9-bay desktop hybrid-storage NAS
QNAP TS-h973AX-8G
A diskless 9-bay tower NAS supplied with an AMD Ryzen Embedded V1500B 4-core processor, 8GB DDR4, five 3.5-inch bays, four 2.5-inch bays, one 10GBASE-T port and two 2.5GbE ports.
Compact hybrid storage with 10GbE and dedicated SSD bays
The QNAP TS-h973AX-8G combines five 3.5-inch bays and four 2.5-inch bays with built-in 10GbE and 2.5GbE connectivity. Its supplied QuTS hero features include snapshots, real-time SnapSync, inline deduplication and compression. The source advises at least 16GB memory for the listed memory-intensive applications.
Key features and benefits
Nine-bay hybrid layout
Five 3.5-inch bays and four 2.5-inch bays support a compact mixed HDD and SSD design.
U.2 NVMe capability
Only 2.5-inch bays 1 and 2 accept the listed U.2 NVMe PCIe Gen 3 x4 SSDs; the source warns against installing them elsewhere.
Built-in 10GbE and 2.5GbE
One 10GBASE-T port and two 2.5GbE ports are supplied.
Expandable memory
8GB is installed, with a listed maximum of 64GB and optional ECC memory support.
Business backup and virtualisation
The source includes cloud-data and VM backup, virtual machines, containers and cloud storage gateways.
USB storage expansion
The supplied overview identifies TR-series USB JBOD enclosures for capacity expansion.
Who is the QNAP TS-h973AX-8G best for?
A strong choice for
- Hybrid HDD and SSD storage
- Business backup and recovery
- Virtual machines and containers after considering the memory guidance
- High-speed file access over 10GbE or 2.5GbE
- Compact desktop deployments
Consider another model if you need
- Running the listed memory-intensive applications without upgrading to at least 16GB
- Installing U.2 NVMe drives outside bays 1 and 2
- A rackmount chassis
- Built-in PCIe expansion slots
- A configuration supplied with drives
Key specifications
- Processor
- AMD Ryzen Embedded V1500B, 4-core/8-thread, 2.2GHz
- Memory
- 8GB SODIMM DDR4 (1 × 8GB); maximum 64GB (2 × 32GB); optional ECC memory supported
- Drive bays
- 5 × 3.5-inch + 4 × 2.5-inch; shipped without HDD/SSD
- Drive compatibility
- 3.5-inch SATA HDDs and 2.5-inch SATA SSDs in 3.5-inch bays; 2.5-inch SATA SSDs in 2.5-inch bays; U.2 NVMe PCIe Gen 3 x4 SSDs only in bays 1 and 2
- Networking
- 1 × 10GBASE-T; 2 × 2.5GbE; 5GbE optional through the listed QNA-UC5G1T adapter
- USB
- 1 × Type-C and 3 × Type-A USB 3.2 Gen 2
- Form factor
- Tower
- Dimensions
- 176.5 × 224.6 × 224.1 mm, excluding foot pad
- Net weight
- 4.34 kg
- Power supply
- External 120W, AC 100–240V
- Disk standby
- 41.2 (unit not stated in supplied source)
- Standard warranty
- 3 (unit not stated in supplied source)
Full technical specifications
View all supplied technical specifications
| CPU | AMD Ryzen™ Embedded V1500B 4-core/8-thread 2.2 GHz processor |
|---|---|
| CPU Architecture | 64-bit x86 |
| Floating Point Unit | Supported |
| Encryption Engine | Supported (AES-NI) |
| System Memory | 8 GB SODIMM DDR4 (1 x 8 GB) |
| Maximum Memory | 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) |
| Memory Slot | 2 x SODIMM DDR4 Support optional ECC memory For dual-DIMM configuration, you must use a pair of identical DDR4 modules. |
| Flash Memory | 5GB (Dual boot OS protection) |
| Drive Bay | 5 x 3.5-inch + 4 x 2.5-inch The system is shipped without HDD/SSD. For the HDD/SSD compatibility list |
| Drive Compatibility | 3.5-inch bays: 3.5-inch SATA hard disk drives 2.5-inch SATA solid state drives 2.5-inch bays: 2.5-inch SATA solid state drives 2.5-inch U.2 NVMe PCIe Gen3 x4 solid state drives (2.5-inch Bay #1 & #2) * 2.5-inch bay #1 & #2 support either U.2 NVMe SSDs or SATA 6Gb/s SSDs. ** U.2 NVMe solid-state drives can only be installed in 2.5-inch bay numbers 1 and 2. Installing these drives in other bays will damage the drive connectors. |
| Hot-swappable | Supported |
| SSD Cache Acceleration Support | Supported |
| 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet Port (2.5G/1G/100M) | 2 (2.5G/1G/100M) |
| 5 Gigabit Ethernet Port (5G/2.5G/1G/100M) | Optional via the QNA-UC5G1T USB to 5GbE network adapter |
| 10 Gigabit Ethernet Port | 1 x 10GBASE-T (10G/5G/2.5G/1G/100M) |
| Wake on LAN (WOL) | Supported |
| Jumbo Frame | Supported |
| USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) Port | 1 x Type-C USB 3.2 Gen 2 3 x Type-A USB 3.2 Gen 2 |
| Form Factor | Tower |
| LED Indicators | HDD 1-5, SSD 1-4, Power/Status, LAN, USB |
| Buttons | Power, Reset, USB Copy |
| Dimensions (HxWxD) | 176.5 × 224.6 × 224.1 mm Dimensions do not include foot pad (foot pad may be up to 30mm / 1.18 inches high depending on model) |
| Weight (Net) | 4.34 kg |
| Weight (Gross) | 5.08 kg |
| Operating Temperature | 0 - 40 °C (32°F - 104°F) |
| Storage Temperature | -20 - 70°C (-4°F - 158°F) |
| Relative Humidity | 5-95% RH non-condensing, wet bulb: 27°C (80.6˚F) |
| Power Supply Unit | External, 120 W, AC 100 to 240 V |
| Power Consumption: Disk Standby Mode | 41.2 |
| Power Consumption: Operating Mode, Typical | 55.41 W Tested with drives fully populated. |
| Fan | 1 x 140mm, 12VDC |
| System Warning | Buzzer |
| Kensington Security Slot | Supported |
| Standard Warranty | 3 |
| Max. Number of Concurrent Connections (CIFS) - with Max. Memory | 2000 |
Frequently asked questions about the QNAP TS-h973AX-8G
What is the QNAP TS-h973AX-8G?
It is a diskless 9-bay tower NAS with a Ryzen Embedded V1500B processor, 8GB DDR4, one 10GBASE-T port and two 2.5GbE ports.
How much memory is installed?
The source lists 8GB installed and a maximum of 64GB.
Does the source give memory guidance for applications?
Yes. It recommends the 32GB model or upgrading the 8GB model to at least 16GB for the named memory-intensive applications.
Which bays support U.2 NVMe SSDs?
Only 2.5-inch bays 1 and 2. The source warns that installing U.2 NVMe drives in other bays will damage the connectors.
Is it supplied with drives?
No. The source says it is shipped without HDD or SSD.
What networking is included?
One 10GBASE-T port and two 2.5GbE ports are listed.
What is the warranty period?
The source gives the value 3 without a unit, so the duration cannot be confirmed.
