QNAP isn’t unfamiliar with creating robust NAS enclosures for power users and business use. The QNAP TS-464 is one of the latest servers from the company for 2022, rocking the latest Intel Celeron processor, upgradable DDR4 RAM, four drive bays, and an excellent operating system.
When it comes to running Plex Media Server on a prebuilt NAS with 4K transcoding in mind, you’re going to need a capable processor. Luckily, the QNAP TS-463 has this and then some. The specs are as good as the included HDMI port and IR receiver. It simply keeps getting better.
If you’d like to learn more about how the QNAP TS-464 is one of the best NAS for Plex, read on for our full in-depth review.
QNAP TS-464
Running the latest version of QNAP’s OS, there’s plenty to love about the TS-464. If you’re seeking a four-bay NAS with an Intel processor and features for running a media server, you’ve just found it.
- Intel Celeron N5095 CPU
- 4GB of DDR4 RAM preinstalled
- M.2 SSD bays
- HDMI port and IR receiver
- Good-looking NAS
- PCIe 3.0
- QTS UI is showing its age
QNAP TS-464: Price and specs
The QNAP TS-464 has some beefy specifications and one can expect the enclosure to be priced accordingly. With four drive bays, an Intel CPU, dedicated video output, and more costs a small premium. You can expect to pay out just shy of $550 for the TS-464.
| Specification | QNAP TS-464 |
|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Celeron N5095 |
| GPU | Intel UHD Graphics |
| RAM | 4GB DDR4 (max: 16GB) |
| Drive bays | 4x (SSD/HDD) 2x M.2 SSD |
| Capacity | 80TB |
| Expansion | Drives: Yes PCIe: 1x 3.0 x2 |
| Cooling | 1x 120mm |
| Ports | 2x 2.5Gb LAN 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 2x USB 2.0 1x HDMI |
| Power draw | ~40.5W |
| Dimensions | 168 x 170 x 226 mm |
| Weight | 2.26 kg |
And what a list of specifications the TS-464 has! The Intel Celeron N5095 is excellent for light servers such as NAS. These enclosures are being tasked with doing far more than network-attached storage was originally designed for.
Four drive bays allow for the installation of up to 80TB of storage capacity and QNAP allows the two M.2 slots to be used for caching or storage. Expansion units can be attached to the TS4-464 using the SATA or USB-C interfaces.
Everything is cooled using a single 120mm fan and up to 40W of power can be expected to be drawn from the wall with all drives in use. Overall, the QNAP TS-464 is a premium four-bay NAS.
QNAP TS-464: Design and features
QNAP’s TS-464 shares the same design as other NAS enclosures from the company. It has a black and gold look on the front with a removable cover hiding the four drive bays. A single USB 3.2 Gen 2 is available for hooking up external storage and other devices.
The sides and top panels are completely bare and the rear is where you’ll find the single cooling fan vent, as well as the rest of the ports and DC input. There are countless connection points here, including two 2.5Gb LAN ports, the second USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 port, two USB 2.0, and even HDMI 2.0 video out.
The four 3.5-inch drive trays are toolless, meaning you can extract them and remove/install drives without fetching a screwdriver. Inside the NAS is where you’ll find the two PCIe 3.0 M.2 and DDR4 SODIMM slots. (We’ve collected the best RAM for QNAP TS-464 if you want to expand it.)
While we’re looking at two M.2 slots, it’s worth bearing in mind these slots are rated at PCIe 3.0 speeds. If you’re considering a new SSD to install here, you will lose out on the marketed speeds if the drives are designed around PCIe 4.0.
We’re using the latest version of QNAP’s QTS operating system and it’s showing signs of age against the competition. Synology and ASUSTOR have a UI design that looks more modern. QTS is easy to use and gets the job done, but it’ll be great to see QNAP further refine its OS.
QNAP TS-464: Performance
The Intel Celeron N5095 processor found inside the QNAP TS-464 isn’t the most powerful CPU from Intel, but it’s more than enough for servers such as a NAS enclosure. It’s capable of running at a speed of 2.0GHz per core and can boost up to 2.9GHz.
The two 2.5Gb LAN ports can be aggregated to form a link to the network with higher bandwidth. This can accommodate improved transfer speeds for writing and/or reading to the four drives. This may be an important step to take if you’re going to max the connection with clients and M.2 SSDs.
We made use of four 4TB Seagate IronWolf drives for the testing of the NAS. They’re among the best NAS drives around and offer excellent performance. Speaking of expansion, here are the expansion units supported by the QNAP TS-464. If you’re wanting to add additional bays to your four-bay NAS, here’s what you’ll need.
| Model | Form Factor | Bays | Maximum Number | Interface |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TL-D1600S | Tower | 16 | 1 | SATA |
| TL-D400S | Tower | 4 | 1 | SATA |
| TL-D800C | Tower | 8 | 2 | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 |
| TL-D800S | Tower | 8 | 1 | SATA |
| TL-R1200C-RP | Rackmount | 12 | 2 | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 |
| TL-R1200S-RP | Rackmount | 12 | 1 | SATA |
| TL-R400S | Rackmount | 4 | 1 | SATA |
| TR-002 | Tower | 2 | 2 | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 |
| TR-004 | Tower | 4 | 2 | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 |
| TR-004U | Rackmount | 4 | 2 | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 |
The Intel processor is capable of handling 4K transcoding, thanks to the integrated Intel Graphics GPU. This is where QNAP has a step above what Synology is bringing to the market with its latest DiskStation NAS enclosures.
There are two SODIMM slots that can take DDR4-2666. One is preinstalled with a capacity of 4GB. QNAP officially supports up to 16GB with the QNAP TS-464 though it may be possible to install more than this unofficially.
| Benchmark | QNAP TS-464 |
|---|---|
| CrystalDiskMark (Sequential) | 292 MB/s read 290 MB/s write |
| PCMark10 (Data Drive) | 99.7 MB/s 261 ms |
| File transfer (15GB folder) | 276 MB/s |
The QNAP TS-464 was tested using a 2.5Gb network. Our test PC is running an Intel Core i5-13600K with 32GB of DDR5 RAM and a 2.5Gb port on the mainboard. These results are promising and in line with what we’d expect from such capable hardware.
QNAP TS-464: Competition
The four-bay NAS market segment is incredibly popular and competitive. It’s usually the next step for those who already own two-bay enclosures. QNAP has plenty of competitor NAS to go up against with the QNAP TS-464.
Synology just came out with the latest refresh of its pro line of four-bay NAS, the Synology DiskStation DS923+. That NAS has an AMD Ryzen processor, which is brilliant at general use but doesn’t come close to this Intel chip for handling media.
Interestingly, the DS923+ costs a full $50 more but has some other features omitted from the QNAP TS-464, including the HDMI port. TerraMaster’s F4-423 is a closer competitor to the TS-464 and costs $500. It comes with an HDMI port and almost everything else is identical.
QNAP TS-464: Should you buy?
Who should buy this?
- Those who want to build a compact Plex media server.
- Those who want to use M.2 SSDs and upgrade RAM.
- Those who want an Intel-powered NAS enclosure.
Who shouldn’t buy this?
- Those who don’t want to spend a considerable sum of money.
- Those who won’t utilize the available performance.
If we’re to judge the QNAP TS-464 by its specification sheet, we’d be onto a winner here as the best NAS. the Intel processor is brilliant, and so too is the DDR4 RAM support and available M.2 slots. The 2.5Gb networking ensures you’re going to have enough network bandwidth.
QNAP also gets the software right with its QTS operating system. It’s incredibly easy to use and there are countless apps and services to quickly install with a few clicks. running a few drives in RAID and firing up Plex Media Server, it’s possible to stream 4K content without any performance hitches, especially when the HDMI port is used.
Installing everything is a painless process, as is expected with modern QNAP NAS. If you want an easy-to-use foundation to build something for the home that all the family members can utilize, the QNAP TS-464 has everything you need to get started.
QNAP TS-464
QNAP designed the TS-464 with Plex in mind. There’s a dedicated HDMI port for video output, as well as an IR receiver for using a remote. It’s also powered by an Intel CPU.
