QNAP TS-216g vs QNAP TS-233
Two of the compact nas (1–3 bays) in our best compact nas (1–3 bays, 2026) comparison, lined up spec by spec. Every figure comes from the manufacturer pages linked below, and the scores use the same published formula as the full ranking.
Affiliate disclosure: We earn a commission if you buy through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. It never affects our rankings, which come from the published scoring formula. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more.
Best for: 2 official bays, 4 GB official installed memory, 2.5GbE official onboard Ethernet, 4-core official CPU
Check price at AmazonBest for: 2 official bays, 2 GB official installed memory, 1GbE official onboard Ethernet, 4-core official CPU
Check price at AmazonSpec-by-spec comparison
Green marks the better published figure. "Not listed" means the manufacturer doesn't publish it.
| Spec | QNAP TS-216g | QNAP TS-233 | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Installed system memoryOfficial installed system memory published on the maker's specification table. A larger official figure is better for running services alongside file storage. Missing values take the category minimum. | 4 GB | 2 GB | 28% |
| Fastest official onboard EthernetFastest official onboard Ethernet port speed on the maker's specification table, in gigabits per second. Optional ports that the official table lists only as PCIe or add-in-card upgrades are not counted. Missing values take the category minimum. | 2.5 Gbps | 1 Gbps | 26% |
| Official CPU core countOfficial CPU core count published on the maker's specification table. Core count is not a complete performance picture across ARM and x86 designs, but it is a consistently published official figure. Missing values take the category minimum. | 4 | 4 | 24% |
| Official onboard Ethernet portsNumber of official onboard Ethernet ports on the maker's specification table. Missing values take the category minimum. | 2 | 1 | 22% |
| Drive bays (official table) | 2 official bays — 2x 3.5-inch SATA 6Gb/s, 3Gb/s | 2 official bays — 2 x 3.5-inch SATA 6Gb/s, 3Gb/s | info |
| Installed system memory (official table) | 4 GB on board (non-expandable) Note: Reserves some RAM for use as shared graphics memory. | 2 GB on board (non-expandable) Note: Reserves some RAM for use as shared graphics memory. | info |
| Maximum memory capacity (official table) | 4 GB on board (non-expandable) | 2 GB on board (non-expandable) | info |
| CPU (official table) | ARM 4-core Cortex-A55 2.0GHz processor | ARM 4-core Cortex-A55 2.0GHz processor | info |
| Official CPU core count | 4 | 4 | info |
| Fastest official onboard Ethernet | 2.5 Gbps | 1 Gbps | info |
| Official onboard Ethernet port count | 2 | 1 | info |
| Official onboard Ethernet rows | 1 × official 1GbE (Gigabit Ethernet Port (RJ45): 1); 1 × official 2.5GbE (2.5 Gigabit Ethernet Port (2.5G/1G/100M): 1 (2.5G/1G/100M)) | 1 × official 1GbE (Gigabit Ethernet Port (RJ45): 1) | info |
| Aggregate official onboard Ethernet (computed) | 3.5 Gbps, computed as the sum of official onboard port count × official port speed from the published LAN rows (1 × official 1GbE (Gigabit Ethernet Port (RJ45): 1); 1 × official 2.5GbE (2.5 Gigabit Ethernet Port (2.5G/1G/100M): 1 (2.5G/1G/100M))) | 1 Gbps, computed as the sum of official onboard port count × official port speed from the published LAN rows (1 × official 1GbE (Gigabit Ethernet Port (RJ45): 1)) | info |
| Form factor (official table or official model family) | desktop | desktop | info |
| Hot-swappable drives (official table) | Official table includes a Hot-swappable row; the cell text after removing icons is blank | Official table includes a Hot-swappable row; the cell text after removing icons is blank | info |
| Dimensions (official table) | 6.5 × 4.02 × 8.69 inch Dimensions do not include foot pad (foot pad may be up to 30mm / 1.18 inches high depending on model) | 7.32 × 3.61 × 6.2 inch Dimensions do not include foot pad (foot pad may be up to 30mm / 1.18 inches high depending on model) | info |
| Weight (official table) | 3.2 lbs | 3.73 lbs | info |
| Power supply (official table) | Minimum 48W adapter (12VDC), 100-240VAC | Minimum 48W adapter (12VDC), 100-240VAC | info |
| Flash Memory (official table) | 4 GB (Dual boot OS protection) | 4 GB (Dual boot OS protection) | info |
| USB 2.0 port (official table) | 2 | 2 | info |
| USB 3.2 Gen 1 port (official table) | 1 | 1 | info |
| Power Consumption: Disk Standby Mode (official table) | 4.973 W | 3.43 W | info |
| Power Consumption: Operating Mode, Typical (official table) | 13.907 W Tested with drives fully populated. | 10.81 W Tested with drives fully populated. | info |
| VaultPick score | 3.7/10 | 1.2/10 | 100% |
Where each one comes out ahead
QNAP TS-216g
Better published figure on: Installed system memory, Fastest official onboard Ethernet, Official onboard Ethernet ports.
What we like
- Official table lists a 2.5GbE onboard Ethernet port
Watch out for
- Official table lists the installed memory as not expandable
QNAP TS-233
No scored spec where it is strictly ahead; its case rests on the strengths below.
What we like
- Official specification table publishes the scored memory, Ethernet, CPU and bay figures we use
Watch out for
- Fastest official onboard Ethernet on the table we used is 1GbE
- Official installed system memory is 2 GB
- Official table lists the installed memory as not expandable
- Official table lists a single onboard Ethernet port
Verdict
The official specification tables list the QNAP TS-233 as a desktop unit and the QNAP TS-216g as a desktop unit. The QNAP TS-233 record lists 2 official bays, 2 GB official installed memory, 1GbE official onboard Ethernet, 4-core official CPU, 1 official onboard Ethernet ports. The QNAP TS-216g record lists 2 official bays, 4 GB official installed memory, 2.5GbE official onboard Ethernet, 4-core official CPU, 2 official onboard Ethernet ports.
- QNAP TS-216g: QNAP official hardware specifications: TS-216g
- QNAP TS-233: QNAP official hardware specifications: TS-233