Qnap TS-AI642 review: 6 bays, plenty of power and a (sometimes) useful NPU

The Qnap TS-AI642 embrases AI as a major selling point. The results enabled by the NPU are currently not all that spectacular, though. That does little to detract from the overall picture: the TS-AI642 is a very capable NAS for multimedia or video storage.

Qnap injects “AI” in the name of the Qnap TS-AI642 (710.3 euros excluding VAT). That seems like a statement: Qnap talks the talk, but do they walk the walk? In any case, the letters have a right to be there. The 6-bay NAS is equipped with an 8-core processor that combines ARM Cortex A76 and A55 cores. That CPU is assisted by a purebred NPU with 6 TOPS. That’s a modest amount of AI computing power, which can nevertheless have a big impact on the efficiency of the NAS. The list of specifications continues with 8 GB of RAM.

Connections and 2.5 GbE

First and foremost, the Qnap TS-AI642 is a classic desktop NAS from Qnap and looks like other devices in the lineup. Expect a sleek design with a dark front panel, behind which the six drive bays are quickly accessible. On the far right are some status lights so you can see at a glance how the unit and the hard drives inside are doing. One USB 3.2 A port on the front lets you quickly connect external storage. An accompanying button just below that can link you to a backup job to -or from- that storage.

At the back, we find two RJ45 ports with gigabit support and one that can handle 2.5 GbE speeds. 2.5 GbE is all too often missing as standard with major competitor Synology, and is definitely an asset for this six bay NAS. With the right RAID configuration of the six drives and an underlying network that supports 2.5 GbE, you can enjoy the faster speeds even in a small office setting or at home.

At the back, you’ll find an additional USB 3.2 port and an older USB 2 port for peripherals, such as a communication cable from a UPS system. HDMI also draws present, but USB Type-C is sadly missing completely.

The bays of the NAS have holders into which you can snap HDDs without the need for screws. They are built for 3.5-inch SATA drives but you can also mount (with screws) 2.5-inch SSDs. Qnap has no specific requirements about drives you may or may not use. That too is an asset compared to Synology, which tries hard to push its own hard disks on its professional range.

QTS 5.2

The Qnap TS-AI642 runs on QTS 5.2. We previously analyzed the basic functionality of that operating system. The findings of that piece remain unchanged: QTS 5.2 is a very comprehensive and powerful operating system that you can do a lot with. The OS is a little more cluttered than Synology’s DSM, and requires a little more knowhow in IT from its users. Those who commit to it get access to extensive backup, container and virtualization capabilities, among other things.

Getting started with Qnap QTS 5.2: powerful yet accessible

For the latter two capabilities, though, the CPU is on the modest side. Feel free to run a few containers or virtualize a simple system, but don’t expect too much performance.

Advanced management is baked in, both on the local network and remotely. Storage pools are easily created and configured, and Qnap helps you through the process with tips. In a multi-user context, you can conveniently configure accounts with appropriate permissions.

The biggest drawback, as far as we’re concerned, is in the modularity: for just about every function, you have to download a new app or module, which then looks visually slightly different from the others. For example, you get the antivirus package first, but then have to install another firewall from the antivirus dashboard.

More than a NAS?

All of the above makes the Qnap TS-AI642 an excellent 6 bay NAS that you can consider without reservations. Those looking for a NAS at home, within an SME or for a team within a larger environment will find a powerful device. Some familiarization into Qnap’s software ecosystem is necessary, but the learning curve is far from steep.

As mentioned, Qnap puts the hypeterm AI in the name of this device. The manufacturer justifies that choice with the embedded NPU with 6 TOPS of computing power. 6 TOPS is not that much: Microsoft, for example, wants 40 TOPS on laptops for local Copilot support. For a NAS, however, embedded TOPS are not the norm. What can you do with it?

Faster and more efficient

A lot and not that all much, it appears. None of what the Qnap TS-AI642 can do with the NPU is impossible on a Qnap NAS without an NPU. On the other hand, this NAS handles AI workloads much more efficiently.

By AI workloads, think mainly of face and object recognition in videos and images. If you use this device as a storage system for images from surveillance cameras, the NPU will help with smart functions on top of those images.

Analysis of multimedia

Qnap points out the multimedia capabilities, specifically in terms of managing photos. Through the Multimedia Console, you add media folders, and can unleash AI algorithms on the content. Currently, three smart functionalities exist:

Face recognition
Object Recognition
Similar photo recognition

In the conconsole,u can see how images are processed in the three domains, with the help of the NPU. Through the NPU, this is done faster and more economically, without a large load on the CPU. We see in the console that the NPU is being used, but in the Resource Monitor there is no information about the chip and we discover no additional details.

We put just over 15,000 photos on the NAS, taken with different devices in a variety of quality and over different years. It takes several hours for the Qnap TS-AI642 to process them all, but the analysis happens in the background so that’s not an issue.

Cat in a bag and eagle-chicken

The quality of the AI algorithms is variable. Face recognition is quite good. Initially, the same people are divided into a few groups, but you can quickly merge them. Over the years, Qnap maintains face recognition of people. The functionality allows you to quickly find faces.

Object recognition is less successful. Qnap puts several very arbitrary photos together in niche categories. For example, we find the Graduation folder created by AI, with ten photos under it including one of a demonstration, one of a wedding, another of a Red Devils game and then four more of the same meal on a terrace. In the opening image of the Glasses object, there are no glasses to be seen and under the Handbag folder there are only four photos, two of which are of a travel trolley containing a cat. Our favorite is the small chicken for which Qnap has single-handedly created the Eagle category.

AI: modest added value

AI on the NAS deserves a mixed review. The added value of the NPU is real. In the background, the analysis of video and images happens smoothly and, above all, completely locally: this is a solid added value. Moreover, the face recognition is good. As far as objects are concerned, the NAS still has something to learn. However, that is a software issue: with a better algorithm, the NPU will again be able to perform background analysis smoothly.

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The Qnap TS-AI642 didn’t steal the letters AI in its name, but don’t expect too much. For those who are into multimedia, and want to manage large photo libraries, the NPU is definitely a value-add. Local image recognition independent of the cloud is an asset for this NAS. Unfortunately, not all algorithms are up to par yet.

Good NAS with AI bonus

Don’t let that deter you. In our experience, the AI on board the Qnap TS-AI642 is a nice extra on top of what is already an excellent 6 bay desktop NAS. You are not getting a revolutionary new type of NAS right away, but you are getting a reliable device that can already do some things well, and is equipped to continue running AI workloads with slightly higher efficiency in the background in the future.

Even without the AI functionality in mind, the Qnap TS-AI642 has a market competitive price for a 6-bay NAS. A familiar and user-friendly design coupled with a powerful and comprehensive software ecosystem, therefore, make this NAS a decent pick for those who want to manage storage and extract some value out of it through apps.

Tested: Qnap TS-AI642 – 710.3 euros excl. VAT