Synology 2-Bay DiskStation DS723+ (Diskless)

Product Information

Unlike Qnap when you buy your hardware, you arent forced to pay for syncing from and to your own hardware. Both NAS are completely compatible with Windows, Android and Mac systems, as well as acting as a bring between software platforms to share and distribute files for migration and file sync (with improvements in newer DSM 7 recently for Mac Finder file streaming and file pinning

Now we have still yet to have the software support and range of users/clients supported by the hardware configuration of the Synology DS723+ NAS drive, HOWEVER, we DO have those of the DS1522+ NAS, which arrives with the same CPU (but 8GB of memory and three additional storage bay). Nevertheless, this should serve as a small indication of the extent to which the DS723+ and DS720+ compare in DSM performance: Model Note – You can find my 10GbE, 4x WD Red Pro 22TB Synology Ryzen R1600 NAS (DS1522+) Tests HERE on the Blog and HERE on YouTube, where we were able to hit 1.15GB/s Synology Surveillance Station – Safeguard your business, home, and other valuable assets with reliable video surveillance tools. With improved AI services being accessible thanks to Synology BC500 and TC500 Cameras arriving in 2023. Additionally, you can connect this platform with Synology’s cloud platform to use ‘C2 Surveillance’ and bolster the odds of recordings being maintained in the event of accidental/malicious damage to your surveillance system.

Both the DS720+ and DS723+ are constructed of plastic desktop compact chassis, thereby reducing power consumption, noise and heat generated the number of connections that can be maintained when the recommended number of hosted files was reached) Synology Chat – Aimed at businesses, Synology Chat is an IM service that transforms the way users collaborate and communicate.

The Synology DS723+ NAS hardware is an interesting mix of the expected and unexpected (both internally and externally) and I think it is safe to say that this will divide opinion at the home and prosumer tiers considerably. At the small/medium business (SMB) tier of course it will be a different story, as the hardware architecture here is very competent and if the DS723+ will likely outperform the DS720+ in most other respects in/outside of DSM, so it will be very popular! Let’s discuss the potential software capabilities of the DS723+ NAS in DSM 7.1 onwards. The Synology DS723+ NAS Software Specifications Synology Office – Create documents, spreadsheets, and slides in a multi-user environment. Real-time synchronization and saving make collaboration a breeze.Actual maximum storage pool and volume sizes depend on drive sizes used, the number of drive bays available, and the RAID configuration.

The DS723+ arrives with the accessories you would expect. The NAS unit itself, an external 65W PSU, Screws for 2.5″ media (3.5″ media installation is toolless), RJ45 Cat 5e ethernet cable, keys for the storage bays, first-time setup document and information on your warranty. All fairly standard stuff, though I am always surprised by the fact that Synology never include heatsinks for the M.2 NVMe SSD bays, given the high priority of the brand towards caching on these storage bays – something that can get those M.2 SSDs pretty hot. This is especially true in the case of this system being one of only two in the Synology hardware lineup to support M.2 NVMe SSD bays for caching AND storage Pools! This might well be the reason for the brand’s throttling of these bays in a few ways, but more on that later.

Take your data management to the next level

Use Media Client Hardware for watching your Plex Server Media that is powerful enough to allow ‘client side’ conversions Synology Drive – Host your own private cloud behind the safety of your NAS with 100% data ownership and no subscription fees. NOTE – Video Review is ‘In Progress’ and will include the 10GbE and DSM 7.1 Testing, which will also be added to this review shortly afterwards. Apologies for the delay. However, the extent to which you can use all these applications at any single time (both as multiple clients using the same software or multiple applications running in parallel on the same NAS system) is going to be better on the Synology DS723+ in the grand scheme of things, thanks to that potential 32GB of memory available to scale up down the line. Here is how these two Synology NAS drives compare in volume and features in those 1st party services:

Ideal for teams of professionals, small businesses looking to step into the world of centralized storage, or as an edge node in distributed deployments, the DS723+ can scale up to 7 drive bays with a DX517 expansion unit when more capacity is needed. When it comes to Hard Drive compatibility, the compatibility lists of the DS723+ and DS720+ are a little different. The DS720+ features several more compatibility drives (eg the likes of the WD Red 14TB Red Pro or Seagate Ironwolf Pro) that do not appear on R1600-powered 22/23 gene systems like the DS1522+. Now the DS723+ full HDD/SSD compatibility list is still unavailable, but newer generation devices from Synology released in the 2022 series and afterwards have been having an odd habit of not listing many 3rd party drives above 16/18TB (including their own HAT5300 drives and 3rd party Surveillance drives such as WD Purple and Skyhawk, and the enterprise tiered drives). Now, the argument could easily be that testing and certification are not full completed yet, but there is no avoiding that, as it stands, the DS720+ is seemingly compatible with more drive types. We have performed ALOT of tests on the DS1522+ (same architecture as the DS723+ and DS923+, but 5 Bays) with WD Red/Gold 18TB, 20TB and 22TB drives and found them to work perfectly, yet they do not feature on a compatibility list, so when you install them in your DSM 7.1 (DSM 7.2 in Q1 2023), you might see a brief alert from your system about using non-compatible drives on your Synology. Again, this is a very small point and every possibility that it will iron out in the messaging from the brand as the DS723+ establishes itself, but it is certainly a point worth highlighting. The Synology DS723+ vs DS720+ NAS – Ports and Connections Synology SNV3400 series M.2 NVMe SSD drives can be installed through the built-in M.2 slots to enable SSD caching or create SSD storage pools. Drives are sold separately. PCIe add-in cards, expansion units, and storage drives are sold separately. Refer to the compatibility list for compatible devices.

So, regardless of whether you buy the DS723+ or DS720+ NAS, you are going to have a remarkably functional NAS drive. But, let’s dig a little deeper into the differences between these two devices. The Synology DS723+ vs DS720+ NAS – Internal Hardware Users can also upgrade performance thanks to the option to add 10GbE connectivity and M.2 NVMe SSD drives through the built-in PCIe slot to enable fast caching or create additional all-flash storage pools. On-premises storage with cloud integration Most users are going to have a plexa library that they’ve probably customized and should customize in one bulk “media folder” and then break it down within…. If you do stuff like that for all your multimedia they’re native apps don’t work you have to have it where they want it…. Same with sync you have to have it where they want it and it’s only sync … Me personally I want one-way sink data goes on the NAS … You can delete it off the phone or computer and that won’t transfer over…. They have improved the drive application but I still have to improve video photo and the other ones to be one way and for us to control the locations multiple or single nested location I don’t want to be told or you got to have it in the ” home /user /names/ photo/ to have the photo application work The biggest selling point for Synology is the software. While TerraMaster and ASUSTOR offer better hardware in this category, their software efforts don't come close to what you get with Synology. The DS723+ runs DSM 7.1, and it features an exhaustive list of software features.