As we switch to SSDs for almost everything else we use, NAS solutions are one of the few device types where HDDs are still very popular. But what if you need something else? Along with a brand new major update to its OS, TerraMaster is rolling out two SSD-only NAS enclosures that provide extremely high-performance storage and plenty of processing power for Docker containers and virtual machines. And best of all, they're super quiet.
Staff Recommendations
TerraMaster F8 SSD Plus
TerraMaster's first all-SSD NAS supports eight M.2 NVMe drives for a maximum capacity of 64TB. Its small and lightweight design makes it perfect for travel, and it's so quiet you might just forget it's there. A fast 10Gb Ethernet port lets you run demanding use cases like video editing and database access as if they were running on a local computer, while three USB 3.2 ports allow for high-speed backups to external drives. It also comes equipped with an Intel Core i3-N305 CPU with Intel UHD Graphics to handle a variety of location-processing tasks.
- Extremely quiet operation
- High-speed 10Gb Ethernet port
- Easy to carry
- Setup is almost automatic
- No SD reader
- I wish it was easier to carry
- A bit expensive for the specs
Pricing, Availability and Specifications
TerraMaster is launching two models designed for M.2 NVMe drives, the F8 SSD and the F8 SSD Plus, which are virtually identical except for the CPU and RAM.
The regular F8 SSD comes with an Intel N95 CPU and 8GB of RAM and retails for $600. The F8 SSD Plus featured in this review is more expensive at $800 but upgrades the CPU to an Intel i3 N305 and comes with 16GB of RAM. Both units can be upgraded to up to 32GB of RAM, and both CPUs have integrated GPUs, although the N305 GPU is significantly more powerful than the N95's.
You can order it directly from TerraMaster's online store or through Amazon. There's also a launch sale going on, taking $100 off, bringing the price of the base model down to $500 and the Plus to $700. Don't forget to order a whopping eight M.2 2280 NVMe SSDs to fill all the slots.
What's great about the TerraMaster F8 SSD Plus?
The glamour and the content, everything
There's no need to beat around the bush. The TerraMaster F8 SSD Plus is characterised by its use of M.2 NVMe SSDs. In fact, there are many things to dislike about good old HDDs: they are loud, energy inefficient, and rather large and heavy by modern standards. Most people don't care if they have one drive in a desktop PC, but cramming multiple drives into a NAS is too much to ignore, so most people hide the enclosure in a storage room or basement. But with SSDs, all these shortcomings are minimized or completely eliminated, with the added benefit of faster read performance.
The TerraMaster F8 SSD Plus is roughly the same size as a USB enclosure for a 3.5-inch hard drive, so while it's not small enough to slip into your pocket, it will easily fit in a backpack or luggage. TerraMaster's minimalist design language sticks to simple black plastic sidewalls with only a logo cutout, giving it a clean, sleek look rather than a cluttered design. Asustor Flash Storage 6 FS6706T.
There are vents on the top and bottom to improve airflow, and a bottom fan blows air over the SSD, and while it's not completely silent, it's quiet enough that you won't notice it unless you're pretty close.
The specs are pretty good, with the same Intel Core i3-N305 CPU as the F4-424 Pro. The GPU capabilities are supported by Intel UHD Graphics, which hardware encodes and decodes most of the major codecs, so you can transcode video live without any hassle. The kit includes 16GB of RAM, but you can upgrade to 32GB. This is probably not necessary unless you need to run very demanding applications, large, high-demand databases, or virtual machines. On a fresh setup, the OS and default services total around 1.5GB.
Given the high read/write performance of SSDs, it's essential to have a 10Gb Ethernet port that's fast enough to edit video directly over the network. Remember, to take advantage of that speed you'll of course need a 10GbE port or adapter on your computer, and everything between the NAS and your computer will need to be 10GbE as well.
On the software side, we should not forget that TOS 6 is also being released, bringing with it some very new convenience features, important security improvements, and some very visible changes to the UI.
If you're used to TOS 5, it might feel a little clunky at first. All the major UI components are still there and easy to see, but they've been moved around a bit on the screen, which might mess with your muscle memory. It might take some getting used to, but I generally like the changes. Everything looks a bit cleaner and more mobile than TOS 5. And if you can't find something, there's a search box to quickly navigate to settings or apps.
TOS 6 has been updated to the Linux kernel 6.1 LTS for improved security and performance. An improved dashboard makes it easier to see system information and statistics at a glance, and it also adds new system monitoring and management features. But perhaps one of the most significant improvements is that hot swapping is now fully supported; however, I haven't tried this with SSDs and I don't know yet if it's safe.
Despite the many improvements, you should be prepared for some bugs. I haven't encountered any major issues, but there are occasional glitches where windows become unresponsive or widgets malfunction. Such issues can usually be resolved by refreshing the browser window. There was one time when the Docker engine stopped working and I had to restart it, but most things worked fine. I remember there being a similar bug in the upgrade from TOS 4 to TOS 5, but it didn't take long for TerraMaster to iron out most of the issues. Be prepared for occasional anomalies.
What are the disadvantages of the TerraMaster F8 SSD Plus?
Customers tell you what they want. Just listen.
While the marketing for the F8 SSD model isn't very specific about its theoretical target customer, when I see a lightweight, relatively compact NAS designed for high-performance SSDs, content creators (such as YouTubers and filmmakers) are the first people that come to mind. Content creators need a lot of storage space and the ability to quickly back up footage from their cameras and audio recorders. And, very importantly, many creators need equipment that is easy to carry and take with them on trips. TerraMaster built a tool that was well-suited to that demographic, but had they been asked for their input, there are a few things the F8 SSD model would have changed.
First, we must start with the power adapter, or more precisely, the 12V barrel connector used as the power source. Why does this bother me? Simply put, the last thing I want from a highly portable storage device is to manage a separate power adapter and cable. If the port is a Type-C that supports USB-PD, it can easily handle up to 45W of power under heavy load. More importantly, I travel with only two or three generic cables and chargers that can handle my laptop, backup battery, other equipment, etc. Of course, it's nice to have a standard charging port in case I want to replace the cable without having to leave my NAS at my desk.
An SD card reader is also a big plus for content creators. Most cameras and audio recorders still record data to SD or microSD, but it's very convenient to be able to just insert the card and have the software automatically perform a click-free backup.
I'm mostly happy with the port selection and speeds, but it's a bit disappointing that the USB ports only work in host mode, meaning you can connect an external hard drive and copy data in both directions, but you can't connect the NAS to a computer and use it like a standard hard drive. This is a great feature, especially since most laptops don't have 10GbE ports, or Ethernet ports at all, so being able to use a USB cable rather than carrying around an adapter is convenient.
The HDMI port is yet another missed opportunity. TerraMaster includes an HDMI port on almost all of their NAS, but it's only useful for viewing diagnostic messages during boot and running limited terminal commands. These are occasionally useful, but otherwise it feels like a wasted port. I was hoping that TOS 6 would finally allow the NAS to function more like a standalone media player or desktop PC.
Finally, a quick quibble about TerraMaster advertising “tool-free installation” with this enclosure, which is probably true, but not really. The chassis is secured with a single thumbscrew, and sliding the outer shell off gives you easy access to the RAM and M.2 SSD slots. The SSD itself is secured with a Phillips head screw, however. This isn't unusual, but if you plan on installing or replacing drives, you'll definitely need a screwdriver.
Should I buy it?
TerraMaster's new NAS line is impressive, and with the launch of TOS 6, it's edging closer to Synology in feature set and quality. The software still has some bugs that may need a few updates to be fixed, but there's no indication that it's unsuitable for production use.
The F8 SSD Plus is a bit pricey compared to other great NAS solutions, but it was one of the first products on the consumer market to go all-in on SSDs, and it excels in many ways. Performance is excellent, thanks to a fairly powerful CPU by NAS standards and the simple fact that it supports up to eight SSDs in a RAID configuration and is incredibly fast at read/write operations. Assuming you have the hardware to make the most of the 10GbE ports, this is one of the best tools available for professionals who need extremely fast data, such as for editing video over a network.
Staff Recommendations
TerraMaster F8 SSD Plus
TerraMaster's first all-SSD NAS supports eight M.2 NVMe drives for a maximum capacity of 64TB. The enclosure is small and lightweight, making it ideal for portability, and it's also extremely quiet, with the only moving parts being two small fans at the bottom of the case.