QNAP TS-233 review

The TS-233 is QNAP's low-cost 2-bay model, and its most useful home feature is the built-in NPU, which QNAP says makes face recognition 6x faster in the QuMagie photo app and takes load off the CPU while large photo libraries upload. QTS 5 includes snapshots, which QNAP notes are normally found on higher-end business NAS, so a household can roll files back after a ransomware attack or an accidental deletion. Setup runs through Qfinder and a Smart Installation wizard, and myQNAPcloud Link gives the box a unique address for remote access without router configuration. QNAP's own lab figures show about 114 MB/s downloads over its single 1GbE port, which is fine for photos and documents but slower than the 2.5GbE boxes above it. The standard warranty is 2 years with paid extensions up to 5. QNAP's shop showed euros from our location, so the price is pending.

Who it is for

photo-heavy homes that want snapshots at entry level

Price

See vendor pricing (USD check pending).

US price check pending. See the vendor pricing page.

Key features

• NPU that QNAP rates at 6x faster face recognition in QuMagie
• Snapshots for ransomware recovery
• QTS 5 with a guided Smart Installation wizard
• myQNAPcloud Link for remote access without router setup
• 1GbE port with QNAP-measured transfers of about 114 MB/s

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Snapshots come standard, a feature usually reserved for pricier NAS units
• Strength: QuMagie organizes photos with on-device AI
• Strength: Warranty can be extended to 5 years
• Weakness: 1GbE networking only
• Weakness: 2-year standard warranty
• Weakness: QNAP's US store showed prices in euros from our location

Key facts

• Drive bays: 2
• Network: 1 x 1GbE
• AI: Built-in NPU
• OS: QTS 5
• Warranty: 2 years, extendable to 5

Where it ranks

QNAP TS-233 is No. 6 in our Best Personal Cloud Storage Devices verdict.