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The QNAP TS-h987XU-RP is a compact 1U business NAS built for mixed HDD-and-SSD storage: it has four 3.5-inch SATA bays, five 2.5-inch U.2 NVMe/SATA bays, two 10GbE ports and two 2.5GbE ports. It is a plausible fit for file services, backup and virtualization when those capabilities match your workload, but QNAP’s published speed figures are vendor lab results—not independent measurements—and the right choice depends on compatible drives, network capacity, expansion plans and rack requirements.
This review is based on QNAP’s product information and model-specific user guide, not hands-on testing. The guide and detailed specification identify the documented TS-h987XU-RP-E2334-16G configuration as using an Intel Xeon E-2334; QNAP’s product-page introduction conflicts by saying E-2344. Confirm the exact CPU for the SKU you plan to buy.
What is the TS-h987XU-RP?
It is a nine-bay, 1U rackmount NAS with a hybrid layout: four bays take 3.5-inch SATA drives, while five take 2.5-inch U.2 NVMe or SATA drives. That arrangement lets an administrator combine higher-capacity hard drives with SSD storage in one chassis, but the actual usable capacity and performance depend on the selected drives, RAID layout and workload. QNAP positions it for business file serving, virtualization, virtual desktop infrastructure, backup and restore, and hybrid HDD/SSD storage. Those are intended use cases, not proof of performance in a particular environment. QNAP’s product page and its model user guide document the hardware and features.
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Four 3.5-inch SATA bays
The four larger bays are for 3.5-inch SATA drives. They are the obvious place to plan conventional hard-drive capacity, but do not assume every drive will work simply because its connector and size fit. Check the exact model in QNAP’s compatibility list before building a storage plan.
#1 Best Overall
- A-Tech Memory RAM compatible for QNAP TS-h987XU-RP NAS system(s): TS-h987XU-RP-E2334-16G
- Single 8 GB Module; DDR4 DIMM 288-Pin; Speeds up to 3200 MHz, PC4-25600 (PC4-3200AA)
- ECC Unbuffered UDIMM; 1Rx8 (Single Rank x8); JEDEC DDR4 standard 1.2V
- Expands your system's available memory resource improving performance, reducing bottlenecks, and increasing workload capacity
- Note: This memory is ECC Unbuffered and cannot be mixed with different ECC types such as ECC Registered, ECC Load Reduced, or Non-ECC Unbuffered; (Refer to your system's manual for memory seating and channel guidelines)
Five 2.5-inch U.2 NVMe/SATA bays
The five smaller bays support 2.5-inch U.2 NVMe and SATA drives. The trays accept drives no taller than 7 mm; QNAP’s guide also lists 2.5-inch U.3 NVMe SSD support. Verify the exact drive model and interface against QNAP’s compatibility information. A drive that physically fits is not necessarily a supported choice.
When comparing drive options, consider interface, capacity, endurance and intended role—such as primary storage or SSD cache—alongside the compatibility listing. The available model documentation does not establish a universally best drive SKU for every configuration.
CPU, memory and networking
CPU and memory
For the documented TS-h987XU-RP-E2334-16G SKU, QNAP’s detailed specification and user guide identify an Intel Xeon E-2334 and 16 GB of DDR4 ECC memory. The platform has four memory slots and supports up to 128 GB. Because the product page’s introductory text instead names an E-2344, confirm the processor against the exact SKU and current regional listing rather than relying on that conflicting introduction.
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- A-Tech Memory RAM compatible for QNAP TS-h987XU-RP NAS system(s): TS-h987XU-RP-E2334-16G
- Single 16 GB Module; DDR4 DIMM 288-Pin; Speeds up to 3200 MHz, PC4-25600 (PC4-3200AA)
- ECC Unbuffered UDIMM; 1Rx8 (Single Rank x8); JEDEC DDR4 standard 1.2V
- Expands your system's available memory resource improving performance, reducing bottlenecks, and increasing workload capacity
- Note: This memory is ECC Unbuffered and cannot be mixed with different ECC types such as ECC Registered, ECC Load Reduced, or Non-ECC Unbuffered; (Refer to your system's manual for memory seating and channel guidelines)
Network ports and expansion
The NAS has two 10GBASE-T RJ45 ports and two 2.5GbE RJ45 ports, as well as one PCIe Gen 4 x8 slot. Onboard port count alone does not guarantee a given client will reach a particular speed: the switches, cabling, client interfaces, storage configuration and workload all matter. If you plan to add a network, QM2 or Fibre Channel card, check the card and configuration against QNAP’s compatibility information.
What QNAP’s performance figures do—and do not—show
QNAP reports the following SMB sequential throughput results from QNAP Labs. The product page does not state the test date, and QNAP says actual results may vary by environment.
| QNAP Labs configuration | Read | Write |
|---|---|---|
| One 25GbE connection | 2,953 MB/s | 2,940 MB/s |
| Two 25GbE connections | 5,876 MB/s | 5,901 MB/s |
These are vendor lab figures, not independent measurements or guaranteed results for another setup. QNAP describes the test environment as the TS-h987XU-RP-E2334-16G running QuTS hero h5.0.0, with a Samsung 860 EVO 1 TB RAID 5 volume and a QXG-25G2SF-CX6 network adapter; two client PCs ran Windows Server 2016. The cited figures therefore should not be treated as a forecast for different drives, firmware, clients, network infrastructure or workloads. The sources do not establish independent verification or performance on current firmware.
Rank #3
- A-Tech Memory RAM compatible for QNAP TS-h987XU-RP NAS system(s): TS-h987XU-RP-E2334-16G
- 16 GB Kit, (2 x 8GB Modules); DDR4 DIMM 288-Pin; Speeds up to 3200 MHz, PC4-25600 (PC4-3200AA)
- ECC Unbuffered UDIMM; 1Rx8 (Single Rank x8); JEDEC DDR4 standard 1.2V
- Expands your system's available memory resource improving performance, reducing bottlenecks, and increasing workload capacity
- Note: This memory is ECC Unbuffered and cannot be mixed with different ECC types such as ECC Registered, ECC Load Reduced, or Non-ECC Unbuffered; (Refer to your system's manual for memory seating and channel guidelines)
QuTS hero, QTS and data protection
The NAS can run either QuTS hero or QTS. QNAP describes QuTS hero as ZFS-based and lists inline deduplication, snapshots, SnapSync, compression, QSAL SSD wear leveling and RAID options among its capabilities. The company also lists backup tools for NAS-to-NAS, virtual-machine and SaaS data protection. Which features are useful depends on the workload and configuration; their presence does not by itself establish a recovery plan.
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Snapshots can help recover earlier versions of data, but they should not be treated as a substitute for independent backups. Plan backup copies, retention and restore procedures around the data’s recovery requirements, and test restores rather than assuming that a feature label guarantees recovery.
Choose the operating system before setup
QNAP’s guide warns that installing QuTS hero deletes data on installed drives. It also says switching between QuTS hero and QTS resets the NAS and deletes data because the systems use different file systems. Treat OS selection as a deployment decision: back up any existing data and verify that the backup can be restored before installation or a switch.
Rank #4
- Compatible with: QNAP NAS Servers TS-h987XU-RP
- Equivalent to QNAP RAM-8GDR4ECI0-UD-3200
- Capacity: 8GB, Speed: DDR4 PC4-25600 3200MHz, Form Factor: 288 pin ECC Unbuffered DIMM, Voltage: 1.2v
- System Specific Memory backed by parts-quick Lifetime Warranty and Toll Free Technical Support
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Rack fit, power and expansion
The user guide lists dimensions of 43.3 × 430 × 479 mm and a net weight of 8.43 kg. Check rack depth, clearance, airflow and handling requirements at the planned location. The NAS has dual 300 W power supplies; the guide says to connect both for redundant power. Its stated operating temperature range is 0–40°C.
The compatible rail kit named in the guide is QNAP RAIL-B02, and rail kits are sold separately. Confirm the kit and rack fit before installation rather than assuming rails are included.
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The guide lists support for SAS, SATA JBOD and USB expansion units. SATA JBOD requires a QNAP QXP host bus adapter; QNAP specifically warns that third-party HBAs do not work with its JBOD enclosures. Check the current compatibility information for the exact enclosure, adapter and supported unit count for your planned configuration.
Who should consider it?
- Consider it if you need a 1U rack NAS with both 3.5-inch SATA capacity and several 2.5-inch SSD bays, and its four onboard Ethernet ports or compatible PCIe expansion suit your network plan.
- It may suit business file-serving, virtualization or backup deployments where QuTS hero or QTS features align with administrative and recovery needs. Validate performance and compatibility against the specific workload rather than inferring them from feature lists or lab results.
- Look elsewhere or reassess the configuration if the 1U footprint, 7 mm drive-height limit, four hard-drive bays, separate rail purchase or required expansion hardware conflicts with your capacity, rack or budget needs.
For a fair comparison with another rack NAS, compare usable drive layout and supported media, ECC memory and maximum capacity, onboard networking, operating system and filesystem, expansion compatibility, rack depth and power, and the conditions behind any published performance figures. The QNAP sources establish those details only for this model, so they do not support a winner-versus-competitor verdict.
Verdict
The TS-h987XU-RP’s defining strength is its combination of four 3.5-inch bays and five 2.5-inch U.2 NVMe/SATA bays in a 1U rack chassis, backed by 10GbE and 2.5GbE networking and a four-slot ECC-memory platform. It is worth shortlisting when that mix fits the deployment. Before committing, verify the exact processor and drive compatibility, plan the network and rack installation, and account for the data-erasing OS setup and switching behavior. Treat QNAP’s throughput numbers as test-specific vendor results, not a promise of the speed your system will deliver.
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