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Synology makes a vast number of NAS enclosures, ranging from enterprise-grade systems for several thousand dollars to more affordable, basic home use systems costing just $100. And a lot lies between those two extremes. Each of these Synology NAS units has internals that cater to a specific user need, although it’s hard to tell just by looking at them. Some units are meant for business use alone and don’t make a very good Plex server, while others get you an all-around performance for mixed use at your home office. To minimize the confusion and give you a clear-cut recommendation, we’ve put together a list of the best Synology NAS enclosures you can invest in without thinking twice. Bear in mind that the prices listed in this guide are for the NAS enclosures alone and don’t include the high-caliber NAS-specific hard drives that you'll need to get started. And depending on the capacity you opt for, the overall price can quickly add up. So when finalizing a budget, make sure to factor in the hard drives. Editors choice 1. Synology DiskStation DS920+9.50 / 10 Read ReviewsRead More ReviewsSee on Amazon With all the upgraded internals the DS920+ brings to the table over its cheaper siblings, it becomes a sweet spot for prosumers who want to do more but without breaking the bank. The more powerful Celeron CPU and 4GB of default RAM give the NAS the extra horsepower to run more demanding apps and tasks like multi-camera surveillance and team collaboration. While the four-drive system should be enough for most users and home offices, the DS920+ lets you add an expansion unit if your storage needs increase later on, making it a future-proof investment. Read MoreSpecifications
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Buy This Product Synology DiskStation DS920+ Shop at Amazon Best value 2. Synology DiskStation DS220+9.50 / 10 Read ReviewsRead More ReviewsSee on Amazon The DiskStation DS220+ is the perfect package for anyone looking to get their first NAS. It balances its performance and value proposition pretty well — a crucial factor for something catering to home users. Its two bays let you add up to 32TB of total storage, which is ample for personal use even after accounting for redundancy. The best part is that the DS220+ uses an Intel Celeron processor paired with 2GB of RAM, making it more than capable for 4K streaming through Plex and similarly demanding use cases. Read MoreSpecifications
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Buy This Product Synology DiskStation DS220+ Shop at Amazon Premium pick 3. Synology DiskStation DS1621+8.00 / 10 Read ReviewsRead More ReviewsSee on Amazon For those looking to upgrade their existing Synology NAS or want a new system for their small businesses, the beastly DS1621+ is a solid option. One of the biggest improvements it brings to the table is with its Ryzen processor. The AMD chip is not only is a nice change of pace from Intel’s domination but is also capable of doing the heavy lifting, like running server-class applications and virtual machines. In addition to the standard set of ports, you get a PCIe slot, which opens up the possibility of hooking a bunch of accessories, including the option to add a 10Gbe LAN port. While the RAM used here is of ECC variety (that helps with data integrity), it still starts at a meager 4GB, with a 16GB model also available. Synology also offers an upgraded model named DS1621xs+ that packs an even better Intel Xeon processor, a built-in 10Gbe port and starts at 8GB of RAM. Read MoreSpecifications
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Buy This Product Synology DiskStation DS1621+ Shop at Amazon 4. Synology DiskStation DS420+8.50 / 10 Read ReviewsRead More ReviewsSee on Amazon If two drive bays seem limiting and you’d like to have more of them at your disposal, the DS420+ should fit your bill. With four HDD bays, you can have a storage pool of up to 64TB — double of what you get on the DS220+. It should be suitable for giving you extra headroom for years to come and the flexibility to add more drives in the future if you want to start with just a pair. The DS420+ also allows you to make use of RAID 5, 6, and 10 for improved data integration and even speed up data transfers with the option to add two NVMe sticks for caching. Read MoreSpecifications
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Buy This Product Synology DiskStation DS420+ Shop at Amazon 5. Synology DiskStation DS1522+8.50 / 10 Read ReviewsRead More ReviewsSee on Amazon The latest entrant in Synology’s NAS lineup, the DiskStation DS1522+, tries to bridge the gap between the DS920+ and the uber-expensive DS1621+. On the DS1522+, you get a total of four 1GbE LAN ports, enabling link aggregation or wired connection with a bunch of computers in your office. The best part is that the NAS comes with a (proprietary) slot where you can add a 10GbE network port as a separate purchase, keeping the cost low for those who don’t need a faster port — while still giving power users an upgrade option. Compared to its direct predecessor, the DS1522+ gets a bump to a more powerful dual-core AMD processor, which is made for taxing business environments. And with 8GB of standard RAM (upgradable to a whopping 32GB), you can run virtual machines and server apps all you want. But without a GPU, don’t expect it to transcode your videos on the fly, although streaming already transcoded media shouldn’t be an issue. Read MoreSpecifications
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Buy This Product Synology DiskStation DS1522+ Shop at Amazon 6. Synology DiskStation DS720+8.00 / 10 Read ReviewsRead More ReviewsSee on Amazon The DiskStation DS720+ sort of sits in the middle, offering similar internals as the DS920+ but with only two drive bays. It is a thoughtful middle ground if you don’t want something bulky sitting on your desk or need a lot of storage space. You still get the eSATA port for attaching an expansion unit in case you ever want to add more HDDs to your NAS. One downside of the smaller DS720+ is that you have to make do with just 2GB of RAM out of the box or upgrade it post-purchase. Read MoreSpecifications
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Buy This Product Synology DiskStation DS720+ Shop at Amazon 7. Synology DiskStation DS220j7.00 / 10 Read ReviewsRead More ReviewsSee on Amazon The DS220j cannot match the DS220+ in terms of raw performance and isn’t particularly ideal for things like running multiple streams of videos. But its biggest selling point is its price. For less than $200, you get a Synology NAS that runs the same DSM 7.0 version and quality first-party apps as its much beefier siblings. Its basic hardware makes it a good deal if you’re looking to use it only as a storage unit for all your data or as an off-site backup option. Read MoreSpecifications
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Buy This Product Synology DiskStation DS220j Shop at Amazon 8. Synology DiskStation DS120j7.00 / 10 Read ReviewsRead More ReviewsSee on Amazon Getting your first NAS enclosure shouldn’t mean spending several hundred dollars upfront. You can pair a single-drive DiskStation DS120j with a 4TB HDD (supports up to 14TB) for well under $200. And for that kind of price, you get the same excellent Synology software as the more premium NAS units. The DS120j is perfect as a Google Photos alternative to store your family photos and videos, or you can use it as a secondary backup system for your primary NAS. The DS120j is a power-efficient, compact machine that you can easily tuck away on a shelf. Even on your desk, it won’t take up a lot of space. Its processor and RAM configurations are enough for data storage and light streaming needs but don’t expect it to play 1080p or higher-res videos without a hiccup. Just make sure to pick up a 7200 RPM drive to make the most of the NAS’s transfer speeds, and you will have an unbeatable package for its price. Read MoreSpecifications
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Buy This Product Synology DiskStation DS120j Shop at Amazon Consider your needs for today and the futureThere can be many temptations to buy a Synology NAS enclosure right away. But since a network storage box is a long-term commitment, it becomes necessary that it meets your current needs and is also ready for the future. Being future-ready could mean different things for different users — from having the ability to add more storage to enough performance headroom to meet the needs of a growing team and application load. Most home users looking to set up a personal media server can easily get away with the DS220+. It’s a capable machine that can handle up to a single 4K transcoded stream, which is more than enough for movie watching at home. Even after providing for redundancy, you’ll still have several TBs of storage to house your entire movie collection and back up your family photos. For those who want something more powerful to handle the modern hybrid work environment, there’s no better option than the DS920+. It can support a small team at your office and even work as an excellent Plex server for streaming 4K movies on your home network. The DS920+ is the perfect middle ground for most users with this kind of budget. Additional Synology NAS needsIn a business environment with CPU-heavy tasks, you can benefit from the upgraded AMD processor on the new DS1522+. It combines the best of Synology with a capable processor, ample RAM, and a unique network upgrade port for the much-asked-for 10GbE connection. But if your server-grade applications demand even more horsepower, the DS1621+ continues to be a stellar choice (or the DS1621xs+, if your budget allows). While it’s better than any other NAS on this list in all aspects, you can make it even better with a universal PCIe expansion slot — the sky is the limit! Synology offers even more capable — and pricier — NAS devices, but they generally fall in the super-expensive category and are feasible only for a niche consumer group. The recommendations here won’t break the bank, but they can still cater to a wide range of user needs. It’s worth noting that the software remains the same no matter which Synology NAS you go for, so you really need to pay attention to the hardware when making a decision. Be sure to account for NAS-specific hard drives, too, as those can run into several hundred dollars all on their own, depending on the storage pool you want. |