Main trade-off
ASUSTOR Lockerstor 4 Gen2+ AS6704T v2
Four-drive RAID 6 occupies every SATA bay. A removable MyArchive disk needs a different planned layout or another backup route.
Head-to-head
ASUSTOR AS6704T v2 vs AS6706T v2: Six bays leave room for a removable copy beside four array disks
The short answer
Choose AS6706T v2 if you want four SATA drives in RAID 6 plus a separate MyArchive backup bay, or expect to grow the array beyond four disks. Choose AS6704T v2 if four disks cover the archive and your independent backup lives elsewhere. The four-bay body is 63 mm narrower. Both use the same N5105 processor, dual 5GbE and 16GB memory ceiling.
Before you choose
The reasoning and the trade-offs
Reserve a backup bay before the family archive fills the box
If the NAS will hold the family originals and your routine is to take a completed backup elsewhere, six bays allow a four-drive RAID 6 array, one MyArchive disk and one remaining bay. Four bays cannot hold that same SATA layout. Choose the smaller box when the independent copy already goes to external or remote storage. Never pull a RAID member out and call it the backup.
What this is based on
Bay budget: 6 minus 4 array disks minus 1 MyArchive disk leaves 1. Four-drive RAID 6 occupies all 4 bays. The removable disk must have enough capacity for the selected backup, and the copy must finish before safe ejection.
Main trade-off
ASUSTOR Lockerstor 6 Gen2+ AS6706T v2
63 mm wider, with no higher CPU or memory ceiling. Filling all six bays also removes the spare-bay advantage.
ASUSTOR Lockerstor 4 Gen2+ AS6704T v2
- Choose it for
- Four SATA drives cover your archive and a separate USB, remote or off-site backup is already planned.
- The 170 mm-wide body fits the available open shelf more comfortably than the 233 mm six-bay body.
- Main trade-off
- Four-drive RAID 6 occupies every SATA bay. A removable MyArchive disk needs a different planned layout or another backup route.
ASUSTOR Lockerstor 6 Gen2+ AS6706T v2
- Choose it for
- You want four-drive RAID 6 and an independently configured removable MyArchive disk in the same enclosure.
- The archive is likely to need five or six SATA drives without replacing the enclosure.
- Main trade-off
- 63 mm wider, with no higher CPU or memory ceiling. Filling all six bays also removes the spare-bay advantage.
About this comparison
Four or six bays for the family archive? Compare removable backup room, RAID 6 capacity, shelf width and the RAM that comes with each Lockerstor Gen2+.
These are the four- and six-bay versions of the same Gen2+ platform. A buyer planning several years of photos and projects has a real choice between a smaller enclosure and spare internal positions.
Winner by situation
Start with what you need it to do
Four-drive RAID 6 plus a removable SATA backup is required
The six-bay chassis has free positions after the four-drive array. The four-bay chassis does not.
- ASUSTOR Lockerstor 4 Gen2+ AS6704T v2
- Not suitable
- ASUSTOR Lockerstor 6 Gen2+ AS6706T v2
- Better fit
Four drives suffice and the open shelf is width-constrained
AS6704T v2 is 170 mm wide rather than 233 mm. Both still need ventilation and cable access.
- ASUSTOR Lockerstor 4 Gen2+ AS6704T v2
- Better fit
- ASUSTOR Lockerstor 6 Gen2+ AS6706T v2
- Caution
The main RAID 6 archive needs 32TB from equal 8TB disks
Six array disks provide 32TB before overhead. Four provide 16TB on the same assumptions.
- ASUSTOR Lockerstor 4 Gen2+ AS6704T v2
- Not suitable
- ASUSTOR Lockerstor 6 Gen2+ AS6706T v2
- Better fit
Applications need a supported memory capacity above 16GB
Both stop at 16GB. Extra drive bays do not change that limit.
- ASUSTOR Lockerstor 4 Gen2+ AS6704T v2
- Not suitable
- ASUSTOR Lockerstor 6 Gen2+ AS6706T v2
- Not suitable
What matters in practice
The differences that matter
Reserve a backup bay before the family archive fills the box
If the NAS will hold the family originals and your routine is to take a completed backup elsewhere, six bays allow a four-drive RAID 6 array, one MyArchive disk and one remaining bay. Four bays cannot hold that same SATA layout. Choose the smaller box when the independent copy already goes to external or remote storage. Never pull a RAID member out and call it the backup.
How we reached this conclusion
Bay budget: 6 minus 4 array disks minus 1 MyArchive disk leaves 1. Four-drive RAID 6 occupies all 4 bays. The removable disk must have enough capacity for the selected backup, and the copy must finish before safe ejection.
Six bays can double RAID 6 capacity with only two extra drives
With equal 8TB drives, a four-drive RAID 6 array provides 16TB before overhead, while six drives provide 32TB. That can matter when both family video and completed projects need to stay online. But the six-drive arrangement uses every bay, so it gives up the removable-bay plan above. Choose which job the extra positions must do before buying the disks.
How we reached this conclusion
RAID 6 nominal capacity is (N minus 2) times equal drive capacity. (4 minus 2) x 8 = 16TB and (6 minus 2) x 8 = 32TB, before system, filesystem and unit-conversion differences. Examples use separately purchased compatible drives.
A larger archive box is not a larger application platform
For a shared living-room shelf, the four-bay model saves about 2.5 inches of width without giving up the N5105, 5GbE links or 16GB supported RAM ceiling. The six-bay model starts with 8GB instead of 4GB. If you only need that memory increase, price a compatible four-bay RAM upgrade rather than accepting a wider box for no extra disk use.
How we reached this conclusion
Width difference 233 minus 170 = 63 mm, or 2.48 inches. Same processor and maximum RAM do not prove identical performance, noise or thermals. Shelf measurements exclude required clearance.
Choice A
ASUSTOR, AS6704T v2
Lockerstor 4 Gen2+ AS6704T v2
Four SATA drives cover your archive and a separate USB, remote or off-site backup is already planned.
- Best matched use
- Four SATA drives cover your archive and a separate USB, remote or off-site backup is already planned.
Checked facts
- RAID array plus removable archive: Four SATA bays. RAID 6 needs at least four drives. MyArchive needs a free bay outside the active array.
- Width in a shared room: 185.5 x 170 x 230 mm, height x width x depth. Four SATA positions.
- Starting application memory: Intel N5105. 4GB DDR4 supplied and 16GB maximum.
- SSD and network upgrade path: Four SATA bays, four PCIe 3.0 x1 NVMe slots and two native 5GbE ports. Optional 10GbE requires removing the M.2 daughterboard.
Choice B
ASUSTOR, AS6706T v2
Lockerstor 6 Gen2+ AS6706T v2
You want four-drive RAID 6 and an independently configured removable MyArchive disk in the same enclosure.
- Best matched use
- You want four-drive RAID 6 and an independently configured removable MyArchive disk in the same enclosure.
Checked facts
- RAID array plus removable archive: Six SATA bays. RAID 6 needs at least four drives. MyArchive can use an available bay for a scheduled copy that is ejected afterward.
- Width in a shared room: 185.5 x 233 x 230 mm, height x width x depth. Six SATA positions.
- Starting application memory: Intel N5105. 8GB DDR4 supplied and 16GB maximum.
- SSD and network upgrade path: Six SATA bays, four PCIe 3.0 x1 NVMe slots and two native 5GbE ports. Optional 10GbE requires removing the M.2 daughterboard.
Meaningful differences
What changes the fit
| What changes | ASUSTOR Lockerstor 4 Gen2+ AS6704T v2 | ASUSTOR Lockerstor 6 Gen2+ AS6706T v2 | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| RAID array plus removable archive | Four SATA bays. RAID 6 needs at least four drives. MyArchive needs a free bay outside the active array. | Six SATA bays. RAID 6 needs at least four drives. MyArchive can use an available bay for a scheduled copy that is ejected afterward. | Reserve the removable-copy bay before building the main array. It is not an array member you can pull out at will. |
| Width in a shared room | 185.5 x 170 x 230 mm, height x width x depth. Four SATA positions. | 185.5 x 233 x 230 mm, height x width x depth. Six SATA positions. | The extra bays require 63 mm more width, about 2.5 inches, while height and depth match. |
| Starting application memory | Intel N5105. 4GB DDR4 supplied and 16GB maximum. | Intel N5105. 8GB DDR4 supplied and 16GB maximum. | The six-bay box starts with more RAM but does not raise the long-term 16GB ceiling. |
| SSD and network upgrade path | Four SATA bays, four PCIe 3.0 x1 NVMe slots and two native 5GbE ports. Optional 10GbE requires removing the M.2 daughterboard. | Six SATA bays, four PCIe 3.0 x1 NVMe slots and two native 5GbE ports. Optional 10GbE requires removing the M.2 daughterboard. | Both share the same 10GbE-versus-M.2-board restriction. More SATA bays do not remove it. |
What you give up
Every choice has a cost
If you choose ASUSTOR Lockerstor 4 Gen2+ AS6704T v2
- These are diskless configurations. Check the exact model suffix, supplied RAM, seller, return terms and US warranty eligibility before ordering. Drives, optional cards and memory upgrades are separate purchases.
If you choose ASUSTOR Lockerstor 6 Gen2+ AS6706T v2
- Drives are not included. A MyArchive copy needs its own disk, completed backup job and safe storage after ejection.
Recommendation switch
The decision flips if...
Keep four array disks and a separate internal removable backup
Choose ASUSTOR Lockerstor 6 Gen2+ AS6706T v2. The extra SATA positions make the two jobs coexist.
Four disks suffice and the backup is external
Choose ASUSTOR Lockerstor 4 Gen2+ AS6704T v2. The smaller enclosure covers the same basic processing and network platform.
The main problem is a memory budget above 16GB
Choose neither. Choose a platform with a higher documented memory ceiling.
What matters in practice
Before you choose
You want two-drive fault tolerance and a removable copy of important files, without discovering later that every bay is occupied.
What this comparison cannot tell you
- RAID, snapshots and ECC do not replace a separate backup. Keep a tested copy outside the NAS and protect it from the same accident or account compromise.
- MyArchive examples assume a planned SATA array and an independently configured spare bay. Never remove a live array member to make a removable archive.
- Ethernet figures are link rates, not measured file-transfer speeds. Client adapters, switches, cabling, disks, file sizes and concurrent work can be the bottleneck.
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 Lockerstor 4 Gen2+ AS6704T v2 |
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| ASUSTOR Lockerstor 6 Gen2+ AS6706T v2 |
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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 Lockerstor 4 Gen2+ AS6704T v2
Four SATA drives cover your archive and a separate USB, remote or off-site backup is already planned.
The 170 mm-wide body fits the available open shelf more comfortably than the 233 mm six-bay body.
See price & reviews on AmazonASUSTOR Lockerstor 6 Gen2+ AS6706T v2
You want four-drive RAID 6 and an independently configured removable MyArchive disk in the same enclosure.
The archive is likely to need five or six SATA drives without replacing the enclosure.
See price & reviews on AmazonLinks open in a new tab.