Synology DVA3221 Surveillance NAS Revealed

Brand New Synology DVA3221 GPU Card Enabled Surveillance Server for 2020/2021

One of the main reasons that a lot of businesses look at the Synology NAS platform is because they trust that their data will be safe. Synology has a fantastically good reputation in the field of NAS and part of that comes down to their systems being complete hardware + software solutions. Although a large number of applications in the Diskstation Manager (DSM) platform stand out (Synology Active Backup Sync, Hyper Backup, Office, Chat, Mail, Drive, VMM, etc) one application that get’s a lot of attention (i.e awards) is Synology Surveillance Station. This Enterprise-class, yet incredibly intuitive and functional network video recording software has always been a very appealing software selling point. However, the majority of Synology NAS hardware systems cannot provide the FULL extent of what that application can do and for that, you need a Surveillance optimized box – say hello to the new Synology DVA3221 4-Bay NAS desktop system, a followup to the DVA3219 system. This new and improved Deep Video Analysis (DVA) system features more memory and an improved GPU/Graphics Card inside, to provide an improved NVR and traditional NAS combination device over its predecessor. Let’s take a look at everything we know about the Synology DVA3221 and whether it deserves pride of place in your new surveillance upgrade.

What are the Hardware Specifications of the Synology DVA3221 Diskstation

The hardware specifications of the Synology DVA3221 are very similar in architecture to the DVA3219 that came before it, but that is not a bad thing. Arriving with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Graphics card pre-installed, this allows Surveillance Station access to considerable more GPU resources in its analysis of recorded footage – both on archived footage AND on LIVE recordings, using AI support and Deep learning. This card is a PCIe Gen 3 x16 equipped device and 4GB of DDR5 memory onboard. Alongside this, the Synology features an Intel Atom C3538 processor, which might disappoint a few users hoping for the support of the AMD Ryzen V1500B we saw recently provided in the DS1621+, but this processor DOES feature a good range of PCIe Lanes and memory support, allowing the DVA3221 to arrive with 8GB of DDR4 memory (upgradable to 32GB), 4 1Gbe LAN ports, USB 3.2 Gen 1 and eSATA expandability of up to a total of 14 SATA HDDs (using the eSATA DX517 expansion device x2). Because of the GPU card that arrives pre-installed, there are no further PCIe slots available for upgrading network connectivity, as well as it requiring a 250W PSU (despite it being a mere 4-Bay device). Full specifications for the DVA3221 are:

Model ID	Synology DVA3221 NAS/NVR
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Processor model	Intel Atom C3538
Processor architecture	64-bit
Processor clock	Quad core 2.1 GHz
Hardware encryption engine (AES-NI)	Yes
GPU model	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650
Remarks	HDMI output is not supported.
System memory	8 GB DDR4
Pre-installed memory modules	8 GB (4 GB x 2)
Total memory slots	2
Maximum memory capacity	32 GB (16 GB x 2)
Number of Disk Slots	4
Rear Ports
Maximum number of disk bays for installing expansion units	14 (DX517 x 2)
Disk hot swap support	YES
RJ-45 1GbE network port	4 (Support Link Aggregation / Failover)
USB 3.0 port	3
eSATA port	2
COM Port	1
Size (height X width X depth)	166 mm x 250 mm x 237 mm
weight	4.92 kg
Wake on LAN	YES
System fan	120 mm x 120 mm x 1 pcs
Noise value	28.3 dB(A)
Timer switch	YES
Power supply/transformer	250 W
Warranty	3 Years

Another notable factor that might disappoint some users is the lack of HDMI output. Synology has never really engaged in HDMI and Direct Output on their systems (even on the DVA3219 predecessor to the DVA3221), and this NAS is no exception. This is a shame because there ARE Synology NAS with HDMI output and a surveillance station GUI for a KVM (keyboard, video, mouse) set up in the NVR1219 and VS960. In the DVA3219 from early last year, we were able to remove the chassis of the NAS and found that the card itself features the stock HDMI and DVI connectors, which are disabled and blocked in the backplane.

Photo of DVA3219 

That said, the Synology Surveillance Station software (at 8.2 at time of writing) is still EASILY the best NVR and remote access CCTV control system currently available on NAS right now. Additionally, the GUI (via the internet or network) can be accessed as BOTH traditional DSM (with access to the full complement of collaboration, backup, office and multimedia applications, as well as running parallel with the Surveillance software and it’s own GUI. Though it should be noted that the DVA3221 will most likely (like the DVA3219) NOT allow applications other than the DVA components of surveillance station to access the GPU performance boosts.

What are the Software Specifications of the Synology DVA3221 NAS?

• Number of simultaneous cameras one time
• The frame rate of individual cameras recording
• Resolution supported by individual cameras simultaneously

How Does the Synology DVA3221 Compare with the DVA3219 NAS?

As mentioned, the new Synology DVA3221 is very similar to the older DVA3219 and despite its remarkable enterprise nature, there is every possibility that when the Synology DVA3221 is released, that the older DVA3219 will be available at a discount at some retailers. So, whether you want to choose between them to see which one is better for your surveillance needs, or wondering whether to upgrade early, here is how the DVA3219 and DVA3221 Synology Surveillance solutions compare.

Additionally, you can find my Synology DVA3219 NAS Review – https://nascompares.com/2019/08/29/synology-dva3219-surveillance-nas-hardware-review

At their core, the only real technical hardware difference that can be made between the Synology DVA3221 NAS and the DVA3219 is the Nvidia Graphics card that is installed inside each server and the amount of memory that the system arrives with by default. The DVA3221 arrives with a newer GeForce GTX1650 graphics card, originally released in the 2nd quarter of 2019, and is designed to be a much more compact and power-efficient graphics card (as one might expect for NAS server deployment and the 24×7 job of network surveillance). This is a noticeable degree higher in performance and efficiency than the late 2016 released GeForce GTX 1050 Ti that arrives in the DVA3219:

GPU Model	GeForce GTX1650 (DVA3221)	GeForce GTX1050 Ti (DVA3219)
Release Year	Q2 2019	Q4 2016
Pipelines	896	768
Core clock speed	1485 MHz	1291 MHz
Boost Clock	1665 MHz	1392 MHz
Power consumption (TDP)	75 Watt	75 Watt
Texture fill rate	93.24	66.82
Interface	PCIe 3.0 x16	PCIe 3.0 x16
Memory	4GB GDDR5	4GB GDDR5
Memory Speed	8000 MHz	7008 MHz
Technical.City Pass	7820	6400
PC Builds.com Pass	37372	28127

The improvements in this graphics card are what largely makes up the improvement between these two NAS, but the 8GB of DDR4 memory that arrives with the DVA3221 (4GB greater than the DVA3219) is a welcome addition, given that the system is designed for large scale IP Camera use. Network cameras from companies like AXIS, Edimax, Hikvision and (current person recommendation) Reolink are all quite hungry for memory when deployed in higher resolution and frame rates, pushing larger and larger data packets for the NAS to storage – more memory is essential for more cameras and/or smoother coverage. Alongside this, both systems support BTRFS as the file system (as well as EXT4) and the Synology Hybrid RAID (SHR) drive configuration – which is always a plus!

	Synology DVA3221	Synology DVA3219
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Processor model	Intel Atom C3538	Intel Atom C3538
Processor architecture	64-bit	64-bit
Processor clock	Quad core 2.1 GHz	Quad Core 2.1 GHz
Hardware encryption engine (AES-NI)	YES	YES
GPU model	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
System memory	8 GB DDR4	4 GB DDR4
Pre-installed memory modules	8 GB (4 GB x 2)	4 GB (4 GB x 1)
Total memory slots	2	2
Maximum memory capacity	32 GB (16 GB x 2)	32 GB (16 GB x 2)
Number of Disk Slots	4	4
Maximum number of disk bays for installing expansion units	14 (DX517 x 2)	14 (DX517 x 2)
Compatible Disk Type	3.5″ SATA HDD 2.5″ SATA HDD 2.5″ SATA SSD	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 may vary by RAID types)	64 TB (16 TB drive x 4) (Capacity may vary by RAID types)
Maximum net total storage capacity with expansion device	224 TB (16 TB drive x 14) (Capacity may vary by RAID types)	224 TB (16 TB drive x 14) (Capacity may vary by RAID types)
Maximum single storage capacity*	108 TB	108 TB
Disk hot swap support	YES	YES
RJ-45 1GbE network port	4 (Support Link Aggregation / Failover)	4 (with Link Aggregation / Failover support)
USB 3.0 port	3	3
eSATA port	2	2
COM Port	1	1
Size (height X width X depth)	166 mm x 250 mm x 237 mm	166 mm x 250 mm x 237 mm
weight	4.92 kg	4.92 kg
Wake on LAN	YES	YES
System fan	120 mm x 120 mm x 1 pcs	120 mm x 120 mm x 1 pcs
Automatic power recovery	YES	YES
Noise value*	28.3 dB(A)	28.3 dB(A)
Timer switch	YES	YES
Power supply/transformer	250 W	250 W
AC input voltage	100 V to 240 V AC	100 V to 240 V AC
Current frequency	50/60 Hz, single frequency	50/60 Hz, Single Phase
Power consumption power*	43.92 W (Access) 28.43 W (HDD Hibernation)	53.78 W (Access) 34.01 W (HDD Hibernation)
British Thermal Unit	149.86 BTU/hr (Access) 97.01 BTU/hr (HDD Hibernation)	183.62 BTU/hr (Access) 116.12 BTU/hr (HDD Hibernation)
Remarks	The power consumption test data is obtained when the Western Digital 1TB WD10EFRX hard drive is full.	Power consumption is measured when it is fully loaded with Western Digital 1TB WD10EFRX hard drive(s).
Operating temperature	0°C to 40°C (32°F to 104°F)	0°C to 40°C (32°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

Finally, in terms of software and it’s performance, both systems support up to 32 cameras, as well as arrive with 8 camera licenses to attach IP Cameras to the system. Performance differs across the spectrum of frames rates and resolutions on each system, but at a general level of recording and playback, the DVA3221 is the better choice in terms of software operation, thanks to that increase of memory and improved GPU card.

When will the Synology DVA3221 NAS Be Released and How Much?

Release of the Synology DVA3221 and the price of the system should not be too hard to clarify. Right now it is listed on the official Synology.tw pages, so that generally means that release will be spread globally in the coming month or so (based on previous hardware releases) but that is by no means concrete and could still mean a regional-only release. Regarding price, given the similarity of the DVA3221 to the Synology DVA3219, I can imagine that the pricing structure will also be quite similar, at around £1600+ (including the tax).

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