QNAP taps the Atom for its new four-bay TS-439 Pro Turbo NAS device

Intel's tiny low-power Atom CPU is the chip that powers almost all of the popular netbook market, and it's starting to emerge in ultra-cheap desktops as well. But the processor is also a natural for network-attached-storage (NAS) devices, many of which have used Intel Celeron CPUs in the past. QNAP, a name known to NAS enthusiasts, is the first to offer an Atom-based four-bay network storage solution in the TS-439 Pro Turbo.

If you're looking for a cheap NAS drive, this probably isn't the one for you. For one thing, the base unit doesn't come with any storage, though you can pack up to 6TB of data across four drives. You can add more storage by attaching an external drive to the TS-439's five USB ports (which also let you connect a printer for sharing across your network) or two eSATA ports. You also get a pair of Gigabit Ethernet ports. Extensive RAID support is also standard; not only do you get Level 0 and 1 capabilities, but also Level 5 and 6 options for greater storage amounts while maintaining redundancy. While the TS-439 is clearly designed with office use in mind, it can function as a UPnP/DLNA media server or an iTunes server for consumers with hardcore storage needs.

There's no pricing info yet from QNAP on the TS-439, but its TS-409 predecessor costs a little less than $600. You'll probably pay a bit more for the new unit, though keep in mind that the price doesn't include hard drives, which will jack up the total cost even more.