QNAP 509 Pro - CPU upgrade

[Dutchsea]

I wonder if anyone ever considered upgrading the CPU of the 509 or already did?
It looks like this NAS has the CPU installed in a socket...

Next, does anybody expect QNAP to upgrade the CPU like they did with one of the 800 models?

 

[bigsy]

I haven't read of anyone doing this over at the QNAP forums but then I don't have a 509 so I may well have missed it. Let's hope they upgrade the processors across the SOHO / Enterprise line. These boxes are a bit underpowered if you want to do anything involving image manipulation.

As for forthcoming upgrades - they just did the 2xx line and the 4xx line. I expect that we'll see upgrades across the mid range enterprise line next - 5xx, 6xx series.

I would love to see them release these units unplugged from the proprietary management tools that they currently run under Busybox by including a full linux distro. Give users the option of a complete server and add the QNAP management tools on top. Seems like a no-brainer and would be something of a killer app IMHO. The proprietary ipkg system they run is really limiting and must consume a good deal of development resources. That said, the ability to ssh into the shell and extend the system is one of the better implementations in this space. And yes, I know that you can force them to run Debian but you void your warranty and get no support. With my lightweight skill set I would brick my box in a few short hours!

 

[Dutchsea]

This is often my struggle. Wait till a new version is availble or not. I am aeger to by the new NAS as I have some time in the next weeks to set it up. But I know I will have some regrets if the 509 has an upgrade in a month or so. Can anyone tell me when the 2xx and 4xx where upgraded?

Next, I see the logic in the full linux distro. This would also solve a small issue that I have when using the media server Swisscenter. This server uses the zip function which is not supported on the QNAP (and my Synology 407 has the same problem)

 

[bigsy]

This is often my struggle. Wait till a new version is available or not. I am eager to by the new NAS as I have some time in the next weeks to set it up. But I know I will have some regrets if the 509 has an upgrade in a month or so. Can anyone tell me when the 2xx and 4xx where upgraded?

I beta test for QNAP but I have yet to hear anything concerning Q1 releases. This doesn't mean a great deal b/c they don't use me for every round. Also, I would not broadcast future release information in order to maintain my standing with QNAP as a reliable beta tester. The question of waiting for new models is always on the table - I'd like to hold out for ZFS support but... well... it could be a while. If I had to buy today I would get the 439. There is little difference between the 439, 509, and 639 series aside from the drive capacity (4, 5, 6 bays). They are all based on the Intel 1.6GHz Processor with 1GB RAM, and 128MB flash memory. It appears that only the 509 is seated in a socket making processor upgrades possible.

There was a round of upgrades Q1/2 and Q4 last year. The x19 and x39 series came out upgrading all lines except the 5xx series. They also released the 410 at the end of Q4 which was an upgrade to the 409. I believe there will be another upgrade in late Q1 or Q2 2010 but I would not expect it to be more than a single unit upgrade like the 410 was to the 409. If I had to guess they will upgrade the 509 and / or perhaps the 809 series given that the other series were upgraded last year (2xx, 4xx, 6xx). Also worth noting is that QNAP will likely try to consolidate some of these products in a future round of upgrades. Consider that they have three units in the 4xx space - 410, 419, and 439. I expect the next upgrade will consolidate this line to one 4xx series unit.

Next, I see the logic in the full linux distro. This would also solve a small issue that I have when using the media server Swisscenter. This server uses the zip function which is not supported on the QNAP (and my Synology 407 has the same problem)

I toyed with building a NAS from scratch. The learning curve would not have been significant but didn't feel that I had the time, and I wanted something that was supported (as time goes by this looks more and more attractive - lower costs, easy upgrades, full control, and more knowledge on my part). I went with QNAP because it is the most extensible product in this space. That said, these units would be so much more robust under a full distro. For example, their are some security concerns which I could easily address if I had access under the hood - IP tables for starters. I'd like to run a proxy server for content filtering but can't make it work because I don't have access to the tools I need. And on and on. Still, I do like the boxes that I have. They do suit my needs for the most part and I run those other services under a dedicated linux box.

 

[bigsy]

One other note on upgrading - the x39 series memory is in an SO-DIMM slot, so you could replace it with a bigger module. Also, the 509 uses a mobile Celeron in a socket and people are upgrading the CPUs on these units. Cooling is an issue. The 509 also has two memory slots, so you can pop in an extra module in there as well. You should be aware that any mod voids your warranty.

You can find modding info here:
http://forum.qnap.com/viewtopic.php?f=97&t=10638

 

[bigsy]

I've definitely learned something working through the issues in this thread. I revise my earlier statement. I think I would go with the 509 due to the upgrade potential, especially if you want to do any kind of graphic manipulation or SQL dB work. Wish I could have beta tested the 509!

 

[Dutchsea]

Yep, I think its going to be the 509 upgraded with a pair of 2GB SODIMM modules, so 4 GB in all. Next change the CPU to a E5400 with a Silverstone SST-NT07-775 cooler. This should result in a very fast NAS.

 

[bigsy]

You will definitely get more bump from the CPU upgrade. Also consider a switch that allows 802.3ad link aggregation. It provides definite performance gains.

 

[PowerMAC]

I am going to replace the cpu in my Qnap ts509 with the Intel E5400 processor as well, I could get it cheap from a friend. Than my nas will run on 2.70 ghz!! I am soooo glad that this is possible and that I've chosen this model, it rocks!

 

[bigsy]

Wishing that I'd bought a year later. I would be on the 509 train. It would be a real plus if all these units included processors in sockets. It would provide an upgrade path for users allowing us to get more life out of our investment. At $600 for a 4 bay NAS and upwards, you would think that they would give their users this option. It would vastly increase their fan base as well and would give many others a good reason to move over to QNAP.