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Synology DiskStation DS423 vs Synology DiskStation DS124

Researched, not hands-on tested.How we review ›

all judged against NAS at a similar price

The Synology DiskStation DS124 scores 5.0/10 overall, ahead of the Synology DiskStation DS423 at 4.8/10.

The Synology DiskStation DS423 leads on storage capacity (bays, M.2).

The Synology DiskStation DS124 leads on CPU and transcoding, networking and software and ecosystem.

They score the same on memory ceiling and openness.

The biggest difference is storage capacity (bays, M.2), where the Synology DiskStation DS423 scores 6/10 to the Synology DiskStation DS124's 3/10.

DiskStation DS423

Synology DiskStation DS423

4.8/10verdict: skip

The DS423 is for people who want a four-bay Synology NAS for file storage, shared folders and backups. It suits those who value DSM and Btrfs more than raw hardware power. It is less suited to anyone planning containers, virtual machines or video transcoding.

Typically about £351 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

Synology DiskStation DS124

Synology DiskStation DS124

5.0/10verdict: wait for deal

The DS124 is for people who want a very simple, single-drive NAS running full Synology DSM. It suits a home or small office that needs network file storage, Btrfs snapshots or Surveillance Station. It does not suit anyone who needs RAID, redundancy or heavy workloads.

Typically about £140 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

Scores, criterion by criterion

CriterionWeightSynology DiskStation DS423Synology DiskStation DS124
Storage capacity (bays, M.2)20%6/103/10
CPU and transcoding20%4/105/10
Networking20%4/106/10
Memory ceiling15%3/103/10
Software and ecosystem15%7/108/10
Openness10%5/105/10
Overall4.8/105.0/10

Specifications

SpecSynology DiskStation DS423Synology DiskStation DS124
Drive bays4 x 3.5-inch SATA HDD or 2.5-inch SATA SSD, hot-swappable1 x 3.5" SATA HDD or 2.5" SATA SSD (2.5" needs an optional holder sold separately)
CPURealtek RTD1619B, 4 cores, 4 threads, 64-bit, 1.7 GHz, with hardware encryption engineRealtek RTD1619B, 4 cores, 4 threads, 64-bit, 1.7 GHz, with hardware encryption engine
Memory2 GB DDR4 non-ECC1 GB DDR4 non-ECC
Networking2 x RJ-45 1GbE LAN ports1 x RJ-45 1GbE LAN port
Expansion2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 portsNo expansion slot listed; 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports
Operating systemSynology DiskStation Manager (DSM), Btrfs file systemSynology DiskStation Manager (DSM)

Strengths and weaknesses

Synology DiskStation DS423

  • + Four hot-swappable bays for 3.5-inch HDDs or 2.5-inch SSDs
  • + Runs DSM with the Btrfs file system
  • + Lists 4.97 W power draw with drives hibernating
  • − Only 2 GB of RAM, and no maximum listed
  • − 1GbE ports only, with nothing faster listed
  • − No M.2 slot or hardware transcoding listed

Skip it if:

  • Buyers who want hardware video transcoding for a media server
  • Anyone planning several containers or virtual machines on limited RAM
  • Users who need faster-than-1GbE networking or M.2 cache slots
Read the full Synology DiskStation DS423 review ›

Synology DiskStation DS124

  • + Full DSM with Btrfs snapshots and Surveillance Station
  • + Four-core CPU with hardware encryption engine
  • + Manufacturer lists 3.44 W in HDD hibernation
  • − Single bay means no RAID and no redundancy
  • − Only 1 GB of RAM, with no upgrade listed
  • − One 1GbE port and no expansion slot listed

Skip it if:

  • Buyers who need RAID or drive redundancy in the NAS itself
  • Anyone planning to run several containers or virtual machines
  • Users who want multi-gigabit networking or hardware transcoding
Read the full Synology DiskStation DS124 review ›

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