Synology has combated this problem in the past by using a removable front panel to give the device a sleeker look and while this approach works, it isn't practical as getting the panel on and off can be a pain. NAS devices typically have a rather industrial look due to those easily accessible front mounted hot-swap bays. The small footprint means it won't take up much desk space or it can he hidden among your home entertainment equipment as an HTPC replacement. QNAP's TS-453mini is the more mainstream approach and it seems perfect for the average home user. If you care more about the physical size of your NAS than its overall storage capacity, then the DS414slim fits the bill nicely. Granted the 2.5' WD Red 1TB drives are only a few dollars more than the 3.5' versions, but when looking at the 3.5' range we see that when spending 70% more on a 3TB drive buys a 200% increase in storage. For those seeking a truly small NAS the DS414slim is the perfect solution, albeit a very niche one.Īlthough the DS414slim is affordable at $300, its exclusive use of 2.5' drives means it ultimately isn't that cost effective. While that is primarily because it can support 3.5' drives, it also has to do with the internal hardware, which requires a lot more cooling than the Marvell Armada 370 used by the DS414slim.ĭespite looking slow in comparison, the Synology DS414slim delivers a solid balance of price and performance for home users. Moreover the TS-453mini isn't just faster and more expensive, it is also physically larger. The base configuration for the TS-453mini costs almost 80% more than the DS414slim, while the 8GB model costs well over twice as much. Comparing them is a bit like comparing the $350 Radeon R9 390 to the $650 GeForce GTX 980 Ti. By now it's clear that the Synology DS414slim and QNAP TS-453mini are not direct competitors, despite the fact that both are designed to be compact NAS devices.

Best nas for home entertainment