Key Facts
QNAP was originally part of the IEI Integration Corporation before becoming an independent company in 2004. The Taiwanese manufacturer specializes in NAS appliances ideal for IT applications like file sharing, storage management, and virtualization.
The QNAP TS-h1683XU-RP-E2236-128G 16 Bay Rackmount NAS runs on the high-performance ZFS-based QuTS Hero operating system. It was launched in November 2020 alongside 18-bay and 24-bay options, with the 16-bay being the most affordable.
Network-attached storage (NAS) provides additional storage on an existing network. These compact servers integrate seamlessly with other rackmount storage, gateways, and appliances while being as easy to use as desktop storage.
With so many rackmount NAS options, QNAP, the Taiwanese storage expert, offers future-focused solutions including the ZFS filesystem for system-wide data organization.
In this review, we explore the TS-h1683XU-RP‘s features and performance to evaluate if it fits your needs. We also share the best deals for purchasing this QNAP ZFS NAS.
Product Summary
The QuTS Hero NAS TS-h1683XU-RP is a 3U 16-bay rackmount NAS. Key features include:
- 3U rackmount chassis
- Intel Xeon E-2236 6-core 3.4 GHz CPU (up to 4.8 GHz burst)
- 128GB DDR4 ECC RAM (quad-rank)
- 16 3.5-inch SATA 6Gb/s drive bays
- Dual 10GbE SFP+ SmartNIC ports
- Two USB 3.2 Gen 2 10Gbps Type-C ports
- Four 1GbE RJ45 Ethernet ports
- Four PCIe expansion slots
- Four USB 3.2 Gen 2 10Gbps Type-A ports
Its powerful Intel® Xeon® E CPU, 128GB DDR4 ECC RAM, and ZFS-based QuTS Hero operating system offer exceptional performance, unlimited snapshots, real-time syncing, and robust storage organization.
The TS-h1683XU-RP is reliable for mission-critical applications, virtualization, video editing, and file sharing.
About QNAP
QNAP is a Taiwanese NAS manufacturer for contemporary IT applications like file sharing, storage management, and virtualization. QNAP became an independent company after spinning off from the IEI Integration Corporation in 2004.
QNAP NAS run the proprietary ZFS-based QuTS Hero operating system and have won multiple international awards.
QuTS Hero: ZFS-Based Operating System
This NAS uses the high-performance ZFS-based QuTS Hero OS. ZFS is an open-source filesystem and volume manager originally from Sun Microsystems.
ZFS is highly scalable and secures data integrity with snapshots, checksumming, and RAID. It‘s known for efficiently managing massive datasets with inline deduplication, compression, and compaction. ZFS instantly snapshots data to ensure quick recovery if corrupted.
Best Deal Today
QNAP TS-h1683XU-RP-E2236-128G 16 Bay Rackmount NAS
- Intel Xeon E-2236 6-core 3.4 GHz CPU
- 128GB DDR4 ECC RAM (4 x 32GB)
- 16 x 3.5-inch drive bays
- 4 x 1GbE RJ45 Ethernet ports
- 2 x 10GbE SFP+ SmartNIC ports
We earn commission for purchases made through links. Prices as of July 19, 2023:
Please note: The product is currently out of stock on Amazon. Check back for availability.
Overview
Let‘s examine the models, specs, performance, and pricing.
Release Date and Price
QNAP launched this NAS alongside 18-bay and 24-bay versions in November 2020, following the ZFS-based QuTS Hero OS release. The 16-bay is the most affordable, targeting enterprise users.
Models
The QNAP TS-h1683XU-RP-E2236-128G 16 Bay Rackmount NAS belongs to a triad of QuTS Hero rackmount NAS:
- 18-bay TS-h1886XU-RP with quad-core Intel® Xeon® D-1622 CPU
- 24-bay TS-h2483XU-RP with six-core Intel® Xeon® E-2236 CPU
All models maximize I/O potential, speed, and performance with:
- Server-grade DDR4 ECC RAM
- 10GbE ports
- PCIe slots
Features
Notable features include:
Gigabit Ethernet Ports
High-speed data transfer comes from multiple ports, including two 10Gbps Type-C ports, four 10Gbps Type-A ports, and four 1GbE RJ45 Ethernet ports.
PCIe Expansion
The four PCIe slots allow diverse expansion cards for advanced graphics and multimedia applications. This 3U NAS even supports high-profile graphics cards.
Network Expansion Cards
It‘s compatible with a variety of QNAP expansion cards for added functionality:
- 5-40GBE network cards for fast backup/restore and virtualization
- SSD cards for optimized performance
- SAS cards for petabyte-level capacity
QuTS Hero OS
The app-based QuTS Hero OS combines with ZFS for highly scalable and secure storage. It saves space with inline data deduplication, compression, and compaction while optimizing performance.
Specifications
| Model | TS-h1683XU-RP-E2236-128G 16 Bay |
| Form Factor | 3U rackmount |
| CPU | Intel Xeon E-2236, 6-core 3.4GHz (4.8GHz burst) |
| RAM | 128GB DDR4 ECC |
| Drive Bays | 16 x 3.5-inch SATA 6Gb/s |
| 10GbE | 2 x 10GbE RJ45, 2 x SFP+ SmartNIC |
| PCIe Slots | 4 (SSD compatible) |
| Power Supply | 2 x 500W |
| Warranty | 3 years, extendable to 5 years |
Review
This is one of QNAP’s latest ZFS-based rackmount NAS, promising reliability, scalability, and price competitivity.
Flexible Ports and Slots
Diverse connectivity options plus four PCIe slots give tremendous flexibility to integrate this NAS into your infrastructure. Redundant power supply prevents outages.
User-Friendly OS
The app-centric OS features a third-party integrations library and friendly interface. Storage pool and volume management is intuitive, with easy status reporting.
SATA Focus Slows Speed
Some users report ZFS slowing performance compared to non-ZFS NAS. More flash memory would accelerate it. Still, ZFS enhances reliability and integrity at scale.
Slow yet Steady
Prioritizing security and stability for big data workloads, this NAS promises the resilient performance enterprises need at a fair price.
More RAM may be necessary for virtualization, but the scalability should not be underestimated. Performance issues relate more to ZFS than QNAP.
This is a robust secondary NAS for real-time replication behind a faster primary NAS. The technology is cost-effective for backup purposes.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Tool-less drive installation
- Customizable
- Abundant ports/slots
- Supports SSD caching and graphics cards
- Smart 3U chassis
- Superb ZFS data integrity protection
- Easy OS interface
Cons
- Mostly SATA-based
- Lacks flash memory to maximize speed
- ZFS can hinder performance
Should You Buy?
This is a familiar and easy-to-use platform for QNAP fans. The hardware and ZFS scalability should not be underestimated, although performance needs improvement.
Buy If:
You want enterprise-level data resilience, including snapshots, checksumming, and RAID. It excels at:
- File sharing
- Backup target
- Replication target
Let your use case determine if this solution fits. QNAP did an excellent job, just remember the SATA-based system won‘t be the fastest.
Don‘t Buy If:
Speed is the priority. More SSD capacity would accelerate things substantially. Still, ZFS offers unparalleled data integrity, so there‘s a tradeoff.
Final Thoughts
Given the capacity and technology, the competitive pricing of the QNAP TS-h1683XU-RP-E2236-128G makes it a solid choice. However, adopting ZFS is ambitious with some inherent performance drawbacks.
As this is a recent release, expect QNAP to refine QuTS Hero for efficiency gains in future NAS generations.
Next Reads
Frequently Asked Questions
What‘s the difference between NAS and a server?
Network attached storage (NAS) is a compact, easy-to-manage server, ideal for small/medium businesses because of its small footprint. It excels at building flexible networks with file sharing between units. By centralizing storage, it frees space on other devices and provides reliable backup.
The main limitation is less capacity than servers, meaning performance can suffer if too many simultaneous users attempt access.
What are NAS bays?
The bays hold the hard drives or SSDs, with each bay housing a single drive. Personal NAS have up to four bays, while enterprise NAS can have up to 24.
Is SATA better than SSD?
Serial ATA (SATA) is a type of mechanical hard drive used extensively because it‘s cheap despite lower performance. Solid state drives (SSDs) use flash memory without moving parts, offering at least 3x faster read/write speeds and quicker bootup/access times than SATA drives. However, SATA drives have much higher capacities currently.
What is ZFS?
The Zettabyte file system (ZFS) is an advanced filesystem and volume manager renowned for high scalability, performance, and robust data integrity through continual snapshots, checksumming, and RAID. It was originally developed by Sun Microsystems in 2001 as an open-source project.
What is 3U?
3U refers to the vertical ‘form factor‘ of a rackmounted system, indicating height. Each U equals 44.45mm (1.75 inches). So 3U equals 3 rack units for a total height of 133.35mm (5.25 inches). This provides sufficient clearance for installation/removal of hardware components into the chassis.
