
QNAP TS-253E 2-bay
Score: 72/100
QNAP TS-AI642 6-bay AI
Score: 57/100Rankings

The TS-253E-8G-US is a 2-bay desktop NAS powered by an Intel Celeron processor, dual 2.5 GbE, and dual HDMI, targeting small businesses and power users needing virtualization, surveillance, and fast file sharing.

The QNAP TS-AI642 is a low-power 6-bay tower NAS with an 8-core ARM SoC and a 6 TOPS NPU, offering AI-accelerated media handling, dual HDMI, and flexible storage, suited for home or small-office AI-enhanced workloads.
| Attribute | ![]() | ![]() |
|---|---|---|
308 TBbest | 308 TBbest | |
2 | 6best | |
2.5 Gbpsbest | 2.5 Gbpsbest | |
4 | 8best | |
8 GBbest | 8 GBbest | |
| ↓ lower better | 24.238 Wbest | 33.33 W |
3 yearsbest | 3 yearsbest | |
| ↓ lower better | 2.57 kgbest | 4.4 kg |
Click an attribute name to sort · Green = best, red = worst (relative to this comparison)
| Attribute | ![]() | ![]() |
|---|---|---|
Security(1) | ||
OS Compatibility | QTS 5.2.6 | QTS 5.2.3 |
Performance(3) | ||
CPU Model | Celeron J6412 | ARM Cortex‑A76/A55 8‑core |
CPU Cores | 4 | 8 |
Power Consumption (Active) (W) | 24.238 W | 33.33 W |
Build & Design(2) | ||
Weight (kg) | 2.57 kg | 4.4 kg |
Power Supply Type | External | 120W |
Storage & Capacity(3) | ||
Drive Bays | 2 | 6 |
RAID Support | JBOD, RAID 0, RAID 1 | JBOD,RAID 0,1,5,6,10,50,60 |
Supported Drive Types | SATA HDD, SATA SSD | 3.5" SATA HDD, 2.5" SATA HDD/SSD |

Products in the top-left offer the best value (high score, low price).

Professional reviewers describe the TS-253E as a highly capable 2-bay NAS that stands out thanks to its dual 2.5 GbE ports, M.2 NVMe caching, and dual HDMI outputs.
Everyday users appreciate the fast network throughput, SSD caching, and ability to connect directly to a monitor, while noting fan noise and limited RAM upgradeability.

“Perfect for my home surveillance setup-AI face detection works well.”

“Dual HDMI is great for connecting directly to my TV.”

“Quiet and cool, even under load.”



Professional reviewers view the TS-AI642 as a capable, low-power NAS that brings AI processing to the consumer tier, praising its 2.5 GbE, ARM efficiency and dual HDMI while noting modest NPU performance.
Everyday users appreciate the reliable AI face detection, dual HDMI convenience, quiet operation, and flexible drive support, though they note occasional AI misclassifications and the lack of USB-C or built-in 10 GbE.