Hardkernel has announced an open-spec, “ODROID-HC4” Network-Attached Storage (NAS) device that runs Linux on a quad -A55 Amlogic S905X3 and offers 4GB DDR4, HDMI 2.0 and two PCIe-driven 2.5- or 3.5-inch SSD/HDD slots for just $65 to $75.
This follows after the company updated its Odroid-HC1 NAS board with an Odroid-HC2 model sometime in 2018, both of which are somehow limited as they support only one drive.
The new Odroid-HC4 however seems to be a powerful upgrade as the HC4 does not only switch to a more powerful Amlogic S905X3 processor but also adds a second SATA slot. For the first time also, the SATA slots are enabled via PCIe instead of USB, meaning a faster and more reliable operation.
We’ve heard that many users wanted to run their storage server on a modern ARM 64bit platform with more DRAM memory, higher power efficiency and more storage capacity. Therefore, we started developing a new Home-Cloud platform late last year and it is time to show you something new based on the same ARM S905X3 CPU in the ODROID-C4”, says Hardkernel. “We connected a SATA SSD to the HC4 platform and measured the storage IO throughput. We could observe 390~420MB/s transfer speed which is quite good for many applications.
Unlike most NAS systems, the ODROID-HC4 has what it takes to keep things running cool from the inside. It has a passive heat sink attached on top of Amlogic S905X3 processor and a 5V 4,000-RPM bearing fan that operates at 23.9 dBA. The drives can also be inserted into the case slots and exposed to open air rather than hidden away inside a metal or a plastic.
Read more: HARDKERNEL ODROID-HC4 IS A LOW-COST DUAL-BAY NAS THAT SELLS FOR $65 AND UP
