Synology DS220j
Score: 50/100
Buffalo LinkStation 710 4TB
Score: 63/100Rankings
The Buffalo LinkStation 710 is a 1-bay, 4 TB NAS that brings 2.5 GbE networking, an Intel Hexa-core CPU and USB 3.2 ports to the entry-level market. It's great for basic home backup and media streaming but lacks encryption, RAID and advanced connectivity features.
The DS220j is an entry-level two-bay NAS delivering a full DSM experience, solid performance for its price, and a broad app ecosystem, ideal for home users and small offices.
| Attribute | | |
|---|---|---|
32 TBbest | 4 TB | |
2best | 1 | |
1 Gbps | 2.5 Gbpsbest | |
4 | 6best | |
0.512 GB | 2 GBbest | |
| ↓ lower better | 12.46 Wbest | 46 W |
2 yearsbest | 2 yearsbest | |
| ↓ lower better | 0.88 kgbest | 1.361 kg |
Click an attribute name to sort · Green = best, red = worst (relative to this comparison)
| Attribute | | |
|---|---|---|
Security(2) | ||
Hardware Encryption | true | false |
OS Compatibility | DSM | Windows 11/10/8.1, Server 2019/2016/2012 R2, macOS 10.12+ |
Performance(5) | ||
CPU Model | Realtek RTD1296 | Intel Hexa-core |
CPU Cores | 4 | 6 |
System Memory (GB) | 0.512 GB | 2 GB |
Ethernet Speed (Gbps) | 1 Gbps | 2.5 Gbps |
Power Consumption (Active) (W) | 12.46 W | 46 W |
Build & Design(2) | ||
Weight (kg) | 0.88 kg | 1.361 kg |
Power Supply Type | External 60W adapter | External AC adapter |
Connectivity(2) | ||
Supported Network Protocols | SMB, AFP, NFS, FTP, WebDAV, CalDAV, iSCSI, SSH, SNMP, OpenVPN, L2TP, PPTP | TCP/IP, CIFS/SMB, FTP, FTPS, SFTP, NFS |
USB Ports | 2 | 3 |
Storage & Capacity(4) | ||
Maximum Raw Capacity (TB) | 32 TB | 4 TB |
Drive Bays | 2 | 1 |
RAID Support | SHR, RAID 0, RAID 1, JBOD, Basic | JBOD |
Supported Drive Types | 3.5" or 2.5" SATA HDD/SSD | HDD |
Products in the top-left offer the best value (high score, low price).
Professional reviewers praised the DS220j for its polished DSM operating system, impressive read/write speeds for a budget unit, straightforward setup, and comprehensive app ecosystem, while noting its hardware limitations such as a single LAN port, modest 512 MB RAM, and lack of HDMI or multi-gigabit networking.
Everyday users appreciate the DS220j's ease of use, low power consumption, and ability to serve as a reliable home cloud and media server, but many echo concerns about limited RAM, lack of HDMI, and the need to purchase drives separately.
Reviewers praise its fast 2.5 GbE, user-friendly setup and quiet operation, while noting the absence of encryption, RAID and mobile app as drawbacks for power users.
Users like the plug-and-play experience, quick Time Machine backups and low noise, but miss SSH, a mobile app and any form of data redundancy.
