Western Digital My Book Live
Score: 68/100
Synology DS223
Score: 77/100Rankings
The Synology DiskStation DS223 is an entry-level 2-bay NAS that delivers solid performance, quiet operation, and a rich feature set for home backups and media streaming. Its limitations include non-upgradeable RAM, a single gigabit Ethernet port, and non-hot-swap drive bays. Ideal for households seeking reliable, low-power storage with extensive DSM apps.
The WD My Book Live 3TB is a personal-cloud NAS offering built-in media streaming, Time Machine backup and gigabit Ethernet performance. Its single-drive design means no RAID protection and the modest hardware caps overall speed. Ideal for home users who need simple media sharing and Mac backup without the need for redundancy.
| Attribute | | |
|---|---|---|
3 TB | 108 TBbest | |
1 | 2best | |
— | 4best | |
— | 1.7 GHzbest | |
0.256 GB | 2 GBbest | |
61.2 MB/sbest | — | |
45.5 MB/sbest | — | |
— | 3best |
Click an attribute name to sort · Green = best, red = worst (relative to this comparison)
| Attribute | | |
|---|---|---|
Storage(3) | ||
Storage Capacity (TB) | 3 TB | 108 TB |
Drive Bays | 1 | 2 |
RAID Support | false | true |
Performance(2) | ||
CPU Model | APM82181 CPU | Realtek RTD1619B |
Memory (RAM) (GB) | 0.256 GB | 2 GB |
Build & Design(2) | ||
Weight (kg) | 1.09 kg | 1.28 kg |
Dimensions (H×W×D) (cm) | 13.97×5.08×16.76 cm cm | 10.8×23.3×16.5 cm cm |
Products in the top-left offer the best value (high score, low price).
Professional reviewers commend the My Book Live for its straightforward setup, solid gigabit Ethernet performance, and useful media streaming capabilities, but they criticize its lack of redundancy, modest hardware, and performance ceiling compared to more robust NAS offerings.
Everyday users value the ease of installation, automatic network discovery, and remote access, especially for sharing media and backing up Macs, while many express concern over the single-drive design and limited speed for larger file transfers.
Professional reviewers position the DS223 as a polished, entry-level NAS that excels in ease of use, low power draw, and a rich DSM app ecosystem, making it a solid choice for home backups, media streaming, and basic surveillance, though the fixed RAM and single gigabit port may limit more demanding scenarios.
Everyday users praise the DS223 for its simple setup, quiet operation, and reliable media and backup features, while recurring concerns focus on the non-upgradable memory, single network port, and the inconvenience of non-hot-swap drive bays.
