Tech
1 GbE LAN Limits Synology’s DiskStation DS723+’s Capabilities
(CTN News) – It has been announced that Synology has expanded its range of network-attached storage solutions with the launch of its most flexible dual-bay product to date.
With a price tag of $449/€429, the new DiskStation DS723+ boasts what it calls “powerful functionality in a tiny package,” in addition to having a few noteworthy improvements.
First up, the NAS replaces the traditional Intel or ARM processor with an AMD Ryzen R1600 processor instead of a traditional Intel or ARM CPU.
It boasts a low-power embedded CPU with two cores and four threads, with a peak frequency of 3.1GHz, as well as hardware encryption built-in (AES-NI) that keeps your data safe.
Secondly, if you flip the device over, you will find that the DS723+ is only a dual-bay NAS by form factor designation, due to the fact that you can access two M.2 slots under its surface.
Moreover, we have been informed that this is one of the first Synology models that is able to create storage pools using M.2 SSDs, which is no small feat. Although we haven’t had the opportunity to test this enhanced functionality yet, it is a step in the right direction.
Such drives were previously limited to the sole purpose of caching.
It is pertinent to note that expandability is one of the key features of the DS723+, which offers an eSATA port for adding a five-bay expansion unit, the optional Synology DX513, if more capacity is required.
It is also possible to add a 10GbE network card to the PCIe slot x2 using the PCIe Gen3 x2 upgrade slot, which also offers upgrade opportunities.
While this is a welcome addition, it will be a shame if Synology continues to rely on 1GbE ports as the standard in 2023.
There are two of them on the Synology DS723+, which support linking aggregation and failover, but 2.5GbE should surely be the minimum requirement on a device as promising as this.
According to Synology product manager Michael Wang, this new unit delivers impressive performance and capabilities for its size, which makes it an ideal choice for small businesses.
Despite its extremely compact form factor, it will certainly appeal to those with small storage requirements, but at the same time do not want to give up on the convenience of centralized storage and the ability to scale up in the future,” Wang concludes.
In addition to the AMD CPU, the system is equipped with a single 2GB stick of DDR4 memory.
There are two slots available for the memory, allowing the maximum capacity to be increased to 32GB (2x16GB), while power is supplied by an external 65 Watt brick.
The sleek 166mm x 106mm x 223mm box offers a lot of potential, but how much longer will 1GbE be able to endure?
How do I know my Synology DSM model?
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