The catch
TerraMaster F4-425
That single network port is capped at 2.5GbE.
Side by side
TerraMaster F4-425 vs TerraMaster F4-425 Plus N150 16GB Compared: With Plus, an SSD workspace sits next to the four-disk archive
Quick verdict
A four-disk archive is a good match for the F4-425. For a creator who wants a separate fast workspace, the F4-425 Plus brings 16GB supplied memory, three M.2 slots and dual 5GbE ports.
Before you buy
Why, and what it costs you
Protected capacity when all drives are 12TB
Before formatting, this example gives 36TB with F4-425 and 36TB with F4-425 Plus N150 16GB. 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 F4-425 Plus N150 16GB
A 10GbE client cannot link at 10GbE to this chassis, since 5GbE is the fastest port included.
TerraMaster F4-425
- Why pick it
- Four SATA drives are enough for your archive
- supplied ram: you want 4GB
- The catch
- That single network port is capped at 2.5GbE.
TerraMaster F4-425 Plus N150 16GB
- Why pick it
- Three M.2 slots and 16GB supplied RAM are required
- 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 F4-425 and F4-425 Plus N150 16GB fits depends on protected storage, included networking and the exact SSD or application layout you need.
Choosing the Plus model shifts the SSD, memory and network plan all at once.
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, F4-425 gives 36TB and F4-425 Plus N150 16GB gives 36TB. Switching chassis does not raise this protected capacity.
- TerraMaster F4-425
- Similar
- TerraMaster F4-425 Plus N150 16GB
- 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 F4-425
- Good
- TerraMaster F4-425 Plus N150 16GB
- Better fit
Multiple local services dividing up the supplied RAM
TerraMaster F4-425 comes with 4 GB RAM and supports 16 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 F4-425
- Depends
- TerraMaster F4-425 Plus N150 16GB
- Better fit
Add an internal M.2 SSD mirror and keep four SATA archive drives in place
On the F4-425 Plus, a pool of two SSDs still leaves one M.2 slot free and all four SATA positions available. The F4-425 would have to give up SATA positions to an internal SSD pool, which cuts the number of hard-disk positions.
- TerraMaster F4-425
- Not suitable
- TerraMaster F4-425 Plus N150 16GB
- Better fit
In practice
Differences you will notice
Protected capacity when all drives are 12TB
Before formatting, this example gives 36TB with F4-425 and 36TB with F4-425 Plus N150 16GB. 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 F4-425 and 160 seconds for F4-425 Plus N150 16GB. 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.
Archive bays stay free when applications move to SSD
On the F4-425 Plus, a pool of two SSDs still leaves one M.2 slot free and all four SATA positions available. The F4-425 would have to give up SATA positions to an internal SSD pool, which cuts the number of hard-disk positions.
How we worked this out
F4-425 Plus leaves 3 M.2 minus 2 = 1 spare M.2. F4-425 leaves 4 SATA minus 2 SATA SSDs = 2 SATA positions. Both assume supported mirrored SSD pools and separate HDD storage.
Option A
TerraMaster, F4-425
F4-425
Compared with a two-bay mirror, four SATA bays leave a growing archive more RAID layouts to choose from. Having a single 2.5GbE port and 4GB memory keeps the specs aimed at file storage.
- Best for
- A family archive that is growing, on four drives
Facts we checked
- 0 M.2 slots alongside 4 SATA drive bays
- Fastest network port included: 2.5GbE
- Comes with 4GB of RAM, expandable to 16GB
- Intel N5095 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 F4-425 | TerraMaster F4-425 Plus N150 16GB | 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 | 16GB | 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 N5095 | Intel N150 | The platform determines the media engines, the application architecture and the concurrency. |
Trade-offs
What each pick costs you
With TerraMaster F4-425
- The listing shows no M.2 storage slots, and because the enclosure is diskless you need to budget for drives separately.
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
Four SATA drives are enough for your archive
Go with TerraMaster F4-425. With equal disks, both models give four SATA bays and the same RAID 5 capacity. If you do not need separate M.2 storage or a 5 GbE link, F4-425 remains suitable.
Three M.2 slots and 16GB supplied RAM are required
Go with TerraMaster F4-425 Plus N150 16GB. F4-425 Plus has 16 GB in place of 4 GB, three M.2 positions in place of none, and 5 GbE in place of 2.5 GbE. Those differences change services and storage layout, and leave the shared four-disk RAID capacity untouched.
Decision guide
How to decide
First, pin down the storage layout you need
A four-disk archive is a good match for the F4-425. For a creator who wants a separate fast workspace, the F4-425 Plus brings 16GB supplied memory, three M.2 slots and dual 5GbE ports.
Count what the drive budget allows
Four equal 12TB disks in RAID 5 come to the same 36TB before formatting. Extra RAM and Ethernet capacity leave this disk-protection calculation unchanged.
Look at the client and apps you will really use
Line rate doubles with the Plus ports compared with the single port. It counts once the client is upgraded and the chosen array can sustain the transfer. A gigabit desktop, though, leaves both models held to the same network limit.
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 F4-425 |
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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 F4-425
Four SATA drives are enough for your archive
See price & reviews on AmazonTerraMaster F4-425 Plus N150 16GB
Three M.2 slots and 16GB supplied RAM are required
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