Thecus N7700 Network Attached Storage Server

Name: Thecus N7700 NAS
Brand: Thecus

by Marco Chiappetta — Monday, July 20, 2009, 11:07 AM EDT

Performance Summary: The performance of the Thecus N7700 was excellent in every test we ran. In the synthetic benchmark tests, the N7700 hit read and write speeds approaching the theoretical limit of its Gigabit Ethernet connection (~115MB/s write, ~110MB/s read) . In the real-world file copy tests, the N7700 didn't quite reach the numbers reported by the synthetic benchmark, but it still put up the best performance we have seen from a NAS server to date.

Aside from its somewhat dated looking browser-based configuration menu system and audible cooling fans, there is a whole lot to like about the Thecus N7700 NAS server. The device offers a myriad of useful features, it is easy to configure even for novices, and performance is top-notch. File transfers are very fast and the device wakes up from standby almost instantaneously. Aesthetically, we also found the N7700 to be quite attractive and it is constructed of high-quality materials.

Throughout weeks of testing, experimenting, and just daily use, the Thecus N7700 never faltered--not a single crash, re-boot, or lost or corrupt file. The device instills confidence at every turn. As an aside, the N7700 has actually be up and running in the lab non-stop, glitch free with 41 days uptime, serving multiple systems and a TViX multimedia jukebox--this thing just works.

If there is an Achilles' heel to the Thecus N7700, however, it's price. Currently the N7700 sells for about $880 to $999 dollars without drives. Factor in a septet of large SATA drives and the price will easily break the $1200 mark. Obviously, with a price that high, the Thecus N7700 will only appeal to a select group of affluent home users or small business users, but if its features, performance, and functionality are what you need, the Thecus N7700 is sure to satisfy.

Excellent Performance
Attractive Form Factor
Highly Configurable
High Quality Construction
Easy To Use

Dated Looking Menu Systems
Expensive
Fans Somewhat Noisy

Tags: Storage, NAS, Network, LAN, Thecus, N7700

Marco Chiappetta

Marco's interest in computing and technology dates all the way back to his early childhood. Even before being exposed to the Commodore P.E.T. and later the Commodore 64 in the early ‘80s, he was interested in electricity and electronics, and he still has the modded AFX cars and shop-worn soldering irons to prove it. Once he got his hands on his own Commodore 64, however, computing became Marco's passion. Throughout his academic and professional lives, Marco has worked with virtually every major platform from the TRS-80 and Amiga, to today's high end, multi-core servers. Over the years, he has worked in many fields related to technology and computing, including system design, assembly and sales, professional quality assurance testing, and technical writing. In addition to being the Managing Editor here at HotHardware for close to 15 years, Marco is also a freelance writer whose work has been published in a number of PC and technology related print publications and he is a regular fixture on HotHardware’s own Two and a Half Geeks webcast. - Contact: marco(at)hothardware(dot)com