ASUSTOR NAS Buyer's Guide: How to pick the best NAS for you

ASUSTOR AS7110T
ASUSTOR AS7110T (Image credit: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

ASUSTOR has numerous network-attached storage (NAS) servers available in its catalog, so where does one start when looking at what would best suit their needs? Thankfully, like most NAS vendors, ASUSTOR makes it pretty easy to differentiate between them all using easy-to-follow model numbers. This guide will run you through a few of them and let you in on what to look for.

Breaking down the numbers

ASUSTOR AS5304T

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

ASUSTOR's model numbering is pretty straightforward. Each NAS has a prefix of AS. The next three digits represent the family that specific NAS is from. Generally, the higher, the more powerful and capable. Then you have the number of drive bays. Lastly, the suffix denotes whether it's a rack or standard tower. An example would be AS6404T, the 640 ASUSTOR NAS with four bays.

Comparing models

ASUSTOR AS5304T

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

Here's a comparison table with a few of the latest models from ASUSTOR.

Swipe to scroll horizontally
CategoryAS1002TNIMBUSTOR AS5304TAS6404TLOCKERSTOR 10 AS7110T
CPUMarvell ARMADA-385
Dual-core 1.6GHz
Intel Celeron J4105
Quad-core 1.5GHz
Intel Celeron J3455
Quad-core 1.5GHz
Intel Xeon E-2224
Quad-core 3.4GHz
RAM512MB (512MB)4GB (4GB max)8GB (8GB max)8GB (64GB max)
Drive bays24410
Capacity32TB
2 x 16TB
64TB
4 x 16TB
64TB
4 x 16TB
160TB
10 x 16TB
Transcoding-H.264 (AVC)
H.265 (HEVC)
MPEG-2
VC-1
4K 30 FPS
H.264 (AVC)
H.265 (HEVC)
MPEG-2
VC-1
4K 30 FPS
H.264 (AVC)
H.265 (HEVC)
MPEG-2
VC-1
4K 30 FPS
Ports1x 1Gb LAN
2x USB 3.2 Gen 1
2x 2.5Gb LAN
3x USB 3.2 Gen 1
1x 1Gb LAN
4x USB 3.0 (1x Type-C)
1x HDMI 2.0
1x S/PDIF
3x 2.5Gb LAN
1x 10Gb LAN
1x USB 3.2 Gen 1
2x USB 3.2 Gen 2
WarrantyThree yearsThree yearsThree yearsFive years
Price$150$502$460$2,400

More affordable ASUSTOR models like the AS1002T won't be powerful enough for advanced services like Plex and 4K media transcoding. They are better suited for file storage. More expensive options like the AS6404T and AS7110T are able to handle such tasks, but you'll need to part with considerably more funds.

Choosing the right ASUSTOR NAS should primarily come down to price and how much you're willing to spend. You'll also need to factor in the cost of hard drives too. We've also got a useful guide for choosing the best hard drives for a NAS.

Rich Edmonds
Senior Editor, PC Build

Rich Edmonds was formerly a Senior Editor of PC hardware at Windows Central, covering everything related to PC components and NAS. He's been involved in technology for more than a decade and knows a thing or two about the magic inside a PC chassis. You can follow him on Twitter at @RichEdmonds.