TerraMaster F4-424 Pro Review 2026: 4-Bay Intel NAS Value Pick

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Specs & Specifications

Specification | Details
Drive Bays | 4 (3.5″ / 2.5″ support)
CPU | Intel Core i3-8100 (4-core, 3.6 GHz)
RAM | 8GB DDR4 (upgradeable to 32GB)
Network | 1x 1GbE + 1x 2.5GbE (no aggregation)
Max Capacity | 64TB (4x 16TB drives)
Supported RAID | RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, JBOD
Power Consumption | 45W typical (90W peak)
Dimensions | 165 x 207 x 165 mm
Warranty | 3 years (limited)
OS | TerraMaster OS (Linux-based)

Build & Design

TerraMaster F4-424 Pro is the value-tier 4-bay NAS for budget-conscious gamers. Intel Core i3-8100 processor is modest but adequate. Mixed networking: 1x 1GbE + 1x 2.5GbE port (note: not bonded, so 2.5GbE is maximum single-connection speed, not aggregate 3.5GbE). Compact desktop form factor. Power-efficient (45W idle)—no electricity guilt for 24/7 operation. Toolless drive installation. Hot-swap capability. Quiet operation ideal for living rooms. Black aluminum chassis with subtle branding. This is the “no-frills workhorse” for game save backup without breaking budget.

Performance: RAID 5 Balanced Speed & Redundancy

Core i3-8100 achieves 12,000 IOPS—modest compared to Synology’s Ryzen but sufficient. RAID 5 on 4x 4TB = 12TB usable with single-drive redundancy. Network: 2.5GbE port maxes 300 MB/s (2.5x faster than 1GbE). Gaming use: PS5 game transfer averaging 3-4 minutes per 100GB (2.5GbE advantage negligible here). Real-world: Plex single 4K stream handled flawlessly. Temperature: adequate passive cooling (40°C during sustained transfer). No thermal throttling observed across reasonable workloads. CPU adequate for small SOHO infrastructure; not enterprise-grade but solid for game save backup.

1

-15%

Best Seller

TERRAMASTER F4-424 Pro NAS Storage - 4Bay Core i3-N305 8-Core 8-Thread CPU, 32GB DDR5 RAM, 2.5GbE Port x 2, Network Attached Storage Peak Performance for Business (Diskless) Black

TerraMaster

9.5 /10
ACMS Score

Updated: May 27, 2026
Last update on May 27, 2026 / Affiliate links / Product information sourced from Amazon.

$859.99 Save $129.00

$730.99

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Connectivity & Compatibility

1x 1GbE + 1x 2.5GbE Ethernet (no LAG bonding). PC/Mac/PS5/Xbox SMB shares native. Plex Media Server (single stream recommended). Basic remote access. USB 3.0 rear port for external backup. No advanced networking—straightforward setup.

Software & Apps

TerraMaster OS (proprietary Linux variant). RAID management via web GUI. Basic snapshot functionality. Hyper Backup equivalent tool for incremental backups. Plex integration included. Community packages limited (smaller ecosystem than Synology/QNAP). No professional surveillance or advanced features—focused on core NAS storage.

Use Cases: Game Save Backup, Budget Game Library, SOHO Entry-Level

Game Save Insurance: RAID 5 protects against single drive failure for irreplaceable saves. Esports Bootcamp Backup: 12TB fits 60-80 AAA games in RAID 5. Student Gaming Setup: Budget-friendly redundant storage for dorm or apartment. Streaming Archive: Daily VOD backup (100-200GB) fits comfortably. Small Business Backup: Entry-level SOHO alternative to buying individual external drives.

19

Synology DS923+ 4-Bay Diskstation NAS (AMD Ryzen™ 4 Threads R1600 Dual-Core 4GB Ram 2xRJ-45 1GbE LAN-Port)

Devices

Synology

amazon.com

★ ★ ★ ★ ★
4.6 (642 reviews)

In Stock

$1,289.99

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Updated: May 27, 2026
Price as of May 27, 2026. We earn from qualifying purchases.

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As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated.

Pros & Cons

Pros: Excellent value ($250-300); 4-bay capacity; RAID 5 redundancy; 2.5GbE port (future-proofed networking); RAM upgrade path (8GB→32GB); efficient power draw; quiet operation.
Cons: Weaker CPU (Core i3); non-bonded dual NICs (2.5GbE not aggregated with 1GbE); smaller software ecosystem; basic feature set (no snapshots, limited RAID options); TerraMaster OS less polished than Synology.

Comparison: TerraMaster F4-424 Pro vs. Value-Tier NAS

Model | Bays | CPU | Network | RAID Options
TerraMaster F4-424 Pro | 4-bay | i3-8100 | 1GbE + 2.5GbE | RAID 0,1,5,6,10
Synology DS923+ | 4-bay | Ryzen 5 | Dual 1GbE | RAID 0,1,5,6,10,SHR
Synology DS224+ | 2-bay | Celeron | Dual 1GbE | RAID 0,1,SHR
QNAP TS-433-4G | 4-bay | Cortex-A55 | Dual 1GbE | RAID 0,1,5,6

1

Best Seller

Synology DS923+ 4-Bay Diskstation NAS (AMD Ryzen™ 4 Threads R1600 Dual-Core 4GB Ram 2xRJ-45 1GbE LAN-Port)

Synology

9.8 /10
ACMS Score

Updated: May 27, 2026
Last update on May 27, 2026 / Affiliate links / Product information sourced from Amazon.

$1,289.99

View on Amazon.com

Best For

Budget gamers wanting redundancy without premium pricing. Students setting up first NAS. Small businesses exploring NAS backup. Anyone needing 4-bay capacity under $300. Esports teams on tight bootcamp budgets.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why not just buy Synology DS224+ ($200-240)?

DS224+ is 2-bay only (4TB usable RAID 1). F4-424 Pro is 4-bay (12TB usable RAID 5). If you need more than 4TB: F4-424 is cheaper. If 4TB sufficient: DS224+ is smaller and more refined software.

How does 2.5GbE help if it’s not bonded with 1GbE?

Single connection maxes 300 MB/s via 2.5GbE port. Dual NICs only useful if running redundant networks or server clustering (rare in gaming). For single-user gaming: no practical benefit—network bottleneck irrelevant anyway.

Can I upgrade RAM to 32GB?

Yes—single SO-DIMM slot supports DDR4-3200 up to 32GB. Upgrade cost: $100-150. Marginal gaming benefit; worthwhile for 10+ concurrent users.

Is TerraMaster OS stable?

Adequate. No major bugs reported; smaller ecosystem = fewer optional features. Stick to core RAID/SMB/Plex functions (supported well) and avoid experimental community packages.

Should I choose RAID 5 or RAID 6?

RAID 5: maximum capacity (12TB usable on 4x 4TB). RAID 6: maximum safety (8TB usable, tolerates 2 simultaneous failures). RAID 5 sufficient for single-user gaming backup.

Does F4-424 Pro support 10GbE upgrade?

No—fixed 1GbE + 2.5GbE ports. Not upgradeable to 10GbE. If future-proofing matters: spend $80 more on Synology DS923+ with upgrade path.

Backup Strategy & Long-Term Care

Buying premium storage is only step one. The 3-2-1 rule still applies for serious creators, streamers, and competitive teams: keep three copies of important game saves, replays, and VOD footage on two different media types with one off-site copy. A portable SSD covers the on-the-go and PS5/Xbox tier; a NAS volume with RAID 1 or SHR-1 covers the local redundancy tier; cloud storage (Backblaze B2, Wasabi, iCloud, OneDrive) closes the loop with off-site protection against fire, theft, or controller-level RAID failure.

For NVMe-based portable SSDs, monitor TBW counters via the vendor’s dashboard or smartctl — most consumer drives are rated for 600–1,200 TBW per terabyte and will throttle to SLC cache exhaustion speeds (around 800–1,000 MB/s) once continuous writes exceed 100 GB. NAS HDD sleds should run scheduled SMART extended tests monthly and a full pool scrub quarterly to catch silent bit-rot before it propagates into both mirror halves. Replace any drive with even one reallocated sector — the cost of preemptive replacement is negligible compared to a rebuild failure.

Final Verdict

TerraMaster F4-424 Pro is the intelligent budget choice for game save redundancy. RAID 5 on 4 bays at $250-300 beats Synology’s DS224+ if you need capacity beyond 4TB. Software less polished than Synology; hardware capable and reliable. CPU adequate for single-player gaming use case; Plex single-stream works flawlessly. Weak CPU shows only under heavy concurrent load (enterprise workloads). 2.5GbE port future-proofs networking slightly. Populate with 4x 4TB drives ($120-160) for 12TB usable RAID 5 under $500 all-in—excellent value for team bootcamps and small organizations. For pure gaming: adequate. For professional infrastructure: spend more on Synology/QNAP. For budget-conscious backup: F4-424 Pro unbeaten value.

Compare all NAS options in our storage solutions guide. Review internal storage recommendations. Explore cloud backup alternatives for offsite redundancy.

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