TerraMaster has officially launched the D8 Hybrid 2, a versatile eight-bay direct-attached storage (DAS) enclosure designed specifically for creative professionals, videographers, and small businesses. By combining four SATA drive bays with four M.2 NVMe SSD slots, the device offers a unique hybrid architecture that balances high-speed performance with massive archival storage capacity in a single desktop unit.
Key takeaways
- Hybrid design: Features 4 SATA HDD/SSD bays and 4 M.2 NVMe SSD slots in one unit.
- Massive capacity: Supports up to 152TB of total storage using four 30TB hard drives and four 8TB NVMe SSDs.
- High performance: USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface allows read speeds up to 1,020MB/s.
- Tool-free setup: Includes Push-Lock trays for SATA drives and hand-tightened screws for NVMe installation.
- Broad compatibility: Works seamlessly with Windows, macOS, Linux, and TerraMaster NAS systems.
Dual-tier storage for modern workflows
The D8 Hybrid 2 is engineered to solve the common challenge of managing both active projects and long-term data archives. By utilizing a hybrid approach, users can store frequently accessed “hot” data, such as active video editing projects or large RAW photo libraries, on the high-speed NVMe SSDs. Simultaneously, completed projects and backups can be offloaded to the larger, more economical SATA hard drives, eliminating the need for multiple external storage devices.
Performance and connectivity
Equipped with a USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface, the enclosure provides a 10Gbps bandwidth that is essential for demanding creative tasks. TerraMaster reports that the system can reach read speeds of up to 1,020MB/s when utilizing a single NVMe SSD. For users relying on traditional hard drives, RAID configurations across the four SATA bays can achieve speeds of up to 980MB/s, ensuring that large-file transfers and 4K/8K video editing remain smooth and efficient.
User-friendly design and cooling
TerraMaster has prioritized ease of use with a tool-free installation process for all drives. The SATA bays feature the company’s signature Push-Lock trays, while the M.2 NVMe slots are accessible via a sliding side panel that requires no screwdrivers. To maintain stability during sustained workloads, the unit incorporates TerraMaster Power Management (TPM) technology, which improves energy efficiency and reduces drive wake-up times. Furthermore, the chassis is cooled by a temperature-controlled Fluid Dynamic Bearing (FDB) fan, which is rated for over 50,000 hours of operation to ensure long-term reliability.
Versatile platform support
The D8 Hybrid 2 is designed for broad compatibility, functioning as a plug-and-play device across Windows, macOS, and Linux without the need for additional drivers. It supports a wide array of file systems, including NTFS, APFS, EXT4, FAT32, and exFAT. For professional environments, the enclosure serves as an effective expansion unit for TerraMaster NAS systems running TOS 5 or TOS 6, allowing for advanced storage pools, RAID arrays, and snapshot functionality. It is also compatible with enterprise-grade environments such as Windows Server, Proxmox, TrueNAS, and Unraid.
Via TerraMaster