TerraMaster F4-425 Plus NAS Review

I have long been saying that anyone responsible for protecting their work should consider investing in a NAS system. These devices provide an effective way to sync files, keep them secure and access them across multiple platforms. This is where the TerraMaster F4-425 Plus comes into play. It delivers a hybrid storage solution positioned between entry-level enthusiast hardware and premium workstation infrastructure, and it performs well in the areas that matter most. The system includes many of the features typically found in higher-end NAS solutions from competitors such as QNAP and Synology, while maintaining a competitive price point and providing a strong foundation for first-time users or those expanding their systems.

TerraMaster has established a reputation for offering competitive specifications at prices below those of more established brands. Translating that value into a mid-tier, four bay unit with dual 5GbE networking and triple NVMe expansion required more than incremental upgrades. The result is a system with specifications well-suited to creators, businesses and anyone seeking dependable file security. After several weeks of testing the F4-425 Plus across multiple workloads and configurations, I am impressed with what TerraMaster has delivered. It stands out as one of the most versatile hybrid NAS systems available at its price point.

On paper, the TerraMaster F4-425 Plus serves as a bridge between traditional spinning disk storage and high-speed solid-state storage. It creates an environment capable of handling workloads ranging from bulk media archiving to accelerated database operations, an area where some larger brands have lagged in certain respects. The hardware follows TerraMaster’s established four-bay form factor, but introduces three M.2 NVMe slots alongside the SATA bays. This configuration allows users to combine conventional hard drives with flash storage to boost performance when workloads demand it.

What makes this design particularly compelling is that NVMe support extends beyond simple storage expansion. The system enables a flexible storage strategy that allows administrators to allocate resources across independent pools, implement intelligent caching layers or create entirely separate SSD-based volumes for latency-sensitive applications.

“When paired with appropriate infrastructure, the TerraMaster F4-425 Plus NAS performs exceptionally well under real-world testing conditions.”

There is much to appreciate in the hardware, and I am impressed by the power and flexibility TerraMaster has packed into this compact system. The F4-425 Plus is powered by Intel’s N150 processor, a quad-core Twin Lake design with a six-watt thermal envelope and burst frequencies of up to 3.6 GHz. This represents a generational shift from TerraMaster’s previous reliance on the older N5095 processor, bringing improved instruction throughput, expanded cache architecture and native support for DDR5 memory. The system ships with 16 GB of DDR5 memory installed in a single SO-DIMM slot, expandable to 32 GB. This configuration delivers noticeably higher bandwidth than DDR4 implementations, despite the absence of error-correcting code support.

Another notable improvement over earlier TerraMaster designs is network connectivity. Where previous models were limited to dual 2.5 GbE interfaces, the F4-425 Plus integrates two independent 5 GbE interfaces. Each operates on dedicated PCIe 3.0 lanes to prevent bandwidth contention. In sustained transfer testing with enterprise-grade mechanical drives configured in RAID 5, the system fully saturated a single 5GbE port, delivering consistent sequential speeds of approximately 500-520 megabytes per second.

When outfitted with NVMe storage across all three M.2 slots, combined read performance approached 1,020 megabytes per second. These results confirm the effectiveness of the dual-port architecture in supporting mixed-tier storage environments. Achieving these speeds requires a network capable of handling the required throughput. When paired with appropriate infrastructure, the TerraMaster F4-425 Plus NAS performs exceptionally well under real-world testing conditions.

Even the appearance of the TerraMaster F4-425 Plus feels premium. It features a full-aluminum enclosure measuring 150 by 181 by 219 millimetres and weighing just under 3 kilograms. Metal construction dominates both the exterior shell and the internal frame, offering better heat dissipation than plastic-based alternatives. Thermal management is handled by a single 120 millimetre variable-speed fan with smart low- and high-speed profiles. With drives installed, idle noise levels can be as low as 20.9 decibels.

The combination of four SATA 6 Gb/s bays and three M.2 2280 NVMe slots provides a theoretical maximum raw capacity of 144 terabytes, based on four 30-terabyte hard drives and three 8-terabyte solid-state modules. While this configuration is unrealistic for most buyers, it highlights just how flexible the system can be.

This dual-tier approach supports both capacity-focused workflows that require large-scale archival storage and performance-sensitive tasks that benefit from low-latency access to frequently used data. It also suits users who simply want fast access to key assets in an office or studio environment. Each M.2 slot operates on a PCIe 3.0 by one lane, delivering real-world throughput of roughly 800 to 900 megabytes per second per drive. That is sufficient for cache acceleration while still leaving room for independent SSD-based storage pools. This level of flexibility is rare at this price point, and it is one of the system’s strongest attributes.

As with most modern NAS systems, drive installation uses a tool-free design for 3.5-inch drives, with click-and-load trays that simplify hot-swapping. Thermal performance remained stable during extended multi-day workloads. The aluminum chassis surface measured between 25 and 27 degrees Celsius, while internal drive bays ranged from 28 to 30 degrees under sustained load. Power consumption scaled predictably, from approximately 13 watts at idle with solid-state storage to about 61 watts at full utilization with four 7,200-rpm enterprise drives.

On the software side, TerraMaster has made notable progress. Earlier versions of its TOS operating system were serviceable, but the latest release, TOS 6, brings the platform closer to parity with leading competitors. It is the company’s most mature software offering to date and includes support for the Btrfs file system, snapshot-based protection, and HyperLock write-once, read-many data-integrity functionality. The web-based interface supports traditional RAID configurations as well as TerraMaster’s proprietary TRAID and TRAID Plus modes, allowing online migration and expansion without data loss during capacity upgrades. Storage pools can be assigned to specific workloads, separating high-speed SSD scratch space from mechanical archival volumes based on operational needs.

For users who want to run more complex tools on a NAS system, TOS 6 makes application installation straightforward. With a single click, most major services can be deployed, including Apple-like media platforms such as Plex, Emby and Jellyfin. These applications can leverage the Intel N150 processor’s integrated graphics for hardware-accelerated 4K transcoding at up to 60 frames per second. If an application is not available through the native installer, TerraMaster has simplified Docker deployment with a built-in manager that removes much of the usual complexity.

Cloud integration is handled through TerraMaster’s CloudSync service, which connects to Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox and various regional providers. This enables hybrid storage configurations that replicate critical datasets across both local and remote repositories.

The F4-425 Plus is a capable NAS system that compares well with many leading options. As with any NAS, however, it is less powerful than a full desktop PC, and the limitations of the Intel N150 architecture become apparent under certain configurations. The processor’s nine PCIe 3.0 lanes must support four SATA controllers, three M.2 interfaces, dual 5GbE network adapters and USB connectivity. 

This can create bandwidth constraints when all subsystems operate at the same time. In office-based benchmarking, individual M.2 slots reached approximately 800 to 900 megabytes per second, rather than the multi-gigabyte speeds typically associated with PCIe 3.0 by four implementations. This confirms single lane allocation per socket. While this is not a deal-breaker, it remains an important consideration for users seeking maximum possible performance.

At its current $599.99 USD MSRP, the F4-425 Plus competes directly with established offerings from Synology and QNAP, while maintaining TerraMaster’s value-oriented positioning. Dual 5GbE networking remains relatively uncommon at this price point and provides meaningful differentiation for users with compatible network infrastructure. Build quality reflects TerraMaster’s established design approach, prioritizing functional efficiency over premium cosmetic features.

The F4-425 Plus is a strong NAS system, and despite a few minor quirks, it competes directly with some of the largest offerings on the market. By combining efficient thermal design, expanded memory capacity and a hybrid storage architecture with dual 5GbE connectivity, it addresses clear gaps in TerraMaster’s product lineup without encroaching on its higher-tier models. For users seeking meaningful capacity expansion, multimedia transcoding support and flexible storage tiering without the cost or complexity of enterprise-class solutions, the F4-425 Plus strikes a compelling balance of features, performance and value.