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.
Side by side
TerraMaster F2-425 Plus N150 8GB vs TerraMaster F4-425 Plus N150 16GB: An internal RAID array can be larger with four bays
Quick verdict
Two HDDs plus SSD applications suit the F2-425 Plus. If the archive calls for a four-drive RAID array and the 16GB supplied configuration, the F4-425 Plus is the stronger fit.
Before you buy
Why, and what it costs you
Protected capacity when all drives are 12TB
In this example, F2-425 Plus N150 8GB gives 12TB before formatting and F4-425 Plus N150 16GB gives 36TB. That leaves a gap of 24TB before filesystem overhead.
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 F4-425 Plus N150 16GB
A 10GbE client cannot link at 10GbE to this chassis, since 5GbE is the fastest port included.
TerraMaster F2-425 Plus N150 8GB
- Why pick it
- You want SSD storage beside a compact SATA mirror
- supplied ram: you want 8GB
- The catch
- Three M.2 slots will not make a four-drive hard-disk array out of the two SATA bays.
TerraMaster F4-425 Plus N150 16GB
- Why pick it
- Four SATA bays or internal RAID 6 are needed for your archive
- supplied ram: you want 16GB
- The catch
- A 10GbE client cannot link at 10GbE to this chassis, since 5GbE is the fastest port included.
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What this page compares
Which of F2-425 Plus N150 8GB and F4-425 Plus N150 16GB fits depends on protected storage, included networking and the exact SSD or application layout you need.
Decide on SATA growth first, then pick between these hybrid NAS models.
Which one fits
Pick the situations that sound like you
Protected archive built from 12 TB disks filling every internal SATA bay
In this example, RAID 1 covers two disks and RAID 5 covers three or more. Before formatting, F2-425 Plus N150 8GB gives 12TB and F4-425 Plus N150 16GB gives 36TB. The gap is 24TB before filesystem overhead.
- TerraMaster F2-425 Plus N150 8GB
- Good
- TerraMaster F4-425 Plus N150 16GB
- Better fit
A workstation already at the speed of the faster included Ethernet port
The ports included run at 5GbE and 5GbE. Read the 100GB calculation together with the real client speed.
- TerraMaster F2-425 Plus N150 8GB
- Similar
- TerraMaster F4-425 Plus N150 16GB
- Similar
Multiple local services dividing up the supplied RAM
TerraMaster F2-425 Plus N150 8GB comes with 8 GB RAM and supports 32 GB, and TerraMaster F4-425 Plus N150 16GB comes with 16 GB and supports 32 GB. Before budgeting for an upgrade, hold the stated application memory requirement up against the supplied configuration. RAM capacity by itself says nothing certain about application speed.
- TerraMaster F2-425 Plus N150 8GB
- Depends
- TerraMaster F4-425 Plus N150 16GB
- Better fit
Set up an internal SATA array able to survive two drive failures
Four equal 12TB SATA drives in RAID 6 give the F4-425 Plus 24TB before formatting. Inside the two-bay F2-425 Plus, an internal SATA RAID 6 array cannot be built.
- TerraMaster F2-425 Plus N150 8GB
- Not suitable
- TerraMaster F4-425 Plus N150 16GB
- Better fit
In practice
Differences you will notice
Protected capacity when all drives are 12TB
In this example, F2-425 Plus N150 8GB gives 12TB before formatting and F4-425 Plus N150 16GB gives 36TB. That leaves a gap of 24TB before filesystem overhead.
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 160 seconds for F2-425 Plus N150 8GB and 160 seconds for F4-425 Plus N150 16GB. Real copies take longer. Over a 1GbE client, the lower bound is 800 seconds for both.
How we worked this out
Decimal 100GB × 8 = 800 gigabits. Take the fastest included port rate, 5Gbps or 5Gbps, and divide 800 by it. Protocol overhead is ignored only because this is a lower-bound calculation. Optional adapters and aggregated ports are left out.
The result shifts with two-drive protection
Four equal 12TB SATA drives in RAID 6 give the F4-425 Plus 24TB before formatting. Inside the two-bay F2-425 Plus, an internal SATA RAID 6 array cannot be built.
How we worked this out
RAID 6 needs four drives at minimum and gives up two drives worth of capacity to parity. Four minus two, multiplied by 12TB, comes to 24TB. A two-disk mirror survives the failure of one member.
Option A
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
Option B
TerraMaster, F4-425 Plus N150 16GB
F4-425 Plus N150 16GB
A bulk array and SSD-backed applications both fit here, thanks to four SATA bays, three M.2 slots and 16GB supplied memory. Dual 5GbE ports are a good match for an upgraded home or small-office network.
- Best for
- An SSD application pool next to a four-drive archive
Facts we checked
- 3 M.2 slots alongside 4 SATA drive bays
- Fastest network port included: 5GbE
- Comes with 16GB of RAM, expandable to 32GB
- Intel N150 processor in a diskless NAS
Spec by spec
Where they really differ
| Spec | TerraMaster F2-425 Plus N150 8GB | TerraMaster F4-425 Plus N150 16GB | In practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| SATA drive bays | 2 | 4 | It alters which disk layouts the main enclosure can hold. |
| Supplied RAM | 8GB | 16GB | This figure is the memory already installed, before any upgrade modules are bought. |
| SATA bays with supported expansion | 2 | 4 | Compatible hardware bought separately, plus a supported pool layout, is what expansion takes. |
| Internal SATA RAID 6 layout | Two SATA positions cannot form RAID 6 | At least four SATA positions available | Two member failures can be tolerated by a four-drive RAID 6 layout, though two drives worth of space goes to parity. |
Trade-offs
What each pick costs you
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.
With TerraMaster F4-425 Plus N150 16GB
- What is described here is the N150 16GB listing. Check the N95 and other memory variants on their own. Drives are not included.
Change of plan
When the answer changes
You want SSD storage beside a compact SATA mirror
Go with TerraMaster F2-425 Plus N150 8GB. The F2-425 Plus has two SATA bays and three M.2 positions. It is the one to pick if a hard-drive mirror covers the archive forecast and extra SATA bays would have no defined job.
Four SATA bays or internal RAID 6 are needed for your archive
Go with TerraMaster F4-425 Plus N150 16GB. Four SATA positions are available on F4-425 Plus. Before formatting, four equal 12 TB disks can give 36 TB in RAID 5 or 24 TB in RAID 6, which the two-bay model cannot match.
Decision guide
How to decide
First, pin down the storage layout you need
Two HDDs plus SSD applications suit the F2-425 Plus. If the archive calls for a four-drive RAID array and the 16GB supplied configuration, the F4-425 Plus is the stronger fit.
Count what the drive budget allows
Three M.2 slots and dual 5GbE ports come on both, and they alone are not a reason to choose the larger model. The step that counts is the extra pair of SATA bays.
Look at the client and apps you will really use
With RAID 6, a four-drive array can keep two-drive protection, as far as the supported RAID configuration allows. A two-drive mirror loses access once both members fail. Either plan still needs an independent backup.
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 8 of the 32 models checked meet every need here: “Four drives to start” and “Keep going after one drive fails”.
8 models fit, out of 32 checkedShow the facts and the math
How we countedThe count uses each product's current fit ratings for “Four drives to start” 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 F2-425 Plus N150 8GB |
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| TerraMaster F4-425 Plus N150 16GB |
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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 F2-425 Plus N150 8GB
You want SSD storage beside a compact SATA mirror
See price & reviews on AmazonTerraMaster F4-425 Plus N150 16GB
Four SATA bays or internal RAID 6 are needed for your archive
See price & reviews on AmazonEach link opens in a new tab.
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