More information on the QNAP TS-253B 2-Bay Fully Featured NAS
What are the specs of the QNAP TS-253B 2-Bay NAS?
We have already covered the up and coming QNAP TS-253B NAS when it was leaked at a photography expo back in February 2017 , however much of the information that we had to go on was sparse and lacking in confirmation. Some details were confirmed but anything that was considered speculative, was labelled as such. Fast forward to today and we have alot more information to go on with many of the specifications of the TS-253B and, also touched on, TS-453B 4-Bay NAS having some welcome new features and old reliable ones too.
The QNAP TS-253B-8G Design, Specs and Hardware – CONFIRMED!
- Brand new chassis with removable front panel – not dissimilar to the Synology DS216+II
- PCIe slot for adding additional 10GBe ports and other compatible PCIe cards – VERY unique in a 2-Bay NAS server.
- Intel Celeron J3455 Quad-Core CPU processor with 1.5 to 2.3 GHz
- 4GB and 8GB of DDR3 Memory
- Top mounted power button – small detail but much easier reach
- front mounted LCD Panel for real-time information, a rare sight in a 2-Bay NAS
- Screwless HDD trays, with Hotswapping as an option
- Front mounted SD Card Slot
- USB-C Connector on the front that is compatible with both Windows and Mac
- Direct Attached file access (optional feature for if you want NAS access without using your network and want to use USB 3.0)
- USB-A One touch copy port for backing up to and front external USB Drives
- Front displayed LED indicators for System use, health, Drive access, USB connect and SD Card connect
- Rear mounted speaker for audio alerts, as well as being able to play audio media DIRECTLY from the NAS (with files being selected by the mobile apps, desktop or mobile remote
- 2 X HDMI port on the rear (one is HDMI 1.4B and the other HDMI 2.0 for both 4K and 1080p for immediate media file access on a monitor or TV
- 2x LAN 1GBe for link aggregation and failover support
- 4 more USB 3.0 ports on the rear
- External PSU
- Single rear mounted cooling fan
- 3x audio ports (in and out)
Is the QNAP TS-253B 2-Bay NAS going to be popular?
In short – YES. Long answer, Yes with a but! In the last few years, I have seen many, MANY 2-Bay NAS devices be released and easily the two most popualr have been the QNAP TS-253A and the Synology DS716+II. This is due to two factors.
Ability – Power is not enough. You have have an i7 and 64GB of memory, but if the machine isn’t stable or the facilities and applications are no good, then what you have is a remarkably powerful bookend. Both the TS-253A and the DS716+II were powerful 2-Bay NAS that also provided a host of features for home and business users in terms of network and (more from QNAP) direct attached functionality. This made them INCREDIBLY desirable to first time NAS buyers as well as those who had a few years of experience in the field and knew their onions!
Price – Once again, next to ability, getting the price right is imperative! Two examples of this being done badly is the NVR216 and the TS-251A. Both of these were heavily featured NAS however were released with a price tag that did not fit neatly within the ranges that were currently available. Consequently many buyers were put of buy hardware choices that at first glance seemed overpriced (silly things like a Dual Core CPU vs a Quad Core). If QNAP are able to price the TS-253B 2-Bay NAS in line with the popular TS-253A, then this could easily be in the top 3 NAS of 2017
