What can the F2-425 run?
By Devin Chua · Data checked by Owen Nakamura · Updated · Prices checked The F2-425 runs Plex and Jellyfin with 4K hardware transcoding, full Docker via TOS and real virtual machines. On its Intel N5095 (4 cores, 2.0 GHz) with 4 GB (to 16 GB), the sweet spot is Plex, Jellyfin, Home Assistant, Nextcloud.
The cheapest x86 two-bay with 2.5-gigabit networking. With two equal-size drives TRAID gives no advantage over RAID 1; it only gets interesting once you add a larger drive later.
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Everything the F2-425 can run, at a glance
Rated from this model’s real Intel N5095 (4 cores, 2.0 GHz) and its 4 GB–16 GB of RAM. “Limited” and “No” are honest: an ARM box does not virtualize, and no hardware transcode is no hardware transcode.
| App | Runs? | Performance | What it needs on this model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plex | Yes | good | 4K HW transcode (Quick Sync) |
| Jellyfin | Yes | good | 4K HW transcode via Quick Sync |
| Immich | Yes | fair | Recommend a RAM upgrade to 8 GB+ · add RAM › |
| Home Assistant | Yes | good | Container or full HA OS in a VM |
| Nextcloud | Yes | good | Runs well in Docker |
| Frigate | Yes | good | Intel iGPU decode; add a Coral TPU for detection |
| Pi-hole / AdGuard Home | Yes | good | Lightweight container |
| Paperless-ngx | Yes | good | Runs well in Docker |
| Vaultwarden | Yes | good | Lightweight container |
| Minecraft server | Yes | fair | RAM upgrade recommended for headroom · add RAM › |
| Docker (general) | Yes | good | Full container platform (TOS) |
| Virtual machines | Yes | fair | Add RAM (16 GB+) for a useful VM · add RAM › |
| Surveillance recording | Yes | good | Scales to many cameras; surveillance drives |
| Time Machine / backup target | Yes | good | Any model |
App by app on the F2-425
Plex
Plex installs as a native TOS package on the F2-425, and the Intel N5095 (4 cores, 2.0 GHz) carries Intel Quick Sync, so it hardware-transcodes 4K HDR down to a phone or an old TV. With 1 × 2.5GbE and 2-bay storage behind it, this F2-425 is a genuinely capable media server.
Jellyfin
Jellyfin runs in a container on the F2-425 and taps the Intel N5095 (4 cores, 2.0 GHz)'s Quick Sync, so 4K hardware transcoding matches Plex: the open-source route with no performance penalty on this box, served over 1 × 2.5GbE.
Immich
Immich is a strong fit for the F2-425: TOS's Docker hosts the stack and, with 4 GB out of the box and room for 16 GB, you can feed its ML search the 8 GB+ it wants. Add RAM before pointing your whole library at it.
Home Assistant
The F2-425 is a comfortable Home Assistant host: run the light HA Container in TOS's Docker, or (because this 4-core Intel N5095 (4 cores, 2.0 GHz) virtualizes) the full Home Assistant OS with add-ons in a VM, with 16 GB of RAM to spare it.
Nextcloud
Nextcloud runs in TOS's Docker on the F2-425; with 4 GB out of the box and room for 16 GB and the 4-core Intel N5095 (4 cores, 2.0 GHz) it is responsive for a household over 1 × 2.5GbE. It is heavier than a plain file share, so give the container room.
Frigate
Frigate is viable on the F2-425: the Intel N5095 (4 cores, 2.0 GHz)'s Intel iGPU decodes the streams over 1 × 2.5GbE, and a USB Coral TPU (about CA$40–120) runs the detection cheaply. Add the Coral and it watches several cameras comfortably.
Pi-hole / AdGuard Home
Pi-hole (or AdGuard Home) is trivial for the F2-425: a few hundred megabytes in TOS's Docker, sitting on your 1 × 2.5GbE as the network's DNS server 24/7. An always-on 2-bay NAS is an ideal host.
Paperless-ngx
Paperless-ngx runs in TOS's Docker on the F2-425; the 4-core Intel N5095 (4 cores, 2.0 GHz) handles a household's OCR in bursts, with 4 GB out of the box and room for 16 GB to keep indexing quick.
Vaultwarden
Vaultwarden is one of the easiest wins on the F2-425: a Bitwarden-compatible password server in a sub-gigabyte container under TOS, always available on your own 2-bay box rather than someone else's cloud.
Minecraft server
The F2-425 can host a Minecraft world in TOS's Docker: a world wants ~4 GB, and this model offers 4 GB out of the box and room for 16 GB. Add RAM before inviting a crowd; the Intel N5095 (4 cores, 2.0 GHz)'s clock does the rest.
Docker (general)
Docker is the F2-425's superpower: TOS's container platform runs the whole self-hosted world, and with 4 GB out of the box and room for 16 GB you decide how many services to stack on the 4-core Intel N5095 (4 cores, 2.0 GHz). This is what turns it from 2-bay storage into a home server.
Virtual machines
The F2-425 is a real VM host: the 4-core Intel N5095 (4 cores, 2.0 GHz) virtualizes and 4 GB out of the box and room for 16 GB lets you hand a guest a proper slice while the NAS keeps serving over 1 × 2.5GbE. Fill it toward 16 GB if VMs are the point.
Surveillance recording
The F2-425 runs TerraMaster's native NVR app, and the 4-core Intel N5095 (4 cores, 2.0 GHz) scales to a real camera count over 1 × 2.5GbE. Size the 2 bays by cameras × retention, and use surveillance-tuned drives (WD Purple, SkyHawk) for the continuous writes.
Time Machine / backup target
Like every NAS, the F2-425 is an excellent Time Machine and backup target over SMB: set a per-user quota so backups do not fill its 2 bays. With 1 × 2.5GbE it soaks up a household's Macs and PCs effortlessly.
Local AI on the F2-425
Out of the box the F2-425 cannot load Llama 3.1 8B: the model plus a 4k conversation needs about 5.9 GB, and only 2.0 GB of its 4 GB is free once the NAS software takes its share. With 8 GB it fits, and then runs at 1.0 to 3.5 tok/s.
The Intel N5095 is limited by its processor as much as its memory, so this estimate comes from published measurements on the same chip rather than a bandwidth formula. No published LLM measurement on this CPU; we apply the Intel N100 range (the closest low-power chip with published figures), capped by this box's memory bandwidth.
No model in our list both fits comfortably and holds 5 tokens a second on the F2-425 as shipped. More RAM (up to 16 GB) adds room for other apps, but no larger model reaches a comfortable speed.
For AI photo search on the F2-425: runs on the CPU; OpenVINO on this Intel iGPU is untested in Immich's docs. For camera detection in Frigate: hardware detection on the Intel iGPU via OpenVINO.
| Llama 3.1 8B (Q4, 4k context, Ollama's default) | Does not fit as shipped; fits at 16 GB (1.0 to 3.5 tok/s) |
|---|---|
| Largest comfortable model (5+ tok/s) | None as shipped |
| AI photo search (Immich) | Runs on the CPU; OpenVINO on this Intel iGPU is untested in Immich's docs |
| AI camera detection (Frigate) | Hardware detection on the Intel iGPU via OpenVINO |
| Best single upgrade | RAM to 16 GB |
Try other models on the F2-425 in the AI NAS calculator › · Compatible RAM for the F2-425 ›
The F2-425 at a glance
| CPU | Intel N5095 (4 cores, 2.0 GHz) |
|---|---|
| RAM | 4 GB DDR4 SO-DIMM, no ECC (1 slot), up to 16 GB |
| Bays | 2 |
| Container platform | Yes, TOS |
| Virtual machines | Yes |
| Plex/Jellyfin transcode | 4K HDR via Intel Quick Sync |
| OS | TOS 6 |
Read more
- What can I run? The full matrix
- Best drives for the F2-425
- RAM for the F2-425
- F2-425 capacity calculator
- What it costs to run (power calculator)
- AI on a NAS: what actually matters
Frequently asked questions
Can the F2-425 run Plex with 4K transcoding?
Yes. The Intel N5095 (4 cores, 2.0 GHz) includes Intel Quick Sync, so the F2-425 hardware-transcodes 4K HDR in Plex (with an active Plex Pass). It is one of this model's real strengths.
Can the F2-425 run Docker?
Yes. TOS includes a full container platform, so the F2-425 runs the whole self-hosted world (Pi-hole, Vaultwarden, Nextcloud and more), limited only by its 4–16 GB of RAM.
Can the F2-425 run virtual machines?
Yes. The F2-425 supports hardware virtualization, and with up to 16 GB of RAM it can give a Windows or Linux guest a useful slice while still serving files.
Can the F2-425 run Immich?
Yes. With a RAM upgrade toward 8 GB, the F2-425 runs Immich's machine-learning photo search comfortably in Docker, a strong self-hosted Google Photos replacement.
Can the F2-425 run Home Assistant?
Yes. Home Assistant Container runs in Docker on the F2-425 and barely touches the CPU, and you can run the full Home Assistant OS in a VM if you prefer add-ons.
Is the F2-425 a good home server, or just storage?
It is a genuine home server: full Docker (and VMs) turn it into a platform for Plex, photos, automation and more, not just a file box. RAM is the main lever on how much you stack.
Can the F2-425 run a local AI chatbot like Ollama?
With limits. Llama 3.1 8B at the default Q4 runs at about 1.0 to 3.5 tok/s on the F2-425 at Ollama's default 4k context. Memory bandwidth, not an NPU, sets that 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)