Should you buy the QNAP TVS-473e NAS this 2018 for the Home or Business?
QNAP TVS-473e NAS – Design
- The Quick connect USB port of the front that allow direct attached access to your NAS files (either providing access via the file explorer interface of your windows or mac system) or full user interface access of QTS 4.3.4)
- Dual m.2 SSD slots inside that enabled SSD caching, as well as provide access to the tiered storage smart system only available on QNAP by adding 2.5″ SSD in an available bay.
- One of the few devices that use a highly grahically enabled AMD CPU, the MD R-Series RX-421BD, which is quad-core with a 2.1 GHz clock speed that can burst up to 3.4 GHz
- DDR4 memory, much faster and more efficient that DDR3 in most other NAS devices, this combined with that beast of a CPU mean that there are few modern NAS applications of tasks that you cannot do
- PCIe slots that enable you to install everything from additional M.2 SSD cache cards and 10GBe, to more USB ports or a GPU card for vurtual machine access
- 4 LAN Ports straight away, giving you the potential to link aggregate them and effectively quadruple your upload/download within the device
- Dual HDMI ports that can be combined for mirrored/combined desktop, or dedicated to individual needs
- Rear mounted speaker and additional Audio in/out – so lots of sound options
- Front mounted USB Copy port and button for fast backups to a local external HDD or visasera
- Rear mounted controllable fan. This may not be exactly exciting, but it is features like these that are rarely sung about and more useful that people give them credit for.
- Tooless HDD Hard Drive installation trays and LCD panel for system information
So, as you can see, a HIGE amount of technological advancement and development have produced the TVS-473e. Every single one of the features above were premiered on different NAS, but the TVS-x73 series was the first to feature ALL of them on a single device. The QNAP TVS-473e continues this legacy, but removing a few bits and bobs (none of the above) to make it leaner and more accessible in cost.
What is the difference between the TVS-x73 and the TVS-x73e Range
As mentioned, you are going to see more NAS servers from QNAP arriving with the ‘e’ badge. This is about making their range more accessible to people by removing smalelr features and accessories that research showed were being largely ignored. If you want the features you can of course still buy them as optional parts, or still buy the full complete TVS-x73 NAS units. But aside from those, the new TVS-473e range is near enough identical.Here is what we said about the TVS-473 NAS in January 2017, back when it was released:
| DESIGN
8/10 |
Easily one of the best looking NAS servers I have seen yet. I know that when most people hear ‘Gold’ They think it might look a bit naff, but in reality it looks more Rose Gold / Copper and with a mostly Metal Frame – it is a very attractive NAS |
| FEATURES
9/10 |
The QNAP TVS-473 can do almost ANY NAS task that you will ever need. If you have herd that a NAS can do it – THIS device can do it. Virtual Machines, NAS Surveillance, DAS connectivity, New remote control for multimedia in 1080p 4K and Plex Media Servers. Cannot argue with it’s ability. |
| PERFORMANCE
8/10 |
Not only can this device do almost anything in NAS – But it can perform it better than almost any NAS device out there! Easily the best NAS in the market today – not cheap, but unparalleled in it’s performance vs price. |
| VALUE
8/10 |
A NAS without compromise, a NAS that can do anything and everything. If you need a NAS with future proofing and years of future proofing, this 2017 NAS is the one for you. |
| DESIGN | If you like the Hardware to match – this QNAP NAS is maybe not for you as it will stand out a mile next to your mostly White or Black office environment. |
| FEATURES | The only QNAP NAS features missing currently available in the TVS-473 is Thunderbolt Connectivity. It wouldn’t surprise me if a PCIe card featuring Thunderbolt 2 and Thunderbolt 3 connectivity is on the horizon. |
| PERFORMANCE | Intel CPU fans will skip this in favour of the QNAP TVS-1282 or the Synology DS1817+ when it ever gets released!!! |
| VALUE | Not to be a broken record, the only downside is the lack of Thunderbolt2 NAS connectivity, a few accessories that most users will never use (but nice to know they are there) and the price being a pinch higher than most – but you are paying for a solid 9/10 NAS. |
The above still rings true, HOWEVER now with the removal of the remote control, USB 3.1 Gen 2 ports (two parts of the package that never even made it to the review, they were so overlooked) and costing over £100 less than the original. For me that makes this better than the TVS-473 as it arrives at both a price point that is more palatable to many, as well as still keeping every single one of the core things that made it a top spec NAS server.
Also, you’ll be pleased to hear the device supports the very latest NAS hard drives from WD and Seagate, in up to 10 and 12TB, a multitude of IP Cameras for network surveillance and a large range of graphics cards for virtualisation.
QNAP TVS-473e NAS – Software
What the QNAP TVS-473e can do (PROs):
- 4K Playback and Transcoding
- Virtualisation and Multiple VM Hosting
- DLNA Support
- Plex Media Server Support including Transcoding
- Apple TIme Machine Support
- Surveillance including 4 camera licences and supporting 40 cameras at once
- iTunes Server
- Snapshot Support and large scale time managed backups of all kinds
- Email server
- Download server (FTP, HTTP, BT,NZB)
- CMS and CRM systems
- Office applications
- Media Center support
- PCIe Card Upgrades – 1/10/40GBe, SSD Cache Upgrade, USB 3.1 Gen Card
- Graphics Card Installation for VM use
What the QNAP TVS-473e cannot do (CONs):
- Still no Support for Thunderbolt
- No Dedicated SSD Bays, as found in the TVS-x82 series
- No Remote Control
- No USB 3.1 Gen 2
QNAP TVS-473e NAS – Conclusion
The QNAP decision to re-release a number of their 2017 NAS series with an ‘e’ on the end, a lower price tag and the removal of a few accessories/ports is undeniably a good thing. Making the much more fully featured NAS devices such as the TVS-x73B and TS-x53B range more affordable and accessible is going to be a hugely popular move. The QNAP TVS-473e is just as powerful, polished and high performing as the older unit – plus those few items that have been removed in the ‘e’ version are still able to be purchased separately for those that still want USB 3.1 Gen 2 and the remote control. My only gripe is the retiring of the TVS-473 complete NAS. Why not jsut sell the two versions so that the NAS buyer can make the right choice for them? They did it with the TS-253Be and TS-253B both being available at the same time. But overall this is still a fantastic device and more than worthy of the Gold NAS accolade!
QNAP TVS-473e NAS – Where to Buy?
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Any idea if they replaced the SATA boards on these? It seems to have been a defect with the original TVS-473 lineup. I bought one about a year ago and had Bay 3 fail on me after 3 months. And now it has failed me again at the same bay after QNAP RMA’d my device and replaced the SATA connection board. I’m hoping they can repair it again, but it’s very annoying to have this issue. Otherwise I’ve loved the TVS-473 for all its features.
They haven’t mentioned that, but they try to learn from past mistakes and improve new NAS models.