TerraMaster F4-424 Pro Review: Eight Cores, 32GB, Less Money

The hardware specification that makes the established brands look expensive, on software that is not quite theirs.

Specifications

Specifications above come from TerraMaster's published specifications. Treat pricing as approximate, since Amazon pricing moves.

What it does well

• Thirty two gigabytes of DDR5 as standard is four times what most four-bay NAS units ship with, and memory is what runs out first once containers and virtual machines arrive.
• The N305's eight cores and integrated UHD graphics handle hardware transcoding well, which covers the main reason people want CPU in a media NAS.
• TerraMaster publish a tested throughput figure with a specific drive configuration, which is more honest than a theoretical maximum.
• The side-sliding M.2 cover means adding cache SSDs does not mean disassembling the chassis, which sounds minor until you have done it the other way.
• It costs less than a four-bay Synology with a quarter of the specification, and for people who will actually use the CPU that gap is real.

Where it falls short

• TOS is the weak point. It works, it is actively developed, and it has fewer years of hard edge cases solved than DSM or QTS. Anyone expecting DSM will notice within a week.
• The community is much smaller, so unusual problems have fewer existing answers and you are more often the first person to hit something.
• Dual 2.5GbE is appropriate for four spinning drives and it is a ceiling if you later fill the bays with SSDs.
• TerraMaster has had publicly reported security issues in the past, which is an argument for the same discipline any NAS needs: no internet exposure, VPN for remote access, prompt firmware updates.
• Thirty two gigabytes is generous and it is also more than a file server needs. If you are only storing files, you are paying for headroom you will not use.

What owners report

Owner reports on TerraMaster are consistent: excellent value hardware, software that does the job with rougher edges than the market leaders. People who came from a DIY build are generally delighted; people who came from Synology generally miss DSM. Both reactions are correct and they are about the same product.

Whichever platform you land on, the security posture is the same. Our hardening guide is the checklist, and the single rule that matters most is keeping the administration interface off the public internet and reaching it through a VPN instead.

If you are weighing this against building your own, our NAS versus DIY server guide and the mini PC versus prebuilt NAS comparison cover the trade. A prebuilt gives you bays and software; a DIY build gives you control and a project.

Who it suits

• Buyers who will actually use eight cores and 32GB, through containers, virtual machines or transcoding.
• People comfortable troubleshooting rather than expecting an appliance.
• Builds where the money saved on the enclosure goes into drives.

Who should skip it

• Anyone who wants the most polished NAS software.
• Buyers who only need file storage, where the specification is wasted.
• Anyone who will port forward the web interface, which no NAS survives indefinitely.

Alternatives worth considering

Keep reading

• Mini PC vs prebuilt NAS
• ECC vs non-ECC memory
• NAS vs DIY server
• NAS security hardening
• How to set up Plex
• Synology DS925+ review
• TerraMaster F8 SSD Plus review
• Best 4-bay NAS

This review draws on published specifications, manufacturer figures and the consensus of verified owner reviews. We have not tested this product ourselves, and we say so rather than implying otherwise. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.