Buffalo LinkStation LS210
Score: 39/100
QNAP TS-264 2-bay
Score: 80/100Rankings
The QNAP TS-264-8G-US is a compact 2-bay desktop NAS featuring an Intel Celeron quad-core CPU, dual 2.5 GbE, HDMI 2.1, and PCIe expandability, delivering strong performance for home and small-office environments.
The Buffalo LinkStation 210 is a compact, single-bay NAS that offers 6 TB of pre-installed storage and basic media streaming for home users. Its simplicity and low noise are offset by outdated hardware, lack of RAID, and limited connectivity, making it suitable for light backup tasks but not for power users.
| Attribute | | |
|---|---|---|
6 TB | 5,000 TBbest | |
1 | 2best | |
1 Gbps | 2.5 Gbpsbest | |
— | 4best | |
0.256 GB | 8 GBbest | |
| ↓ lower better | 24 Wbest | 29.086 W |
2 yearsbest | 2 yearsbest | |
| ↓ lower better | 1.102 kgbest | 1.55 kg |
Click an attribute name to sort · Green = best, red = worst (relative to this comparison)
| Attribute | | |
|---|---|---|
Security(1) | ||
OS Compatibility | Windows, macOS 10.10 | QuTS hero, QTS |
Performance(4) | ||
CPU Model | ARM | Intel Celeron N5095 |
System Memory (GB) | 0.256 GB | 8 GB |
Ethernet Speed (Gbps) | 1 Gbps | 2.5 Gbps |
Power Consumption (Active) (W) | 24 W | 29.086 W |
Build & Design(1) | ||
Weight (kg) | 1.102 kg | 1.55 kg |
Connectivity(2) | ||
Supported Network Protocols | TCP/IP, UPnP, DLNA, FTP, HTTPS, HTTP, AFP, CIFS/SMB | CIFS/SMB, AFP, NFS v2/3/4, FTP, SFTP, TFTP, FTPS |
USB Ports | 1 | 4 |
Storage & Capacity(4) | ||
Maximum Raw Capacity (TB) | 6 TB | 5000 TB |
Drive Bays | 1 | 2 |
RAID Support | None | RAID 0, 1, JBOD |
Supported Drive Types | SATA 3 Gbps | 3.5" SATA HDD, 2.5" SATA SSD |
Products in the top-left offer the best value (high score, low price).
Professional reviewers noted that the LinkStation 210 was a solid, easy-to-use entry-level NAS at the time of release, thanks to its straightforward software and reliable basic performance. However, they criticized its underpowered hardware, lack of expandability, and absence of modern interfaces.
Everyday users appreciate the device's simplicity, quiet operation, and ability to stream media via DLNA, often rating it highly for basic backup and file-sharing needs. Recurring complaints focus on hardware aging, incompatibility with newer macOS versions, occasional slowness of the WebAccess service, and the absence of RAID or USB 3.0.
“Set it up in 15 minutes-works perfectly for family photo backups.”
“Great for streaming music and videos to my smart TV via DLNA.”
“Crashed after 3 years-lost all data with no warning.”
Professional reviewers from SmallNetBuilder, TechRadar and AnandTech praised the TS-264-8G for its exceptional feature set, noting the combination of a modern Celeron processor, dual 2.5 GbE, HDMI 2.1 and PCIe expandability that is usually reserved for higher-end models.
Everyday users appreciate the fast I/O performance, 4K HDMI playback and the flexibility of adding PCIe cards, but they frequently mention the fan noise, the need for an M.2 heatsink and the lack of built-in 10 GbE as drawbacks.
