Fast 4-bay NAS hardware, but the £479.99 price needs scrutiny

Is the TERRAMASTER F4-424 worth buying? Yes, if you want strong hardware in a 4-bay NAS and can live with a mixed reputation; no, if you want the safest all-round buy at this price. At £479.99, this diskless model sits at its all-time lowest price, and the spec sheet is impressive for the money: an Intel N95 quad-core, 4-thread CPU with 3.4GHz turbo, 8GB DDR5 4800MHz RAM, dual 2.5GbE ports, and an integrated UHD GPU. That combination makes it far more capable than basic 2-bay entry models, especially for file serving, backups, and lighter self-hosting workloads.

What stands out first?

The headline attraction is the hardware density. Terramaster has paired a modern low-power N95 chip with 8GB of DDR5, which the listing says delivers a 140% performance boost over the previous generation. Even allowing for marketing language, the move to DDR5 and a newer CPU class should translate into snappier app launches, smoother multitasking, and better responsiveness when several services are running at once. For home lab users, that matters more than raw marketing claims: a NAS that can handle indexing, backups, and a few containers without feeling sluggish is much easier to live with.

How fast is it in practice?

Terramaster claims 283 MB/s linear data transmission when used with dual 2.5GbE. That is a useful figure because it shows the F4-424 is built to go beyond standard 1GbE bottlenecks, which is important if you’re moving large media libraries, VM images, or backup sets. The dual LAN ports also improve flexibility for link aggregation or network separation, although the real-world benefit will depend on your switch and workload. For Plex-style media serving or multi-user file access, 2.5GbE is a meaningful upgrade over older NAS units that top out at 1GbE.

Is the build and design practical?

The F4-424 includes a side-sliding cover for M.2 SSD installation, which should make cache or storage expansion easier than on designs that require more disassembly. That is a good sign for maintainability, especially if you plan to use SSDs for metadata, apps, or cache acceleration. The enclosure is also a 4-bay unit, which gives you more RAID and redundancy options than 2-bay rivals. For UK buyers building a small but serious NAS, 4 bays is often the sweet spot: enough capacity for RAID 5/SHR-style flexibility, but still compact enough for a home office or media cabinet.

How does it compare to Synology alternatives?

Against the Synology DS223J at £179.97, the Terramaster is in a completely different class on hardware and price. The Synology is much cheaper and better rated at 4.4★, but it is only a 2-bay unit and aimed at simpler use cases. Compared with the Synology DS224+ at £503.45 and Synology 2-Bay DS224+ at £538.79, the F4-424 is cheaper than both while offering 4 bays, 8GB DDR5, and dual 2.5GbE. That makes the Terramaster look attractive on paper if you value raw specs per pound.

The catch is software ecosystem and confidence. Synology’s stronger ratings of 4.5★ and 4.6★ suggest a more consistently satisfying user experience, while the Terramaster’s 3.8★ from 19 reviews points to more mixed ownership experiences. If you want polished software and a very predictable setup, Synology still looks safer. If you want better hardware for the money and are comfortable doing more of the setup yourself, the F4-424 becomes more compelling.

Is it good value for money?

At £479.99, value depends on what you prioritise. As a hardware package, this is strong: N95 CPU, 8GB DDR5, dual 2.5GbE, 4 bays, and M.2 SSD support are all useful features at this price. But the 3.8/5 rating shows buyers have not universally loved the experience, so the value is tied to your tolerance for potential software quirks or setup friction. For a home NAS, Plex library, backup target, or Docker host, the hardware is appealing; for a plug-and-forget appliance, less so.

Bottom line

The TERRAMASTER F4-424 is a capable 4-bay NAS with unusually strong specs for £479.99, especially while it is at its all-time low. It makes the most sense for users who care about 2.5GbE speed, DDR5 memory, and expansion flexibility more than brand polish. The main warning is the 3.8★ rating: this is not the safest buy if you want the most refined NAS experience straight out of the box.