Whether or not you need NVMe cache on a Synology NAS depends on the specific use case and performance requirements of your setup. NVMe cache can provide faster read and write speeds for frequently accessed data, which can be beneficial for applications that require high performance, such as virtualization or video editing. However, if your NAS is mostly used for data storage and infrequent access, then an NVMe cache may not be necessary. With the DS723+, Synology is solidifying its position in the home category. Between the DS1522+, DS923+, and now the DS723+, there's a good selection of servers targeted at home users, and the best part is that they share the same Ryzen R1600 hardware, making the purchasing decision a little easy. The DS923+ and DS723+ have the added benefit of utilizing the M.2 slots for storage, and that is a huge deal — considering just how long it took the brand to roll it out. Although 2x SATA drive 10G performance on the DS723+ and it’s CPU+Memory combo cannot be confirmed right now, I CAN answer the question of how the R1600 CPU and pro-class hard drives will perform over 10GbE in a four drive combo. Previously here on the NASCompares, I was fortunate enough to run ATTO tests on the DS1522+ (same R1600 CPU, but 8GB Memory and more bays) with RAID 0 and RAID 5, over four WD Red Pro 22TB Hard Drives. Now, it is worth remembering that these are NOT your common, everyday SATA hard drives and are designed to be rugged, high-performance disks (7200RPM, 512MB Cache, 10x 2.2TB platters, etc) AND the DS1522+ was populated with four drives (twice the maximum bays of the DS723+). That said, the results in both a RAID 0 and RAID 5 setup and in particular file size tests, full saturation of read transfers of 1.15GB/s was achieved, with write performance peaking at around 800-900MB/s. Now, these ARE artificial tests (so, not really representative of everyday use), but are nevertheless very compelling results for the CPU inside the DS723+ being able (with sufficient media) to sufficiently saturate the E10G22-T1-mini upgrade. More domestic/smaller scale HDDs such as the WD Red Plus or Seagate Ironwolf drives in a 2-Bay configuration of the DS723+ would likely cap at around 400-50MB/s at most. Performance on these bays will comfortably saturate an external 10GbE connection (see gif below using two M.2 NVMes below tested with AJA externally over 10GbE). This is going to be useful for those that were concerned that 2x SATA HDDs or SSDs would struggle to saturate the 1,000MB/s bandwidth offered by the 10G upgrade. However, the full bandwidth afforded by the use of these bays in a storage pool is a little less clear than many would like.

If you just want a NAS, then the CPUs offered by Synology are more than capable of handling the task. I prefer the Synology S/W over QNAP, but Synology needs to up their H/W game to include at least one 10Gbe port on every model they sell. Buying a NAS today with 1Gbe ports is a waste of money, and quite honestly link aggregation does not do the job. I have an old DS1512+ that is over a decade old and still running fine. None of these new 2023 Synology boxes you’ve been discussing offer much more than that old DS1512+ I already have as far as a NAS is concerned. It would be worth looking into if you’re experiencing slow access, and if Synology NAS support NVMe cache. Synology SNV3400 series M.2 NVMe SSD drives can be installed through the built-in M.2 slots to enable SSD caching or create SSD storage pools. Drives are sold separately.Synology Surveillance Station – Safeguard your business, home, and other valuable assets with reliable video surveillance tools. Actual maximum storage pool and volume sizes vary depending on drives used, the number of drive bays available, and the RAID configuration. So, regardless of whether you buy the DS723+ or DS720+ NAS, you are going to have a remarkably functional NAS drive. But, let’s dig a little deeper into the differences between these two devices. The Synology DS723+ vs DS720+ NAS – Internal Hardware Note – You can find my 10GbE, 4x WD Red Pro 22TB Synology Ryzen R1600 NAS (DS1522+) Tests HERE on the Blog and HERE on YouTube, where we were able to hit 1.15GB/s I like how easy this is to install (zero case deconstruction) and it is a very well-designed component (not just a rebadged card with a logo). The 10G upgrade is only available in copper (RJ45/10GBASE-T) currently, but I would not be surprised if Synology roll out an SFP/SFP+ version down the line. As much as I would like to see this port and it’s utility get expanded (2.5G/5G, Dual port?), realistically this is still a PCIe 3×2 slot (so maximum 2,000MB/s to play with and that’s without network/hardware friction) and the physical space here is pretty small.

Both can Stream 720p, 1080p and/or 4K media, with superior performance natively and mid-range performance in Plex Based on internal processor benchmarks between DS923+ and the prior-gen DS920+. Actual performance may vary depending on hardware and software configuration, workload, and testing environment.Powered by the versatile Synology DiskStation Manager (DSM) operating system, the DS723+ offers comprehensive solutions to protect and manage business data, easily collaborate on documents, access files remotely, and monitor physical assets, all within a compact desktop format.

The New CPU architecture allows great PCIe3 bandwidth to be afforded to the rest of the hardware, inside and out So I am going into this blindingly; I have two different NAS Diskstation Systems, that I’ve been thinking about purchasing and the reasoning for both is probably really stupid, which is why I am reaching out to ask for some useless information before blowing a bunch of money…. I’ve been using Synology NAS for 11 years on a 1Gb/sec wired network and am a Plex user. I’ve experimented with various setups to maximize 4K video delivery to various output sizes, as in iPad/iPhone, PC/Mac, 4K smart TV and 1080p projector. Any time a 4K video had to be transcoded to another size, the Synology CPU was buried. By one user. I found out that the Apple TV 4K also performs transcoding of 4K input to match the display it’s connected to. So the server no longer needs to perform the transcoding (unless I’m on my iPhone/iPad, which requires transcoding, and it isn’t pretty)! This means that the Synology NAS needs less processor cores/speed (in most cases) when transmitting video media.Both the DS720+ and DS723+ are constructed of plastic desktop compact chassis, thereby reducing power consumption, noise and heat generated It would have been nice if the DS723+ NAS had arrived with 10GbE on board (even if it meant increasing the price a bit, many would feel) or greater than gigabit on those default ethernet ports, but there is no avoiding that the DS723+ CLEARLY wins in terms of network connectivity, as it has the exact ports as the DS720+, but allows the scalability up to 10Gb/1,000MB/s bandwidth down the line. The Synology DS723+ vs DS720+ NAS – Software Performance The Synology DS723+ NAS hardware is an interesting mix of the expected and unexpected (both internally and externally) and I think it is safe to say that this will divide opinion at the home and prosumer tiers considerably. At the small/medium business (SMB) tier of course it will be a different story, as the hardware architecture here is very competent and if the DS723+ will likely outperform the DS720+ in most other respects in/outside of DSM, so it will be very popular! Let’s discuss the potential software capabilities of the DS723+ NAS in DSM 7.1 onwards. The Synology DS723+ NAS Software Specifications Ideal for teams of professionals, small businesses looking to step into the world of centralized storage, or as an edge node in distributed deployments, the DS723+ can scale up to 7 drive bays with a DX517 expansion unit when more capacity is needed.