The TerraMaster F4-424 Pro is the CPU heavyweight of the media-class 4-bays, built around an 8-core Intel Core i3-N305 with 32GB of DDR5 standard and dual 2.5GbE. Neowin called it the most powerful media-class 4-bay on the market. The trade-offs are TerraMaster's still-maturing TOS software and some build quirks like weak internal airflow and non-locking drive trays.
Full review
Real-World Performance
The TerraMaster F4-424 Pro is the CPU heavyweight of the media-class 4-bays. Its 8-core Intel Core i3-N305 (up to 3.8 GHz) with 32GB of DDR5 standard gives it far more compute than rivals at this price. TechRadar's reviewer scored performance 4.5/5 and remarked it has way more power than its four hard drives, two NVMe slots and 2.5GbE ports actually need — a luxury of headroom for transcoding, VMs and containers.
Neowin went so far as to call it the most powerful media-class 4-bay NAS on the market, and XDA described it as a powerful NAS at a reasonable price. On the dual 2.5GbE link it delivers linear transfer speeds up to about 283 MB/s, near the interface ceiling.
Hardware and Connectivity
The chassis pairs four SATA bays with two M.2 2280 NVMe slots (PCIe 3.0 x1) for caching or a flash pool, plus dual USB 3.2 Gen2 10Gbps ports for fast external expansion. Networking is dual 2.5GbE with link aggregation for up to 5Gbps, matching the QNAP TS-464 but falling short of the 10GbE the UGREEN DXP4800 Plus and Asustor Lockerstor 4 Gen3 include.
With 32GB of DDR5 shipped as standard, the F4-424 Pro is unusually generous on memory for the price — buyers do not need to budget a RAM upgrade the way QNAP TS-464 owners often do. For raw CPU and memory per dollar, this is one of the strongest value plays in the category.
Setup and Software
TerraMaster's TOS is where the unit gives ground. TechRadar scored software 3/5, and reviewers consistently describe TOS as feeling like a work in progress rather than a polished platform on the level of Synology DSM or QNAP QTS. Updates have improved it, but the app ecosystem and overall refinement still lag the incumbents.
For users comfortable with a more hands-on setup — or who plan to run TrueNAS or another OS on the hardware — the powerful internals are the draw. But anyone expecting the plug-and-play software experience of a Synology will find TOS a step down, and that is the main reason the F4-424 Pro sits mid-pack despite leading on CPU.
Cooling and Build Notes
The F4-424 Pro's biggest physical caveat is thermal. Reviewers flagged poor airflow to the CPU and the NVMe slots, with some users forced to remove M.2 heatsinks for clearance and rely on passive cooling. For a unit with an 8-core i3-N305 capable of sustained transcoding and VM loads, that airflow design is a real consideration — anyone planning heavy 24/7 use should monitor drive and CPU temperatures.
The non-locking drive trays are the other build quirk: it is physically possible to pull a drive out of a running system, which is an odd oversight on a storage appliance and something owners with curious kids or pets should note. These are not dealbreakers given the hardware value, but they mark the F4-424 Pro as a chassis that rewards a careful, technical owner rather than a casual set-and-forget buyer.
Where It Falls Short
Beyond software, there are build quirks. Reviewers flagged poor airflow to the CPU and NVMe slots, sometimes forcing users to remove heatsinks for clearance and rely on passive cooling. The drive trays also do not lock, meaning it is possible to pull a drive out of a running system by accident — a design oversight on a storage device.
TechRadar scored value 3/5, noting the F4-424 Pro does not offer the same value as some other NAS units once you weigh the software gap. It fills a niche where in-unit processing power is critical; if you do not need that CPU, rivals with better software may be the smarter spend.
How It Compares to Alternatives
Against the QNAP TS-464, the F4-424 Pro brings a much stronger CPU and 32GB of DDR5 standard, but QNAP's QTS software is far more mature. Compared to the Synology DS923+, the TerraMaster wins decisively on hardware while losing badly on software polish.
Versus the UGREEN NASync DXP4800 Plus, the two are close on CPU class, but the UGREEN adds 10GbE that the TerraMaster lacks. And against the Asustor Lockerstor 4 Gen3, the F4-424 Pro is hundreds of dollars cheaper but well behind on networking and raw throughput. It is the pick for buyers who specifically prize CPU power in a 2.5GbE chassis.
Value at This Price
On hardware alone the F4-424 Pro is excellent value — an 8-core i3-N305 with 32GB of DDR5 standard at around $700 is more raw compute and memory than the Synology DS923+ or QNAP TS-464 offer near that price, and you skip the RAM upgrade those buyers often budget for. XDA's verdict of a powerful NAS at a reasonable price reflects that hardware-first appeal.
But TechRadar scored value just 3/5, and the reason is software: once you weigh TOS against the polished platforms, the F4-424 Pro does not offer the same overall value as some rivals. The build quirks — weak internal airflow, non-locking drive trays — chip away further. The value verdict depends on the buyer: for a technical owner who will run TrueNAS or tolerate TOS, it is a bargain; for someone who wants turnkey software, the savings are illusory.
Who It's Best For
The TerraMaster F4-424 Pro is for media-server and VM users who want the most CPU power they can get in a 4-bay and are comfortable with less mature software. If you plan to run heavy transcoding, multiple containers or virtual machines — or install TrueNAS on the hardware — its i3-N305 and 32GB of DDR5 are hard to beat at the price, and the dual 10Gbps USB ports add fast external expansion.
It is not for buyers who want a polished, hands-off software experience or stock 10GbE — the Synology DS923+ and UGREEN DXP4800 Plus respectively serve those needs better. Treat the F4-424 Pro as a high-horsepower chassis that rewards a more technical owner willing to manage cooling and work around the software's rough edges.
Strengths
- +Powerful 8-core Intel Core i3-N305 CPU, the strongest media-class chip here
- +32GB DDR5 memory standard for VMs and containers
- +Dual 2.5GbE ports with link aggregation to 5Gbps
- +Two M.2 2280 NVMe slots plus dual 10Gbps USB ports
- +Often the cheapest way to get this much CPU in a 4-bay
Watch-outs
- −TOS software still feels unpolished next to DSM or QTS
- −Poor airflow to CPU and NVMe slots can force heatsink removal
- −Drive trays do not lock, so a drive can be pulled from a running system
- −Value is undercut by the price of rivals with better software
How it compares
The F4-424 Pro has the strongest CPU of the 2.5GbE-class units, beating the QNAP TS-464's Celeron and the Synology DS923+'s AMD chip, and matches the QNAP on dual 2.5GbE. But it lacks the 10GbE of the UGREEN NASync DXP4800 Plus and Asustor Lockerstor 4 Gen3, and its TOS software trails all of them on polish.
Who this is for
At a glance: Media-server and VM users who want maximum CPU power in a 4-bay and can tolerate less mature software.
Why you’d buy the TerraMaster F4-424 Pro
- Powerful 8-core Intel Core i3-N305 CPU, the strongest media-class chip here.
- 32GB DDR5 memory standard for VMs and containers.
- Dual 2.5GbE ports with link aggregation to 5Gbps.
Why you’d skip it
- TOS software still feels unpolished next to DSM or QTS.
- Poor airflow to CPU and NVMe slots can force heatsink removal.
- Drive trays do not lock, so a drive can be pulled from a running system.
Rating sources
“The performance of this NAS is exceptionally good, with way more power than it needs.”
“It's the most powerful media-class 4-bay NAS on the market.”
“A powerful NAS at a reasonable price, with serious CPU horsepower for the money.”
Our 4.2 score is the average of these published ratings. Ratings marked * were derived from the reviewer’s written analysis or video transcript — the publisher didn’t print an explicit numeric score, so we inferred one from their own words. Click through to verify. More about methodology.
