Should you Buy the Synology DS918+ or DS1517+ NAS?
Synology NAS is probably one of the biggest names in the industry. Providing hardware for home and business users alike, they have been known for their user-friendly software design, sleek modern chassis and accessibility to anyone with even the smallest amount of IT Experience. Last spring we saw the release of one of the most ground breaking 5-Bay NAS devices of recent years in the form of the expandable and powerful (yet affordable) Synology DS1517+. It was a 5 Hard drive / Solid State Drive Desktop NAS device that could be expanded with the DX513 Expansion device, as well as providing more than enough hardware and software power to really make a mark for home and SMB users to throw their money over the counter.
If you don’t and are trying to choose between the DS1517+ or DS918+, which one should you buy? Whichever Synology NAS you choose, rest assured that you are buying one of the most capable and adaptable network attached storage devices available. Either one will provide:
- Synology DSM Operating system Free and updated regularly
- BTRFS and EXT 4 File systems to choose from
- Support for RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 6, RAID 10, RAID 50, RAID 60 and the always popular and adaptable SHR (Synology Hybrid RAID)
- Host a Virtualisation Platform – setup and run multiple VMs, supporting multiple Operating systems and enhanced by the Docker app, Container Station
- Personal and business software applications included free like Synology Office (docs, spreadsheets, pdfs, etc), Synology LiveChat, Synology Mail, Photo Station, Video Station, Mtion, Download Station and more
- Both units cab be used as a fantastic Plex Media Server
- Serve as a cross-platform service – bridging connections and transfers of files between Mac and Windows systems over the network
- Heavily support backups, archiving, remote replication and comprehensive snapshot technology meaning you will have an equal amount of backup options whichever you go for. As well as migration, connection and interaction with existing cloud services like dropbox, Google Drive, ElephantDrive and Synology C2
- Create a comprehensive Surveillance solutions, supporting multiple IP cameras and even arriving with some licences included
Synology DS1517+ NAS Review
High performance NAS optimized for encryption and intensive tasks
| DESIGN | If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! That is the motto of Synology by the look of their chassiS design this last few years and in the DS1517+ NAS from Synology, this is kept in check! A great combination of metal and plastic where it count, this unit much like it’s predecessor (the DS1515+) factors like noise and heat are kept low and this enclosure definitely ticks the boxes for all the Mac users out there – plus looks really nice on your desk! Not exactly vital, but in an age of modern design, a welcome addition. |
| FEATURES | The remarkably powerful Quad-Core CPU that the DS1517+ arrives with is an excellent multi-tasking and single task NAS. Those who are familiar with the Synology software and the Synology range will take one look at this unit and what it can do and fall in love! Also, arriving with either 2GB or 8GB or DDR3 memory (which can be expanded further to 16GB!!!) whatever you did in your previous desktop Synology NAS, the DS1517+ and DS1817+ will do it better! |
| PERFORMANCE | With this being the highest powered Synology Desktop NAS yet (if you overlook the DS3617xs) then it won;t come as a shock that the DS1517+ and DS1817+ are two of the best performing NAS ever released from Synology. Whatever you need your NAS to do, however you need it to perform, this unit can do it. And don’t forget that to expand your storage, you can always use two of the DX517 Synology NAS Expansion devices to add an extra 10 HDD to your storage capacity. This can be independent storage, one GIANT RAID combining all potential 15 HDD bays, or used as a synchronised backup from the NAS to the expansion. A terrific and full featured NAS server |
| VALUE | Althrough this might not be the cheapest 5-Bay NAS in the market, the Synology DS1517+ NAS is the go-to NAS server for Mac users, those who want a streamlined and user-friendly UI and most importantly of all, the people who want a NAS that sits there doing the job it needs and don;t want to tinker. An excellent NAS server and some fantastic product output buy the joint best NAS providers of 2017. |
| DESIGN | features like a lack of LCD, remote control and one touch copy button will put some users off – if you need these features, then then QNAP TVS-473 may well be the NAS server for you. |
| FEATURES | Synology NAS still lack functions like HDMI, LCD, DAS connectivity, Thunderbolt, remote controls and more. A little bit of a pity that we are still yet to see more action from Synology on this, as QNAP really dominate on these areas! |
| PERFORMANCE | Because the DS1517+ NAS is a closed system (no direct access), all performance and application use is limited to network only. Of course, given the improved encryption system ‘AES-NI’ in use and all login and access permissions and credentials are checked constantly and the BTRFS file system for background checks and snapshots, this is only a partial disadvantage. |
| VALUE | If you are of a mind to upgrade more, to tinker with the hardware, to play with your device in the settings, direct access and generally are of a slightly more technical mind, then the Synology DS1517+ might seen a little too expensive for what you get. For you, I recommend the QNAP TVS-671, TVS-673 or the TVS-682. All 6-Bays and all in a similar price range to the DS1517+ NAS. |
Synology DS918+NAS Review
| DESIGN | With a newly created chassis released with improved ventilation, but still managing to keep compact (even introducing new hardware inside) this is by FAR the best Synology design yet. A welcome improvement to the old DS916+ chassis. |
| FEATURES | The Synology DS918+ NAS will do it all. If you need a NAS to watch and transcode 4K, Run several VMs, Apple time machine backups, host a plex media server, run an itunes server, run a business from, run surveillance cameras over the network, provide a CRM and CMS system, as well as host several websites – The DS918+ is the NAS server for you |
| PERFORMANCE | Easily one of the best performing Synology NAS devices available for home and small business users. Also if the default hardware isn’t enough, this is the easiest to upgrade, featuring RAM upgrades and NVMe slots |
| VALUE | This could possible be the best NAS of the year. We still have a couple of months before we can truly decide, but for this price and the HUGE amount of software and hardware option in the price threshold make it irresistible. |
| DESIGN | The two rear fans, though fully controllable, cannot be completely switched off and this may annoy some people. However any noise they make on their lowest setting is still lower than the HDD you have installed. |
| FEATURES | Although it can do many of these tasks at once, if you need to do ALL of them at once, you will need a solid Intel Xeon at the least. |
| PERFORMANCE | Only fault I can find is that there is no 8GB Default version available to buy, as you found with the DS918+ (8GB). |
| VALUE | It is a shame that there is no 8-Bay option with this hardware – as the DS1817+ is rather disappointing by Comparison |
How do the Synology DS918+ and DS1517+ NAS Specs Compare?
Below is how the Specifications of the Synology DS1517+ and DS918+ NAS Compare:
| CPU | ||
| Synology DS1517+ NAS | Synology DS918++ NAS | |
| CPU Model | Intel Atom C2538 | Intel Celeron J3455 |
| CPU Architecture | 64-bit | 64-bit |
| CPU Frequency | Quad Core 2.4 GHz | Quad Core 1.5 burst up to 2.3 GHz |
| Hardware Encryption Engine (AES-NI) | ||
| Hardware Transcoding Engine | H.264 (AVC), H.265 (HEVC), MPEG-2 and VC-1; maximum resolution: 4K (4096 x 2160); maximum frame rate per second (FPS): 30 | |
| Memory | ||
| System Memory | 2/8 GB DDR3 | 4 GB DDR3L |
| Memory Module Pre-installed | 2GB (1 x 2GB) / 8GB (2 x 4GB) | 4GB (1 x 4GB) |
| Total Memory Slots | 2 | 2 |
| Memory Expandable up to | 16 GB (8 GB x 2) | 8 GB (4 GB x 2) |
| Storage | ||
| Drive Bays | 5 | 4 |
| Maximum Drive Bays with Expansion Unit | 15 | 9 |
| M.2 NVMe Drive Slots | 2 | |
| Compatible Drive Type* (See all supported drives) |
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| Maximum Internal Raw Capacity | 60 TB (12 TB drive x 5) (Capacity may vary by RAID types) | 48 TB (12 TB drive x 4) (Capacity may vary by RAID types) |
| Maximum Raw Capacity with Expansion Units | 180 TB (60 TB + 12 TB drive x 10) (Capacity may vary by RAID types) | 108 TB (48 TB + 12 TB drive x 5) (Capacity may vary by RAID types) |
| Maximum Single Volume Size |
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| Hot Swappable Drive | ||
| External Ports | ||
| RJ-45 1GbE LAN Port | 4 (with Link Aggregation / Failover support) | 2 (with Link Aggregation / Failover support) |
| USB 3.0 Port | 4 | 2 |
| eSATA Port | 2 | 1 |
| PCIe | ||
| PCIe Expansion |
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| Add-in-card support |
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| Notes | DS1517+ with M2D17 can only support M.2 SATA SSD. M.2 NVMe/AHCI PCIe SSD is not supported. | |
| File System | ||
| Internal Drives |
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| External Drives |
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| Notes |
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| Appearance | ||
| Size (Height x Width x Depth) | 166 mm x 250 mm x 243 mm | 166 mm x 199 mm x 223 mm |
| Weight | 4.46 kg | 2.28 kg |
| Others | ||
| System Fan | 80 mm x 80 mm x 2 pcs | 92 mm x 92 mm x 2 pcs |
| Fan Speed Mode |
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| Easy Replacement System Fan | ||
| Brightness adjustable front LED indicators | ||
| Power Recovery | ||
| Noise Level* | 26.2 dB(A) | 19.8 dB(A) |
| Scheduled Power On/Off | ||
| Wake on LAN/WAN | ||
| Power Supply Unit / Adapter | 200W | 100W |
| AC Input Power Voltage | 100V to 240V AC | 100V to 240V AC |
| Power Frequency | 50/60 Hz, Single Phase | 50/60 Hz, Single Phase |
| Power Consumption* | 42.1 W (Access) 23.1 W (HDD Hibernation) |
28.8 W (Access) 12.6 W (HDD Hibernation) |
| British Thermal Unit | 143.7 BTU/hr (Access) 78.9 BTU/hr (HDD Hibernation) |
98.27 BTU/hr (Access) 42.99 BTU/hr (HDD Hibernation) |
| Environment Temperature | ||
| Operating Temperature | 5°C to 40°C (40°F to 104°F) | 5°C to 40°C (40°F to 104°F) |
| Storage Temperature | -20°C to 60°C (-5°F to 140°F) | -20°C to 60°C (-5°F to 140°F) |
| Relative Humidity | 5% to 95% RH | 5% to 95% RH |
| Certification |
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| Warranty | 3 Year Hardware Warranty, Extendable to 5 Year Coverage – EW201 | 3 Years |
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Summary
Reviewer
Robbie
Review Date
Reviewed Item
DS1517+ vs DS918+ NAS
Author Rating
