INTRODUCTION

   Ever since i started using and testing NAS devices I’ve always been on the lookout for one which could replace the media player i have in my bedroom since such devices offer so much more. Unfortunately if you're reading these lines then you are aware of the noise most NAS devices emit even at idle so they are not really what I’d call suitable for use in a bedroom especially at night. QNAP came up with a solution to that issue by releasing the SilentNAS HS-210 a few months ago a NAS device which was based around a passive cooling design so noise levels were only limited to those coming from the drives themselves. The lack of an HDMI output however didn't just surprise all of us here but it also rendered that project unsuitable for use with a TV set and thus my only hope was that QNAP would listen and resolve this with a future model. Well it didn't take long for them to do so since they just released the SilentNAS HS-251 and although it shares the same passive design as its predecessor it's not only improved in terms of specifications but it also features two HDMI outputs.

   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.

   Because of both its size and lack of an active cooling system we all thought that QNAP would be forced to make use of low-performance components just like with the HS-210 but that obviously didn't stop them since the HS-251 is actually very similar to the TS-451 model (as revealed by model number). To be more specific the SilentNAS HS-251 wears the Intel Celeron Dual Core 2.41GHz J1800 CPU (the OpenGL 3.0 compatible Intel(R) MESA DRI Bay Trail version 10.0 ones again takes care of the graphics part), 2GB DDR3L RAM (our sample the HS-251-2G) and 512MB of flash memory (DOM). Features-wise the HS-251 comes ready with two 1GbE RJ-45 Ethernet ports, two USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports and two HDMI v1.4a ports (one is reserved for service purposes by QNAP technicians) which can output even the heaviest bitrate media files (3D content included) on your TV set. The most important question however which we will do our best to answer today is whether or not the SilentNAS HS-251 can match the performance of the TurboNAS TS-451 since aside the number of bays these two models are pretty much identical.