Main trade-off
ASUSTOR Nimbustor 4 Gen2
Only 4 GB memory is supplied.
Head-to-head
ASUSTOR AS5404T vs QNAP TS-264: ASUSTOR holds four hard drives, both start at the same link rate
The short answer
Choose AS5404T when the plan needs three or four internal hard drives, or four built-in NVMe slots without an expansion card. Choose TS-264-8G when two hard drives are enough and you want 8 GB of supplied memory or a supported PCIe upgrade. Their built-in Ethernet ports have the same link rate, so compare what you plan to add next.
Before you choose
The reasoning and the trade-offs
A three-hard-drive plan settles this choice early
Suppose you already own two compatible hard drives and want to add a third internally. AS5404T has the spare SATA position. TS-264 does not, even though it still has two NVMe slots. An M.2 socket cannot accept that third hard drive.
What this is based on
AS5404T: 4 SATA bays - 2 occupied = 2 free. TS-264: 2 SATA bays - 2 occupied = 0 free. NVMe positions use a different drive format.
Main trade-off
QNAP TS-264-8G-US
Only two SATA bays and two built-in NVMe positions.
ASUSTOR Nimbustor 4 Gen2
- Choose it for
- Grow to a three- or four-hard-drive array
- Use four built-in NVMe slots without an expansion card
- Main trade-off
- Only 4 GB memory is supplied.
QNAP TS-264-8G-US
- Choose it for
- Start with 8 GB RAM without a memory purchase
- Keep a PCIe option for a compatible faster network card
- Main trade-off
- Only two SATA bays and two built-in NVMe positions.
About this comparison
Compare ASUSTOR AS5404T and QNAP TS-264 for hard-drive growth, NVMe apps and faster networking. See which upgrade path fits your next storage project.
Choose AS5404T when the plan needs three or four internal hard drives, or four built-in NVMe slots without an expansion card. Choose TS-264-8G when two hard drives are enough and you want 8 GB of supplied memory or a supported PCIe upgrade. Their built-in Ethernet ports have the same link rate, so compare what you plan to add next.
Winner by situation
Start with what you need it to do
I need three or four internal hard drives
Only AS5404T has enough SATA bays.
- ASUSTOR Nimbustor 4 Gen2
- Better fit
- QNAP TS-264-8G-US
- Not suitable
I need four built-in NVMe slots without an expansion card
ASUSTOR supplies four. QNAP starts with two and needs a compatible card to add two more.
- ASUSTOR Nimbustor 4 Gen2
- Better fit
- QNAP TS-264-8G-US
- Not suitable
I want a compatible PCIe network card later
QNAP has the card slot. Check the exact supported card and the rest of the network.
- ASUSTOR Nimbustor 4 Gen2
- Not suitable
- QNAP TS-264-8G-US
- Depends
I need 8 GB RAM in the selected base package
ASUSTOR supplies 4 GB and needs an upgrade. Confirm the selected QNAP 8G hardware revision.
- ASUSTOR Nimbustor 4 Gen2
- Not suitable
- QNAP TS-264-8G-US
- Better fit
What matters in practice
The differences that matter
A three-hard-drive plan settles this choice early
Suppose you already own two compatible hard drives and want to add a third internally. AS5404T has the spare SATA position. TS-264 does not, even though it still has two NVMe slots. An M.2 socket cannot accept that third hard drive.
How we reached this conclusion
AS5404T: 4 SATA bays - 2 occupied = 2 free. TS-264: 2 SATA bays - 2 occupied = 0 free. NVMe positions use a different drive format.
QNAP can reach four NVMe positions with an extra card
ASUSTOR supplies four NVMe slots on the board. QNAP starts with two and supports QM2 cards adding another two. Its documented QM2-2P10G1TB option also adds a 10GbE port. A four-SSD plan is therefore possible on QNAP, but the enclosure offer alone does not buy that configuration.
How we reached this conclusion
QNAP: 2 built-in M.2 positions + 2 on a compatible QM2 card = 4. ASUSTOR supplies 4 without a card. QNAP documents the combined network-and-SSD card, with compatibility and PCIe bandwidth limits still applicable.
An 8 GB app budget changes the first purchase, not the final ceiling
If your chosen applications require 8 GB of RAM, the selected current TS-264-8G supplies it. AS5404T needs a supported upgrade from 4 GB. Both document a 16 GB maximum, so QNAP saves an immediate upgrade rather than offering more ultimate memory capacity.
How we reached this conclusion
8 GB requirement - 4 GB supplied on ASUSTOR = 4 GB short. The selected QNAP supplies 8 GB. Both current specifications list 16 GB maximum.
Choice A
ASUSTOR, AS5404T
ASUSTOR Nimbustor 4 Gen2
The chassis has 4-bay storage. Its fastest documented network path is 2.5 Gbps.
- Best matched use
- Grow to a three- or four-hard-drive array
Checked facts
- SATA hard-drive bays: 4
- Built-in NVMe positions: 4
- Installed / maximum RAM: 4 GB / 16 GB
- Built-in Ethernet: Two 2.5GbE ports
Choice B
QNAP, TS-264-8G-US
QNAP TS-264-8G-US
A two-bay NAS with two built-in NVMe slots, dual 2.5GbE and a PCIe slot for supported SSD or network expansion. The selected current 8G configuration supplies 8 GB RAM.
- Best matched use
- Start with 8 GB RAM without a memory purchase
Checked facts
- SATA hard-drive bays: 2
- Built-in NVMe positions: 2
- Installed / maximum RAM: 8 GB / 16 GB on current SODIMM revision
- Built-in Ethernet: Two 2.5GbE ports
Meaningful differences
What changes the fit
| What changes | ASUSTOR Nimbustor 4 Gen2 | QNAP TS-264-8G-US | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| SATA hard-drive bays | 4 | 2 | ASUSTOR can expand the internal hard-drive count without giving up existing drives. |
| Built-in NVMe positions | 4 | 2 | QNAP can add two more M.2 positions with a compatible optional QM2 card. |
| Installed / maximum RAM | 4 GB / 16 GB | 8 GB / 16 GB on current SODIMM revision | QNAP starts with more memory but does not have a higher documented ceiling. |
| Built-in Ethernet | Two 2.5GbE ports | Two 2.5GbE ports | Neither has built-in 10GbE. |
| Internal PCIe card slot | None | One PCIe Gen 3 x2 | QNAP has a documented route to compatible network expansion cards. The card costs extra. |
What you give up
Every choice has a cost
If you choose ASUSTOR Nimbustor 4 Gen2
- No internal PCIe network-card slot.
If you choose QNAP TS-264-8G-US
- A compatible expansion card and supporting network equipment cost extra.
Recommendation switch
The decision flips if...
I need at least three internal SATA hard drives
Choose ASUSTOR Nimbustor 4 Gen2. AS5404T has four bays. TS-264 has two.
Two hard drives are enough and a PCIe network card is part of my plan
Choose QNAP TS-264-8G-US. QNAP supplies the required internal card slot.
I need both four hard-drive bays and an internal network-card slot
Choose neither. Neither model combines those requirements.
What matters in practice
How to make the call
Draw the next storage layout before shopping
Write down how many hard drives and SSDs you expect to keep installed at once. Include a future drive if you already know the archive will grow. This exposes a bay shortage before purchase. A diskless enclosure with a lower offer can become the expensive choice if it must be replaced to accept the next hard drive.
Treat a network upgrade as a whole connection path
A compatible faster card is only one part of the TS-264 upgrade. The computer, switch and cabling must also support the intended connection. Storage throughput and protocol overhead still matter. There is no reason to buy the card merely because a slot exists if the client will remain on a 1GbE connection.
Check the exact memory revision in the offer
This comparison uses the TS-264-8G configuration with replaceable SODIMM memory documented from January 2024. Older revisions should be checked with the seller. Decide how much memory your applications need, then price any required modules. The number of applications matters less than their actual combined requirements.
What this comparison cannot tell you
- Storage calculations use equal-capacity compatible drives and decimal TB before formatting, system space and metadata. RAID protects against specified drive failures but does not replace a separate backup.
- Network figures are link rates rather than measured file-transfer speeds. Software support, memory revision, drive compatibility and the rest of the network must be checked for the exact purchase.
What the facts say
What the comparison shows
Useful conclusions from the current NAS devices comparison, followed by the checked facts used to reach them.
See the checked facts and calculation notes
| Product | Needs matched | Checked facts | Source records |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASUSTOR Nimbustor 4 Gen2 |
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| QNAP TS-264-8G-US |
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Ready to choose?
Check the price. Read the owner reviews.
Open either model on Amazon to check the current price, customer reviews and delivery options.
ASUSTOR Nimbustor 4 Gen2
Grow to a three- or four-hard-drive array
See price & reviews on AmazonQNAP TS-264-8G-US
Start with 8 GB RAM without a memory purchase
See price & reviews on AmazonLinks open in a new tab.