Main trade-off
ASUSTOR Lockerstor 4 Gen2+ AS6704T v2
The optional 10GbE upgrade displaces all four built-in NVMe slots. Decide before storing important work on those SSDs.
Head-to-head
ASUSTOR AS6704T v2 vs AS6804T: Gen3 keeps 10GbE and the internal SSD workspace together
The short answer
Choose AS6804T if you need 10GbE and want to keep internal NVMe storage. AS6704T v2 loses its M.2 board when the optional 10GbE card is fitted. Choose AS6704T v2 when native 5GbE is enough and its documented HDMI output matters. Both hold four SATA drives, and Gen3 USB 4 is not a direct cable connection to a Mac or PC.
Before you choose
The reasoning and the trade-offs
An editing upgrade can evict the existing SSDs
If your family archive uses SATA disks and active video projects live on NVMe, the Gen2+ 10GbE card breaks that division by removing the SSD board. AS6804T keeps native 10GbE and the four NVMe positions together. Stay with Gen2+ if 5GbE already covers the working network, or if your storage plan does not need internal NVMe.
What this is based on
Resource conflict: the optional Gen2+ NIC replaces the M.2 daughterboard, while Gen3 networking is native. This establishes coexistence, not a guaranteed editing speed. Back up before changing any storage configuration.
Main trade-off
ASUSTOR Lockerstor 4 Gen3 AS6804T
No HDMI output, and USB 4 does not attach directly to a Mac or PC. Check the exact application workflow.
ASUSTOR Lockerstor 4 Gen2+ AS6704T v2
- Choose it for
- Your archive and SSD workspace can stay on native 5GbE, avoiding the card that removes the SSD board.
- You need the documented HDMI output and have checked that your intended ADM application supports the display job.
- Main trade-off
- The optional 10GbE upgrade displaces all four built-in NVMe slots. Decide before storing important work on those SSDs.
ASUSTOR Lockerstor 4 Gen3 AS6804T
- Choose it for
- You need native 10GbE while retaining all four internal NVMe positions.
- Your planned services need more than the Gen2+ 16GB memory ceiling, with compatible RAM bought separately.
- Main trade-off
- No HDMI output, and USB 4 does not attach directly to a Mac or PC. Check the exact application workflow.
About this comparison
Compare Lockerstor 4 Gen2+ and Gen3 for a home archive and editing desk. See why a 10GbE upgrade can cost four SSD slots, plus RAM and HDMI limits.
Both are four-bay ASUSTOR enclosures for a shared home archive and a more demanding desk. The question is whether Gen3 removes an actual expansion conflict or adds hardware the home will not use.
Winner by situation
Start with what you need it to do
10GbE and four installed NVMe drives must coexist
Gen2+ replaces the NVMe board to add its optional 10GbE card. Gen3 provides native 10GbE.
- ASUSTOR Lockerstor 4 Gen2+ AS6704T v2
- Not suitable
- ASUSTOR Lockerstor 4 Gen3 AS6804T
- Better fit
A verified HDMI application is part of the TV setup
Gen2+ has HDMI 2.0b. Gen3 has no HDMI output, so it cannot make that direct display connection.
- ASUSTOR Lockerstor 4 Gen2+ AS6704T v2
- Better fit
- ASUSTOR Lockerstor 4 Gen3 AS6804T
- Not suitable
The home network stays at 2.5GbE and memory demand is modest
Both cover that link rate and basic storage layout. The network alone gives no reason to pay for Gen3.
- ASUSTOR Lockerstor 4 Gen2+ AS6704T v2
- Good
- ASUSTOR Lockerstor 4 Gen3 AS6804T
- Good
A Mac must see the NAS as a directly attached USB 4 drive
Neither is documented for that job. Gen3 explicitly excludes Mac and PC USB 4 host-to-host networking.
- ASUSTOR Lockerstor 4 Gen2+ AS6704T v2
- Not suitable
- ASUSTOR Lockerstor 4 Gen3 AS6804T
- Not suitable
What matters in practice
The differences that matter
An editing upgrade can evict the existing SSDs
If your family archive uses SATA disks and active video projects live on NVMe, the Gen2+ 10GbE card breaks that division by removing the SSD board. AS6804T keeps native 10GbE and the four NVMe positions together. Stay with Gen2+ if 5GbE already covers the working network, or if your storage plan does not need internal NVMe.
How we reached this conclusion
Resource conflict: the optional Gen2+ NIC replaces the M.2 daughterboard, while Gen3 networking is native. This establishes coexistence, not a guaranteed editing speed. Back up before changing any storage configuration.
A media shelf and a work desk can want different generations
A household that wants a supported ADM display application beside the TV still has a reason to choose Gen2+. It retains HDMI. Gen3 requires a separate network playback route for that job, despite being the more capable network platform. Confirm the specific app and display behavior before buying either for local playback.
How we reached this conclusion
Confirmed physical output difference. HDMI alone does not prove an app, codec, streaming service or remote control will work. No Plex stream-count advantage is claimed.
More services can require more RAM without more furniture
If backups must keep running while your planned home-server applications need over 16GB total memory, Gen3 provides a supported expansion route to 64GB in the same-size body. The upgrade is unnecessary when the services fit within 16GB. Adding non-ECC RAM would also give up the Gen3 ECC feature.
How we reached this conclusion
Gen2+ maximum 16GB versus Gen3 maximum 64GB, with identical 170 x 230 mm footprints. Memory limits do not establish VM capacity, CPU performance or end-to-end data protection.
Choice A
ASUSTOR, AS6704T v2
Lockerstor 4 Gen2+ AS6704T v2
Your archive and SSD workspace can stay on native 5GbE, avoiding the card that removes the SSD board.
- Best matched use
- Your archive and SSD workspace can stay on native 5GbE, avoiding the card that removes the SSD board.
Checked facts
- SSD storage after a network upgrade: Four SATA bays, four PCIe 3.0 x1 NVMe slots and two native 5GbE ports. Optional 10GbE requires removing the M.2 daughterboard.
- Application memory: Intel N5105. 4GB DDR4 supplied and 16GB maximum.
- Local display and external drives: HDMI 2.0b, two USB-A 10Gbps ports and one USB 2.0 port.
- Room on the shelf: 185.5 x 170 x 230 mm, height x width x depth. Four SATA positions.
Choice B
ASUSTOR, AS6804T
Lockerstor 4 Gen3 AS6804T
You need native 10GbE while retaining all four internal NVMe positions.
- Best matched use
- You need native 10GbE while retaining all four internal NVMe positions.
Checked facts
- SSD storage after a network upgrade: Four SATA bays and four PCIe 4.0 x1 NVMe slots, with two native 10GbE ports and two 5GbE ports.
- Application memory: Ryzen V3C14. 16GB ECC DDR5 supplied and 64GB maximum. Non-ECC memory disables ECC functionality.
- Local display and external drives: No HDMI. Two USB 4 ports for compatible external storage and three USB-A 10Gbps ports. USB 4 host-to-host networking to a Mac or PC is unsupported.
- Room on the shelf: 185.5 x 170 x 230 mm, height x width x depth. Four SATA positions.
Meaningful differences
What changes the fit
| What changes | ASUSTOR Lockerstor 4 Gen2+ AS6704T v2 | ASUSTOR Lockerstor 4 Gen3 AS6804T | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSD storage after a network upgrade | Four SATA bays, four PCIe 3.0 x1 NVMe slots and two native 5GbE ports. Optional 10GbE requires removing the M.2 daughterboard. | Four SATA bays and four PCIe 4.0 x1 NVMe slots, with two native 10GbE ports and two 5GbE ports. | The Gen3 advantage is keeping two planned jobs together. A port-speed comparison alone misses what Gen2+ gives up. |
| Application memory | Intel N5105. 4GB DDR4 supplied and 16GB maximum. | Ryzen V3C14. 16GB ECC DDR5 supplied and 64GB maximum. Non-ECC memory disables ECC functionality. | Extra drive capacity does not solve a RAM ceiling. Budget memory around the actual services. |
| Local display and external drives | HDMI 2.0b, two USB-A 10Gbps ports and one USB 2.0 port. | No HDMI. Two USB 4 ports for compatible external storage and three USB-A 10Gbps ports. USB 4 host-to-host networking to a Mac or PC is unsupported. | A newer connector cannot replace a missing display output or establish direct laptop storage. |
| Room on the shelf | 185.5 x 170 x 230 mm, height x width x depth. Four SATA positions. | 185.5 x 170 x 230 mm, height x width x depth. Four SATA positions. | Their published body dimensions match. Allow cable, airflow and service clearance for either. |
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 4 Gen3 AS6804T
- 16GB ECC is included. Compatible drives, additional ECC RAM and a faster client network still cost extra.
Recommendation switch
The decision flips if...
Keep NVMe storage while moving the workstation to 10GbE
Choose ASUSTOR Lockerstor 4 Gen3 AS6804T. Gen3 avoids the Gen2+ card-versus-SSD-board conflict.
Keep native 5GbE and a supported HDMI workflow
Choose ASUSTOR Lockerstor 4 Gen2+ AS6704T v2. Gen2+ retains the output Gen3 removes.
USB 4 must provide the direct computer connection
Choose neither. Plan Ethernet or choose equipment explicitly documented for direct attachment.
What matters in practice
Before you choose
You want faster access to your SSD workspace without dismantling the SSD workspace to add it.
What this comparison cannot tell you
- Ethernet figures are link rates, not measured file-transfer speeds. Client adapters, switches, cabling, disks, file sizes and concurrent work can be the bottleneck.
- 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.
- No measured noise, Plex capacity or processing-speed comparison.
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 |
|
| |
| ASUSTOR Lockerstor 4 Gen3 AS6804T |
|
|
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
Your archive and SSD workspace can stay on native 5GbE, avoiding the card that removes the SSD board.
You need the documented HDMI output and have checked that your intended ADM application supports the display job.
See price & reviews on AmazonASUSTOR Lockerstor 4 Gen3 AS6804T
You need native 10GbE while retaining all four internal NVMe positions.
Your planned services need more than the Gen2+ 16GB memory ceiling, with compatible RAM bought separately.
See price & reviews on AmazonLinks open in a new tab.