Re: RN516 or RN526

NASguru · ‎2016-10-19

I'm looking to replace my aging Ultra 4 Plus and have been comparing the 516 and 526. The last time I looked the 526 didn't exist so it's nice to see a bigger version now available. I just have a few questions:

1. Will the 516 be going away any time soon?

2. Can the 526 transcode 4K video?

I primarily use my NAS for Plex, but do backup 2 PCs to it as well. I have also seen a few post where others upgraded the memory and CPU of the 516. I'm uncertain, but is it easier and faster performance wise to upgrade the 516? Or is the $300 bump from the 516 Intel Core i3-3220 3.3 GHz Dual Core/4GB ECC RAM to the 526 Intel D-1508 Dual Core 2.2GHz Server Processor/4GB DDR4 with ECC worth it?Correct me if I'm wrong, but per the literarture the 516 & 526 can both support up to 60TB (6 x 10TB drives)? I thought for some reason previously the 516 was limited to 24TB unless the upgade to OS 6.6 changed that.

Thanks!

jhagg · ‎2016-10-19

For reference, I am using the 516 for Plex, upgraded to 16GB RAM, about 1000 HD 1080p DTS movies currently, no 4K in library yet, and it plays most things like a champ, will transcode a 1080p stream or 2 but that's it. I only purchased mine about 3 months ago so my timing was pretty bad as they announced the existence of the new machine about a month after my 516 arrived.

Mine is at 24TB currently and it does hiccup now and then but overall I'm happy with it. I have considered upgrading the processor, but really feel like a better option is to sell my mint condition 516 and use those proceeds as a discount to the 626. The 626 I feel is really the way to go as mdgm pointed out. Plus technology is moving faster and faster I want to future proof the processor as much as possible. 626 will do 4K without blinking!

Lastly, while it doesn't affect me currently, I really think I will regret not having the 10G networking the new machines offer. My next home will most certainly be setup with such a network.

Bottom line, buy the 626 and never look back!

**This has unfortunately not been a paid advertisement by NetGear 😉

View solution in original post

mdgm-ntgr · ‎2016-10-19

4TB disks would have been what was available when the RN516 was launched. A lot of resellers won't update the pages they show about products over time. We can't confirm if higher capacity disks will work before they're available.

We have made software changes including in ReadyNAS OS 6.6.0 over time to better support higher capacity disks. When we add a disk to the compatibility list it is based on compatibility with the latest firmware release.

The RN526X is the newer model and has 10G ports. Personally I would go with the newer unit or maybe even consider the RN626X which has a quad-core CPU. The price difference between the RN526X and RN626X is a lot smaller than the difference between the RN516 and RN716X.

jhagg · ‎2016-10-19

For reference, I am using the 516 for Plex, upgraded to 16GB RAM, about 1000 HD 1080p DTS movies currently, no 4K in library yet, and it plays most things like a champ, will transcode a 1080p stream or 2 but that's it. I only purchased mine about 3 months ago so my timing was pretty bad as they announced the existence of the new machine about a month after my 516 arrived.

Mine is at 24TB currently and it does hiccup now and then but overall I'm happy with it. I have considered upgrading the processor, but really feel like a better option is to sell my mint condition 516 and use those proceeds as a discount to the 626. The 626 I feel is really the way to go as mdgm pointed out. Plus technology is moving faster and faster I want to future proof the processor as much as possible. 626 will do 4K without blinking!

Lastly, while it doesn't affect me currently, I really think I will regret not having the 10G networking the new machines offer. My next home will most certainly be setup with such a network.

Bottom line, buy the 626 and never look back!

**This has unfortunately not been a paid advertisement by NetGear 😉

NASguru · ‎2016-10-20

@mdgm wrote:
4TB disks would have been what was available when the RN516 was launched. A lot of resellers won't update the pages they show about products over time. We can't confirm if higher capacity disks will work before they're available.

We have made software changes including in ReadyNAS OS 6.6.0 over time to better support higher capacity disks. When we add a disk to the compatibility list it is based on compatibility with the latest firmware release.

The RN526X is the newer model and has 10G ports. Personally I would go with the newer unit or maybe even consider the RN626X which has a quad-core CPU. The price difference between the RN526X and RN626X is a lot smaller than the difference between the RN516 and RN716X.

Ok, that makes sense on the disk capacitiy. I previously didn't compare the pricing (see below) across those models but checking Amazon shows a $145 increase from the 526 to the 626. In short, it's negligible and makes sense to simply go with the 626 given the difference. The only downfall is that Amazon shows the 626 won't ship for 1 -2 months which I'm guessing is due to it just being released? Newegg is out of stock and others show more reasonable time tables but of course their prices are MSRP of $1,800 or more for the 626. That aside, the 716 must be a great leap in performance to be $1,600 increase in price over the 516 and $1,300 over the newer 626. I read one review on Amazon where the CPU and RAM were upgraded on a 516 to essentially be a 716 for only an additional $300. It would seem that's the way to go to save $1,300 if the process is simple. I do realize it voids the warranty/support though and also suspect the 626 and 526 were released to fill that gap and stems anyone from taking the cheaper path with the 516 + an upgrade in chip/ram.

Anyhow, can anyone confirm a 726 is in the works as well?

ReadyNAS 716: $2,717.55
ReadyNAS 516: $1,120.15

ReadyNAS 626: $1,545.94
ReadyNAS 526: $1,399.99

NASguru · ‎2016-10-20

@jhagg wrote:
For reference, I am using the 516 for Plex, upgraded to 16GB RAM, about 1000 HD 1080p DTS movies currently, no 4K in library yet, and it plays most things like a champ, will transcode a 1080p stream or 2 but that's it. I only purchased mine about 3 months ago so my timing was pretty bad as they announced the existence of the new machine about a month after my 516 arrived.

Mine is at 24TB currently and it does hiccup now and then but overall I'm happy with it. I have considered upgrading the processor, but really feel like a better option is to sell my mint condition 516 and use those proceeds as a discount to the 626. The 626 I feel is really the way to go as mdgm pointed out. Plus technology is moving faster and faster I want to future proof the processor as much as possible. 626 will do 4K without blinking!

Lastly, while it doesn't affect me currently, I really think I will regret not having the 10G networking the new machines offer. My next home will most certainly be setup with such a network.

Bottom line, buy the 626 and never look back!

**This has unfortunately not been a paid advertisement by NetGear 😉

This is good feedback and for simplicity I agree the 626 will probably get it done for me as well. You wouldn't happen to know if the 626 can do 3 simultaneous streams of 1080P? I suspect it can do 2 1080P streams with no issue? Along the same line, I wonder how many 4K streams the 626 can accomplish. I haven't looked but does this forum have a sell/buy/trade section? If so, that's where I would start if you intend to trade-in.

mdgm-ntgr · ‎2016-10-20

The RN716X has an Intel Xeon Ivy Bridge E3-1265Lv2 2.5GHz (3.5GHz Turbo) Quad Core with 16GB ECC

The RN626X is Intel® D-1521 Quad Core 2.4GHz Xeon Server Processor with 8GB DDR4 ECC RAM

The E3-1265Lv2 uses a 22nm manufacturing process, while the D-1521 processor is much newer and uses a 14nm process. The D-1521 will operate faster at a lower clock speed

The main reason the RN716X cost so much was the high cost of 10G ports, I believe. These have come down a lot in price.

NASguru · ‎2016-10-20

@mdgm wrote:
The RN716X has an Intel Xeon Ivy Bridge E3-1265Lv2 2.5GHz (3.5GHz Turbo) Quad Core with 16GB ECC
The RN626X is Intel® D-1521 Quad Core 2.4GHz Xeon Server Processor with 8GB DDR4 ECC RAM

The E3-1265Lv2 uses a 22nm manufacturing process, while the D-1521 processor is much newer and uses a 14nm process. The D1521 will operate faster at a lower clock speed

The main reason the RN716X cost so much was the high cost of 10G ports, I believe. These have come down a lot in price.

Got it so Netgear is still trying to recoup their manufacturing cost on the 716? Would it then be fair to say the 716 consumes more power than the 626 during operations given the Chipset differences?

StephenB · ‎2016-10-20

@NASguru wrote:

You wouldn't happen to know if the 626 can do 3 simultaneous streams of 1080P? I suspect it can do 2 1080P streams with no issue? Along the same line, I wonder how many 4K streams the 626 can accomplish.

Of course if there is no transcoding even an RN102 can do 3 simultaneous 1080p streams. The transcoding limits will depend on source frame rate, source and target frame size, and the source and target codecs. It'd be helpful if there was more information on this (though it is diffficult to present it in a useful way).

mdgm-ntgr · ‎2016-10-20

The datasheets suggest the power consumption of the RN626X and RN716X would be about the same, I think.

NASguru · ‎2016-10-20

@StephenB wrote:
@NASguru wrote:
You wouldn't happen to know if the 626 can do 3 simultaneous streams of 1080P? I suspect it can do 2 1080P streams with no issue? Along the same line, I wonder how many 4K streams the 626 can accomplish.

Of course if there is no transcoding even an RN102 can do 3 simultaneous 1080p streams. The transcoding limits will depend on source frame rate, source and target frame size, and the source and target codecs. It'd be helpful if there was more information on this (though it is diffficult to present it in a useful way).

So true. So I found this on the Plex forums: https://forums.plex.tv/discussion/155986/readynas-516-how-many-transcoding-streams

It would seem there is a benchmark of sorts since it mentions a PassMark data score. I doubt one exists for the 626 yet but that may help give an idea. I like to hear from someone who has taken the plunge and can atest to the results, but that may take some time given I have yet to see many 626s in the wild yet.

NASguru · ‎2016-10-20

@mdgm wrote:
The datasheets suggest the power consumption of the RN626X and RN716X would be about the same, I think.

Ok, so nothing gained and nothing losted.

NASguru · ‎2016-10-20

FYI, I found the post where a guy upgrades the chipset on the 516 to essentially be a 716. It's extensive though: https://community.netgear.com/t5/ReadyNAS-Hardware-Compatibility/How-to-Upgrade-the-CPU-and-RAM-in-a...