Buffalo TS3230DN
Score: 68/100Terramaster U4-500
Score: 46/100Rankings
The TeraStation 3230DN is a compact 2-bay NAS with 2.5 GbE networking and strong security features, aimed at small-to-medium businesses. It offers solid performance for basic workloads but is limited by modest RAM and lack of SSD caching.
A 1U 4-bay rackmount NAS with an Intel i3 CPU, dual 10 GbE, and up to 96 TB raw capacity, aimed at SMBs needing fast backup and media streaming.
| Attribute | Buffalo TS3230DN | Terramaster U4-500 |
|---|---|---|
16 TB | 96 TBbest | |
2 | 4best | |
2.5 Gbps | 10 Gbpsbest | |
4 | 6best | |
2 GB | 8 GBbest | |
| ↓ lower better | — | 34.5 dBbest |
3 yearsbest | 2 years | |
| ↓ lower better | 4.31 kgbest | 6.2 kg |
Click an attribute name to sort · Green = best, red = worst (relative to this comparison)
| Attribute | Buffalo TS3230DN | Terramaster U4-500 |
|---|---|---|
Security(1) | ||
OS Compatibility | Windows 10/11/Server 2016/2019/2022, macOS 12+, Chrome OS | TOS 6 |
Performance(4) | ||
CPU Model | Annapurna Labs Alpine AL524 | Intel i3-1215U |
CPU Cores | 4 | 6 |
System Memory (GB) | 2 GB | 8 GB |
Ethernet Speed (Gbps) | 2.5 Gbps | 10 Gbps |
Build & Design(2) | ||
Weight (kg) | 4.31 kg | 6.2 kg |
Warranty Period (years) | 3 years | 2 years |
Connectivity(1) | ||
USB Ports | 2 | 4 |
Storage & Capacity(4) | ||
Maximum Raw Capacity (TB) | 16 TB | 96 TB |
Drive Bays | 2 | 4 |
RAID Support | RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 10, JBOD | RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, JBOD, Single, TRAID, TRAID+ |
Supported Drive Types | 3.5" SATA III | SATA III, NVMe PCIe 4.0 x4 (caching) |
Products in the top-left offer the best value (high score, low price).
Professional reviewers describe the TeraStation 3230DN as a reliable, secure and easy-to-deploy NAS for small businesses, emphasizing its 2.5 GbE networking, TAA compliance and closed-system security.
Everyday users are generally satisfied, praising the quick setup, fast 2.5 GbE transfers, robust ransomware protection and sturdy build, while noting limited memory and lack of SSD cache as drawbacks.
Professional reviewers consider the U4-500 a performance leader in the SMB NAS segment, lauding its dual 10 GbE ports, DDR5 memory, and TOS 6 feature set, while noting limitations such as lack of PCIe expansion and modest base RAM.
Everyday users highlight easy setup, fast backup and streaming, but complain about fan noise, a learning curve for RAID/caching, and occasional software glitches.
“Set up in under 30 minutes - works perfectly with our Windows and Mac network.”
“Love the 2.5GbE speed - file transfers are noticeably faster than our old 1GbE NAS.”
“The ransomware protection features give us peace of mind.”
