Terra Master
D8 hybrid
Storage
HDD slots: 4
M.2 2280 NVMe Slots: 4
Compatible hard drive types:
*3,5" SATA HDD
*2,5" SATA HDD
*2,5" SATA SSD
File systems: NTFS, APFS, Mac OS, FAT32, EXT4, exFAT
Maximum internal raw capacity: 120TB (22TB drive x 4 + 8TB drive x 4)
Supported RAID modes: SINGLE DISK, JBOD, RAID 0, RAID 1
Hardware RAID: Available
RAID Manager Software: Not available
RAID online expansion: Not available
RAID Migration: Not available
Automatic RAID recovery: Available
Drive Hot Swap: Not available
HDD sleep mode: Available
HDD SMART monitoring: Not available
Sector verification and parity control: Not available
External Anschlüsse
USB: USB3.2 Type-C gen2, 10Gbps
Power connection: DC IN 12V
Read/write speed (maximum)
Read speed: 560MB/s (SSD1), 1016MB/s (SSD4), 980MB/s (M.2 SSD1)
Write speed: 520MB/s (SSD1), 960MB/s (SSD4), 880MB/s (M.2 SSD1)
Physical characteristics
Size (HWD): 222 x 179 x 154 mm
Packaging size (HWD): 300 x 275 x 186 mm
Weight: Net weight: 1.9 kg, gross weight: 3.1 kg
System fan: 120 x 120 x 25 mm, 1 piece
Fan mode: Intelligent
Noise level: 21.0 dB (A)
Power Supply
Power supply: 90 W
Input voltage: 100V to 240V AC
Power frequency: 50/60 Hz, single phase
Power consumption: 40.8 W (access), 9.8 W (sleep)
Ambient temperature
Operating temperature: 0 ° C ~ 40 ° C
Storage temperature: -20°C ~ 60°C
Relative humidity: 5% ~ 95% RH
Supported operating systems and certifications
Supported operating systems: Windows OS, Mac OS
Warranty: 2 years
Certificates: CE, FCC, CCC, KC
Environmental compatibility: RoHS compliant
What's in the box
1x D8 Hybrid
1x power supply
1x power cable
1x USB cable A to Type-C (10Gb)
1x quick installation guide
1x Limited Warranty Statement
1x mini screwdriver
1x reset needle
20x screws
TerraMaster D8 Hybrid: First impression
The black plastic housing of the D8 Hybrid is simple and functional. There are four drive slots on the front, which allow 3,5" HDDs to be installed without tools thanks to quick-release fasteners. Screws are included for mounting 2,5" SSDs.
Lots of black plastic.
There is space for up to four M.2 SSDs in 2280 format under the right side cover. However, the installation space is very limited, so SSDs with heat sinks cannot be used.
To remove the side cover, all you have to do is loosen two screws.
A fast Realtek RTL2CN USB-to-PCIe bridge ensures the connection of the M.9210 SSDs. An ASMedia ASM1352R USB-to-SATA controller takes care of the HDDs, which can connect the first two slots to form RAID 0, 1 or JBOD. The remaining slots are addressed as single drives.
The PCB with the four M.2 slots is easy to reach.
When fully equipped, the D8 Hybrid has a storage capacity of up to 128 TB. Data transfer takes place via USB-C using the USB 3.2 Gen 2 protocol. This means that transfer rates of up to 10 Gbit/s are possible. However, you will look in vain for even faster standards such as USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20 Gbit/s), USB4 (20+ Gbit/s) or Thunderbolt 3/4 (40 Gbit/s). TerraMaster has potential for future models here!
What is a DAS?
DAS stands for Direct Attached Storage and is basically an extended external hard drive. Unlike a NAS (Network Attached Storage), a DAS is attached directly to a computer rather than via a network. As a result, a DAS usually offers higher transfer speeds, but is less flexible in use than a NAS.
TerraMaster D8 Hybrid: Commissioning
Once all the drives are in place, connect the 90-watt power supply (12V, 7.5A) and the USB-C cable to a free USB port on the computer.
Important: The D8 Hybrid should be connected directly to a native USB port on the motherboard. When using hubs or front panel ports, connections sometimes dropped during the test.
As with any new drive, the storage media must first be partitioned and formatted. The RAID modes for the first two SATA slots can be easily set using the rotary switch on the back. After pressing the reset button for 5 seconds and restarting, the RAID is active.
The multi-stage switch is adjusted using a mini screwdriver.
On Windows, it may take a moment for all eight drives to be mounted and ready for use. The D8 Hybrid can then be used like normal external storage. It supports common file systems such as NTFS, HFS+, exFAT and ext4 and is therefore compatible with virtually all current operating systems.
The D8 Hybrid can also be connected to TerraMaster NAS systems as an extension. Theoretically, it should also be possible to use it on home servers with Unraid or TrueNAS. We will test again separately how well this works.
TerraMaster D8 Hybrid: practical test
The Seagate Ironwolf Pro is a cheap alternative to the well-known WD Red (Plus)
Speed
For the practical test, we equipped the D8 Hybrid with two 4TB Seagate Ironwolf hard drives and a 1TB Kingston Fury Renegade SSD. It is connected to the USB4 port of a GEEKOM A8, a powerful mini PC that can also serve as a home server. The measurements are taken using CrystalDiskMark 8.0.5.
First, we test the Kingston Fury Renegade SSD in standalone mode. The sequential read rates of up to 876 MB/s and write rates of almost 978 MB/s are good, but there is more. When copying large amounts of data, the D8 Hybrid achieves transfer rates of around 800 MB/s with the SSD. Although this is faster than with an HDD, it does not reach the theoretical maximum of the SSD.
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- SSD SINGLE
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- HDD SINGLE
The bottleneck here is the USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface with its 10 Gbit/s. With a native connection, reading rates of over 7000 MB/s would be possible. When it comes to random 4K access, the SSD still performs well with over 310 MB/s reading and writing. The speed should be sufficient for most applications.
Next we test the two Seagate Ironwolf HDDs in RAID 0. Here we achieve decent sequential transfer rates of around 497 MB/s reading and 487 MB/s writing. As expected, the 4K random values are significantly lower at 6,3 MB/s reading and 6,7 MB/s writing.
In RAID 1, the read speed is halved to around 256 MB/s, while the write rate only drops slightly to 244 MB/s. The 4K random performance also drops to below 3 MB/s. The HDDs show similar values in single mode.
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- HDD RAID 0
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- HDD RAID 1
By the way, the USB interface does not limit the performance of the HDDs. The bandwidth offered here is far higher than required.
How do the different RAID levels, JBOD and SINGLE, differ?
- RAID 0 (Striping): Data is distributed across multiple hard drives, which increases speed but does not provide data security. The failure of a hard drive leads to data loss.
- RAID 1 (Mirroring): Data is mirrored on two hard drives, which ensures high data security. If a hard drive fails, the data is still available. The storage capacity is halved.
- RAID 5: Data and parity are distributed across at least three hard drives. Offers a good balance between data security and storage capacity. Hard drive failure is tolerated.
- RAID 6: Similar to RAID 5, but with additional security by being distributed across at least four hard drives. Up to two hard drives can fail without data loss, but requires more storage space.
- RAID 10: Combination of RAID 0 and RAID 1. Data is mirrored and then striped, providing high speed and data security. Multiple hard drives can fail as long as not both of a mirrored pair are affected. Usable storage capacity halved.
- JBOD (Just a Bunch of Disks): Hard drives are used individually, offering maximum storage capacity but no additional security or performance improvement.
- SINGLE (single mode): Use of a single hard drive, simple and straightforward, but without additional security or performance increase.
TPC Backupper
For data backup, TerraMaster includes the "TPC Backupper", an OEM version of the AOMEI Backupper. Unfortunately, the software is delivered without a license, so you can only unlock the useful Pro functions such as incremental backups for an additional charge. Quite a shame for a product in this price range!
volume
The D8 Hybrid runs pleasantly quietly. The background noise is mainly caused by the HDDs and not by the built-in 120 millimeter fan. It reaches a maximum of 35 dB(A) under load. When idle, the fan switches off completely and the HDDs go into sleep mode.
Loud vibration noises are annoying, especially when not all hard drive slots are equipped and fast 7200 RPM hard drives are used. This is what it sounds like:
Click the button below to load the content from w.soundcloud.com.
Lightly tapping the empty slots stops the noise, at least for a short moment. A handkerchief between the slots provides a permanent solution.
Consumption
In standby, the D8 Hybrid consumes approximately 12 watts. Under load, consumption is between 35 and 65 watts, depending on how many HDDs and SSDs are plugged in, and when idle the value is another 10 watts lower.
D8 hybrid
Quick and easy commissioning
Quiet fan
Up to 128TB storage capacity
Separation of HDD (cold) and SSD (hot) data
Compatible with many operating systems and file systems
Intelligent power management
Vibration noises
TPC Backupper only as a free version
Hardware RAID only on HDD 1 and 2
No TB3/4 or USB4
The bottom line is that the TerraMaster D8 Hybrid delivers good performance. Thanks to the mix of HDDs and SSDs, the DAS can be very flexibly adapted to a wide range of requirements.
However, the limitation to USB 3.2 Gen 2 with 10 Gbit/s does not exploit the full potential of the built-in M.2 SSDs. A faster interface would have been desirable here. There is also still some room for improvement in terms of processing quality, as annoying vibration noises spoil the positive overall impression.
Despite everything, the D8 Hybrid is an interesting solution for anyone who needs a lot of storage space and high transfer rates, for example when editing videos or collecting larger amounts of data.
