Synology DS420j NAS Final Specifications Revealed

Official Specifications on the Budget Synology DS420j NAS Released

Originally revealed back at the very start of September, the Synology DS420j NAS is the latest affordable, RAID enabled Home and Business NAS solution from the big company in network-attached storage. The J series from Synology has always been about having access to the software that they provide but at a more economical level. serving as a great entry point into the world of NAS, whilst not appearing too much of a commitment for first-time buyers. Though the majority of the specifications were confirmed back in the autumn, we have learnt more about this low priced 4-Bay for winter 2019/2020 and more on it’s the suitability of low-level backups and its appeal to those with an eye on the budget.

What is the DS420j Synology NAS Drive?

Much like the majority of NAS devices, the DS420j is a fully featured NAS solution but arrives at a much more affordable price point. Arriving with a much more power-efficient and economical processor, the DS420j is a 4-bay desktop NAS designed for home users’ data backup and file sharing. It supports various networking protocols, multiple RAID configurations and diverse add-on packages, effortlessly enabling cross-platform file synchronization and sharing on a private cloud. Highlights of the DS420j NAS are:

  • 4-bay home NAS with over 60 TB raw capacity support, suitable for data backup and file sharing
  • 64-bit 4-core 1.4 GHz processor and 1 GB DDR4 memory
  • Over 112 MB/s encrypted sequential reading and writing throughput1
  • Easy-to-deploy surveillance solution that supports up to 16 IP cameras
  • Energy-saving design with only 7.88 W consumed in hibernation mode
  • Backed by Synology 2-year limited warranty

The Synology DS420j NAS drive arrives with 2-years limited warranty from when you purchase.

What is the Performance of the Synology DS420j NAS Drive?

Usable as a business or home solution, the DS420j is an internally scalable storage solution that designed for home data backup, file/platform synchronization and the sharing of everything to media to surveillance. With a maximum net storage capacity of 64 TB, you can centrally manage and store the media files. Equipped with a Realtek RTD1296 CPU, this 64-bit four core 1.4 GHz processor and 1GB non-expandable DDR4 memory, DS420j delivers encrypted sequential throughput at over 112 MB/s in reading and writing transmission (upload/download). It supports up to 64 TB raw capacity with 4 drive trays. Powered by Synology DiskStation Manager (DSM), DS420j offers various applications to optimize data backup and file sharing for home use, and is highly reliable to store and centralize your media files.

How well does the Synology DS420j Handle Photography?

Centralize your photos and videos in one private, organized place with Synology Moments and enjoy a modern browsing experience with image recognition techniques.

  • Safely store your memorable moments on DS420j
  • Group photos by topics based on deep learning algorithm
  • Effortlessly find desired photos and share with friends and family
  • Optimized browsing experience with super-resolution
  • Back up photos and free up storage space of mobile devices

How Can the Synology DS420j NAS Backup your Data?

DS420j can serve as a centralized backup destination, making it easy to create your own private cloud. Synology Cloud Sync keeps your Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Baidu, and Box storage accounts in sync with the DS420j at home. Synology Drive allows you to sync files across Windows, macOS, Linux, and mobile devices, effortlessly keeping everything up-to-date. Synology Hyper Backup provides multi-version backup with block-level incremental backup and cross-version deduplication. It has optimized storage utilization and allows data backup to multiple destinations, including local shared folders, external hard drives, network shared folders, rsync servers, and public cloud services.

What are the Hardware Specifications of the Synology DS420j NAS?

Although similar to the DS418j, the newer NAS does arrive with an improved CPU. Below are the hardware specifications of the Synology DS420j NAS drives:

Processor model Realtek RTD1296
Processor architecture 64-bit
Processor clock Quad-core 1.4 GHz
Hardware encryption engine
System memory 1 GB DDR4
Remark Synology reserves the right to replace memory components of the same or higher frequency depending on the availability of the supplier’s product. Its compatibility and stability have passed the same rigorous testing. Please rest assured to use.
Number of disk slots 4
Compatible disk types
  • 3.5 “SATA HDD
  • 2.5 “SATA HDD
  • 2.5 “SATA SSD
Maximum internal net total storage capacity 64 TB (16 TB drive x 4) (Capacity varies by RAID type)
Maximum single storage capacity * 108 TB
Disk hot-plug support NO
Remark
  • Compatible disk type refers to the type of hard disk that can be compatible with the product after the actual measurement, and the maximum speed of non-hard disk slots.
  • The maximum single storage space is not directly equivalent to the maximum net total storage capacity
RJ-45 1GbE network hole 1
USB 3.0 port 2
Internal disk
  • EXT4
External disk
  • EXT4
  • EXT3
  • FAT
  • NTFS
  • HFS +
  • exFAT *
Remark exFAT Access is purchased separately from the kit center.
Size (height x width x depth) 184 mm x 168 mm x 230 mm
weight 2.21 kg
System fan 80 mm x 80 mm x 2 pcs
Fan mode
  • Full speed mode
  • Low temperature mode
  • Silent mode
  • Power saving mode
Front panel LED indicator adjusts brightness
Automatic power recovery
Noise value* 20.6 dB (A)
Timer switch
Wake on LAN
Power Supply / Transformer 90 W
AC input voltage 100 V to 240 V AC
Current frequency 50/60 Hz, single frequency
Power consumption * 21.71 W (access)
7.88 W (hard drive hibernation)
British thermal unit 74.08 BTU / hr (access)
26.89 BTU / hr (hard drive hibernation)
Remark
  • Power consumption test data was obtained with a Western Digital 1TB WD10EFRX hard drive.
  • Noise value test environment: Seagate 2TB ST2000VN000 hard disk is set up with two GRAS Type 40AE microphones at a distance of 1 meter from the front and back of the Synology NAS in standby state; background noise value: 16.49-17.51 ​​dB (A); temperature: Celsius 24.25-25.75 degrees; humidity: 58.2-61.8%.
Working temperature 0 ° C to 40 ° C (32 ° F to 104 ° F)
Storage temperature -20 ° C to 60 ° C (-5 ° F to 140 ° F)
Relative humidity 5% to 95% RH

What are the Software Specifications of the Synology DS420j NAS Drive?

Despite the Synology DS420j featuring more efficient and lower-powered hardware inside, it still arrives with the DSM 6.2 software and GUI. Arriving with a huge number of included applications and licences, as well as client applications for PC, Mac, Android and iOS, the DS420j still supports the majority of Synology first-party applications, such as:

Maximum storage space 64
Maximum number of iSCSI Targets 10
Maximum number of iSCSI LUNs 10
SSD TRIM
Supports RAID type
  • Synology Hybrid RAID
  • Basic
  • JBOD
  • RAID 0
  • RAID 1
  • RAID 5
  • RAID 6
  • RAID 10
RAID configuration migration
  • Basic to RAID 1
  • Basic to RAID 5
  • RAID 1 to RAID 5
  • RAID 5 to RAID 6
Expandable storage with larger hard drives
  • Synology Hybrid RAID
  • RAID 1
  • RAID 5
  • RAID 6
  • RAID 10
Add hard drive to expand storage space
  • Synology Hybrid RAID
  • JBOD
  • RAID 5
Global Hot Spare supports RAID types
  • Synology Hybrid RAID
  • RAID 1
  • RAID 5
Dossier agreement CIFS / AFP / NFS / FTP / WebDAV
Maximum simultaneous CIFS / AFP / FTP connections 100
Windows access control list (ACL) integration
NFS Kerberos authentication
Maximum number of local user accounts 1,024
Maximum number of local groups 256
Maximum number of shared folders 256
Maximum shared folder synchronization task 4
Log receptions per second 100
Network protocol SMB1 (CIFS), SMB2, SMB3, NFSv3, NFSv4, NFSv4.1, NFS Kerberized sessions, iSCSI, HTTP, HTTPs, FTP, SNMP, LDAP, CalDAV
Supported browsers
  • Chrome
  • Firefox
  • Edge
  • Internet Explorer 10 or above
  • Safari 10 or above
  • Safari (iOS 10 or above)
  • Chrome (Android 6.0 or above)
Supported languages English, Deutsch, Français, Italiano, Español, Dansk, Norsk, Svenska, Nederlands, Русский, Polski, Magyar, Português do Brasil, Português Europeu, Türkçe, Český, ภาษา ไทย, Japanese, 한국어, Traditional Chinese, Chinese
Maximum number of users 10
Remark
  • The maximum number of simultaneous HTTP connections has been adjusted to the maximum value when testing Synology Chat.
  • When the maximum number of users is reached, the CPU and memory usage are less than 80%.
Maximum download tasks 80
DLNA compatible
Face recognition
Theme identification
Maximum camera support 16 (including 2 free licenses)
Frames per second (FPS) (H.264) * 480 FPS @ 720p (1280×720)
288 FPS @ 1080p (1920×1080)
150 FPS @ 3M (2048×1536)
100 FPS @ 5M (2591×1944)
70 FPS @ 4K (3840×2160)
Frame per second (FPS) (H.265) * 480 FPS @ 720p (1280×720)
384 FPS @ 1080p (1920×1080)
256 FPS @ 3M (2048×1536)
160 FPS @ 5M (2591×1944)
100 FPS @ 4K (3840×2160)
Frames per second (FPS) (MJPEG) * 240 FPS @ 720p (1280×720)
150 FPS @ 1080p (1920×1080)
100 FPS @ 3M (2048×1536)
60 FPS @ 5M (2591×1944)
Remark Surveillance Station uses the Axis camera for testing; the recording schedule is continuous recording; Surveillance Station is used as the live image source; the motion detection source is set to the camera; the live image and video use the same set of image streams.
Recommended number of files 100,000 (for files indexed or belonging to Synology Drive , for files accessed through other protocols, please refer to the file service in the above field)
Recommended number of client PC connections 200 (when the recommended number of files is stored, the number of devices that can be connected at the same time)
Remark
  • Exceeding the limit may result in longer response times for file operations.
  • The above tests used the EXT4 file system and unencrypted shared folders.
Maximum number of users 200
Remark
  • The test opened multiple files and each file was edited by 30 users simultaneously.
  • When the maximum number of users is reached, the CPU and memory usage are less than 80%.
  • Client performance may affect the maximum number of simultaneous editing users. Client test computer specifications: Intel Core i3-3220 / 8GB memory
Maximum number of connections 10

Synology DS220J NAS Price and Release Date

Unlike when we first uncovered the Synology DS420J NAS Drive, we now know pretty much everything about it and though it is similar to the DS418j in architecture that CPU will certainly provide a good level of support for low end NAS users, despite the rather underwhelming 1GB memory. As it has been one of the first units to be released in the 2020 diskstation series (following the DS620slim and DS120j), it is understandable if users will want to hold off a little longer to see what a potential DS220j or DS420 NAS might feature by way of alternative. As for the price point, I cannot see Synology being able to justify a price point much higher than the £250+ (ex.VAT) of the DS418J NAS. I know for many of you, this device is not the most interesting of the bunch and may look weedy in comparison with the majority of the PLUS series, but for those of you looking for a modest NAS that gives you a solid NAS experience and DSM too, this is a tough price to beat!
Alternative to the Synology DS220J NAS
If the Synology DS420J NAS 4-Bay is not the NAS that you have been waiting to buy, it is understandable that you might want to look at the current/older generation. Right now, the best alternative to the DS420J that is available to buy RIGHT NOW is the Synology DS218. Though it is a 2Bay, it arrives with the same CPU, Twice the available memory at 2GB and is around £35 cheaper! Give it a look:



 

📧 SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER 🔔


    🔒 Join Inner Circle

    Get an alert every time something gets added to this specific article!


    Want to follow specific category? 📧 Subscribe

    This description contains links to Amazon. These links will take you to some of the products mentioned in today's content. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Visit the NASCompares Deal Finder to find the best place to buy this device in your region, based on Service, Support and Reputation - Just Search for your NAS Drive in the Box Below

    Need Advice on Data Storage from an Expert?

    Finally, for free advice about your setup, just leave a message in the comments below here at NASCompares.com and we will get back to you. Need Help? Where possible (and where appropriate) please provide as much information about your requirements, as then I can arrange the best answer and solution to your needs. Do not worry about your e-mail address being required, it will NOT be used in a mailing list and will NOT be used in any way other than to respond to your enquiry.

      By clicking SEND you accept this Privacy Policy
      Question will be added on Q&A forum. You will receive an email from us when someone replies to it.
      🔒Private Fast Track Message (1-24Hours)

      TRY CHAT Terms and Conditions
      If you like this service, please consider supporting us. We use affiliate links on the blog allowing NAScompares information and advice service to be free of charge to you.Anything you purchase on the day you click on our links will generate a small commission which isused to run the website. Here is a link for Amazon and B&H.You can also get me a ☕ Ko-fi or old school Paypal. Thanks!To find out more about how to support this advice service check HEREIf you need to fix or configure a NAS, check Fiver Have you thought about helping others with your knowledge? Find Instructions Here  
       
      Or support us by using our affiliate links on Amazon UK and Amazon US
          
       
      Alternatively, why not ask me on the ASK NASCompares forum, by clicking the button below. This is a community hub that serves as a place that I can answer your question, chew the fat, share new release information and even get corrections posted. I will always get around to answering ALL queries, but as a one-man operation, I cannot promise speed! So by sharing your query in the ASK NASCompares section below, you can get a better range of solutions and suggestions, alongside my own.

      ☕ WE LOVE COFFEE ☕

        This description contains links to Amazon. These links will take you to some of the products mentioned in today’s video. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases

       

      locked content ko-fi subscribe

      DISCUSS with others your opinion about this subject.
      ASK questions to NAS community
      SHARE more details what you have found on this subject
      CONTRIBUTE with your own article or review. Click HERE
      IMPROVE this niche ecosystem, let us know what to change/fix on this site
      EARN KO-FI Share your knowledge with others and get paid for it! Click HERE

      ASK YOUR QUESTIONS HERE!

      One thought on “Synology DS420j NAS Final Specifications Revealed

      1. CPU is from the DS418, amount of RAM from the DS418j. So more cpu cores than the predecessor (4 vs. 2) with the same amount of ram. Not earth-shattering but at least an upgrade. OK for a “j” device, though I’m still very disappointed that releasing slightly refreshed ‘j’ devices is everything Synology seems to be capable of these days. Perhaps all good engineers quit and went to a competitor and they therefor cannot release anything beyond minor refreshes? Would be sad to see Synology die a slow death due to lack of innovation, but this is what is looks like (DSM 7 has also been delayed for more than a year).