Main trade-off
TerraMaster F2-425
Two SATA bays leave no room to add a third data drive to the same chassis.
Head-to-head
TerraMaster F2-425 vs TerraMaster F2-425 Plus N150 8GB: Plus adds separate SSD storage around the two-drive archive
The short answer
Choose the F2-425 for SATA backups on a 2.5GbE network. Choose the F2-425 Plus when three M.2 slots or dual 5GbE ports solve a planned workflow.
Before you choose
The reasoning and the trade-offs
Protected capacity with equal 12TB drives
F2-425 gives 12TB and F2-425 Plus N150 8GB gives 12TB before formatting in this example. Changing chassis does not increase this protected capacity.
What this is based on
Assume every SATA bay contains a supported 12TB disk. Two-bay RAID 1 uses one disk of usable capacity. For three or more drives, RAID 5 usable TB = (drive count minus 1) × 12. This is an illustrative layout, not included storage or a backup.
Main trade-off
TerraMaster F2-425 Plus N150 8GB
The three M.2 slots do not turn the two SATA bays into a four-drive hard-disk array.
TerraMaster F2-425
- Choose it for
- You only need two SATA drives and 2.5GbE
- You want 4GB for supplied ram
- Main trade-off
- Two SATA bays leave no room to add a third data drive to the same chassis.
TerraMaster F2-425 Plus N150 8GB
- Choose it for
- You need a separate SSD pool or a 5GbE client path
- You want 8GB for supplied ram
- Main trade-off
- The three M.2 slots do not turn the two SATA bays into a four-drive hard-disk array.
About this comparison
Compare F2-425 and F2-425 Plus N150 8GB by protected storage, included networking and the exact SSD or application layout you need.
The Plus model is worthwhile for an SSD pool and a 5GbE client.
Winner by situation
Start with what you need it to do
A protected archive using 12 TB disks in every internal SATA bay
Using RAID 1 for two disks or RAID 5 for three or more disks, F2-425 gives 12TB and F2-425 Plus N150 8GB gives 12TB before formatting in this example. Changing chassis does not increase this protected capacity.
- TerraMaster F2-425
- Similar
- TerraMaster F2-425 Plus N150 8GB
- Similar
A workstation already matching the faster included Ethernet port
Included port rates are 2.5GbE and 5GbE. Use the 100GB calculation alongside the actual client speed.
- TerraMaster F2-425
- Good
- TerraMaster F2-425 Plus N150 8GB
- Better fit
Several local services sharing the supplied RAM
TerraMaster F2-425 supplies 4 GB RAM and supports 16 GB. TerraMaster F2-425 Plus N150 8GB supplies 8 GB and supports 32 GB. Compare the stated application memory requirement with the supplied configuration before budgeting for an upgrade. RAM capacity alone does not establish application speed.
- TerraMaster F2-425
- Depends
- TerraMaster F2-425 Plus N150 8GB
- Better fit
Keep the SATA mirror while adding an internal M.2 SSD mirror
The F2-425 Plus can allocate two of its three M.2 slots to a mirror and still retain a third M.2 position. The F2-425 cannot host that layout through internal M.2 slots.
- TerraMaster F2-425
- Not suitable
- TerraMaster F2-425 Plus N150 8GB
- Better fit
What matters in practice
The differences that matter
Protected capacity with equal 12TB drives
F2-425 gives 12TB and F2-425 Plus N150 8GB gives 12TB before formatting in this example. Changing chassis does not increase this protected capacity.
How we reached this conclusion
Assume every SATA bay contains a supported 12TB disk. Two-bay RAID 1 uses one disk of usable capacity. For three or more drives, RAID 5 usable TB = (drive count minus 1) × 12. This is an illustrative layout, not included storage or a backup.
100GB transfer at the included port ceiling
The line-rate lower bound is 320 seconds for F2-425 and 160 seconds for F2-425 Plus N150 8GB. Real copies take longer. A 1GbE client makes the lower bound 800 seconds for both.
How we reached this conclusion
Decimal 100GB × 8 = 800 gigabits. Divide 800 by the fastest included port rate, 2.5Gbps or 5Gbps. Ignore protocol overhead only for this lower-bound calculation. Optional adapters and aggregated ports are excluded.
The Plus can separate an SSD pool from the hard-drive mirror
The F2-425 Plus can allocate two of its three M.2 slots to a mirror and still retain a third M.2 position. The F2-425 cannot host that layout through internal M.2 slots.
How we reached this conclusion
Three slots minus two mirrored SSDs leaves one. Standard F2-425 has zero M.2 slots. Pool support, SSD compatibility and lane sharing remain configuration checks.
Choice A
TerraMaster, F2-425
F2-425
A two-drive photo and backup server with 2.5GbE and 4GB memory. Choose this chassis when a mirrored pair is enough and M.2 storage is unnecessary.
- Best matched use
- A modest two-drive home archive
Checked facts
- 2 SATA drive bays and 0 M.2 slots
- 2.5GbE fastest included network port
- 4GB supplied RAM, expandable to 16GB
- Diskless NAS with Intel x86 quad-core processor
Choice B
TerraMaster, F2-425 Plus N150 8GB
F2-425 Plus N150 8GB
A compact hybrid NAS with two SATA bays, three M.2 slots and two 5GbE ports. It suits a small SSD workspace beside a bulk-storage mirror.
- Best matched use
- Two hard drives plus a separate SSD workspace
Checked facts
- 2 SATA drive bays and 3 M.2 slots
- 5GbE fastest included network port
- 8GB supplied RAM, expandable to 32GB
- Diskless NAS with Intel N150 processor
Meaningful differences
What changes the fit
| What changes | TerraMaster F2-425 | TerraMaster F2-425 Plus N150 8GB | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fastest included Ethernet port | 2.5GbE | 5GbE | The client, switch and storage must keep up before this port rate helps a transfer. |
| Supplied RAM | 4GB | 8GB | This is the installed memory budget before purchasing upgrade modules. |
| Supported RAM ceiling | 16GB | 32GB | This sets the manufacturer-supported upgrade ceiling for concurrent services. |
| M.2 storage slots | 0 | 3 | Plan SSD cache and storage pools separately from the SATA archive. |
| Processor | Intel x86 quad-core | Intel N150 | Media engines, application architecture and concurrency depend on this platform. |
What you give up
Every choice has a cost
If you choose TerraMaster F2-425
- There are no M.2 slots. Storage drives are purchased separately.
If you choose TerraMaster F2-425 Plus N150 8GB
- A client and switch capable of 5GbE are required to use the faster port rate. Drives are sold separately.
Recommendation switch
The decision flips if...
You only need two SATA drives and 2.5GbE
Choose TerraMaster F2-425. F2-425 supports the two-drive SATA mirror at the same protected capacity as the Plus. Its 2.5 GbE link needs a compatible client to exceed gigabit speeds.
You need a separate SSD pool or a 5GbE client path
Choose TerraMaster F2-425 Plus N150 8GB. F2-425 Plus adds three M.2 positions and 5 GbE. Verify the SSD pool role and the complete client-to-switch path before counting on either benefit.
What matters in practice
How to make the call
Start with the required storage layout
Choose the F2-425 for SATA backups on a 2.5GbE network. Choose the F2-425 Plus when three M.2 slots or dual 5GbE ports solve a planned workflow.
Work through the drive budget
Two SATA drives give both models the same mirrored capacity. The Plus gains storage flexibility through separate M.2 slots rather than additional hard-drive bays.
Check the actual client and application plan
On a 1GbE router both models negotiate the slower link. Price the client adapter and switch before treating the Plus model as a transfer-speed upgrade.
What this comparison cannot tell you
- Capacity examples use equal 12TB drives before formatting, snapshots and filesystem overhead.
- Ethernet calculations are lower bounds. Disk performance, network protocol and other traffic add time.
- Memory capacity does not certify application speed or a VM count.
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.
Compared set
Only 10 of 32 models checked match every need here: “Start with two drives” and “Survive one drive failure”.
10 matching models from 32 checkedSee the checked facts and calculation notes
Match countThe count uses the current product-to-need assignments for “Start with two drives” and “Survive one drive failure”. A need with no documented match does not count.
| Product | Needs matched | Checked facts | Source records |
|---|---|---|---|
| TerraMaster F2-425 |
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| TerraMaster F2-425 Plus N150 8GB |
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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.
TerraMaster F2-425
You only need two SATA drives and 2.5GbE
See price & reviews on AmazonTerraMaster F2-425 Plus N150 8GB
You need a separate SSD pool or a 5GbE client path
See price & reviews on AmazonLinks open in a new tab.