The catch
TerraMaster F2-425
You cannot put a third data drive in this chassis, since it has two SATA bays.
Side by side
TerraMaster F2-425 vs TerraMaster F2-425 Plus N150 8GB Compared: Plus brings SSD storage that sits apart from the two-drive archive
Quick verdict
SATA backups on a 2.5GbE network are a job for the F2-425. When three M.2 slots or dual 5GbE ports solve a workflow you have planned, the F2-425 Plus is the better pick.
Before you buy
Why, and what it costs you
Protected capacity when all drives are 12TB
Before formatting, this example gives 12TB with F2-425 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 F2-425
- Why pick it
- Two SATA drives and 2.5GbE are all you need
- supplied ram: you want 4GB
- The catch
- You cannot put a third data drive in this chassis, since it has two SATA bays.
TerraMaster F2-425 Plus N150 8GB
- Why pick it
- Your plan needs a separate SSD pool or a 5GbE client path
- 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.
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What this page compares
Which of F2-425 and F2-425 Plus N150 8GB fits depends on protected storage, included networking and the exact SSD or application layout you need.
An SSD pool and a 5GbE client are what justify the Plus model.
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 gives 12TB and F2-425 Plus N150 8GB gives 12TB. Switching chassis does not raise this protected capacity.
- TerraMaster F2-425
- 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 F2-425
- Good
- TerraMaster F2-425 Plus N150 8GB
- Better fit
Multiple local services dividing up the supplied RAM
TerraMaster F2-425 comes with 4 GB RAM and supports 16 GB, and TerraMaster F2-425 Plus N150 8GB comes with 8 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
- Depends
- TerraMaster F2-425 Plus N150 8GB
- Better fit
Add an internal M.2 SSD mirror and hold on to the SATA mirror
Two of the F2-425 Plus's three M.2 slots can go to a mirror, and a third M.2 position is still left. The F2-425 has no way to host that layout with internal M.2 slots.
- TerraMaster F2-425
- 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 F2-425 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 F2-425 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.
With the Plus, an SSD pool can sit apart from the hard-drive mirror
Two of the F2-425 Plus's three M.2 slots can go to a mirror, and a third M.2 position is still left. The F2-425 has no way to host that layout with internal M.2 slots.
How we worked this out
Subtract two mirrored SSDs from three slots and one is left. The standard F2-425 has zero M.2 slots. Checks on pool support, SSD compatibility and lane sharing still apply to the configuration.
Option A
TerraMaster, F2-425
F2-425
With 2.5GbE and 4GB memory, this is a two-drive server for photos and backups. It fits when a mirrored pair is enough and you do not need M.2 storage.
- Best for
- A small home archive on two drives
Facts we checked
- 0 M.2 slots alongside 2 SATA drive bays
- Fastest network port included: 2.5GbE
- Comes with 4GB of RAM, expandable to 16GB
- Intel x86 quad-core processor in a diskless NAS
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 F2-425 | 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. |
| Supplied RAM | 4GB | 8GB | This figure is the memory already installed, before any upgrade modules are bought. |
| Supported RAM ceiling | 16GB | 32GB | The manufacturer-supported upgrade ceiling for concurrent services is set by this. |
| M.2 storage slots | 0 | 3 | Treat SSD cache and storage pools as a separate plan from the SATA archive. |
| Processor | Intel x86 quad-core | Intel N150 | The platform determines the media engines, the application architecture and the concurrency. |
Trade-offs
What each pick costs you
With TerraMaster F2-425
- Storage drives are sold separately, and the chassis has no M.2 slots.
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
Two SATA drives and 2.5GbE are all you need
Go with TerraMaster F2-425. The two-drive SATA mirror on F2-425 gives the same protected capacity as the Plus. To go beyond gigabit speeds, its 2.5 GbE link needs a compatible client.
Your plan needs a separate SSD pool or a 5GbE client path
Go with TerraMaster F2-425 Plus N150 8GB. Three M.2 positions and 5 GbE are what F2-425 Plus adds. Before counting on either benefit, verify the SSD pool role and the whole path from client to switch.
Decision guide
How to decide
First, pin down the storage layout you need
SATA backups on a 2.5GbE network are a job for the F2-425. When three M.2 slots or dual 5GbE ports solve a workflow you have planned, the F2-425 Plus is the better pick.
Count what the drive budget allows
Mirrored capacity is identical on both models with two SATA drives. What the Plus adds is storage flexibility from separate M.2 slots. It has no extra hard-drive bays.
Look at the client and apps you will really use
Both models fall back to the slower link on a 1GbE router. Before counting the Plus model as a transfer-speed upgrade, price out the client adapter and switch.
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 F2-425 |
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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 F2-425
Two SATA drives and 2.5GbE are all you need
See price & reviews on AmazonTerraMaster F2-425 Plus N150 8GB
Your plan needs a separate SSD pool or a 5GbE client path
See price & reviews on AmazonEach link opens in a new tab.
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