QNAP NAS with 'only' 2GB RAM?

Gavin B posted:

I'm considering switching my Windows10 PC-based Asset streaming for a QNAP HS251+ - a much simpler, smaller footprint solution!

The QNAP 'only' has 2GB of RAM. Anyone think this is a problem?

I have something like 1700 albums ripped, but streaming isn't my main source. I'd also use it to store photos (that wouldn't add much to any memory overhead). There's also a  few ripped/downloaded movies which are rarely accessed and aren't anything like high quality - again, something that's rarely used.

So, what do you think of 'only' 2GB of RAM?

The manufacturers obviously think it's enough.  My ZX81 will (just) play Chess in 1K !

2gb will be fine, my Asset instance on my QNAP is only using 50mb.

You will only need more memory if you want to start using lots other applications on the NAS in addition to Asset and the default software.

qnap 210 3tera x 2  love the web interface, load with asset  very,quiet     .in room 2 metres from listening are .  faultless after 4 years

It can take 8gb, if you intend on streaming movies as well and maybe running Roon I would recommend upgrading the ram and it’s always better to have as much ram as possible to help with multiple tasks/applications

2GB is ok if you don’t plan to run roon on it. I‘m running minimserve loaded with 3500 albums roughly and it works. 

If you want to run virtual machines on the QNAP then you will have to upgrade the ram.  I would suggest you purchase the 2gb model and upgrade the ram yourself.  Much cheaper and easy to do.

Cheers

Mark

Yes do it yourself; if you do a search online you can find plenty of places that do the ram fairly cheap

For audio streaming RAM isn't a problem, my Synology only has 256Mb and that works fine.

I run Minimserver on a TS-410 with 256MB RAM. I run Asset on a TS-470 with 2GB RAM.

I can't tell any audio difference between them. They are, and always have been unfailingly reliable streaming up to PCM 24/192 and DSD 2.8MHz/64fs.

In the past I've run Asset off the TS-470, done backup jobs and streamed video, sometimes simultaneously,  without difficulties. Although as things have evolved, I now run my music NASs as stand alone music servers.

If considering a NAS for multiple jobs, music streaming, even hi res, requires low overheads and if pumping up the RAM to cover a multi faceted  workload, don't overlook the speed of the processor and cache capability, which can be just as important.

Huge posted:

For audio streaming RAM isn't a problem, my Synology only has 256Mb and that works fine.

indeed usually so, I/O bandwidth and if transcoding, CPU power, are more important.

Thanks, everyone. Sounds like this will do me just fine.

I upgraded to 8mb as soon as I got my TS251 - cost £30 and took 10 minutes. Asset will work on 2gb but if you want to use the QNAP as a Roon Core the extra ram will help - I have seen >2gb ram used on occasion in that mode.

Pev - could you point me at somewhere to buy the RAM?

Actually, I've just noticed you'd referred to the TS model. I was looking at HS. I don't think that can take more RAM.

I just got it from amazon - I think it was Crucial brand, sorry - a while ago now but it was definitely bog standard, nothing special.

Pev posted:

I just got it from amazon - I think it was Crucial brand, sorry - a while ago now but it was definitely bog standard, nothing special.

A quick Google shows you are right - you can't upgrade the HS251 but you can do the TS. I have my TS in my living room and never hear the fan - there is a bit of disc noise if it is backing up my laptop but that's all 99% of the time it's totally silent and would probably be 100% silent with SSDs.

Ram is super expensive at the moment.

Hi Gavin, I run a HS-251+ with two WD Red 6TB drives mirrored and Asset and it runs fine as dedicated music source. Good little lounge friendly NAS. Russ

garyi posted:

Ram is super expensive at the moment.

That must be something to do with the Bitcoin mining.

rjfk posted:

Hi Gavin, I run a HS-251+ with two WD Red 6TB drives mirrored and Asset and it runs fine as dedicated music source. Good little lounge friendly NAS. Russ

Thanks, Russ. Mine is due to arrive tomorrow with 2x3TB WD red drives. Just started to copy the music files off my PC.

I have a Synology DS1813+ at home with a DX513 expansion chassis on it and ... hmmm ... 110TB of drives in it (8 x 10TB and 5 x 6TB) with most of my media on it - that has 2GB in it and is absolutely fine with my test install of MinimServer.

I also have a QNAP TS412 with 22TB in it (3 x 6TB and 1 x 4TB - yes, an odd combination but the QNAP has a 16TB volume size limit and it wouldn't take 4 x 6TB drives and just "ignore" the little bit of space that remains after 4 x 6TB drives are formatted as RAID5 so that was as big as I could go) - that is pretty much full of audio data, has 256MB of RAM and runs the QNAP version of Asset absolutely fine.

I don't think you have anything to worry about with your 2GB ... use it as it stands and if you find that you are running out of RAM then look at adding more but I suspect that doing so right now would just be spending money unnecessarily.

As someone else has said, the big hitters for RAM need are the more "business" targetted services that those NASs can run and you probably won't be touching those...

Cheers

Phil

Thanks, Phil, and blimey! What have you go to fill all that space??

Gavin B posted:

Thanks, Phil, and blimey! What have you go to fill all that space??

The 8 x 10TB array is used for my DVD and BluRay rips and is about 80% full, the 5 x 6TB array is CD rips from our servers and audio from "other" sources and is about 75% full and the QNAP is used as a "landing zone" for audio that I need to sanitise plus has a chunk of the 5 x 6TB arrays music so that the install of QNAP Asset on it has a goodly lump of data to chew on...

I do have a few other NASs in use too but they're not media centric...

Phil

Here's a picture of Phil's incremental backup from last night

Phil Harris posted:

I have a Synology DS1813+ at home with a DX513 expansion chassis on it and ... hmmm ... 110TB of drives in it (8 x 10TB and 5 x 6TB) with most of my media on it - that has 2GB in it and is absolutely fine with my test install of MinimServer.

I also have a QNAP TS412 with 22TB in it (3 x 6TB and 1 x 4TB - yes, an odd combination but the QNAP has a 16TB volume size limit and it wouldn't take 4 x 6TB drives and just "ignore" the little bit of space that remains after 4 x 6TB drives are formatted as RAID5 so that was as big as I could go) - that is pretty much full of audio data, has 256MB of RAM and runs the QNAP version of Asset absolutely fine.

I don't think you have anything to worry about with your 2GB ... use it as it stands and if you find that you are running out of RAM then look at adding more but I suspect that doing so right now would just be spending money unnecessarily.

As someone else has said, the big hitters for RAM need are the more "business" targetted services that those NASs can run and you probably won't be touching those...

Cheers

Phil

Probably has a helium-cooled super-computer under the stairs too