The Synology DS916+ versus The QNAP TS-453A – The 4-Bay NAS Brand Comparison

From Plex, VMware and 4K to Apps and NAS support – which NAS should you choose?

 The DS916+ (8GB) unlike the TS-453A-8G is made by Synology. People often choose Synology because of user friendly interface as well as being suited for Mac and Windows based environments. It is relatively easy to set up and use, and those who are new to Network Attached Storage are advised to go for the Synology. Unlike the TS-453A-8G this box has the Intel Pentium N3710 Quad Core 1.6 Ghz to 2.56 GHz processor. Just like the TS-453A-8G this box has 8GB RAM. Both units fully support and are:

• DLNA Certified
• Both feature hardware suitable for Plex Media Servers (working well upto 720P)
• Both can be used for Backup Images
• Both support migration with 3^rd Party Cloud Services
• Both support jbod, raid 0, 1, 5, 6 AND 10
• Both are compatible with Windows and Mac Environments
• Both have multiple IOS and Android Apps available
• Both have Multi-Lingual Language Support
• Both use an Btrfs and EXT 4 internal File System
• Both have low power, hibernation and fan control

Highlight Differences between the Synology DS916+ and the QNAP TS-453A

Hardware Specifications for the QNAP TS-453A and the Synology DS916+
Model Name	The Synology DS916+	The QNAP TS-453A
	£386 – 2GB from SPAN £418 – 8GB from SPAN	£338 – 4GB from SPAN £422 – 8GB from SPAN
CPU
CPU Model	Intel Pentium N3710	14 nm Intel® Celeron® N3150
CPU Architecture	64-bit	64- bit
CPU Frequency	Quad Core 1.6 burst up to 2.56 GHz	1.6GHz quad-core processor (burst up to 2.08GHz)
Floating Point
Hardware Encryption Engine (AES-NI)
Hardware Transcoding Engine	H.264 (AVC), MPEG-2 and VC-1; maximum resolution: 4K (4096 x 2160); maximum frame rate per second (FPS): 30	H.264 (AVC), MPEG-2 and VC-1;  maximum resolution: 4K (4096 x 2160)  maximum frame rate per second (FPS): 30 8th generation Intel HD Graphics gpu
Memory
System Memory	2 / 8 GB DDR3	4/8GB
Storage
Drive Bay(s)	4	4
Maximum Drive Bays with Expansion Unit	9	12
Compatible Drive Type (See all supported drives)	·         3.5″ SATA III / SATA II HDD ·         2.5″ SATA III / SATA II HDD ·         2.5″ SATA III / SATA II SSD	·         3.5″ SATA III / SATA II HDD ·         2.5″ SATA III / SATA II HDD ·         2.5″ SATA III / SATA II SSD
Maximum Internal Raw Capacity	32 TB (8 TB HDD x 4) (Capacity may vary by RAID types)	32 TB (8 TB HDD x 4) (Capacity may vary by RAID types)
Maximum Raw Capacity with Expansion Units	72 TB (8 TB HDD x 9) (Capacity may vary by RAID types)	Independent Volume
Maximum Single Volume Size	·         108 TB	·         172 TB
Hot Swappable Drive
External Ports
USB 2.0 Port	0	1
USB 3.0 Port	3	4
eSATA Port	1	0
HDMI	0	2
Audio		2x 6.3mm Audio out + Remote +LCD screen
File System
Internal Drives	·         Btrfs ·         EXT4	·         EXT4
RJ-45 1GbE LAN Port	2 (with Link Aggregation / Failover support)	4 (with Link Aggregation / Failover support)
Noise Level*	19.4 dB(A)	19.7 dB(A)
Power Consumption*	30 W (Access) 13 W (HDD Hibernation)	32.35 W (Access) 18.86 W (HDD Hibernation)
Read and Write	225MB/s Read 209 MB/s Write	414 MB/s Read 406 MB/s Write
Warranty	3 Years	2 Years

 There are two LAN ports on this box, making it a good home or small business NAS as you can utilise Link Aggregation and Failover support. Three USB3 ports on this Synology is offering you up to 5Gb/s transfer speeds of external devices. It is fast enough to get your files through fairly quickly with this speed and make backing up with an external drive or Apple Time Machine a quick and easy process. There is one eSATA port on DS916+ (8GB) giving you up to 6Gb/s transfer speeds. Sometimes when your business grows, you might consider getting a box with expansion capabilities. With this box you have all opportunities to do so. You might want to contact one of our tech guys to find out more.

 With 4 bay unit you are having additional advantages. You can choose from number of RAID solutions to set up. There could be RAID that saves your data even if one of the drives fail so you can still recover your data. This would be slightly more safe option to keep your data. Besides you can still access your documents or media files over your private network or even internet.

This box comes with 2 year warranty for your peace of mind and long term hardware security. This Synology is £4.00 cheaper than the most expensive unit TS-453A-8G – however you can always opt for the QNAP TS-453A-4G.

General Performance these NAS server? Which is best?

 The TS-453A-8G unlike the DS916+ (8GB) is made by Qnap. By choosing Qnap people expect to see advanced configurations opportunities as well as innovative and more diverse business applications. You are able to customize the TS-453A-8G to your needs. This unit also arrives with a One-touch Backup button on the front panel, when it is configured on the TS-453A-8G, it can be used to backup data off of the USB device, or vice versa. The quiet cooling fan has been used in the construction of the TS-453A-8G. This is what you want when box is sitting on your work desk. Unlike the DS916+ (8GB) this box has the Intel Celeron Braswell N3150 1.6 GHz Quad Core (up to 2.08GHz) processor. Just like the DS916+ (8GB) this box has 8GB RAM.

 At the back of the box you will find HDMI port which will let you connect it to TV or monitor. In this case you are not limited to network speeds. You might be interested in audio output ports. With TS-453A-8G you can build a personal karaoke system with high-quality audio output. The TS-453A-8G is packed with remote control for you to conveniently control the HD Station via the built-in IR receiver of the TS-453A-8G. With four LAN ports this box is making good enterprise level NAS. Four USB3 ports on this Qnap is offering you up to 5Gb/s transfer speeds of external devices.

It is fast enough to get your files through fairly quickly with this speed and make backing up with an external drive or Apple Time Machine a quick and easy process. Sometimes when your business grows, you might consider getting a box with expansion capabilities. With this box you have all opportunities to do so. You might want to contact one of our tech guys to find out more.

With 4 bay unit you are having additional advantages. You can choose from number of RAID solutions to set up. There could be RAID that saves your data even if one of the drives fail so you can still recover your data. This would be slightly more safe option to keep your data. Besides you can still access your documents or media files over your private network or even internet. You may install Plex Media Server on this box. Plex lets you easily create a feature rich and practical home media playback system. Some boxes offer real time transcoding functionality. That let you stream your media hustle free, based on your device speed or screen size. Please contact us to find transcoding compatibility list.

How and where do I sign up for Plex? How much does Plex Cost?

The Plex Application for your NAS, Mac, PC, Android device is free and available in the NAS App store, iTunes and Google Playstore at no additional cost, though the free apps, though serving as an excellent introduction, will soon feel limited and we advise that if you upgrade to the Plex Pass subscription service for vastly improved options and add-ons. To begin setting up your Plex Media Server, you will need to head over to Plex and set up your account (use the below link) so you can have all your movie, TV show, music, and photo collections at your fingertips. Anywhere you go, on the devices you love.

If however you wish to skip straight to the good stuff and set up your Plex Pass Membership immediately so you can get your Plex Media Server at 100%, use the link below to take walk you through setting up your Plex Pass today!

Where to Buy your QNAP NAS and your Synology NAS?

Buy your Synology DS916+ here from nascompares.com – Available in 2GB Memory and 8GB Memory, as well as arriving empty or pre-populated with Hard Drives.

 

 

Alternatively, you can buy your the HDMI and more home ready QNAP TS-453A here from nascompares.com in both 4GB and 8GB. Don’t forget that both units arrive with 4 IP Camera Licences for NAS Surveillance.

 

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