A Guide to the Best 8-Bay NAS Drives to Buy Right Now
Delving into the world of NAS for business purposes, it becomes clear that the 8-Bay NAS drives mark a significant leap in seriousness and capability. While NAS systems are commonly used in homes, for budget-friendly options, and in small businesses for basic storage needs, the 8-Bay variants signify a major step up. These systems, compatible with both hard drives and SSDs, showcase the advanced capabilities of NAS brands. Historically, 8-Bays have been pivotal in transitioning from Desktop to Rackmount servers, offering enhanced storage, performance, and redundancy. Such systems boast features like 10-gigabit ethernet, Xeon processors, and increased memory, catering to a broader range of users and processes than their predecessors. Early on, NAS brands integrated 8-Bay desktop servers into their offerings, recognizing the need for compact, powerful desktop solutions to compete with traditional rackmount servers. With an array of 8-Bay NAS systems available, each with unique hardware and software features, yet similarly priced, the choice can be overwhelming. In this guide, I aim to spotlight the top three 8-Bay NAS drives to consider in 2023/2024, selected for their value, scalability, and power. Let’s dive in.
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What Have All the Best 8-Bay NAS Drives Have in Common?
It is worth remembering that although there are ALOT of different 8-Bay NAS drives available to buy, they are by no means created equal! With numerous super-budget brands popping up online, it can be tempting to consider these alongside the premium NAS brands. However, all too often they offer solutions righty seem ‘too good to be true’ and then are gone from the web before your warranty even gets cold! So, whether you are looking at the three best 8-Bay solutions that I am recommending below OR are looking at another 8-Bay NAS you saw on offer/recommended elsewhere – the best NAS system ALWAYS includes the following software and services:
- Combined Hardware & Software Solution – That means that you are buying the hardware, but it ALSO includes a web browser GUI, mobile apps and desktop client apps (including backup, media, streaming, surveillance and file management software)
- All NAS systems in this guide are compatible with (and can be accessed by) Windows, Mac, Android and Linux operating systems
- All NAS Solutions arrive with between 2-3 years Warranty (with the option to extend to 5 years)
- All NAS drives can be accessed locally over the network, as well as secure remote access is possible with brand-supported services (at no additional cost)
- The most modern and regularly updated NAS systems will support the very latest 20TB NAS hard drives (such as the Seagate Ironwolf 22TB and WD Red 22TB)
- All the recommended solutions support multiple drive configurations (RAID) for drive failure protection and performance enhancements
- All solutions receive regular updates to their security, features and services
- All recommended NAS drives can connect and synchronize with cloud services (Google Drive, DropBox, OneDrive, etc), as well as Business/Enterprise services such as AWS, Azure, Backblaze and more
- All NAS solutions (regardless of brand) feature the ability to host a shared drive on your PC/Mobile/Laptop systems that are synchronized with the NAS via the network/internet, but is shown in your native operating system file manager (i.e Mac Finder or Windows Explorer)
- All the NAS solutions listed can be accessed DIRECTLY via an ethernet/network cable being connected from your PC/Mac system, to the NAS RJ45 port for 100MB/s and higher connectivity
- All the best NAS solutions (regardless of brand) feature backup and sync tools that can be installed on your local client computer and allow regular backups of your files and system data
So, make sure that if you are looking at a NAS solution that is NOT recommended below, that it includes all of the above as these are some of the clearest areas that brands all too often cut orders to produce cheaper by ultimately inferior NAS servers for home and business.
Honourable Mention: The QNAP TVS-h874T Thunderbolt4 NAS
0-176TB, 8-Bays, 2x PCIe 4×4 M.2 NVMe 2280, PCIe Gen 4×16 Upgrade Slot, Intel Core 12th Gen i7/i9 CPU, 32-64GB DDR4 (non-ECC) Memory, 2x Thunderbolt4 Port, 2x 2.5Gbe Port, KVM, ZFS or EXT4 Setup, 3-5yr Warranty
Current Price/Availability on Amazon – $2999-3499
Hardware Review – LINK (h874) – h874T Review Coming Soon
YouTube Video Review – Watch (h874) – h874T Review Coming Soon
In summarizing the capabilities and potential of the QNAP TVS-h874T NAS, released as a late 2023 update to its predecessor, it’s clear that this system represents a significant leap forward in desktop NAS technology. Priced over £2500, it’s a substantial investment, designed with future-proofing in mind. The TVS-h874T not only maintains the longevity and high-end status of the TVS-h874 but also brings to the table enhanced direct data access through Thunderbolt 4 integration. This advancement, supporting IP over Thunderbolt protocol, significantly boosts connectivity and speed, making the system an ideal choice for demanding tasks such as 8K video editing and high-performance computing needs in business environments. However, the question of whether Thunderbolt NAS is the right fit for all users remains. For those requiring high-speed, multi-user access and scalability, the TVS-h874T is a strong contender. Its support for the latest PCIe 4 standards ensures compatibility with high-performance upgrades, reinforcing its position as a future-proof investment. The software, featuring QTS and QuTS, might require some acclimatization, particularly for those familiar with simpler systems like Synology’s DSM. Yet, the benefits, especially for ZFS enthusiasts, are undeniable, offering advanced RAID management and a plethora of applications and services.
The TVS-h874T’s stance on open hardware and software compatibility is a significant plus in an industry increasingly leaning towards proprietary systems. It accommodates a range of third-party hardware and software, adding to its versatility. In the face of growing concerns over NAS security, the system is well-equipped with comprehensive tools and settings for enhanced security and data protection, addressing the pressing issue of ransomware attacks. In conclusion, the QNAP TVS-h874T stands out as an exceptional choice for businesses and power users who require a robust, scalable, and secure NAS solution. It offers an excellent balance of price, performance, and features, making it a worthy investment for those seeking top-tier server-side capabilities. However, for users with simpler storage needs or those not requiring the advanced features of Thunderbolt NAS, traditional Thunderbolt DAS devices might be a more suitable and cost-effective option. The TVS-h874T, with its advanced capabilities, is undoubtedly a powerhouse in NAS technology, but its full benefits will be best realized by those whose requirements align closely with what this advanced system has to offer.
 QNAP TVS-h874T-i9-64G, 8-bay Thunderbolt 4 NAS, Intel Core i9 CPU, 64GB RAM Amazon  These Offers are Checked Daily
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Best All Round 8-Bay NAS Drive – Synology DS1821+ NAS
0-176TB, 8-Bays, 2x NVMe Cache Bays, Quad-Core Ryzen V1500B 2.2Ghz CPU, 4-32GB DDR4 ECC Memory, 4x 1Gbe Port, 1x PCIe 3×8 Upgrade Slot, 5yr Warranty
Current Price/Availability on Amazon – $1099
Hardware Review – LINK
YouTube Video Review – Watch
What I said in my review Dec ’20:
What you have here is a solid piece of hardware that very much lives up to everything Synology promises, even if some of those promises aren’t to everyone’s taste. With a hardware architecture that we have already tested to notable success in the DS1621+ previously, we already knew that this NAS would be able to do everything it promised. Many users looking to spend their annual business budgets on an improved or extended data storage solution will find the balanced position of hardware vs software found by the Synology DS1821+ to be quite desirable, as well as the scaled potential to upgrade external performance via PCIe and storage via eSATA. However, there is no ignoring that despite the fact this 2020 release excels in many things, it also arrives with a little bottlenecking in a number of others. The continued default utilisation of 1Gbe on the newest generation by Synology is somewhat perplexing and although I have continued admiration for Synology’s engagement with intelligent M2 NVMe cache utilisation and providing a solution that allows more flexible upgrade paths, I know that there are still users who just wish they could use that super fast NAND for raw storage pools and have better than gigabit connections out by default.
It has never been a secret that buying a Synology NAS solution was always a largely ‘software over hardware’ purchase, and the DS1821+ is still a fine example of that balance. However, with other brands closing the gap in what they can offer the SMB (Small/Medium Business) user, while still providing superior hardware and similar warranty coverage, there is the tiniest feeling that the DS1821+ is a NAS that sits on its laurels a bit. Hugely upgradable and still with that award-winning and fantastically intuative DSM software, the DS1821+ is about buying a solution you can adapt within its lifespan and not one that will knock your socks off on day one. A solid and dependable data storage solution, if a little safe, at the end of 2020.
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Synology DS1821+/32TB IW 8 Bay DT Amazon Synology DS1821+ 64TB 8 Bay Desktop NAS Solution, Installed with 8 x 8TB HAT5300 Amazon These Offers are Checked Daily
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Most Powerful 8-Bay NAS Drive – QNAP TVS-h874 NAS
0-176TB, 8-Bays, 2x PCIe 4 M.2 NVMe 2280, PCIe Gen 4×16 Upgrade Slot, Intel Core 12th Gen i5/i7/i9 CPU, 16-64GB DDR4 Memory, 2.5Gbe Port, 10Gb x2 Prots (Intel i9 Version), KVM, ZFS or EXT4 Setup, 3-5yr Warranty
Current Price/Availability on Amazon – $2000-2500-3000
Hardware Review – LINK
YouTube Video Review – Watch
What I said in my review Dec ’22:
The QNAP TVS-h874 NAS is easily one of the most hardware-capable desktop NAS systems that I have ever seen (as you would expect for £2500+) and has clearly been designed with phenomenal future proofing in mind! If you are concerned about the longevity of this NAS, this hardware architecture will still be top tier 5 years from now, with the added support of PCIe 4 meaning that high capacity and performing micro upgrades throughout its life also ensuring it remains relevant long after. It’s price tag clearly moves this purchase out of the home and squarely into the business market (though likely those that take their media seriously will add it to the cart) and the TVS-h874 will function as a solid solution for Video editing (even at 8K), high frequency and performing VMs, large scale AI powered Surveillance setup, hybrid cloud/on-prem alternative to Office 365/Google Workspace services and as the center point for all your data storage operations. Crucially though, it is that the hardware on offer here will be able to do ALL of these at the same time, therefore maximising the investment for most businesses that want to move aware from their cloud dependant ops. In terms of software,t things are a little less absolute, with QTS and QuTS still getting a little busy at times, with a steeper learning curve than its big rival DSM from Synology. That said, die-hard fans of ZFS (Zettabyte File System) will adore the inclusion of benefits in RAID handling, management and recovery that are exclusive to that platform, whilst enjoying the wide range of applications and service benefits in QuTS that are often restricted to Linux platforms.
The slightly conveluded approach to release hardware that does complicate the selection process (different CPUs in the Intel 12th Gen family changing the rest of the system architecture) is something that I hoped this brand would graduate from (for the sake of simplicity), but for many, this level of choice in hardware and budget will be welcome. As is QNAP’s position on the support of 3rd party hardware (drives, PCIe upgrades, etc) and software, something that we have seen a worrying trend in the last few years against elsewhere in the industry but some other brands, to err towards 1st party/proprietary compatibility more and more. There are still lingering doubts by some on the security of NAS, with ransomware attacks on the rise and ALL brands and ALL platforms being targetted (NAS, Cloud ,etc), finding a middle ground between ease of use and depth of security being a tricky tie rope walk indeed. The TVS-h874 arrives with a wide range of Day 1 tools, further rigid defaults in QTS/QuTS in 2022/2023, considerable security settings to configure and multiple system scan tools for recommendations & preventative measures available. The QNAP TVS-h874 is probably the most powerful desktop/tower NAS drive I have ever reviewed and if you are looking for a system that can legitimately do anything server-side, but you are also willing to put in the time to configure it correctly – you will genuinely be hard pushed to find a better system in 2022, 2023 and likely 2024 at this price point and scale.
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QNAP TVS-h874-i5-32G Intel Core i5 Processor, 32 GB RAM, PCIe Gen 4 expandabilit Amazon QNAP TVS-h874 NAS Tower Ethernet LAN Black Amazon QNAP TVS-h874T-i9-64G, 8-bay Thunderbolt 4 NAS, Intel Core i9 CPU, 64GB RAM Amazon These Offers are Checked Daily
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Best Value Hardware 8-Bay NAS Drive – Terramaster T9-450 NAS
0-198TB, 9-Bays, 2x PCIe Gen 3 M.2 NVMe 2280, Intel C3558R Atom Quad Core CPU, 8-32GB Memory, 2x 10GbE SFP, 1x 2.5GbE Port, PCIe Slot (TBC), 2yr Warranty
Current Price/Availability on Amazon – $999-1099
Hardware Review – LINK
YouTube Video Review – Watch
What I said in my review May ’23:
Terramaster has really changed the playing field with the T9-450 NAS. I was already a big fan of their latest generation of 6-Bay, 9-Bay and 12-Bay desktop chassis – providing a pretty substantial amount of storage in a tower design that borrows ventilation methodology traditionally found in rackmounts, but the T9-450 takes this logic and doubles down on it hard. The dual 10GbE on the system means that, despite it’s comparatively modest price point (when comparing against similar scale solutions from Synology and QNAP) you genuinely have a solution with the potential to allow you to enjoy every single MB/s or GB/s of your RAID externally. This is further bolstered with additional 2.5GbE ports, m.2 NVMe bays, uncomplicated support of HDDs/SSDs and just generally a very sensible system that shows how much Terramaster has matured as a brand. The TOS software is still not quite up there with Synology’s DSM or QNAP’s QTS in terms of ease of use and AAA+ features, but it is definitely a great entry point OS that has tighted it’s security since the brand was targetted by a ransomware group (along with other brands, they were affected by Deadbolt attacks) – it certainly lacks some of the background optimization of it’s competitors, but then this is reflected in the budget of the system too.
The internal PCIe slot that has been largely ignored is a bit of a missed opportunity and I am not a big fan of how they have addressed memory compatibility, but overall it is very, very tough to criticise the T9-450 NAS when you factor in the value of the package here. Factor in that you can very easily swap out the OS for many others, and it largely silences alot of the negatives here too. Overall, the T9-450 could potentially be the best NAS that Terramster has ever released and if they continue to address later releases with the same level of hardware value, this could definitely give the bigger names in the industry something of a headache down the road. I highly recommend this system for its value and performance potential!
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Need More Help Choosing the right NAS?
Choosing the right data storage solution for your needs can be very intimidating and it’s never too late to ask for help. With options ranging from NAS to DAS, Thunderbolt to SAS and connecting everything up so you can access all your lovely data at the touch of a button can be a lot simpler than you think. If you want some tips, guidance or help with everything from compatibility to suitability of a solution for you, why not drop me a message below and I will get back to you as soon as possible with what you should go for, its suitability and the best place to get it. This service is designed without profit in mind and in order to help you with your data storage needs, so I will try to answer your questions as soon as possible. Just enter in a few details of your setup, storage requirements and (in the case of buying a new solution) your budget – then me and Eddie the Web guy can help you with your question. This is a completely free service, is NOT provided with profit in mind and is manned by two humans (no bots, no automated replies, etc). Assistance might take an extra day or two (the service gets a lot of visitors) but we do try to answer every message. If you want to support this service, you can find out how to donate HERE. Otherwise, you can still just message us for free advice anyway!
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