Page 8 - Conclusion
Converging technology is indeed a real trend. In the past few years, the network attached storage system has gone from simple file servers with primitive hardware to do-it-all devices that can proficiently store all your files in addition to acting as a web server, web server, surveillance center, and media PC -- the list just keeps on expanding. This is a result of some serious competition between major NAS manufacturers such as ASUSTOR and QNAP, and today, we can see lot of similarity in hardware design and software features between products from both companies. What is my verdict on ASUSTOR's AS7004T, then? As a product situated in the company's flagship line, the AS7004T is certain worthy. It packs some serious hardware punch with the powerful Intel Core i3-4330 CPU, and delivered top notch performance according to our tests. The front panel LCD display, ability to play 4K UHD videos, and S/PDIF optical out are definitely the icing on the cake. As far as software is concerned, ADM 2.3 is a brilliant AJAX powered web configuration interface is not only pretty, but it is also very functional. Its clean and smooth design is visually very appealing and modern. Additionally, it is fast and intuitive. It makes the abundance of built in features and encompasses them in a very easy to use fashion. Furthermore, this cool and quiet running NAS is a real joy to live with. Needless to say, all this makes me a big fan of the ASUSTOR AS7004T. Personally speaking, there is a small list of changes I would make to improve future models. Firstly, make the look more living room friendly, especially considering all its HTPC capabilities. Secondly, use a real key lock on the HDD trays. Thirdly, make it 10GbE ready. We are already maximizing the bandwidth for Gigabit LAN, and QNAP already has 10GbE expandability in their products for quite a while now. At the end of the day, here is my take: The ASUSTOR AS7004T is a seriously awesome NAS by any metric, and for the price, it is quite competitive, too.
ASUSTOR provided this product to APH Networks for the purpose of evaluation.
APH:Renewal Award | APH Review Focus Summary:
8/10 means Definitely a very good product with drawbacks that aren't likely going to matter to the end user.
7/10 means Great product with many advantages and certain insignificant drawbacks; but should be considered before purchasing.
-- Final APH Numeric Rating is 7.8/10
Please note that the APH Numeric Rating system is based off our proprietary guidelines in the Review Focus, and should not be compared to other sites.
For about $1100 at press time, the ASUSTOR AS7004T is a seriously powerful NAS loaded with tons of features for power users and discerning IT departments.
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Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. A Closer Look - Hardware (External)
3. A Closer Look - Hardware (Internal)
4. Configuration and User Interface, Part I
5. Configuration and User Interface, Part II
6. Configuration and User Interface, Part III
7. Performance and Power Consumption
8. Conclusion
