Thecus N5810 Pro NAS Review

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Single-Client SMB Performance

We're moving away from synthetic measurements and towards trace-based tests that show real-world performance. After all, you access your NAS over SMB/CIFS when you navigate to folders on the system, mostly through File Explorer in My Network.

Thecus' N5810 Pro running the Brtfs (file system) doesn't fare too well in these tests. Btrfs is a technology improvement with new features, but it appears to perform a little slower than EXT4 and XFS. In my experience, XFS is the fastest file system on Thecus NAS products. Users will need to balance features like snapshots with performance and choose a file system that delivers the capabilities needed for each installation.

Chris Ramseyer
Chris Ramseyer is a Contributing Editor for Tom's Hardware US. He tests and reviews consumer storage.
  • Karsten75
    You don't mention if it does data scrubbing to protect against bit-rot?
    Reply
  • Lulzon
    Typically battery backups are SLA (sealed lead acid) which is most likely why they don't get packaged with NAS systems - they're heavy, they're a dangerous good by transportation and shipping rules, they expand and can release gasses when under load and charged. The upside? They have way more capacity than that of a lithium-ion as shown in this little unit, they (probably) cost much less, and they last longer (5+ years vs 2-3). In terms of a NAS though, the capacity isn't really an issue if the only thing the NAS is doing is shutting down to avoid data loss/corruption.
    Reply
  • ldun
    What's the idle and load power draw for one of these?
    Reply
  • Aris_Mp
    55.3W under heavy throughput and 35.1W at idle with 5x Seagate ST500DM005 HDDs and RAID 6 configuration.
    Reply
  • TontNZ
    I'm not sure if I've just missed it - but: How many drives of what brand and capacity, in what raid mode were used for the testing?

    It would be good to single this information out into one of the section headings. It may be redundant as you presumably standardise this across NAS of a given bay capacity - but it would still be useful.
    Reply
  • This is an impressive device. I'd definitively give it a try for home office solutions. The only downside I can see to it is that if the internal memory were to die (flash, ram), the backups are probably gone unless they keep using the same system/setting organization and it is forward compatible with other similar systems.

    5 years is a long time and unless they intend to have the same product line around for a long time, it will either be EOL or replaced with an updated version.
    Reply