Synology DS124 1-bay
Score: 62/100Synology DS118
Score: 61/100Rankings
The DS124 is a compact single-bay NAS that runs DSM, offers Btrfs support and low power consumption, targeting home users and small offices needing reliable file storage. Its simplicity comes at the cost of limited RAM, no RAID and no media transcoding capabilities.
The Synology DS118 is a compact single-bay NAS that delivers 4K transcoding and a full DSM feature set while consuming very little power. It is ideal for home users and small offices that value quiet operation and security, but its fixed RAM and lack of RAID limit heavy workloads.
| Attribute | Synology DS124 1-bay | Synology DS118 |
|---|---|---|
— | 16 TBbest | |
1best | 1best | |
1 Gbpsbest | 1 Gbpsbest | |
4best | 4best | |
1 GBbest | 1 GBbest | |
| ↓ lower better | 10.69 W | 9.4 Wbest |
| ↓ lower better | 19 dBbest | — |
2 yearsbest | — |
Click an attribute name to sort · Green = best, red = worst (relative to this comparison)
| Attribute | Synology DS124 1-bay | Synology DS118 |
|---|---|---|
Security(1) | ||
OS Compatibility | DSM | Synology DiskStation Manager (DSM) |
Performance(2) | ||
CPU Model | Realtek RTD1619B | Realtek RTD1296 Quad-Core |
Power Consumption (Active) (W) | 10.69 W | 9.4 W |
Build & Design(2) | ||
Weight (kg) | 1.247 kg | 0.7 kg |
Power Supply Type | 36W AC adapter | External |
Connectivity(2) | ||
Supported Network Protocols | SMB,AFP,NFS,FTP,WebDAV,iSCSI,HTTP,HTTPS,LDAP,CalDAV,SNMP | iSCSI |
Link Aggregation Support | false | true |
Storage & Capacity(2) | ||
RAID Support | Basic | None |
Supported Drive Types | 3.5" SATA HDD,2.5" SATA SSD/HDD | SATA HDD, SATA SSD |
Products in the top-left offer the best value (high score, low price).
Professional reviewers consider the DS124 a solid upgrade over the DS223, highlighting its faster Realtek ARM processor, Btrfs snapshots and ultra-quiet design, while noting the lack of transcoding and internal expandability.
Everyday users praise the plug-and-play setup, quiet operation and dependable backup tools, but criticize the limited 1 GB RAM, single-bay design and inability to handle media transcoding.
Professional reviewers praised the DS118 as the most impressive compact NAS from Synology, highlighting its quad-core ARM processor that brings 4K transcoding and surveillance capabilities typically reserved for higher-end models.
Everyday users appreciate the straightforward setup, reliable 4K transcoding, silent operation, and the small, unobtrusive design, though they note the limited RAM and missing Plex support.
“This NAS is easy to set up, like all Synology products, and the system does what you expect. I'm using it as an SMB drive with automatic backup to Synology C3, and that works like a charm. You could run other services, but I'd rather have a separate device with more RAM and a better CPU for that.”
