QNAP TS-264: compatible drives
By Devin Chua · Data checked by Owen Nakamura · Updated For the QNAP TS-264 fit CMR NAS drives like WD Red Pro or Seagate IronWolf Pro across all 2 bays. QNAP locks no drive brand on the TS-264; its compatibility list is guidance, not a gate. At 2 × 8 TB the TS-264 keeps 7.28 TiB usable in RAID 1, about CA$1,144 in drives. Since its Intel Celeron N5095 (4 cores) hardware-transcodes Plex through Intel Quick Sync and runs a stack of containers, with a light VM or two as the ceiling, an ordinary CMR drive already saturates the TS-264's link.
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Want to know whether the TS-264 fits your actual storage plan? Open the NAS Builder with this model weighted.
What fits the TS-264
| Drive type | Status | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 3.5-inch SATA hard drive (CMR) | Fits | QNAP publishes no per-drive size limit; its compatibility list shows tested sizes. |
| 2.5-inch SATA SSD | Fits | The bays take 2.5-inch drives. |
| SAS drive | Does not fit | The bays are SATA; a SAS drive needs a SAS controller. |
| SMR hard drive | Avoid in RAID | Works alone, but can stall a rebuild for days. Check the model number against the maker's CMR/SMR list. |
| M.2 SATA SSD (for example WD Red SA500 …R0B) | Does not fit | Not a bay drive, and the M.2 slots take NVMe only. |
| M.2 NVMe SSD | Fits | The TS-264's 2 M.2 slots take M.2 2280 NVMe drives from any maker, usable as a cache or as their own storage pool; QNAP's list is guidance, not a gate. |
How we decide what is compatible
A part reaches our shortlist for the TS-264 only when it meets QNAP’s published specifications for its form factor, interface, size and memory type, and, where QNAP requires its own compatibility list (as Synology does for M.2 NVMe), when it is on that list. Parts that fit physically but are not on a required list are shown separately and labelled. Parts that depend on a detail QNAP does not publish are labelled “fit not confirmed”. Anything that does not fit is left out. Our methodology explains each step.
Sources for the TS-264: www.qnap.com (read 2026-10-05); www.qnap.com (read 2026-10-05).
Current offers: the drives, memory and NVMe that pass these rules, with Amazon.ca prices, are on the best drives for the TS-264 page and its memory and NVMe pages.
The QNAP drive policy on the TS-264
unrestrictedOpen. QNAP locks no drives; the compatibility list is guidance.
The TS-264 at a glance
| Bays | 2 × 3.5-inch SATA and 2.5-inch SATA SSD |
|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Celeron N5095 (4 cores) |
| Memory | 8 GB, DDR4 SO-DIMM, no ECC (2 slots) 16 GB official; 32 GB is reported in forums but not endorsed. |
| M.2 NVMe | 2 slots 2 × M.2 2280 NVMe (PCIe 3.0 x1), freely populated |
| Network | 2 × 2.5GbE, expandable via the PCIe slot |
| Operating system | QTS 5.2 or QuTS hero (ZFS) |
| RAID types | Single, JBOD, RAID 0, RAID 1 |
Keep calculating
To see how much capacity is left after parity, the TS-264 capacity calculator is preset to its 2 bays and RAID types. For the TS-264, the wider basics of choosing a drive are in the buying guides, and CMR versus SMR explains why SMR drives do not belong in a RAID array. Wondering what the TS-264 can actually do: Plex, Immich, Docker, VMs? See what the TS-264 can run.
Frequently asked questions
Can I put third-party drives in the TS-264?
Yes. QNAP locks no drive brand on the TS-264; its compatibility list is guidance, not a gate.
Which drives fit the TS-264?
The TS-264 takes any 3.5-inch SATA and 2.5-inch SATA SSD drive; use a CMR NAS family rated for 24/7 duty such as IronWolf, WD Red Plus or Toshiba N300. On its 2 × 2.5GbE, expandable via the PCIe slot, a standard CMR drive is already fast enough for the TS-264.
How much capacity is usable in the TS-264?
In the TS-264, 2 × 8 TB in RAID 1 gives about 7.28 TiB usable and survives 1 drive failing; the balance is parity.
Can the TS-264 run Plex with hardware transcoding?
Yes. The TS-264's Intel Celeron N5095 (4 cores) includes Intel Quick Sync, which hardware-transcodes Plex including 4K HEVC, so it handles several streams at once without loading the CPU.
Is a Pro drive worth it in the TS-264?
Marginal. The TS-264's 2 × 2.5GbE, expandable via the PCIe slot sits right where a standard CMR drive already saturates the link, so a Pro drive mainly buys warranty, not speed.
Devin Chua works out which drives, RAM and NVMe cache fit which NAS model at nasdrives.ca, and what the RAID choice means for usable capacity, checked against what is in stock on Amazon.ca.
Data checked by Owen Nakamura, Technical editor (data checking)