Qnap puts Intel's dual core Atom chip into a NAS box

STORAGE VENDOR Qnap has announced four network attached storage (NAS) boxes powered by Intel's Atom chip.

Qnap made its name with highly configurable NAS setups that allowed users to install their own Linux distribution, essentially creating a small but capable server. While the first generation Qnap boxes had somewhat asthmatic 500MHz processors, the firm announced that its new range of NAS boxes sporting the TS-x59 Pro+ moniker are powered by Intel's dual core D525 1.8GHz Atom chip and have 1GB RAM to boot.

The range features 2, 4, 5 and 6-bay units allowing users to create up to 12TB arrays. Qnap also says that its NAS boxes are good for 116MB/sec reads in Samba and offer "guaranteed low power consumption". Qnap is aiming the models at businesses saying that the units support VMWare, Citrix and Microsoft Hyper-V virtualisation.

Aside from the usual RAID 0/1/5/6 support, Qnap also allows users to install 2.5-inch drives alongside 3.5-inch drives. Curiously, each individual drive tray is lockable, though given the pint-sized nature of the NAS unit, any potential thief could just make off with the whole shebang.

Though Qnap did not release pricing, given the specifications don't expect these boxes to be cheap. Not surprisingly, Qnap is selling the TS-x59 Pro+ storage units as all round servers and, on the face of it, the hardware certainly seems up to the job.

Qnap says that its TS-x59 Pro+ NAS servers will be available from September. µ