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We will be testing the Asus TS Mini NAS within our gigabit network which is pretty much as good as you will get for the home. It is a mixed network with several 1GBit switches for ultimate performance.
Reference Test PC:
Processor: Intel Core i7 920 @ 4ghz
Storage: Kingston 128GB SSD V+ Series
Motherboard: Asus Rampage II Gene
Graphics: Geforce GTX285 2GB
Memory: Corsair Dominator 1600mhz @2000mhz
Network: 2x Belkin 16 Port Gigabit Switches
Operating System: Windows 7 64 Bit Ultimate
Firstly we perform a native network test to ascertain pure data throughput. There is no Raid 0 option allowed with the ASUS TS Mini so we just went for the standard single drive option as it comes ‘out of the box'.
Data Throughput is interesting because while the read speeds are very good indeed (64Mb/s), we found that the write performance was considerably slower, averaging around 32 MB/s which is 50% of the read speed.
Our local PC has a fast Kingston SSD as the main drive and we are using it to ensure no bottlenecks occur on this side of the testing. Our PC is hooked up to the network and we transfer a 10GB MKV file from the PC to the NAS systems.
The Synology D710 is still our performance leader with the QNAP systems trailing slightly behind. The Asus TS Mini Server managed to slightly outperform the Buffalo Linkstation Duo that we reviewed a short while ago.
While the Asus TS Mini Server vastly outperforms the cheaper Buffalo Linkstation Duo, the QNAP and Synology D710 systems are leading the pack, by a considerable margin.
Next we created a folder of files, 500mb/s in size with a variety of files, from small database documents to larger jpgs and bmps.
While the Asus unit is outperforming the Buffalo Linkstation Duo, is it lagging behind both the QNAP systems and the performance leader, the Synology D710. These are decent results, but performance users on a high performance gigabit network may be more than a little disappointed. Putting this into real world terms, we are able to stream 1080p content, but copying a large folder of mixed files is going to take twice as long as either of the QNAP Pro NAS systems.
We take the issue of noise very seriously at KitGuru and this is why we have built a special home brew system as a reference point when we test noise levels of various components. Why do this? Well this means we can eliminate secondary noise pollution in the test room and concentrate on components we are testing. It also brings us slightly closer to industry standards, such as DIN 45635.
As this can be a little confusing for people, here are various dBa ratings in with real world situations to help describe the various levels.
KitGuru noise guide
10dBA – Normal Breathing/Rustling Leaves
20-25dBA – Whisper
30dBA – High Quality Computer fan
40dBA – A Bubbling Brook, or a Refridgerator
50dBA – Normal Conversation
60dBA – Laughter
70dBA – Vacuum Cleaner or Hairdryer
80dBA – City Traffic or a Garbage Disposal
90dBA – Motorcycle or Lawnmower
100dBA – MP3 player at maximum output
110dBA – Orchestra
120dBA – Front row rock concert/Jet Engine
130dBA – Threshold of Pain
140dBA – Military Jet takeoff/Gunshot (close range)
160dBA – Instant Perforation of eardrum
Noise was measured from half a meter away.
The Asus NAS in the real world is basically silent under normal use – the chassis is so thick it masks internal noise well. Only when you load the CPU heavily by writing and reading data constantly does it become audible and even then its quiet. These are extremely impressive results, especially considering the design utilises 2 x 40mm fans.
