Synology DS124 1-bay
Score: 62/100
Synology DS223j 2-bay
Score: 70/100Rankings
The DS223j is a compact, diskless two-bay NAS that delivers the full DSM experience, RAID 1 redundancy and low power draw. It's ideal for basic file storage and backup, though its single-gigabit port and limited RAM keep it from handling demanding media tasks.
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.
| Attribute | Synology DS124 1-bay | |
|---|---|---|
1 | 2best | |
1 Gbpsbest | 1 Gbpsbest | |
4best | 4best | |
1 GBbest | 1 GBbest | |
| ↓ lower better | 10.69 Wbest | 16.31 W |
| ↓ lower better | 19 dB | 18.2 dBbest |
2 yearsbest | 2 yearsbest | |
| ↓ lower better | 1.247 kg | 0.87 kgbest |
Click an attribute name to sort · Green = best, red = worst (relative to this comparison)
| Attribute | Synology DS124 1-bay | |
|---|---|---|
Performance(2) | ||
Power Consumption (Active) (W) | 10.69 W | 16.31 W |
Noise Level (dB) | 19.0 dB | 18.2 dB |
Build & Design(2) | ||
Weight (kg) | 1.247 kg | 0.87 kg |
Power Supply Type | 36W AC adapter | 60W AC adapter |
Connectivity(1) | ||
Supported Network Protocols | SMB,AFP,NFS,FTP,WebDAV,iSCSI,HTTP,HTTPS,LDAP,CalDAV,SNMP | SMB,NFS,AFP,FTP,WebDAV,iSCSI,CIFS,HTTP/HTTPS,SNMP,LDAP,CalDAV,Kerberos |
Storage & Capacity(3) | ||
Drive Bays | 1 | 2 |
RAID Support | Basic | RAID 0,1,Basic,Hybrid RAID,JBOD |
Supported Drive Types | 3.5" SATA HDD,2.5" SATA SSD/HDD | 3.5" SATA HDD,2.5" 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 view the DS223j as a solid successor to the DS220j, highlighting the faster Realtek quad-core CPU and polished DSM experience, but note the lack of tool-less drive bays and limited media-streaming capability.
Everyday users appreciate the straightforward setup, reliable file access, and the ability to replace cloud storage costs with a one-time purchase, while recurring complaints focus on the noisy fan during spin-down, limited RAM, and difficulties with H.265 video playback.
“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.”
“airplane noise”
“Easy setup and migration”
Choose the DS124 for better performance and data-integrity features; stick with the DS223 only if price is the primary concern.
