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Synology DiskStation DS124 vs Synology DiskStation DS225+

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 DS225+ at 4.5/10.

The Synology DiskStation DS124 leads on CPU and transcoding and openness.

They score the same on storage capacity (bays, M.2), networking, memory ceiling and software and ecosystem.

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

Synology DiskStation DS225+

Synology DiskStation DS225+

4.5/10verdict: skip

The DS225+ suits home and small-office buyers who want Synology's DSM software for file sharing, backups, photos and a few cameras on two drives. Its 2.5GbE port and mature app set fit light, dependable storage duties. Media servers that need hardware transcoding, heavy container or VM use, and anyone wanting NVMe cache are poorly served by its 2019-era CPU, 6 GB RAM ceiling and lack of M.2 slots.

Typically about £339.98 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 DS124Synology DiskStation DS225+
Storage capacity (bays, M.2)20%3/103/10
CPU and transcoding20%5/103/10
Networking20%6/106/10
Memory ceiling15%3/103/10
Software and ecosystem15%8/108/10
Openness10%5/104/10
Overall5.0/104.5/10

Specifications

SpecSynology DiskStation DS124Synology DiskStation DS225+
Drive bays1 x 3.5" SATA HDD or 2.5" SATA SSD (2.5" needs an optional holder sold separately)2 × 3.5" SATA HDD / 2.5" SATA SSD, hot-swappable
CPURealtek RTD1619B, 4 cores, 4 threads, 64-bit, 1.7 GHz, with hardware encryption engineIntel Celeron J4125, 4 cores / 4 threads, 64-bit, 2.0 GHz base / 2.7 GHz turbo, hardware encryption engine
Memory1 GB DDR4 non-ECC2 GB DDR4 non-ECC installed, 1 slot, max 6 GB (2 GB + 4 GB)
Networking1 x RJ-45 1GbE LAN port1 × 1GbE RJ-45 + 1 × 2.5GbE RJ-45
M.2 slotsnot listedNone
ExpansionNo expansion slot listed; 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 portsNo expansion unit or PCIe slot; 2 × USB 3.2 Gen 1
Operating systemSynology DiskStation Manager (DSM)Synology DSM

Strengths and weaknesses

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 ›

Synology DiskStation DS225+

  • + 2.5GbE port alongside a 1GbE port
  • + Mature DSM with SHR, snapshots and Hyper Backup
  • + Third-party drives supported again since DSM 7.3
  • − Quick Sync not enabled for Plex or Jellyfin
  • − Only 2 GB RAM installed, 6 GB maximum
  • − No M.2 slots, PCIe slot or expansion unit

Skip it if:

  • Plex or Jellyfin users who need supported hardware transcoding
  • Homelabbers wanting several VMs or many containers within a 6 GB limit
  • Buyers who want M.2 cache, PCIe expansion or a path to 10GbE
Read the full Synology DiskStation DS225+ review ›

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