QNAP Unveils QAI-M100 and QAI-U100 Edge AI Accelerators for NAS

QNAP Systems, Inc. has released 2 edge AI accelerators QAI-M100 and QAI-U100 for the company’s NAS.

With plug-and-play installation and flexible configuration, these accelerators provide SMBs and individual users with an affordable solution to enhance AI applications such as facial recognition and object recognition on NAS.

“With the rapid growth of edge AI, the demand for real-time data processing and analysis at the edge has increased,” said Andy Chung, product manager, QNAP, adding “The combination of QNAP NAS and the QAI edge AI accelerators not only provides a high-performance storage platform but also significantly boosts the computing efficiency of AI applications, improving overall cost-effectiveness.“

When performing AI computations with the QAI-M100 and QAI-U100, the system operates with lower power consumption and higher efficiency. Users can install 2 QAI accelerators on a single NAS or application, enhancing the computing performance even further.

QAI-M100: Uses an M.2 2280 B+M key interface and has a 3 TOPS NPU. It requires a NAS with an M.2 2280 PCIe slot or a PCIe expansion slot to install a QNAP QM2 expansion card. Built-in 1GB memory and heat dissipation cooling.

QAI-U100: Uses a USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A interface and has a 3 TOPS NPU. It requires a NAS with a USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port. Built-in 1GB memory, heat dissipation cooling, and LED status light.

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According to QNAP Lab testing, adding 1 QAI edge AI accelerator to a firm’s NAS can increase the AI object recognition speed of QuMagie Smart Album by up to 36% and facial recognition speed by up to 22%. ^(*)

System Requirements:

NAS OS: QTS 5.2.1.2930 build 20241025 (or later), QuTS hero h5.2.1.2929 build 20241025 (or later)
Compatible Software: QNAP AI Core v3.5.0 (or later), Multimedia Console v2.7.0 (or later), QuMagie v1.5.1 (or later)

^(*) All performance improvement data is based on a comparison of the TS-673A NAS with and without using a QAI accelerator.