2 hours ago
If the goal is a low-power 4-bay NAS that can run four hard drives, stay efficient, and allow occasional remote access while travelling, the best options right now outside of Synology are these three:
QNAP TS-433
One of the lowest-power 4-bay NAS on the market.
Very quiet, ARM CPU, extremely efficient.
Perfect for backups, remote access, light file sharing.
Consumes far less power than Intel-based systems.
QNAP TS-464
Still fairly low power, but much faster.
Intel CPU, better for future apps, containers, AI photo indexing, and heavier workloads.
Idle consumption is higher than the TS-433 but still good for a 4-bay Intel system.
TerraMaster F4-423
Great value, low idle power, modern hardware.
Runs TOS, which is improving but still rough in places.
Supports TrueNAS or Unraid if you ever want to switch later.
If your priority is absolute lowest power, the QNAP TS-433 is the best choice.
If you want something still efficient but more capable long-term, go for the QNAP TS-464.
QNAP TS-433
One of the lowest-power 4-bay NAS on the market.
Very quiet, ARM CPU, extremely efficient.
Perfect for backups, remote access, light file sharing.
Consumes far less power than Intel-based systems.
QNAP TS-464
Still fairly low power, but much faster.
Intel CPU, better for future apps, containers, AI photo indexing, and heavier workloads.
Idle consumption is higher than the TS-433 but still good for a 4-bay Intel system.
TerraMaster F4-423
Great value, low idle power, modern hardware.
Runs TOS, which is improving but still rough in places.
Supports TrueNAS or Unraid if you ever want to switch later.
If your priority is absolute lowest power, the QNAP TS-433 is the best choice.
If you want something still efficient but more capable long-term, go for the QNAP TS-464.

