QNAP TS-H973AX-8G - 9-bay network attached storage, Black

The QNAP TS-H973AX-8G 9-Bay Tower NAS is a centralised storage system for small and medium-sized businesses. It runs the ZFS-based QuTS hero operating system, which uses inline deduplication and compression to maintain data integrity. An AMD Ryzen Embedded V1500B quad-core processor (2.2 GHz) handles the unit’s multi-threaded workloads. This is supported by 8 GB of DDR4 memory, expandable to 32 GB via two SO-DIMM slots. Nine drive bays accommodate 3.5-inch and 2.5-inch SATA drives, as well as U.2 NVMe SSDs. A 10GbE RJ45 port provides primary networking for high-speed data transfer and virtualisation.

The black tower chassis features hot-swappable bays, allowing for drive replacement without interrupting system availability. Users can configure storage across RAID levels 5, 6, 10, 50, and 60, balancing redundancy and capacity. A 140 mm fan provides cooling, maintaining a noise level of 22.9 dB during standard operation. Three USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports allow for the connection of external drives and peripherals. Data is secured via 256-bit AES encryption, with access managed through HTTPS or SSH protocols. The NAS integrates with Windows, Mac, and various Linux environments. It uses a 120 W external power adapter and consumes approximately 55.41 W during standard use.

• Snapshot capability: Records the system state to protect against data loss and enable point-in-time recovery.
• 2,000 concurrent connections: Supports high-density access for active workgroups.
• Multi-protocol file sharing: Supports SMB/CIFS, AFP, FTP, and WebDAV for cross-platform network access.
• File system compatibility: Supports ZFS, EXT4, NTFS, HFS+, and FAT32.
• Network optimisation: Includes Jumbo frames and Link Aggregation to maximise throughput across the three LAN ports.
• Advanced RAID management: Supports online RAID expansion, migration, and rebuild functions.
• Network services: Includes a built-in DHCP server and client with Wake-on-LAN support.