Western Digital My Book Live
Score: 68/100
Synology DS423
Score: 77/100Rankings
The Synology DiskStation DS423 is a compact 4-bay NAS offering up to 72 TB raw storage with dual 1 GbE ports and a user-friendly DSM OS. Its modest 2 GB RAM and Realtek processor may constrain demanding workloads. Best suited for home users and small offices seeking affordable, low-noise network storage.
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 | 72 TBbest | |
1 | 4best | |
— | 4best | |
— | 1.7 GHzbest | |
0.256 GB | 2 GBbest | |
61.2 MB/sbest | — | |
45.5 MB/sbest | — | |
— | 2best |
Click an attribute name to sort · Green = best, red = worst (relative to this comparison)
| Attribute | | |
|---|---|---|
Storage(3) | ||
Storage Capacity (TB) | 3 TB | 72 TB |
Drive Bays | 1 | 4 |
RAID Support | false | true |
Performance(2) | ||
CPU Model | APM82181 CPU | Realtek RTD1619B |
Memory (RAM) (GB) | 0.256 GB | 2 GB |
Connectivity(1) | ||
Ethernet Ports | 1 | 2 |
Build & Design(2) | ||
Weight (kg) | 1.09 kg | 2.18 kg |
Dimensions (H×W×D) (cm) | 13.97×5.08×16.76 cm cm | 16.76 x 18.39 x 22.86 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 commend the DS423 for its intuitive DSM operating system, robust Btrfs snapshot protection, and quiet, compact form factor, positioning it as a solid entry-level NAS for home and small-office use.
Everyday users praise the DS423's easy-to-use DSM interface, low noise level, and small size, highlighting its suitability for family media libraries and basic backup tasks.
