The Synology DiskStation DS923+ ($599.99) is a powerful four-bay network-attached storage (NAS) device that delivers a flexible backup and file-sharing server solution for home offices and small businesses. Armed with an AMD Ryzen processor, the DS923+ showed speedy file transfer performance in our tests, and its user-friendly DSM operating system and extensive app catalog make it easy to configure for a variety of purposes, including as a multimedia server, a surveillance station, or a cloud server. It's a fine choice among multi-bay NAS devices, but you'll get slightly faster performance, multi-gig connectivity, and HDMI video output with our Editors' Choice award pick, the QNAP TS-464, for $50 less.
Design and Features
The DiskStation DS923+ uses the same black enclosure as the DS920+ reviewed here back in 2020. It measures 6.5 by 7.8 by 8.7 inches (HWD) and weighs 4.9 pounds. The front holds four hot-swap, tool-free drive bays that can be locked for added security. Off to the right are LED indicators for system status and drive activity; a USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port; and a power button.
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Around back are two 1Gbps LAN ports; another Type-A USB 3.2 Gen 1 port; an eSATA port, for connecting external storage devices; two 92mm cooling fans; a reset button; and a network upgrade slot.
(Credit: Synology)
There are no multi-gig Ethernet ports on this NAS, unlike on the QNAP TS-464, but you can use the network upgrade slot to install an optional 10Gbps RJ-45 Network Upgrade Module ($149.99). The LAN ports support link aggregation for network failover and load balancing. On the bottom of the enclosure are two M.2 NVMe solid-state drive slots for installing one or two SSDs for fast caching.
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The DS923+ is powered by a dual-core AMD Ryzen R1600 CPU and 4GB of DDR4 RAM (expandable to 32GB). It supports 2.5- and 3.5-inch drives with a maximum total internal storage capacity of 72TB (using four 18TB drives). As with nearly every NAS on the market, you'll have to supply your own drives. You can add another 80TB of storage with a five-bay DX517 expansion unit ($469.99, plus the cost of the drives). The NAS supports the Btrfs and ext4 file systems, as well as Synology Hybrid RAID (SHR), Basic, JBOD, RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 6, and RAID 10 configurations.
Like other Synology NAS devices (including the DiskStation DS1522+), the DS923+ is managed using the company's Windows-like DSM operating system, which uses desktop icons to make configuring the NAS fast and easy. Upon startup, the DSM desktop is populated with several icons, including Control Panel, File Station, Package Center, and DSM Help. As you download apps, new icons are added to the desktop. To the right of the screen are windows showing system info such as total uptime, CPU and RAM usage, and the NAS IP address.
(Credit: Synology)
At top left is a Main Menu icon that provides access to other preinstalled utilities including Storage Manager, which lets you create volumes and configure RAID settings; Active Insight, which lets you send data to Synology to resolve technical issues; Log Center, the place to view system logs and notifications; and Security Advisor, which scans for malware, checks your password strength, and keeps your software up to date.
(Credit: Synology)
The Package Center provides access to a catalog of 101 Synology and third-party apps that let you use the NAS as a cloud server, a multimedia server, a backup server, an IP camera surveillance center, and more. Tap the Control Panel icon to configure network and security settings, create user groups and set user privileges, and configure file services and file sharing. The File Station icon leads to a screen where you can create and organize folders and files, as well as enable file access using a web browser. Finally, tap the DSM Help icon to view tutorials and help articles.
(Credit: Synology)
Installation and Performance
You can install the DS923+ with the Synology mobile app or with the web console; both methods are straightforward. I chose the latter. I started by installing four 10TB Seagate IronWolf drives, connecting the NAS to my router, and powering it up. Using a desktop PC connected to the same router, I downloaded and launched the Synology Assistant utility, which immediately found the device. I clicked Install, downloaded the latest version of the DSM operating system, and waited several minutes for the NAS to restart.
Next, I gave the device a name and created an administrator account and password. I launched the DSM desktop and created a storage pool and a volume, selecting SHR as a RAID option and Btrfs for my file system. The volume yielded a total storage capacity of 27.3TB, and the software needed around 12 hours to optimize it, after which the device was ready for testing.
The DiskStation DS923+ turned in respectable scores in our file transfer tests, in which we move a 4.9GB folder containing a mix of video, photo, music, and office document files between the NAS and a host PC and record the read and write speeds. Its 88MBps throughput in the write test was a hair slower than the QNAP TS-464's 89MBps, but a bit faster than the Asustor AS6704T (87MBps), the ioSafe 1520+ (85MBps), and the TerraMaster F5-422 (80MBps). In our read test, the Synology NAS tied the TerraMaster and the ioSafe at 89MBps. That topped the Asustor (87MBps), but trailed the QNAP (90MBps).
Verdict: A Solid Four
With the Synology DiskStation DS923+, you get a versatile four-bay NAS device that offers speedy performance and the ability to grow along with your storage needs. Powered by Synology's friendly DSM operating system, the device works equally well for backup or as a server for sharing photos, music, office documents, and more. It's relatively easy to set up and manage, too.
However, as we noted, our multi-bay NAS Editors' Choice pick remains the QNAP TS-464. It's only trivially faster, but offers a wider variety of ports, including two 2.5Gbps LAN ports, an HDMI video output, and four instead of two USB ports, for less money.
Synology DiskStation DS923+
4.0
See It$597.99 at Newegg
MSRP $599.99
Pros
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Easy to install and configure
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Expandable
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Solid file-transfer performance in testing
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Generous app catalog
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Cons
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Relatively expensive for the feature set
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Lacks multi-gig LAN ports
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Drives not included
The Bottom Line
The Synology DiskStation DS923+ is a capable four-bay NAS that offers brisk file transfers and a wide variety of apps, though the feature set is a touch underwhelming for the money.
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