Cheapest 2-bay

QNAP TS-233

Basic file storage and computer backups for as little as possible.

Our pick: Cheapest 2-bay. The QNAP TS-233 is a 2-bay NAS powered by the ARM Cortex-A55, 4 cores, with 2GB of RAM and 1GbE networking. It suits basic file storage and computer backups for as little as possible. The catch: a slow ARM chip, 1GbE and no transcoding: buyers split evenly on its performance (12 to 12).

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2 Bayabout $2404 Bayabout $430

about $240Amazon shows today's exact price.

In stock, sold by QNAP Store

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Bays: 2
Processor: ARM Cortex-A55, 4 cores
Memory: 2GB
Network: 1GbE
NVMe slots: None
Plex hardware transcoding: No
Software: QNAP QTS

Specs are from the Amazon listing or the maker. Prices are for the box without drives unless the listing says otherwise.

Why we pick it

Mirrored drives and snapshots for the price of an external drive or two
4.2 stars from 126 ratings

The catch

A slow ARM chip, 1GbE and no transcoding: buyers split evenly on its performance (12 to 12).

1 and 2 bay in one line

Two drives mirrored (RAID 1) is the classic first NAS: if one drive dies, nothing is lost. Fine for photos, backups and a media library up to the size of one drive.

How many bays do you need? · RAID is not backup

Questions about the QNAP TS-233

Is the QNAP TS-233 a good NAS?

Cheapest 2-bay. Mirrored drives and snapshots for the price of an external drive or two. 4.2 stars from 126 ratings. The catch: A slow ARM chip, 1GbE and no transcoding: buyers split evenly on its performance (12 to 12).

Can the QNAP TS-233 run Plex?

It can serve files to Plex players that play them directly, but it has no hardware transcoding, so converting 4K or HEVC on the fly will struggle. For Plex, pick a NAS with an Intel CPU.

Does the QNAP TS-233 include drives?

No. The price is for the box (diskless) unless the listing you choose says it is a bundle. Add NAS-rated CMR drives such as WD Red Plus or Toshiba N300.

Who is the QNAP TS-233 for?

Basic file storage and computer backups for as little as possible.

What QNAP says about it

ARM Cortex-A55 quad-core 2.0GHz processor with 2 GB DDR4 RAM
Budget-friendly Home NAS for file storage and multimedia streaming
Centrally store and organize personal or family photos, music, and videos
Mitigate the threat of ransomware with QNAP's storage snapshot technology
Effortlessly backup your Windows Computers with QNAP’s NetBak Replicator software and Mac computers with Time Machine

From the Amazon listing, in the maker's own words.