Qnap releases a 1.6GHz ARM based NAS box

STORAGE VENDOR Qnap has released a range of network attached storage (NAS) drives sporting a 1.6GHz Marvell processor.

The manufacturer has recently been pumping out NAS boxes based on Intel's Atom processor. But it has gone back to its roots by using a Marvell chip that is clocked at an impressive 1.6GHz. There's 512MB of DDR3 RAM which should make the TS-x19P+ series of NAS boxes more than capable of handling workloads with all but the must arduous of data server tasks.

The 1, 2 and 4-drive NAS boxes are pitched as low power, more affordable alternatives to its high-end offerings, however the firm is keen to point out that the hardware can push out over 100MB/sec through its gigabit Ethernet interface. Qnap claims the NAS box sips a mere 19W and supports wake on LAN for scheduled power management.

The units support both 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch hard drives with capacities up to 2TB. There are eSATA and USB ports allowing for further storage expansion.

As for software, the bundled distribution includes a universal plug and play server in the shape of Twonkymedia. However Qnap's devices are known for the ability to replace the software that the firm ships and load full blown Linux distributions onto the hardware.

The Qnap TS-x19P+ NAS boxes are scheduled to be out in stores now. µ