6 Best 5 Bay NAS in 2024

Affordable and high-quality 5 bay NAS.

Since NAS stands for Network Attached Storage, you can quite easily guess the main purpose of such a device. It lets you store large amounts of data while having remote access to it whenever needed. Moreover, the stored files don’t take up any actual space on your hard drives, meaning you can prevent all those irritating exclamation marks from appearing.  

If you’re interested in finding and buying the best 5-bay NAS the market can offer, this article is here to help. It covers 8 high-quality models while also explaining what aspects you should pay attention to when making your choice.

Max capacity: 32TB | CPU: Intel Celeron J4025 Dual Core | RAM: 8GB

Powerful, flexible, and virtually portable - Synology NAS disk Station DS1520+ is a compact and powerful 5-bay NAS solution designed to protect and manage large amount of data assets with a simplified user interface. Now's becoming even easier to get your work done with Synology NAS disk Station, with the ability to connect to the internet and easily access your files from any location with an internet connection.

The NAS disk station also allows you to use your computer as a source for data backup, so that if you experience a system failure you can still access your important data files and information stored on the NAS hard disk. Ideal for businesses with a lot of work that requires you to access and work on files at regular intervals, Synology NAS disk station gives you an affordable, efficient and reliable alternative to costly on-site or off-site backup solutions.

Max capacity: 4TB | CPU: Marvell ARMADA 385 Dual Core | RAM: 1GB

The WD 4TB My Cloud EX2 Ultra is a high-performance storage to store, stream and share anyplace, anytime Keep your media safely stored on this powerful NAS device and bring them to anywhere with a broadband internet connection. Combine it with an ultra-efficient performance-driven line of products that gives you everything you need for complete peace of mind. Simple, yet effective, the My Cloud NAS offers all the advantages of a full-fledged desktop computer - yet at half the size.

The My Cloud EX2 Ultra is designed to keep up with ever-increasing storage demands, helping you to store and serve your files faster and easier. In addition to its high performance capabilities, the device comes with a comprehensive collection of features, including auto-backup, failover, memory card readers, virtualization, encryption, hardware security, parental control and real-time data monitoring.

Max capacity: 90TB | CPU: Alpine AL324 Quad-Core | RAM: 4GB

If you are looking for a good network attached storage solution for your business or for your home office, then look no further than the QNAP TS-932PX-4G. The reason why you should consider this drive when looking at network attached service (NAS) is because of the reliability it offers in terms of data security. While the QNAP TS-932PX-4G offers full security and is one of the most popular NAS options, this drive allows you to make it as simple or as complex as you want.

If you are looking for a NAS drive and do not need to use any networking, then the QNAP TS-932PX-4G is a great option. You can use this drive to back up all of your data, whether you are at home or away. This drive allows you to quickly transfer files and even copies. With a great price and a lot of added features, this is definitely a great investment that will save you time and money over time. For those specifically interested in the best 4-bay NAS, the QNAP TS-451D2-4G is another noteworthy option from the same reliable brand.

Max capacity: 4TB | CPU: Intel Quad-Core | RAM: 512MB

WD 4TB My Cloud Personal Network Attached Storage is designed to help people live more effectively and efficiently while providing an easy way to store and secure all their data. The new My Cloud home storage device connects directly to a wireless router at home so that you can easily store, manage and control all of your digital information in one central location and wirelessly connect it all to the internet from anywhere.

My Cloud gives you the ability to create an entirely new look for your home entertainment system. Your existing cables and wires can now be hidden so that your TV doesn't have unsightly clutter around it. Additionally, the storage is wireless so there's no need for a separate cable to bring your home DVR to your new home or office.

Max capacity: 90TB | CPU: Apollo J3455 Quad-Core | RAM: 4GB

The TerraMaster F5-422 10GbE NAS is based on the ATA standards for NAS hard drives. This means that it can be used as a NAS system in any environment because it uses an ATA port. You will be able to connect to your network storage through your desktop or laptop, which will allow you to access files from anywhere. The disk drive is able to write files quickly, and will save you money on data storage over time. It is designed so that it is very easy to expand the disk drive as needed without any complications, and it also has the ability to shut down operations when the need arises.

The TerraMaster F5-422 10GbE NAS will give you all the storage you need at an affordable price. It is an excellent choice for your business if you want to maximize your data storage without having to spend a lot of money.

Max capacity: 90TB | CPU: Apollo J3355 Dual-Core | RAM: 2GB

The TerraMaster F5-221 NAS is one of the latest technology available in the market and it is mainly used for data storage and file access. With this technology, users can easily access files stored in the computer's hard drive as long as they have a connection to the Internet. In fact, this particular type of storage has been able to gain more popularity than other storage systems because of its high level of performance.

This particular product is one of the easiest and most practical storage options currently available in the market today. Users simply need to download the software from the company's website and install it. Once it is installed, the user can just connect their computer to the network via the Internet and the system will be up and running in no time. The storage capacity of the system is also high, which means that you will always be able to meet your storage needs.

The first thing you have to look at when picking the best 5-bay NAS is the build quality. Even though the majority of NAS devices are premium products that are supplied with cutting-edge, refined technology, you still have to ensure the model you’re getting is reasonably sturdy and durable.

You can examine and estimate the sturdiness of a NAS device by looking at the materials it consists of. Recommended material types include hard plastic and metal alloys like aluminum alloy, etc.

The average NAS includes two port types, USB and Ethernet. The former is used for providing connectivity to external storage drives and printers.

Keep in mind that when picking the best 5-bay NAS, it’s recommended to get a model with as many USB ports as possible to enjoy maximum functionality. It’s also worth noting that USB3.0 ports are superior to the USB2.0 standard except for printing.

Additionally, it’s a good idea to avoid getting a NAS with wireless connectivity ports They come at an increased price without bringing any actual benefits since wireless connections harm the device's performance. Meanwhile, wired connectivity is smoother and offers optimal data transfer speed and stability.

The transfer speed, measured in megabytes per second (MB/s) or gigabits per second (Gb/s), determines how swiftly data moves between the NAS and connected devices. Some products have a max transfer speed of 400MB/s while others are limited to 250MB/s or even lower.

Typically, a speed in the range of 100-200MB/s is more than enough for home use. That said, if you’re looking for corporate NAS storage, it’s advised to only consider models in the 350-500MB/s range.

One of the biggest advantages NAS brings to the table is RAID technology support. RAID stands for Redundant Array of Independent Disks and serves to allow the NAS devices to copy data stored on several hard drives. As a result, you can be certain your data remains intact and protected even if one of your drives fails.

Should you suffer disk failure, RAID will recover the data from that disk and copy it to a new one. Additionally, this technology is supplied with different functionality levels. For instance, RAID 0 lets users recover stored files on all hard drives to enjoy optimal performance. However, should a single disk fail, then all the other ones will fail as well. Meanwhile, RAID 1 ensures such a situation will never happen by setting aside one hard disk as a backup in case of failure.