TerraMaster has launched the D8 Hybrid 2, an eight-bay direct-attached storage enclosure that combines four SATA drive bays with four M.2 NVMe slots. The hybrid design gives users room for high-speed working storage and larger archival drives inside a single desktop unit.
Designed for video editors, photographers, home server users, small businesses, and anyone managing large media libraries, the D8 Hybrid 2 supports up to 152TB of total storage. That maximum configuration consists of four 30TB hard drives and four 8TB NVMe SSDs.
The TerraMaster D8 Hybrid 2 is available now for $299.99 through Amazon in the United States, with a 20% coupon currently reducing the price to $239.99. It is priced at £299.99 through Amazon UK and is also available from TerraMaster’s website.
HDD Capacity Meets NVMe Speed
The D8 Hybrid 2 connects through USB 3.2 Gen 2, providing up to 10Gbps of bandwidth. TerraMaster claims the enclosure can reach read speeds of up to 1,020MB/s with a single NVMe SSD.
A four-hard-drive configuration may reach speeds of up to 980MB/s, depending on the drives and RAID setup. TerraMaster says that level of performance can transfer a 5GB HD movie in roughly five seconds.
Users can place frequently accessed files, active video projects, and applications on the NVMe drives, then reserve the larger SATA bays for backups and long-term storage. This hot-and-cold data arrangement offers a practical middle ground between fast solid-state storage and more affordable high-capacity hard drives.
Each of the enclosure’s eight drives can operate independently. Third-party RAID software is supported for users who want to combine drives for redundancy or performance.
Easier Drive Installation and Smarter Power Control
TerraMaster has equipped the D8 Hybrid 2 with Push-Lock drive trays that allow SATA drives to be installed without tools. The NVMe slots are accessed through a sliding side panel and use hand-tightened screws, reducing the usual screwdriver juggling act.
The enclosure introduces TerraMaster Power Management, or TPM, which is designed to balance power consumption, drive responsiveness, and operational safety. A one-touch switch lets users toggle between Active Mode and Power Save Mode.
Cooling is handled by a temperature-controlled Fluid Dynamic Bearing fan. TerraMaster rates the fan for more than 50,000 hours of operation and says the revised chassis improves airflow during sustained workloads.
Broad Desktop and NAS Compatibility
The D8 Hybrid 2 works with Windows, macOS, Linux, and NAS systems without requiring additional drivers. Supported file systems include NTFS, APFS, EXT4, FAT32, and exFAT.
The USB-C enclosure is compatible with USB 3.0, USB 3.1, USB 3.2, USB4, and Thunderbolt 3, 4, and 5 devices. A USB-C-to-USB-C cable is included.
Windows users receive access to TerraMaster’s TPC Backupper software, which supports incremental and differential backups. Mac users can configure the enclosure with Time Machine.
For network storage setups, the D8 Hybrid 2 can serve as a DAS expansion unit for TerraMaster NAS systems running TOS 5 or TOS 6. TerraMaster says those systems can recognize all four SATA drives and four NVMe SSDs for storage pools, RAID configurations, and snapshots. The enclosure can also be used with Windows Server, Linux, Proxmox, TrueNAS, and Unraid.
More information and purchasing options are available through TerraMaster’s official website and its Amazon listings.
