Powered by a 64-bit 2.2 GHz AMD Ryzen V1500B Quad-Core processor and 10GbE/2.5GbE connectivity, the TS-h973AX 9-Bay NAS Enclosure from QNAP packs a high-capacity hybrid storage infrastructure into a compact physical footprint. With five 3.5" SATA III 6 Gb/s drive bays, two 2.5" U.2 NVMe Gen 3 x4 / SATA III 6 Gb/s drive bays, and two 2.5" SATA III 6 Gb/s drive bays, the TS-h973AX can benefit from SSD caching to boost IOPS-intensive applications. With the ZFS-based QuTS hero operating system, the TS-h973AX helps ensure data integrity and supports block-level inline data deduplication and compression, near-limitless snapshots, and real-time SnapSync to satisfy mission-critical file servers, virtualization servers, collaborative video editing, and efficient data backup and recovery with business-class performance, job reliability, and lower overall cost.

The TS-h973AX comes equipped with 32GB of DDR4 RAM and supports up to 64GB of memory. Network connectivity is achieved using the one 10GbE and two 2.5GbE ports, providing high-speed connectivity and versatile networking possibilities. Additional peripherals, such as QNAP's QNA-UC5G1T USB to 5GbE network adapter, may be connected using the one 10 Gb/s USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port or three 10 Gb/s USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports.

This NAS supports a variety of RAID modes, including RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, and 60, each of which offer data redundancy, speed, or a combination of both. For those who do not need a RAID, JBOD is available. You'll also be able to host multiple virtual machines and containers to run a wide range of applications, as well as expand storage locally using 4-bay TR-004 or 2-bay TR-002 JBODs. While the QuTS hero OS is installed, you'll have the option of switching to QTS. Included is a 10GBASE-T Ethernet cable, a power cord, a 120W power adapter, twenty-four flat-head screws for 3.5" HDDs, thirty-two flat-head screws for 2.5" HDDs, and two drive tray keys. Protection is provided by a limited 3-year warranty.

Open Box Products Have a Limited 3-Year Manufacturer Warranty    5 x 3.5" and 2 x 2.5" SATA Drive Bays    2 x U.2 NVMe PCIe / SATA 2.5" Drive Bays    2.2 GHz AMD Ryzen V1500B Quad-Core    32GB of DDR4 RAM    1 x 10GbE and 2 x 2.5GbE Ports    USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C and Type-A Ports    RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, 60, and JBOD    AES 256-Bit Volume Encryption    QuTS Hero 4.5 Operating System

Powered by an AMD Ryzen V1000 series V1500B 4-core/8-thread, 2.2 GHz processor with up to 64GB of DDR4 RAM (ECC memory is supported), the TS-h973AX delivers aggressive yet power-smart performance for compute-demanding applications. AES-NI encryption support boosts encryption performance while also maintaining the security of your NAS data. SSDs can be flexibly installed for cache acceleration to maximize network and storage performance for data-intensive applications.

The TS-h973AX has four 2.5" SSD slots, with slots 1 and 2 supporting both high-performance U.2 NVMe PCIe Gen 3 x4 SSDs or economical SATA III 6Gb/s SSDs. For tackling latency-sensitive applications, you can take advantage of U.2 NVMe PCIe Gen 3 x4 SSDs that supply up to 32 Gb/s bandwidth to attain optimized performance and efficiency. You can also use QNAP's QDA-UMP adapter to replace U.2 NVMe SSDs with cost-efficient M.2 NVMe Gen 3 x4 SSDs to maintain high-level performance while saving more costs.

Coupled with QNAP's SSD-aware features, the TS-h973AX maximizes performance with high cost-effectiveness.

SSD Cache Acceleration
Increases IOPS performance and reduces latency for storage volumes - good for IOPS-demanding applications including virtualization and databases.

Write Coalescing
Transforms all random writes to sequential writes along with reduced I/O, effectively increasing SSD write performance.

Pool Over-Provisioning
Flexibly reserves a dedicated space in an SSD storage pool to allow new data to be written into a complete block even if the pool is almost full, thus improving the performance of fragmented pools.

The TS-h973AX has one 10GBASE-T Multi-Gig (10G/5G/2.5G/1G/100M) port and two 2.5GbE RJ45 (2.5G/1G/100M) ports, providing out-of-the-box support for high-speed networking and supporting Port Trunking and Failover to reinforce your network infrastructure. QNAP also provides many other high-speed networking solutions, including 10GbE/2.5GbE managed/unmanaged switches, 2.5GbE/5GbE/10GbE PCIe cards, and USB 5GbE adapters for Windows/Linux workstations, allowing you to build a budget-friendly high-speed network environment for productive team collaboration.

QuTS hero combines the app-based QTS with the 128-bit ZFS file system to provide flexible storage management, comprehensive data protection, and optimized performance to tackle the complexity and performance demands of modern IT. From storage management and virtualization to collaborative media workflows, QuTS hero streamlines your business-critical tasks.

Data Integrity
QuTS hero's self-healing ensures data integrity and reliability. Write Once, Read Many (WORM) is also supported.

Data Reduction Improves Storage Efficiency and Performance
Inline data deduplication, compression, and compaction reduce file size to conserve storage capacity and optimize performance.

Multi-Level Cache Technology
Main memory read cache (L1 ARC), SSD second-level read cache (L2 ARC), and ZFS Intent Log (ZIL) for synchronous transactions with power fail protection are simultaneously supported to boost performance and security.

RAID Z Enables Robust Data Protection
Multiple RAID levels allow flexible capacity utilization. RAID Triple Parity and Triple Mirror deliver higher levels of data protection.

QSAL (QNAP SSD Antiwear Leveling) Enhances Data Protection
RAID-level SSD lifespan is automatically and regularly detected to prevent simultaneous SSD failure, improving your data protection and system reliability.

App Center Ecosystem Extends NAS Functionality
Apps for backup/sync, virtual machines/containers, content management, productivity, and more features can be used to expand the application potential of the TS-h973AX.

QuTS hero supports advanced block-based data reduction technologies (including inline data deduplication, compression, and compaction) to reduce file sizes, conserve storage capacity, and optimize performance. For example, if 20 virtual machines on a NAS are replicated using the same template, then storage space requirements for all 20 virtual machines can be reduced by up to 95%. Whether acting as primary or backup storage, the TS-h973AX optimizes storage utilization to provide a reliable storage cornerstone in the Big Data era.

Real-time SnapSync ensures that both the primary and secondary NAS maintain identical data. When data is written to the source, it is immediately written to the destination. If the primary NAS goes offline, IT staff can simply adjust the privilege settings of the secondary NAS to ensure continuous operations. SnapSync provides the strongest support for nonstop business operations and helps users to reduce the risk of data loss.

The TS-h973AX also supports snapshots and remote backup to help organizations accomplish routine backup tasks cost-effectively and efficiently.

Snapshots Multiply Backup Protection
Attain peace of mind with near-limitless, instant snapshots. Copy-on-write technology makes snapshot creation almost instantaneous without affecting ongoing data writing. Snapshot Replica replicates snapshot files to the backup NAS, simplifying data protection with version control.

HBS Simplifies 3-2-1 Backup Plans
HBS centralizes backup, restoration, and synchronization for easily transferring data in the TS-h973AX to another QNAP NAS, remote server, or cloud storage space. HBS supports QuDedup technology that eliminates redundant data at the source and makes multi-version backup faster.

You can count on Virtualization Station and Container Station for comprehensive virtualization support. Coupled with the Network & Virtual Switch app that boosts interoperability between virtual machines, containers, QNAP NAS, and other physical devices on the network, you can flexibly allocate physical and virtual network resources to simplify network deployment.

Virtualization Station
Run multiple Windows, Linux, UNIX, and Android virtual machines and access them via a web browser or Virtual Network Computing (VNC). Businesses can run virtualized server applications on a single NAS without the need for additional physical servers.

Container Station
Experience LXC and Docker lightweight virtualization technologies, download apps from the built-in Docker Hub Registry, import and export containers, and create abundant microservices.

With Hyper Data Protector, the TS-h973AX becomes an agentless backup tool for unlimited VMware vSphere and Microsoft Hyper-V VM backup. Hyper Data Protector features incremental backup, global deduplication, backup scheduling, and recovery compression. Hyper Data Protector also simultaneously backs up multiple VMs, providing you with a cost-effective and reliable disaster recovery plan, ensuring 24/7 operation of your services.

Ubuntu Linux Station
Run Ubuntu applications (including apps from the Ubuntu Software Center) directly on the TS-h973AX and remotely access the Ubuntu desktop from a web browser.

Security Counselor
A security portal for checking weaknesses and receiving recommendations for enhancing NAS security. It also integrates anti-virus and anti-malware scanning software.

Boxafe
Safeguard enterprise cloud data by backing up/syncing files, emails, calendars, and contacts from Google Workspace and Microsoft Office 365 to the TS-h973AX.

Qsirch
QNAP's powerful, Google-like search tool helps you quickly find images, music, videos, documents, and emails by keywords, color, and more search conditions. It also supports Qfiling to perform one-time or automatic archival tasks based on your search criteria.

QuMagie
An AI-powered photo management app, supporting automated photo categorization with AI Albums, iOS Live Photo display, and powerful search tool for a strong photo management and sharing solution.

Hybrid Mount
Hybrid Mount integrates NAS with mainstream cloud services. By deploying cloud storage gateways and enabling local caching on the NAS, you can seamlessly use the cloud for storage, backup, and data recovery with low-latency access.

The storage capacity of the TS-h973AX can be expanded using USB-based expansion enclosures. Two QNAP TR RAID (4-bay TR-004, 2-bay TR-002) can be easily attached and managed using the Storage & Snapshots Manager app.

QVR Elite is QNAP's subscription-based smart surveillance solution, allowing you to easily build a surveillance system with lower TCO and higher scalability. You can arrange a dedicated, independent storage space for surveillance data on the TS-h973AX and enjoy simplified camera management, storage space allocation, camera live viewing, and playback. Recordings are saved as MP4 files, allowing playback on nearly every device. QVR Elite also integrates QNAP AI-based solutions to build smart facial recognition for retail and door access systems with QNAP NAS. With QVR Pro Client software installed on your Windows/Mac or mobile devices, taking full control over monitored areas becomes more convenient and easier.

The TS-h973AX can also switch to using QTS - QNAP's standard NAS operating system. This allows you to migrate drives from your current QTS-based NAS to the more powerful TS-h973AX to upgrade your storage infrastructure and take advantage of Qtier auto-tiering from QTS.

Note: QTS and QuTS hero use different file systems. You must remove all the drives from the TS-h973AX before switching from QuTS hero to QTS.

The TS-h973AX is backed by a limited 3-year warranty at no additional cost. You can also purchase a warranty extension that extends your warranty coverage up to 5 years.

Related Questions and Answers

Q: 1. I see suggestions for Q-nap expansion cards, but on the back of the TS-h973AX I don't see any place to put them. Is there an ability to expand some capabilities internals or does this not support expansion cards?

A: Unfortunately, the QNAP TS-h973AX 9-Bay NAS Enclosure does not support extension cards.

Q: 2. Can I connect this to 4x editing stations simultaneously?

A: The QNAP TS-h973AX has a 10GbE and 2x2.5GbE ports that you can use to connect the NAS to your network. The users would access the NAS from the network.

Q: 3. Does it come with free IP camera licenses?

A: Yes, this QNAP TS-435XeU 4-Bay NAS Enclosure comes with 2 IP camera licenses.

Q: 4. Can one fill the 3.5" bays with drives and then add the 2.5" drives later? Or is it better to fill the whole unit from day 1?

A: The QNAP TS-h973AX 9-Bay NAS Enclosure (BH #QNTSH973AX32) can work with just the 3.5'' drives but is recommended to have all drives filled for a easier setup process.

Q: 5. Is there a maximum size drive that this enclosure is compatible with? I have 2 12TB 3.5" drives.. would those work?

A: The maximum size drive of the QNAP TS-433 4-Bay NAS Enclosure is 22TB per bay.

Q: 6. Can you download Plex on to the nas and make it a plex server?

A: Yes, you can use a QNAP NAS as a Plex server, but I would recommend a model like the QNAP TS-h886 8-Bay NAS Enclosure, B&H # QNH886D16028, rather than the QNAP TS-855X 8-Bay NAS Enclosure.

Q: 7. If I install 6 22TB drives and use Raid 5, how much unique data can I store?

A: When using the QNAP TS-664 6-Bay NAS Enclosure with six 22TB drives, in RAID 5, you would have 110TB of actual storage.

Q: 8. What is the maximum amount of RAM that can be installed?

A: The most RAM the QNAP TS-453E 4-Bay NAS Enclosure will support is 8GB.

Q: 9. Seagate has released a 3.5", 7200-rpm drive which utilizes the SAS III 12 Gb/s interface. Will QNAP upgrade this product soon?

A: The QNAP TS-664 6-Bay NAS Enclosure, (B&H # QNTS6648GUS) only supports SATA drives, you would not be able to upgrade it to use SAS drives. You would need to look at a model that supports SAS.

Q: 10. Can the 2 x M.2 NVMe SSD drives be included in a Raid configuration such as 2 x M.2 NVMe 4tb SSD's plus 4 x 4tb 2.5" SSD's?

A: If you install M.2 NVMe SSD drives into the QNAP TS-435XeU 4-Bay NAS Enclosure, they could not be included in a RAID configuration per se—they would be used as cache in conjunction with a RAID array.