Qnap TVS-h874T review: NAS & DAS all in one

With the TVS-h874T, Qnap introduces a powerful 8-bay NAS to the market with enough horsepower to support more than just storage. The key feature, however, is the built-in Thunderbolt 4 module, which allows you to connect this device directly to a computer.

The Qnap TVS-h874T (3,378 euros excl. VAT) is a robust 8-bay NAS. The device has space for eight hard drives and offers space for two M.2 SSDs. You mount the 3.5-inch HDDs using the convenient front-facing trays. With a click system, you secure the HDDs and slide them into (or out of) the device. Hot-swapping is possible, provided your RAID configuration offers redundancy.

For the SSDs, you need to put in a bit more effort. Those slots are not accessible from the front. You have to loosen a few screws and partially disassemble the casing, which, all in all, isn’t that much work, but could be more elegant.

Easy Setup

With the drives installed, you can start up the Qnap TVS-h874T. The initialization process is similar to that of other Qnap devices. Navigate to the NAS and follow the installation wizard to install QuTS Hero. During installation, you immediately get the option to install the latest version of the firmware. QuTS Hero is an advanced variant of the QTS operating system, which supports additional functionality such as the ZFS file system.

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It is also possible to link the NAS to Qnap cloud services. However, we note that Qnap gives you a notification if you haven’t changed the password of your associated Qnap ID in more than six months. This is despite the scientific consensus for over a decade now being that frequent password changes have a negative impact on the quality of the passwords used, and on overall security. The notification is therefore a bit strange, but otherwise has no impact on the use of this NAS.

On the outside, the Qnap TVS-h874T has one more important asset. At the front, there is a small screen where you can read rudimentary information, such as the IP address. That is very handy, especially during initialization.

CPU and RAM

The NAS is powered by an Intel Core i7-12700E with eight P-cores and four E-cores, totaling twenty threads. The chip from the twelfth Intel Core generation is already showing its age, but by NAS standards, this CPU is a powerhouse. The processing power of the chip is more than sufficient for more advanced applications, such as virtualization. You can configure virtual machines via the Qnap Virtualization Station application.

You can also run a cluster of containers on this NAS. Qnap provides Container Station on QuTS Hero for those who want to use the NAS for this purpose.

Both containers and VMs require RAM in addition to CPU processing power. Qnap provides 32 GB of DDR4 memory (2 x 16 GB). Those who wish can install up to 64 GB (2 x 32 GB). This allows you to run demanding applications on the NAS, although the Qnap TVS-h874T is not suitable for the most critical tasks. Given the choice of the Intel Core CPU, the device does not support ECC memory.

Connectivity

Regarding connectivity, Qnap also targets below the enterprise level. 10 GbE is not available by default, but you can purchase a PCIe expansion card to add the super-fast connection. For the target audience of this NAS, however, 2.5 GbE will suffice, and Qnap provides two RJ45 ports for this. The NAS manufacturer has long supported 2.5 GbE as standard in its NAS devices, in contrast to major competitor Synology, which is only now beginning to see its benefits.

Furthermore, the device has two USB-A ports (one front and one rear) to connect, for example, an external drive, in addition to an HDMI port. At the bottom, there is another USB-C port through which you can connect Qnap expansion devices, in case the eight HDD bays are no longer sufficient.

Built-in Thunderbolt 4

The distinguishing factor in the Qnap TVS-h874T is, of course, the Thunderbolt 4 connectivity. A Thunderbolt 4 PCIe expansion card is installed by default and offers two USB Type-C connections for a Thunderbolt 4 cable.

That cable is not included, which is a pity for a NAS that is marketed specifically for this feature and also costs a pretty penny. Configuring Thunderbolt 4 access also requires a bit of technical finesse. You can find the settings for this in QuTS Hero under Network & Virtual Switch, in the Network tab under Interfaces, where you will finally find the Thunderbolt tab. In principle, everything should be correctly configured after initialization, and you don’t need to tinker with the settings yourself.

Via the interface, you can connect a compatible Mac or PC (with a Thunderbolt 4 port) directly to the NAS. That is somewhat at odds with the basic concept of Network Attached Storage, which you typically access via the network. Direct access, however, offers added value in specific scenarios, which are usually associated with creative professions.

Directly Connected Network Drive

Please note: even via the Thunderbolt cable, you access the Qnap TVS-h874T as a network drive. The storage does not simply appear like an external drive: you need to navigate to the network folders via the IP address associated with the Thunderbolt interface. That’s not difficult: you can immediately view the Thunderbolt IP address via the small screen on the NAS itself.

Via that IP address, you can also browse to the QuTS Hero web interface, for an experience identical to a network connection.

Photographers and videographers can connect their devices directly to the NAS and thus start working with the storage via Thunderbolt 4. Such fast wired data transfer may be preferred when a network connection is inadequate or cumbersome.

The connection is useful for transferring large amounts of data, but also for those who want to edit photos or videos directly from the NAS. The Qnap TVS-h874T uses its own ZFS file system, allowing you to bypass compatibility issues between Mac and PC.

Internet via Thunderbolt

An additional advantage is the Ethernet passthrough capability of the Thunderbolt connection. This enables an efficient desk setup. The NAS is connected to the network via 2.5 GbE, and your laptop is connected via Thunderbolt 4 to both the NAS and the network behind it. The connection also immediately provides power. It is possible to include another Thunderbolt 4-compatible external display in that setup.

In the context of the Thunderbolt 4 connection, the NAS becomes a robust DAS (Direct Attached Storage), although the Qnap TVS-h874T remains a NAS in its DNA. Therefore, by no means expect the same plug-and-play ease of use as an external hard drive. In return, of course, you get much more functionality.

The Best of Both Worlds

In fact, with the Qnap TVS-h874T, you get the best of both worlds. The device offers space for a large amount of storage, which is accessible via the network. This way, you can access all data on the NAS both in the office and remotely.

Qnap provides a lot of interesting functionality for its NAS devices, which is also available on this Qnap TVS-h874T. Besides containers and virtualization, you can, for example, set up backups for all PCs on the network.

For photographers, Qnap has the QuMagie app, with which you can organize and view photos, similar to Google Photos (or Synology Photos). With a mobile app, you can synchronize smartphone photos to the NAS from anywhere.

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Regarding videos, we must once again mention the power of the Intel Core i7-12700E. The chip indeed features Intel UHD Graphics 770 onboard and supports real-time GPU-accelerated file transcoding. For its similar devices, Synology relies on much older chips without an integrated GPU and therefore cannot match this functionality.

Powerful and Versatile

The Qnap TVS-h874T is a powerful and versatile NAS. The eight HDD bays allow you to provide plenty of storage, while the space for two SSDs offers possibilities for fast cache or smooth virtualization. The robust CPU and the included 32 GB RAM make this NAS extremely suitable for much more than just shared network storage.

The Thunderbolt 4 connectivity ensures that creative professionals get direct access to the storage on the NAS, which can have speed advantages. However, the bulky NAS must be placed on or near your workspace, which requires the necessary space. Moreover, the NAS isn’t whisper-quiet: you can hear the device working.

The Qnap TVS-h874T does what it needs to do. As a pure NAS, this device is already excellently qualified for heavy-duty work, and the DAS capabilities make it especially relevant for creative professionals. With a price tag of €3,378 excl. VAT. without HDDs, you should only consider this device if you also have plans for its extensive capabilities.

Tested: Qnap TVS-h874T – €3,378 excl. VAT.