The catch
TerraMaster F2-424
With two bays, RAID 5 and RAID 6 are out.
Side by side
TerraMaster F2-424 vs TerraMaster F2-425 Plus N150 8GB Compared: 425 Plus gets a third SSD slot while the HDD bays stay the same
Quick verdict
An N95 processor, 8GB RAM and dual 2.5GbE ports come with the F2-424. The F2-425 Plus N150 stays a two-drive format but adds dual 5GbE and a third M.2 slot.
Before you buy
Why, and what it costs you
Protected capacity when all drives are 12TB
Before formatting, this example gives 12TB with TerraMaster F2-424 and 12TB with F2-425 Plus N150 8GB. A different chassis does not increase protected capacity.
Where this comes from
Suppose each SATA bay holds a supported 12TB disk. A two-bay RAID 1 gives the usable capacity of one disk. With three or more drives, RAID 5 usable TB = (drive count minus 1) × 12. The layout is only an illustration. It is not storage that comes included, and it is not a backup.
The catch
TerraMaster F2-425 Plus N150 8GB
Three M.2 slots will not make a four-drive hard-disk array out of the two SATA bays.
TerraMaster F2-424
- Why pick it
- Your plan is met by dual 2.5GbE and two M.2 slots
- m.2 storage slots: you want 2
- The catch
- With two bays, RAID 5 and RAID 6 are out.
TerraMaster F2-425 Plus N150 8GB
- Why pick it
- 5GbE and a third M.2 position are required
- m.2 storage slots: you want 3
- The catch
- Three M.2 slots will not make a four-drive hard-disk array out of the two SATA bays.
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What this page compares
Which of F2-424 and F2-425 Plus N150 8GB fits depends on protected storage, included networking and the exact SSD or application layout you need.
Go with the Plus when you want a faster network and an extra SSD slot.
Which one fits
Pick the situations that sound like you
Protected archive built from 12 TB disks filling every internal SATA bay
This example uses RAID 1 for two disks and RAID 5 for three or more. TerraMaster F2-424 gives 12TB and F2-425 Plus N150 8GB gives 12TB before formatting. A different chassis leaves this protected capacity where it is.
- TerraMaster F2-424
- Similar
- TerraMaster F2-425 Plus N150 8GB
- Similar
A workstation already at the speed of the faster included Ethernet port
The ports included run at 2.5GbE and 5GbE. Read the 100GB calculation together with the real client speed.
- TerraMaster F2-424
- Good
- TerraMaster F2-425 Plus N150 8GB
- Better fit
Multiple local services dividing up the supplied RAM
TerraMaster F2-424 ships with 8 GB RAM and supports 32 GB, and TerraMaster F2-425 Plus N150 8GB ships with 8 GB and supports 32 GB. Before budgeting for an upgrade, check the stated application memory requirement against the supplied configuration. Having more RAM capacity does not by itself establish application speed.
- TerraMaster F2-424
- Similar
- TerraMaster F2-425 Plus N150 8GB
- Similar
Leave an onboard M.2 position open once a two-SSD mirror is installed
In the F2-424, a mirror of two M.2 SSDs uses up every onboard position. The F2-425 Plus keeps one position free for a separately supported role, and that can count for more than its change in processor generation.
- TerraMaster F2-424
- Not suitable
- TerraMaster F2-425 Plus N150 8GB
- Better fit
In practice
Differences you will notice
Protected capacity when all drives are 12TB
Before formatting, this example gives 12TB with TerraMaster F2-424 and 12TB with F2-425 Plus N150 8GB. A different chassis does not increase protected capacity.
How we worked this out
Suppose each SATA bay holds a supported 12TB disk. A two-bay RAID 1 gives the usable capacity of one disk. With three or more drives, RAID 5 usable TB = (drive count minus 1) × 12. The layout is only an illustration. It is not storage that comes included, and it is not a backup.
100GB moved at the speed ceiling of the included port
At line rate, the minimum is 320 seconds for TerraMaster F2-424 and 160 seconds for F2-425 Plus N150 8GB. Real copies take longer. With a 1GbE client the lower bound becomes 800 seconds for both.
How we worked this out
Decimal 100GB × 8 = 800 gigabits. Take the fastest included port rate, 2.5Gbps or 5Gbps, and divide 800 by it. Protocol overhead is ignored here only because this is a lower-bound calculation. Optional adapters and aggregated ports are left out.
A third M.2 slot makes a concrete difference to the layout
In the F2-424, a mirror of two M.2 SSDs uses up every onboard position. The F2-425 Plus keeps one position free for a separately supported role, and that can count for more than its change in processor generation.
How we worked this out
For F2-424, 2 slots minus 2 SSDs = 0 remaining. For F2-425 Plus, 3 minus 2 = 1 remaining. Check pool support, cache restrictions and lane sharing against the actual workload.
Option A
TerraMaster, F2-424
TerraMaster F2-424
This is a 2-bay chassis, and 2.5 Gbps is the fastest network path documented for it.
- Best for
- host Plex at home with 4K transcoding
Facts we checked
- Storage comes in a 2-bay chassis.
- The fastest network path documented for it runs at 2.5 Gbps.
- It supports serving media through Plex.
Option B
TerraMaster, F2-425 Plus N150 8GB
F2-425 Plus N150 8GB
Two SATA bays, three M.2 slots and two 5GbE ports come in a compact hybrid NAS. It works for a small SSD workspace alongside a bulk-storage mirror.
- Best for
- Two hard drives alongside a dedicated SSD workspace
Facts we checked
- 3 M.2 slots alongside 2 SATA drive bays
- Fastest network port included: 5GbE
- Comes with 8GB of RAM, expandable to 32GB
- Intel N150 processor in a diskless NAS
Spec by spec
Where they really differ
| Spec | TerraMaster F2-424 | TerraMaster F2-425 Plus N150 8GB | In practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fastest included Ethernet port | 2.5GbE | 5GbE | This port rate only helps a transfer if the client, switch and storage keep up. |
| M.2 storage slots | 2 | 3 | Treat SSD cache and storage pools as a separate plan from the SATA archive. |
| Processor | Intel N95 | Intel N150 | The platform determines the media engines, the application architecture and the concurrency. |
| M.2 position after a two-SSD mirror | No onboard M.2 position remains | One onboard M.2 position remains | Supported pool layouts permitting, a third SSD role can be added without using up the SATA mirror bays. |
Trade-offs
What each pick costs you
With TerraMaster F2-424
- Compared with a simple personal cloud, the software offers less hand-holding.
With TerraMaster F2-425 Plus N150 8GB
- To get the faster port rate, both the client and the switch must support 5GbE. Drives are not included.
Change of plan
When the answer changes
Your plan is met by dual 2.5GbE and two M.2 slots
Go with TerraMaster F2-424. Dual 2.5 GbE, two M.2 slots and a 32 GB memory ceiling are already part of F2-424. Its two SATA bays give the same mirrored hard-drive capacity.
5GbE and a third M.2 position are required
Go with TerraMaster F2-425 Plus N150 8GB. F2-425 Plus gains 5 GbE and a third M.2 position. Put two M.2 SSDs into a supported mirror and one onboard M.2 position is still free.
Decision guide
How to decide
First, pin down the storage layout you need
An N95 processor, 8GB RAM and dual 2.5GbE ports come with the F2-424. The F2-425 Plus N150 stays a two-drive format but adds dual 5GbE and a third M.2 slot.
Count what the drive budget allows
Officially, both support 32GB memory and a two-drive SATA mirror. Because those limits are shared, let your network equipment and planned M.2 layout drive the decision.
Look at the client and apps you will really use
The third M.2 position pays off when two SSDs form a mirror and a further storage role is needed. Before assuming that all three installed devices can sustain full advertised SSD speed, verify SSD compatibility and lane sharing.
What this page can’t tell you
- Capacity examples assume equal 12TB drives, counted before formatting, snapshots and filesystem overhead.
- Treat Ethernet calculations as lower bounds, since disk performance, network protocol and other traffic add time.
- Neither application speed nor a VM count follows from memory capacity alone.
By the numbers
What the data shows
What we found across the NAS devices we compare, plus the checked facts behind each finding.
How many fit
Only 10 of the 32 models checked meet every need here: “Two drives to begin with” and “Keep going after one drive fails”.
10 models fit, out of 32 checkedShow the facts and the math
How we countedThe count uses each product's current fit ratings for “Two drives to begin with” and “Keep going after one drive fails”. A need with no documented match is not counted.
| Product | Needs it meets | Facts we checked | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| TerraMaster F2-424 |
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| TerraMaster F2-425 Plus N150 8GB |
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Ready to buy
See today’s price and what owners say
Open either model on Amazon for the current price, customer reviews and delivery options.
TerraMaster F2-424
Your plan is met by dual 2.5GbE and two M.2 slots
See price & reviews on AmazonTerraMaster F2-425 Plus N150 8GB
5GbE and a third M.2 position are required
See price & reviews on AmazonEach link opens in a new tab.
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