ASUSTOR Lockerstor Gen2 vs Gen3 Comparison

This article provides a generation level comparison between the ASUSTOR Lockerstor Gen2/Gen2+ and Lockerstor Gen3 platforms. It focuses on architectural and platform design differences rather than specifications, benchmarks, or deployment guidance.

The comparison is limited to desktop x86 Lockerstor systems and is intended to complement the dedicated Gen2/Gen2+ and Gen3 overview articles. Individual models, configuration limits, and workload recommendations are intentionally excluded.

Comparison Methodology

The comparison is framed at the platform level, examining how each generation is designed and how those design decisions differ. This comparison emphasizes architectural characteristics and system level design differences rather than performance outcomes.

What is not compared:

• Benchmarks or throughput figures
• Model specific specifications
• Memory capacity limits
• RAID behavior or performance characteristics
• Pricing or value positioning

Platform Architecture

Lockerstor Gen2 and Gen2+ systems are built on the Intel Celeron N5105 platform, continuing ASUSTOR’s use of Intel based x86 architectures within the Lockerstor family. This platform integrates CPU and GPU resources within a single system-on-chip design and operates within the shared ADM software environment.

Lockerstor Gen3 systems transition to an AMD Ryzen Embedded V3000 series platform. This represents a change in processor architecture while retaining full x86-64 compatibility and ADM software continuity. The Gen3 platform emphasizes increased compute capacity and expanded I/O capability at the system level.

Both generations remain part of the same desktop Lockerstor platform family but differ in processor architecture, integrated components, and overall focus.

Above is a photo of the ASUSTOR Lockerstor 4, 6 and 10 Gen3 NAS systems at CES 2025. Photo by David Aughinbaugh II for CircuitRoute.

Memory Architecture

Memory design differs between the two generations.

Lockerstor Gen2 and Gen2+ systems use DDR4 system memory and support user expansion within platform limits. Memory scaling is tied to chassis size and aligns with the capabilities of the Intel Celeron platform.

Lockerstor Gen3 systems introduce DDR5 ECC memory across the platform. The use of error-correcting memory reflects a shift toward increased memory integrity and bandwidth. Memory remains user expandable within platform limits, with architectural support for higher sustained memory workloads.

The transition from DDR4 to DDR5 ECC represents a generational change in memory architecture rather than a configuration level distinction.

Storage Architecture

Both generations share a common storage foundation based on SATA drive bays paired with four internal M.2 NVMe slots. This design allows capacity oriented storage and high speed solid state storage to coexist within a single system.

Lockerstor Gen2 and Gen2+ platforms connect NVMe storage through a PCIe Gen3 interface, and support NVMe SSDs for cache acceleration or as independent storage pools.

Lockerstor Gen3 platforms advance this design by connecting NVMe storage via PCIe Gen4, increasing available bandwidth and reducing interface level constraints. Slot count and placement remain consistent across generations. The underlying interface differs.

NVMe allocation remains flexible across both platforms and is managed through the ADM storage framework.

Above is a photo of the ASUSTOR Lockerstor 4 Gen2 AS6704T NAS system. Photo by David Aughinbaugh II for CircuitRoute.

PCIe and Internal Expansion

Internal expansion differs primarily in how PCIe resources scale by generation and chassis size.

Lockerstor Gen2 and Gen2+ systems provide PCIe expansion on larger chassis variants, enabling optional add in cards where supported by physical design.

Lockerstor Gen3 systems continue to offer PCIe expansion, with additional platform headroom to support higher bandwidth devices and expanded I/O configurations. Specific slot layouts and lane allocations are intentionally not detailed at the comparison level.

Networking Architecture

Networking represents a clear architectural distinction between generations.

Lockerstor Gen2 and Gen2+ systems are designed with uniform multi gigabit Ethernet configurations, with capabilities varying by revision and chassis size. The Gen2+ revision represents a mid cycle networking update within the same platform family.

Lockerstor Gen3 systems adopt a mixed multi gigabit networking design, incorporating both 10 gigabit and 5 gigabit Ethernet interfaces at the platform level. This approach allows multiple network roles or traffic paths to coexist within a single system.

Across both generations, networking features operate within the ADM software environment and support standard multi interface configurations.

External I/O

External connectivity evolves alongside platform architecture.

Lockerstor Gen2 and Gen2+ systems provide high speed USB connectivity consistent with their platform generation.

Lockerstor Gen3 systems introduce USB4, expanding external I/O bandwidth and enabling higher speed peripheral connectivity within the desktop Lockerstor form factor.

Media and Processing Characteristics

Media handling differs due to processor architecture.

Lockerstor Gen2 and Gen2+ systems include an integrated GPU as part of the Intel Celeron platform, supporting media processing tasks that leverage hardware acceleration.

Lockerstor Gen3 systems do not include an integrated GPU. Media processing tasks operate through CPU resources provided by the Ryzen Embedded platform, reflecting a design focus on compute and I/O capacity rather than hardware accelerated media processing.

Software Environment and Platform Continuity

Both generations operate within the same ADM operating system and application ecosystem. Core software capabilities and management tools remain consistent across Lockerstor platforms.

Differences between Gen2 and Gen3 relate to how hardware resources are presented within the software environment rather than to changes in software availability or system role.

Architectural Differences

Lockerstor Gen2/Gen2+ and Lockerstor Gen3 platforms share a common desktop x86 Lockerstor foundation while differing in processor architecture, memory design, I/O bandwidth, and networking structure.

Gen2 and Gen2+ systems retain an Intel based platform with DDR4 memory, PCIe Gen3 NVMe connectivity, integrated graphics, and uniform multi gigabit networking. Gen3 systems introduce an AMD Ryzen Embedded platform with DDR5 ECC memory, PCIe Gen4 NVMe connectivity, expanded networking configurations, USB4 support, and CPU based media processing.

These differences reflect generational architectural advances rather than changes in platform category or identity.