At first we would like to thank QNAP for offering a sample of their TVS-673 High-Performance Business 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.”

 

AMD R-Series quad-core APU, up to 64GB RAM, and hardware-accelerated encryption with AES-NI

 

The TVS-673 is equipped with a next-gen AMD R-Series RX-421BD quad-core 2.1 GHz APU (burst up to 3.4 GHz), dual channel 8GB/16GB/64GB DDR4 RAM (upgradable to 64GB), and four Gigabit LAN ports for lightning-fast multi-tasking with low power consumption and is capable of delivering up to 1,172 MB/s throughout with a 10GbE configuration. The TVS-673’s hardware-accelerated encryption engine with AES-NI provides unmatched encryption performance in its class (up to 483 MB/s with AES 256- bit full NAS volume encryption) to boost system performance, security, and ensuring the safety of sensitive business data stored in the NAS.

 

Top-class hardware engineering

 

The sturdy and feature-packed hardware of the TVS-673 bolsters overall system performance. Coupled with the flexible and expandable architecture, the TVS-673 can fulfill diversified application needs.

 

1. M.2 SSD LED

Shows M.2 SSD status and data access.

2. Infrared receiver

Works with the bundled remote control (RM-IR004) to play media files.

3. LCD display

Provides quick system information for easier system management.

4. 2 x PCIe Gen.3 expansion slots

PCIe Gen.3 x4; supports a dual-port 10GbE LAN card and USB 3.1 expansion card.

5. USB QuickAccess port

Plug-and-use; connect to a computer via USB to complete the first-time installation and access files on the NAS without requiring network connectivity.

6. USB one-touch-copy

Press the “Copy” button to instantly back up data from external drives to the NAS, or alternatively to back up data from the NAS to external drives.

7. Up to 64GB DDR4 RAM

Supports four DDR4 SODIMM memory modules; comes preinstalled with 8GB/16GB/64GB RAM.

8. 2 x built-in M.2 SSD slots

Supports SATA 6Gb/s M.2 SSD with 2260 and 2280 form factors; allows the greatest flexibility in tiered storage configuration and enables cache acceleration.

9. Compartmentalized smart cooling

Separately detects the CPU and hard drive temperatures to dynamically control fan speed for quieter operations.

10. AMD R-Series Embedded x86 APU

Quad-core RX-421BD 2.1 GHz SoC (35W), 3.4 GHz boost; supports Radeon™ R7 GPU, 4K video decoding and encoding acceleration, and AES-NI hardware-accelerated encryption engine.

11. 2 x USB 3.1 Type-A ports

Up to 10Gb/s data transfer; backward compatible with USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 devices.

12. 2 x 3.5 mm microphone jacks

Supports two dynamic microphones.

13. 2 x 4K HDMI outputs

HDMI 1.4b for displaying up to 3840 x 2160; supports duplicated and extended desktop options.

14. 3.5 mm audio jack

Connect speakers or headphones for direct audio output from the NAS.

15. 4 x Gigabit Ethernet ports

Allows optimized network traffic distribution for diverse applications.

16. Built-in speaker

Supports direct audio output and provides verbal system warnings.

 

Flexible 10GbE network expandability

 

The TVS-673 features two PCIe (Gen.3 x4) slots, one preinstalled with a USB 3.1 Type-A dual-port card, and the other allows for installing an optional dual-port 10GbE (10GBASE-T or SFP+) network card. This allows for greater flexibility in setting up 10GbE environments for high-performance virtualization and backup tasks.

 

USB 3.1 (10Gbps) connectivity

 

USB 3.1 provides faster maximum speeds of 10Gb/s – double that of USB 3.0 – to greatly boost data transfer performance. The TVS-673 comes with a USB 3.1 Type-A dual-port card for connecting up to two USB devices, allowing compatibility with newer, faster USB devices for transferring large-sized media files.

 

M.2 SSD & 2.5” SSD cache with Qtier optimization

 

The TVS-673 supports 2.5” SSD for caching to increase IOPS performance, and provides higher transfer speeds and reliability with additional two M.2 SATA 6Gb/s SSDs. Using an SSD cache boosts overall system performance, and is perfect for improving the overall workflow of random IOPS demanding applications such as virtualization. The TVS-673 combines M.2 SSD, SATA SSD and high-capacity HDD in one box to effectively realize tiered storage for exceptional application performance and lower TCO of storage at the same time.

 

Easy installation and direct access to files with USB QuickAccess

 

With its innovative USB QuickAccess port, the TVS-673 eliminates the complications of first-time NAS installation and provides easy direct access to files stored on the TVS-673 - all without needing network connectivity. Simply use a USB 3.0 A – Micro B cable or a USB 2.0 A – Micro B cable** to connect the TVS-673 to a PC or Mac device, and use Qfinder Pro* to configure it. It is just that easy. You can also assign access rights to users for different folders to prevent unauthorized access to important files.

 

QTS 4.3 – The most intelligent and intuitive NAS operating system

 

The TVS-673 natively supports the new 64-bit QTS 4.3 operating system. QTS 4.3 provides more intelligent features to enhance management efficiency, including the intelligent Qtier™ 2.0 that learns from NAS usage, analyzes system performance and peak usage hours to process auto tiering; Qfiling that helps categorize files and performs based on schedules to make organizing files automatic and efficient, and much more. With its intuitive and simplified user interface, QTS features an 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 working efficiency. QTS breaks the barriers of devices, platforms, and geography to bring optimized cloud experiences and incorporates advanced features.

Superior 4K video transcoding and display

 

The TVS-673 features AMD 3rd Gen GCN architecture with breakthrough GPU performance to support 4K H.264 video decoding* and stunning 4K UHD display. It delivers superior real-time 4K and 1080p video transcoding** to convert videos to universal formats that can be smoothly played on PCs, mobile devices and Smart TVs***. With offline transcoding, even when you can only connect using a low-speed Internet connection, you can still enjoy smooth video playback via File Station, Video Station, and the Qfile mobile app by selecting a pre-rendered lower resolution video. The TVS-673 also allows you to set a dedicated folder for automatic video transcoding.

 

4K HDMI output with a free remote control for an excellent audiovisual experience

 

The TVS-673 offers dual HDMI outputs that support “duplicated” or “extended” desktop configurations. You can connect the TVS-673 to a TV or A/V receiver and use the media player in HybridDesk Station (HD Station) with the bundled QNAP remote control to enjoy rich media content and 4K videos with the best audiovisual experience. With the help of the smart remote control learning function, you can pair up to three TV or stereo IR remote controls and program your frequently-used buttons and functions. You can also turn your mobile devices into remote controls by installing the Qremote app.

Cross-platform file sharing, centralized data storage

 

The TVS-673 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 TVS-673. 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 TVS-673 supports SAMBA v4 and can act as a Windows domain controller to manage privilege settings.

 

Well-rounded backup solutions to secure data

 

The TVS-673 is a comprehensive centralized backup center for multiple files. You can use QNAP NetBak Replicator to back up files on Windows® (including Outlook® email archiving) to the TVS-673, or use Time Machine® for Mac® data backup. A wide range of third-party backup software such as Acronis® True Image™, Symantec Backup Exec™ and Commvault® are also supported to facilitate system backup and restoration.

 

Disaster recovery solutions bring peace of mind

 

Hybrid Backup Sync consolidates backup, restoration and synchronization functions (using RTRR, rsync, FTP, CIFS/SMB) into a single app for easily transferring data to local, remote and cloud storage spaces as a comprehensive data storage and disaster recovery plan. Supported cloud services include Amazon® Glacier, Azure™ Storage, Google Cloud Storage™, Google Drive™, Microsoft® OneDrive® for Business, Dropbox®, Amazon® Drive, Yandex® Disk, Box®, hubiC® and Amazon® S3/OpenStack Swift/WebDAV compatible services. Hybrid Backup Sync supports multi-version backup, flexible job scheduling, file compression to save storage space, and more.

 

Comprehensive security options

 

In open network environments, business data may be exposed in a potential hack. The TVS-673 provides numerous security options, such as encrypted access, IP blocking, 2-step verification, and more. IT administrators can also control the access rights of each user to different folders, preventing unauthorized access to important files. The TVS-673 supports AES 256-bit encryption, preventing sensitive business data from unauthorized access and breach even if the hard drives or the entire system were stolen.

 

Qsirch - A smarter, faster way to search

 

To complement the TVS-673 as a huge data center, “searchability” is one of the key areas for increasing the value of stored data, and Qsirch is the best tool to realize optimized search capabilities for vast data storage and archiving. Qsirch is a full-text search tool for quick file searching, supporting thumbnail previews and even remembering your search history allowing you to quickly navigate to files you've previously searched for. Qsirch Helper, a browser extension for Chrome™ and Filefox®, allows you to search for files on your NAS when you use Google Search. Qsirch is a huge productivity boost that greatly reduces the time spent looking for files on the NAS, allowing you to focus on other tasks.

 

QmailAgent - A mailroom center for your private cloud

 

QmailAgent is an online email client that helps you manage multiple email accounts, allowing you to access all of your emails and to easily switch between different accounts. It provides complete functionality for composing, reading and organizing emails. You can even attach files, photos and documents from the TVS-673 when composing emails. iOS® and Android™ users can use the QmailClient app to quickly check multiple email accounts with mobile devices, and to browse & send emails using the QmailAgent on their TVS-673. You can use QmailAgent together with Qsirch, which supports searching through the .eml files stored on the TVS-673, to make searching through and managing massive amounts of emails much easier.

 

Qcontactz - Easily manage huge amounts of contacts on the NAS

 

Qcontactz with the high-capacity TVS-673 helps you centrally store and manage contact information for colleagues, business partners, families, and friends. Other features include: importing/exporting CSV or vCARD 3.0 files, automatic identification of frequently-used contacts, encryption for sensitive/confidential contact information, smart search function, and more. Qcontactz offers snapshot backups that enable you to revert to a previous version of your contacts list according to your needs. A companion app for Android phones and iPhone is also available for easy access to contacts. Qcontactz can also be used with QmailAgent to create the perfect email workflow environment.

 

Storage for comprehensive virtualization applications

 

The TVS-673 is a comprehensive iSCSI/IP-SAN storage solution, and supports VMware®, Citrix®, Microsoft® Hyper-V™ and Windows Server® 2012 R2, benefiting flexible deployment and management in virtualization environments. The TVS-673 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.

Storage for hosting virtual machines and containerized applications

 

Virtualization Station allows you to host virtual machines (VM) on the TVS-673 and access them via a web browser or VNC. Virtualization Station supports multiple operating systems, fast VM creation, VM backup & restoration, VM import/export, snapshot, and Device Management for centrally managing VMs. Virtualization Station allows the TVS-673, VMs and containers to share the same LAN port. No longer constrained by physical network performance, high-speed virtual switches greatly increases data transfer between VMs, containers and NAS through the internal interface. The TVS-673 also features Container Station, which integrates LXC and Docker® lightweight virtualization technologies. You can operate multiple isolated Linux® systems on the TVS-673 as well as download apps from the built-in Docker Hub Registry®. Containers Station also supports the QIoT Containers platform that helps quickly structure your IoT environment and deployment on your private IoT cloud.

 

Restore files with Volume & LUN Snapshot

 

QTS Storage Manager adds an easy-to-use web-based snapshot tool for you to easily backup and restore data on the TVS-673 back to any point of time in case you lose any important data. You can take snapshots for volumes and LUN (up to 256 snapshots per volume or LUN and maximum 1,024 snapshots per NAS), efficiently replicate volume/LUN snapshots via Snapshot Replica to remote servers by copying only the changes made, and quickly clone a volume /LUN snapshot as a local volume without interrupting the current system operation. You can even set up the system to automatically take a snapshot of the volume before backup via RTRR/rsync, even if files are open.

 

File synchronization across multiple devices

 

Qsync utility turns your TVS-673 into a safe, high-capacity data center for file synchronization. Any file uploaded to the TVS-673 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 up-to-date files on different devices. Qsync provides multiple ways for file synchronization and group file sharing, greatly enhancing the flexibility of team projects and collaboration.

 

Comprehensive surveillance solution providing 24/7 security

 

Surveillance Station is a professional network surveillance Video Management System (VMS) that offers a user-friendly management interface, over 3,000 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 app on your iOS® or Android™ devices to manage the monitored channels anytime and anywhere, or install the Vcam mobile app to turn your device into a network camera to instantly record to your TVS-673. The TVS-673 offers 4 free IP camera channels and you can expand up to 72 channels by purchasing additional licenses.

 

Whole new QVR Pro surveillance solution

 

The TVS-673 also supports QVR Pro (Beta) that integrates QNAP’s professional QVR system into the QTS operating system. You can not only arrange a dedicated, independent storage space for surveillance data on the NAS, but also leverage the advantages of scalability and storage manageability from QTS. QVR Pro features a flexible monitoring interface that allows you to adjust the proportion and monitor view of IP cameras, supports an upgraded timeline feature that provides instant video search and quick view identification in live monitoring mode, and allows for monitoring views and playing back images without switching between different windows. Additional functions like batch adding and editing cameras, and searching for cameras across different LANs further save the cost and time in deploying and maintaining a complete surveillance system.

 

Enjoy your exclusive karaoke system with OceanKTV

 

OceanKTV is the first NAS-based karaoke application and allows you to create a quality karaoke experience at home or in the office. The TVS-673 offers high-capacity storage for potentially accommodating up to thousands of 1080p karaoke songs, and now supports YouTube™ video streaming. The TVS-673 comes with two 3.5 mm microphone jacks and can transmit audio to your amplifier using HDMI or the 3.5 mm line out port. The experience can be managed using the OceanKTV app in QTS or by using the OceanKTV mobile app on your phone or tablet. More than a NAS, the TVS-673 is a karaoke machine for singing entertainment.

 

NAS as a Wireless AP

 

WirelessAP Station coupled with a compatible PCI Express wireless adapter* turns the TVS-673 into a dedicated Wireless AP, making it the ideal solution if you have multiple devices that need internet connectivity but have no available access points. As those devices directly communicate with the TVS-673 through the WirelessAP Station, it not only allows for the network resources of the NAS to be shared with greater efficiency, but it also prevents possible slowdown that may occur when the broadband router is busy.

 

Install-on-demand apps to extend NAS functionality

 

The built-in App Center 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. You can freely install apps as needed to expand your TVS-673’s functionality.

 

Flexibly expand storage capacity

 

The TVS-673 offers a high performance yet affordable storage solution to fulfill the needs of business in archiving rapidly-growing data & large files. Up to two QNAP expansion enclosures can be connected to expand the TVS-673’s raw storage capacity on demand, making the TVS-673 an ideal file center for storage-intensive business applications such as video surveillance, data archiving, TV broadcast storage, and more.

 

User-friendly vocal alerts and music playback

 

The TVS-673 features a built-in speaker that supports Chinese and English vocal alerts for important system messages. You can also use Music Station or File Station (coupled with Qfile and Qmusic mobile apps) to directly play music on the NAS.

 

 

In this article we are going to cover another high-performance 6-bay NAS from QNAP, which packs no less than 8GB of RAM by default, an AMD R-Series RX-421BD quad-core 2.1GHz SoC which does max out to 4.5GHz, HDMI connectivity (4K output), USB QuickAccess and more! The product is shipped inside a large cardboard enclosure, which does sport stickers with the MAC addresses of the LAN adapters, but also the product serial number:

 

 

 

On the frontal area of the box, the manufacturer informs us on the hardware details, but also lists the main product highlights:

 

 

 

 

After lifting the top cover, we will get to see a “Welcome” message, which gives us access to more web resources:

 

 

 

Besides the main product, we will also receive a separate cardboard enclosure with the bundle, but also a power lead:

 

 

 

The bundle consists of a Quick Installation Guide, a Media Center remote, different mounting screws and other accessories, but also two LAN cables:

 

 

 

 

The included remote does feature a solid build and can be used with ease while the NAS is operated on HDMI output:

 

 

 

It is powered by two AAA batteries, which are also included as a bundle:

 

 

 

The Quick Installation Guide does feature the necessary instructions for setting the NAS up:

 

 

 

Besides a thick layer of foam, the TVS-673 server is also covered in a transparent plastic bag:

 

 

 

TVS-673 does come with a very sturdy, tower form factor chassis and its color reminds us of the QNAP TVS-863+ model we have previously reviewed, that was also AMD-based:

 

 

 

On the top area, QNAP advises us regarding the boot order:

 

 

 

The top area of the chassis is also housing the myQNAPcloud details, along with the Cloud Key:

 

 

 

The frontal area of the unit is made of plastic and includes the redesigned drive trays, a LED display on top with control buttons, a sticker with the product code name and more:

 

 

 

In the top left area of the display, we will be able to spot the Status, LAN and USB LEDs; if you look closer, you will also get to see the M.2 activity LEDs for the internal SSDs (active when drives are installed):

 

 

 

A similar button setup we have seen with other QNAP NASes, which does allow accessing the menus from the LCD display:

 

 

 

This model does feature in the lower right corner a Power button, one USB Copy button along with and USB 3.0 port, but also a QuickAccess USB port for connecting to the NAS when LAN is not available:

 

 

 

The left side of the unit does present itself with a ventilation grill:

 

 

 

The right side does have even more ventilation holes, while the central grill pattern forms a nice “Q” letter:

 

 

 

In the back side of the unit, we do get even more connectivity options:

 

 

 

A dual-port USB 3.1 card occupies one of the two available expansion slots; nearby we can also spot the Reset button hole:

 

 

 

On the left side we do have no less than two 4K HDMI (@30Hz) outputs, three USB 3.0 ports, 4x Gigabit LAN ports, a built-in speaker, but also two 3.5mm microphone jacks for Karaoke purposes and also one 3.5mm audio out jack. This area does also house the debug port, along with the Kensington lock port:

 

 

 

The top right corner does house the internal power supply, which does have a cooling system of its own:

 

 

 

Two silent 9cm fans cool the drive bays:

 

 

 

The bottom area of the server does come with additional ventilation grills, in order to assure optimal cooling; a large round rubber foot can be found in each corner:

 

 

 

The new locking mechanism of the plastic trays is pretty neat and easy to work with:

 

 

 

 

These are built similar to the ones we have seen along with the TVS-882 High-Performance NAS and allow compatibility with both 2.5’’ and 3.5’’ drives:

 

 

 

3.5’’ drive installation is done in a screw-less mode thanks to the lateral plastic panels, which are removable:

 

 

 

 

The removal process will also reveal sets of rubber anti-vibration grommets:

 

 

 

The mounting holes for the 2.5’’ drives are marked on the bottom of the tray:

 

 

 

After the plastic trays have been removed, we can clearly see the internal daughterboard that does house the SATA Data/Power connectors:

 

 

 

With the top cover removed, we can see that the internal design provides plenty of space between components and maintenance is easy to perform:

 

 

 

The power supply is manufactured by Delta Electronics Inc. and can supply a maximum power of 240W:

 

 

 

In the same area where power is supplied to the daughter-board, we can spot the populated fan headers:

 

 

 

Here is also a view on the left side of the server, which shows the appreciable distance between the back fans and the drive cage:

 

 

 

The right side with the motherboard is even more interesting; we can easily spot the fan plastic bracket that does redirect the air from the fan, in order to cool properly all the heatsink area:

 

 

 

The advertised 8GB of DDR4 SODIMM memory is composed of two modules and we can use up to quad-DIMM configurations:

 

 

 

 

The OS does load from an Apacer 512MB DOM:

 

 

 

The fan that cools the SoC heatsink was manufactured by EVERFLOW and is rated 12V at 0.25A:

 

 

 

No less than two 2280/2260 SATA 6Gb/s M.2 ports are available for installing additional storage:

 

 

 

The plastic shroud can be easily removed for maintenance:

 

 

 

Near the SoC, we could also find some Intel I211-AT Gigabit Ethernet Controller ICs:

 

 

 

 

A PCI Express packet switch (1 PCIe x1 Gen2 upstream port to 4 PCIe x1 Gen2 downstream) is also available on the motherboard:

 

 

 

Just near the SoC heatsink, we can also spot the Intersil ISL62771 PWM modulator:

 

 

 

Near the thermal probe for temperature monitoring in the M.2 SSD area, we could also spot a Realtek RTL8111E Gigabit Ethernet Controller:

 

 

 

Some extra, unused headers are available near the memory slots:

 

 

 

Near the system buzzer, we could also find the CMOS battery:

 

 

 

The LED lighting system is easy to read, even in a very dark room:

 

 

 

After we have installed our trusty SSDs inside the unit, we have connected the NAS to the local network and powered it on. It is a much simpler process finding the NAS on the network after it has booted up with the help of the Qfinder Pro application from QNAP:

 

 

 

The next configuration steps will continue in a browser window:

 

 

 

The first information we need to provide to the configuration wizard is the NAS name along with the administrator password:

 

 

 

Afterwards, we will be able to set the date and time:

 

 

 

Network settings can be further adjusted:

 

 

 

Depending on our environment, we can choose which file transfer services to install:

 

 

 

The disk configuration setup comes next; we can also choose to perform this process later:

 

 

 

In case we are using the NAS at home, we can choose to enable Multimedia services right away:

 

 

 

A summary with the modifications that will be made are shown in the last screen:

 

 

 

 

Afterwards, the wizard will show us all the steps the server will take in order to complete the initial setup process:

 

 

 

 

We will then check inside the GUI to see if the desired volume has been created successfully:

 

 

 

 

 

Before actually starting the testing procedure, we have updated the firmware to the latest version:

 

 

 

 

QNAP has made further improvements to the QTS GUI starting with the 4.3 software revision:

 

 

 

 

The desktop styling has a sleeker, more professional look; the icon styling has been redone, while remaining simple to use:

 

 

 

In the top right area of the bar, we can perform a quick search for applications, adjust the volume levels of the audio out jack, check out the current tasks in the background, work with the storage devices that have been connected externally, check out the system logs and more:

 

 

 

The whole list of installed apps can be also accessed from the top left area of the screen:

 

 

 

One area that has been completely revamped is the Control Panel; the new styling is easier to work with and on the top area, it does also display the current system information:

 

 

 

The General Settings menu allows us to modify the login settings, server time, choose codepage, adjust the password strength or customize the login screen:

 

 

 

Storage Manager opens up in a separate window and from here, we will be able to create storage pools and volumes on our preference; we can also enable cache acceleration with a SSD, work with ISCSI Storage and LUN Backup and more:

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Security menu allows the user to set a security mode, by allowing or denying certain IP addresses or network domains, adjust the Network Access Protection or system Certificates:

 

 

 

The Hardware menu is available for us in order to adjust some miscellaneous system settings, change the Buzzer (and voice prompts) behavior or adjust the Smart Fan profiles:

 

 

 

Power menu comes with the EuP option, WoL, Power Recovery and Power Schedule sub-sections:

 

 

 

System notifications can be enabled from the next menu via E-mail, SMS or Push services:

 

 

 

The Firmware update can be performed automatically (QTS will automatically search for it), but when an automatic update is not available and on the website there is already a new QTS file available, we will have to go the manual route:

 

 

 

Backup & Restore menu allows the user to save current server settings for later restoration, but also from the same menu we can reset the system to factory defaults:

 

 

 

External devices can be also configured from the next menu:

 

 

 

System Status does have its separate window available, which opens up to show the current System Information, Network Status, running System Services and Hardware Information:

 

 

 

 

 

 

System Logs menu does sport a similar behavior, with its own sub-sections: System Event Logs, System Connection Logs, Online Users and Syslog Client Management:

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Resource Monitor is another area that has been completely redesigned and now it looks like a proper task manager from a fully-fledged Operating System:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Privilege Settings main menu is next, with its Users sub-section, which allows the administrators to define new users that will operate the server resources:

 

 

 

User Groups with different privileges can be created too:

 

 

 

Various shared folders are created by default, but the user can always create new ones, with different permissions for each user:

 

 

 

Disk quotas can be enabled from the next menu:

 

 

 

Domain security menu allows logging to an AD service as a domain member, LDAP authentication, but the server can also function as a domain controller:

 

 

 

 

The Network settings open up in a separate section, and here we can work with the current LAN configuration including Port Trunking, but also adjust USB QuickAccess settings or WiFi (in the case we do have a compatible Wi-Fi dongle connected to the unit):

 

 

 

 

From the same section, we can configure Virtual Switch options, DHCP Server options but also choose the default system Gateway:

 

 

 

 

 

Services can be enabled for different platforms:

 

 

 

We do also have to our disposal options to enable and configure FTP, Telnet/SSH, SNMP services:

 

 

 

 

UPnP Discovery Services and Bonjour have a different section allocated:

 

 

 

The Network Recycle Bin service is handy for recovering accidentally deleted files; these can be purged after a specified number of days:

 

 

 

HybridDesk Station is the portal accessible on HDMI to which we can install multiple modules like browsers, games, multimedia applications, and so on, which can be used without the need of a PC:

 

 

 

iTunes and DLNA servers can be configured from the next menus:

 

 

 

 

Multimedia Management menu will “instruct” the default multimedia applications where to look for indexing media files; we also have here many tabs regarding transcoding tasks:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Onto the applications, we do have the File Station 5 which permits file and folder manipulation:

 

 

 

 

myQnapCloud module can be used for accessing our server from remote locations:

 

 

 

AppCenter is the place to go when installing new modules; these are developed by QNAP but also 3rd parties:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Help Center does provide us with the QTS usage manual, but from there we can also browse the Online Resource or use the Helpdesk function:

 

 

 

The Helpdesk center can be also accessed from a standalone application:

 

 

 

Download Station application has been also redesigned and comes with a BT Search function:

 

 

 

 

Music Station now comes with two separate tabs: Spotlight and Manage. The Spotlight area does select some of the indexed music files and categorizes accordingly:

 

 

 

The Manage tab is similar to what we have seen with the previous version, but the GUI has been updated and looks much nicer:

 

 

 

Online radio is also available here thanks to TuneIn services:

 

 

 

Photo Station has retained its previous aspect and with this multi-functional application we can share content, do slideshows, check photos in detail, create albums and so on:

 

 

 

 

Video Station application is also revamped with the new revision and can playback most video content after it has been indexed:

 

 

 

Video files with surround audio did not play back because of missing codecs:

 

 

 

We do have the option though to play back the files in a separate window through the VLC plugin without any issues at all:

 

 

 

QNAP Container Station exclusively integrates LXC and Docker® lightweight virtualization technologies, allowing us to operate multiple isolated Linux® systems on a QNAP NAS as well as download apps from the built-in Docker® Hub Registry:

 

 

 

 

Qsirch indexes the whole NAS contents in order to provide easy search for needed contents:

 

 

 

QNAP does also provide us with a more advanced Notes Editor, and several templates are also available for us to work with:

 

 

 

 

There are also applications available such as Gmail Backup, which allows the user to back up the contents onto the server:

 

 

 

QNAP servers are also known to run PrestaShop modules quite well:

 

 

 

 

HappyGet II is another interesting service; the application allows downloading clips from several websites, by using the respective Chrome plugin:

 

 

 

Virtualization Station UI has been also updated and preserves most of the options from before. In order to try it out, we have installed a Windows 7 VM, which worked just fine:

 

 

 

 

The single problem versus other implementations is that we do not actually have a video driver available for the virtual machine, so the cursor movement and animations are a little bit sluggish:

 

 

 

Our favorite Plex Media Center application is also available to be used from the QTS interface and works as intended; thanks to the powerful hardware of this specific model, all operations are quite snappy:

 

 

 

 

QmailAgent is a new application which works similarly to Mozilla Thunderbird; it will download the mails from the configured server and allow us to work with the account as a regular desktop application. The difference is that all is saved on the server, so it is much less hassle-free than having the same content downloaded on your desktop PC:

 

 

 

QNAP has also developed an application for handling contacts, Qcontactz:

 

 

 

Instead of taking a ton of screenshots, we saw fit this time to make a short video and show all the included applications.

 

 

Same thing goes with Linux Station, which can be used in the place of HybridDesk Station on the HDMI interface.

 

 

Test Setup

 

CPU : Intel I5 4690K Retail

CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14

Motherboard : BIOSTAR GAMING Z97X

RAM : GeIL EVO CORSA 16GB 2400MHz C11

(2GB Exceleram DDR1333 for NASPT compatibility)

Video : HIS 280X

Power Supply : Cooler Master 850W

SSD : OCZ Vertex 4 256GB

Case: Cooler Master ATCS840

 

To test the NAS performances, the TVS-673 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

 

With the TVS-673 NAS connected to a spare USB 3.0 port and the USB QuickAccess Driver installed, the server was detected as if it was operating on the local network. We have repeated the same test suite while connected this way:

 

 

Total Commander Copy Performance

 

 

Total Commander Read Performance

 

 

Intel NAS Performance Toolkit

 

ATTO Disk Benchmark

 

Anvil Utilities

 

On the same USB connection, we have performed the performance test suite with an encrypted volume:

 

 

Total Commander Copy Performance

 

 

Total Commander Read Performance

 

 

Intel NAS Performance Toolkit

 

ATTO Disk Benchmark

 

Anvil Utilities

 

TVS-673 Turbo vNAS from QNAP is a very complex product for handling various tasks, while its hardware based on AMD is upgradeable in terms of RAM and expansion cards. While the model we have tested runs with 8GB of RAM, there are also two other models available, one with 16GB, but also one with no less than 64GB of DDR4, for running even more application modules and virtual machines at once. The AMD R-Series RX-421BD Quad-Core SoC runs at a base speed of 2.1GHz, while in burst it can climb up to 3.4GHz; it does also feature an embedded Radeon R7 Graphics Processor which drives the two HDMI orts in the back.

 

Speaking of HDMI output, the two ports come with the 1.4b standard, which means that they can output a maximum of 4K resolution, with a refresh rate of 30Hz. If you are using the server for other tasks than storage, hosting, backups, you can always install the dedicated application for Karaoke and use the two analog microphone jacks in the back of the unit. In terms of multimedia playback support, the QNAP Video Station relies on the internal codecs, so when we do need to run video files with surround audio, we may step into some issues; this is a non-issue though when using the Plex application from the QTS interface, the KODI-based application from HybridDesk Station or even KODI itself from the Linux Station application.

 

The design of QTS has been revamped with the release of the 4.3 version and now look even better! We liked best the new design of Control Panel, along with the Resource Monitor, which is showing how the system resources are being occupied on-the-fly.

 

While the NAS can accommodate no less than six drives inside the frontal bays, it can also house two M.2 SSDs internally, for even more additional storage. The supported hardware-acceleration encryption works wonders, since we have not experienced any slowdowns while using encrypted volumes in our benchmarks, while saturating a single LAN Gigabit interface.

 

The QuickAccess USB port is really handy when the LAN is not operational and this model fully-supports different QNAP USB RAID expansion enclosures for business use. Besides the preinstalled dual-port USB 3.1 card in the back, we can also choose to install a dual-port or single-port 10 Gigabit card; the model numbers are available on the product page.

 

The TVS-673-8GB model, as tested, is available online for about 1094 Euros.

QNAP TVS-673 High-Performance Business NAS is Recommended for:

 

 

 

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