CONCLUSION

   As many of you know (if you’ve been following our NAS reviews) I’ve always placed rackmount models over regular ones not only because they feature higher build quality and in some cases redundant power systems (dual PSUs) but also because they almost always offer higher performance numbers compared to similar non-rackmount models (unfortunately since they are targeted towards enterprise and industrial applications rackmount models are quite noisy but we can’t have it all). Well I’m happy to say that the TVS-682 changed all that since it’s the very first non-rackmount model which I’d actually use in our lab. It’s very fast, features two PCIe slots (Gen3x16/4) and two M.2 slots (aside the 6 SATA ones) and is equipped with one of the fastest dual-core CPUs used in NAS servers today (the Core i3-6100) paired with 8GB of DDR4 RAM running at 2133MHz (expandable to 64GB). I also liked the total of 3 HDMI outputs and the addition of the two built-in speakers since they also give audible warnings to the user (for example they notify you when the system has finished booting). The dual section in the interior is also something new and although I think it’s not perfect just yet it promises reduced temperatures for all components. After testing the SSD cache feature for roughly 2 weeks we can say that it really works as advertised (increases write performance) but for some reason it’s only recorded by Crystal Disk Mark. 4k playback is also impressive but again due to some “possible” problems with KODI v16 (it could also be the uncompressed material we used by SONY) we did encounter some playback/color issues. In terms of available applications and features QNAP still leads the market and since in some areas they offer over twice as many compared to the competition we don’t expect that to change any time soon.

    Whenever we get a NAS that features a member of the Intel Core i3 family we know even prior to checking prices online that it’s going to cost quite a bit and so the TVS-682-I3-8G by QNAP currently retails for USD1299 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 1292Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk). Of course the above price tag does not include the cost of a 10G/40G card but the same applies for any other 10G/40G compatible NAS in the market today. Overall however after summing up what features and performance levels the TVS-682 offers we don’t really consider it to be that expensive so if you’re after one of the best 6-bay NAS money can buy today you can’t go wrong with it and that’s why it gets our Platinum Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Dual Core Intel Core i3-6100
- Top of the Charts Performance
- Available Features
- 8GB DDR4 RAM (Expandable To 64GB)
- 4 Gigabit Ethernet Ports
- 10/40GbE Ready (Via PCIe Card)
- 2 mSATA Ports
- 2 PCIe Slots (Gen3x16/x4)
- 5 USB 3.0 Ports
- 3 HDMI Outputs (1x2.0/2x1.4)
- Dual Speakers (Audible Warnings)
- Dual 6.3mm Jacks (Karaoke Support)
- RAID 0/1/5/6/10/JBOD + Hot Spare/Swap Support
- Six SATA III Bays (6Gb/s)
- QNAP QTS
- Android Apps

CONS

- Power Consumption (For Some)
- Price (For Some)