Specifications

The N5550 utilizes an Atom D2550 CPU instead of the stronger D2700 the competition in this category uses with their NAS servers. But the difference in computing power is small among these two processors, so we don't think the N5550 will fall behind in performance because of it. This NAS sets itself apart in the amount of available RAM it is equipped with, since 2 GB of DDR3 RAM is twice as much as the competition utilizes. This will surely improve performance when multiple applications are running at the same time.

The operating system the box uses is based on Linux. Developed specifically by Thecus for their devices, it will fully exploit the capabilities of the hardware. The N5550 can also take up to five HDDs for a maximum capacity of 20 TB if five HDDs with 4 TB capacity each are used. It even has two Gigabit Ethernet ports which can be linked to provide increased performance or higher reliability. Finally, the I/O ports include all the essentials, and you will also find a single USB 3.0, VGA, and HDMI port. The latter allows the NAS to be operated independently of a client and help it employ its multimedia capabilities.

This NAS is huge and heavy, and we suspect that the main culprit behind its size and weight is the for a NAS strong PSU hiding inside, along with its fully metallic casing. We will naturally take a better look at the PSU once we fully dismantle it. A 92 mm ADDA fan removes the heat the HDDs and other components generate—there is also a smaller 40 mm fan to cool down the PSU.

The warranty period of this product is rather short at only two years, while the price tag looks good if compared to offerings by the competition.