MaximumPC 2008 03

T

raditionally, there have been two distinct routes to achieving

always-on storage at home: extremely powerful (but expensive,

loud, and difficult-to-maintain) server rigs or generally underpowered

network attached storage (NAS) boxes. However, the divide between

NAS boxes and full-blown servers has shrunk. We’ve recently tested

speedy NAS boxes packed with server-like features, and companies

are now shipping smaller, less-expensive servers with Microsoft’s new

Home Server platform. This month, we compare HP’s MediaSmart

EX475 Home Server (reviewed in the February issue) to our favorite

NAS box, the QNAP TS-109 Pro (see http://tinyurl.com/yomys5 ), to

determine whether a server or a NAS device is the better candidate to

fulfill our network-storage needs.

NAS Box vs. Windows Home Server

PERFORMANCE

This is a tough category

to judge because the NAS

boxes we’ve tested have

varied wildly in file-transfer

speeds. While the QNAP’s

TS-109 Pro delivers bench-

mark results that are com-

petitive with those of a dedi-

cated server rig, we’ve also

tested NAS boxes that are

slower than an old-school

sneakernet. In other words,

not all NAS boxes are cre-

ated equal.

Home Server boxes,

on the other hand, must

meet a minimum spec, and

since Home Server utilizes

the standard x86 platform,

the sky’s the limit when it

comes to speed. While

we’re sure vendors will

ship underpowered Home

Server rigs, the worst-case

scenario for these devices

is still much better than the

worst case with a NAS box.

WINNER: HOME

SERVER

HOME SERVER

HP MediaSmart EX

$750 (includes two 500GB drives),

http://www.hp.com

PRICE

Here’s the breakdown: HP’s MediaSmart EX475 costs $750 and comes

with two 500GB drives. The QNAP TS-109 costs just $330, but to achieve the same

amount of storage, you’d have to buy a terabyte drive for the NAS device’s single bay,

which adds another $300-$350. That makes the latter slightly less expensive, but the lack

of expansion options should also be considered—the MediaSmart can double its capacity

with two more relatively cheap $100 500GB drives.

WINNER: TIE

round 1

round^2

BY WILL SMITH

NETWORK STORAGE

head 22 head TWO TECHNOLOGIES ENTER, ONE TECHNOLOGY LEAVES

14 MAMAMAXIMXIMXIMXIMUUUUMMPPPCC | MAR 08 | http://www.maximumpc.com