This NAS can act as a capable desktop PC, sports up to 64 GB RAM, 164 TB storage and discrete GPU support

A new NAS system has entered the scene, dubbed the ZimaCube 2. Powered by Intel Alder Lake CPUs, the product should be a decent choice for customers on the lookout for a capable personal NAS solution without breaking the bank.

Of course, that is not to say that the ZimaCube 2 NAS comes cheap. The product is available for pre-order starting at $799, and ships with a 6-core Intel i3-1215U CPU. In multi-core workloads, the Alder Lake CPU is about as fast as a modern Core Ultra 5 134U CPU found in entry-level notebooks.

Performance should be adequate, and folks who would like to use the ZimaCube 2 as a personal mini PC for non-intensive day-to-day workloads can also do so. A higher-end option with the 10-core Core i5-1235U CPU is also available, promising roughly 23% faster multicore performance.

The base variant of the ZimaCube 2 NAS also ships with 8 GB of RAM and a 256 GB SSD. Further storage capabilities are handled by a total of six SATA III bays (3.5-inch, 2.5-inch), as well as 4 NVMe M.2 slots for a total of 164 TB of maximum storage. The I/O is also quite impressive, and has been detailed below:

• Dual Thunderbolt 4, single USB 3.0 Type-C
• Four USB 3.0 Type-A
• Dual 2.5G Ethernet (additional 10G Ethernet on the higher-tier variant)
• 3.5 mm audio jack

Other expansion options include a PCIe 4.0 x16 slot (x4 lanes) for GPUs, PCIe 3.0 x8 slot (x2 lanes), and up to 64 GB RAM. At around 9.45 x 8.7 x 8.6 inches or 240 x 221 x 220 mm, the ZimaCube 2 NAS is plenty compact as well. The entry-level variant is available in a silver colorway, whereas the higher-tier option rocks a black colorway.

All told, the ZimaCube 2 lineup appears to be a solid choice for home lab enthusiasts. Of course, folks with lesser requirements can check out something like the 4-bay Ugreen NASSync DH4300, currently available for $379 on Amazon, and save themselves a few hundred quid.