

 

 

 

QNAP does also have a pre-skinned XBMC player available for us:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally, we have the Youtube application available, which is really a shortcut which opens up in the pre-installed Chrome browser:

 

 

 

Test Setup

 

CPU : Intel I7 3750K Retail @ 4.7GHz

CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14

Motherboard : ASRock Z77 OC

RAM : GeIL EVO CORSA 16GB 2400MHz C11

(2GB Exceleram DDR1333 for NASPT compatibility)

Video : Sparkle GeForce GTX 560 Calibre

Power Supply : Cooler Master 850W

HDD : OCZ Vertex 4 256GB SSD

Case: Cooler Master ATCS840

 

To test the NAS performances, the TS-453mini NAS was populated with one OCZ Vertex 4 SSD along with one KingFast SLC E-Drive in RAID 0, formatted with a single volume and the NAS was connected directly to the computer, to avoid any limitations by implying additional hardware like a router. The first simple test was performed by loading the test file onto a RAM drive and then it was copied to the NAS, on its shared folder. The speed was recorded with Total Commander:

 

 

The second test was to copy the same file back to the computer; for eliminating any HDD speed limitations, the file was copied back to the RAM drive:

 

 

For performing a more advanced test, the Intel NAS Performance Toolkit was used, for performing 5 different test runs. Here are the results:

 

 

As extras, we have also included ATTO Disk Benchmark and Anvil:

 

ATTO Disk Benchmark

 

 

Anvil

We have performed the same benchmarks but this time with an encrypted volume:

 

Total Commander Copy Performance

 

 

Total Commander Read Performance

 

 

Intel NAS Performance Toolkit

 

ATTO Disk Benchmark

 

Anvil Utilities

 

Powered by a dedicated and efficient platform from Intel, the J1900 quad-core processor and paired with 2GB of RAM, the TS-453mini is running the last version of the fully-fledged QTS which is currently at its 4.1.4 version and is also sporting a unique-shaped chassis design. Speaking about the chassis, now it looks more stylish, ideal to be installed in our living-room and the discrete LEDs help us find out the system status at all times; the memory is now very easy upgradable up to 8GB of RAM by simply removing a small plastic cover on the bottom area of the unit.

 

The performance remains quite solid even after activating encryption and the NAS can be used very well without the need of a PC, by simply using the remote it has bundled for free or we can also connect a keyboard/mouse combo for easier browsing. While some NAS models from other manufacturers only come with Chrome browser while using the NAS via the HDMI interface, the TS-453mini also packs Mozilla Firefox, a couple of games, two flavors of XBMC and more. What we are missing through the packages is Popcorn Time, which we really hope that QNAP will integrate with the next OS iterations.

 

Besides the usual QNAP applications for browsing multimedia content, we also have the option to install Plex, which is really easy to configure and opens itself in a separate browser window and after specifying the multimedia folders from our drives, it will start indexing and display more information about the content after browsing Internet resources.

Also, for keeping our data safe, we have multiple backup options at our disposal including saving the same data on a separate NAS on the network or even working with cloud storage.

 

The QNAP TS-453mini NAS can be found online for about 491 Euros; while this value may not be an issue for small companies, for homes it is pretty steep but considering the performances, possibility of upgrades and the QvPC advantages, we think that it is a good investment on the long run.

 

QNAP TS-454mini NAS is Recommended For:

 

 

We would like to thank again to QNAP for making this review possible!