DS223 vs DS220j vs DS218 vs DS218play

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Synology 2-bay NAS range compared (DS223j, DS223, DS220+, DVA1622, DS723+)

Synology 2-bay Value series specs compared

When it comes to choosing a network-attached storage (NAS) device, the Synology 2-bay Value series offers several options, including the DS220j, DS218, DS218play, and DS223. All of these models share similar features, such as a 64-bit processor architecture and compatibility with 3.5” SATA HDDs, 2.5” SATA HDDs, and 2.5” SATA SSDs. However, there are also some key differences between the models that users should be aware of.

The DS220j is the most basic model in the series, with a processor clock of 4-core 1.4 GHz, 512 MB of system memory, and no support for Hybrid Share Folders or snapshots. It also has the lowest noise value of 18.2 dB(A) and a maximum of 12 cameras. On the other hand, the DS218 and DS218play have a maximum of 2GB of system memory, support for Hybrid Share Folders and snapshots, and a maximum of 20 cameras. The DS218play, however, has the lowest noise value of 19.9 dB(A) and the lowest power consumption of 16.79 W (access) and 5.16 W (disk hibernation).

The DS223, on the other hand, is the most advanced model in the series, with a processor clock of 4-core 1.7 GHz, 2 GB of system memory, and support for SSD TRIM. It also has the lowest noise value of 14.6 dB(A) and a maximum of 20 cameras. It is also equipped with the latest processor model, the RTD1619B with Mali-G51 Bifrost GPU + NPU 1.6TOPS AI.

In terms of power consumption, the DS220j has the lowest power consumption of 12.46 W (access) and 5.06 W (disk hibernation), while the DS223 has the highest power consumption of 17.343 W (access) and 4.08 W (disk hibernation). In terms of BTU, the DS220j has the lowest value of 45.52 BTU/hr (access) and 17.27 BTU/hr (disk hibernation), while the DS223 has the highest value of 59.19 BTU/hr (access) and 13.92 BTU/hr (disk hibernation).

In terms of external ports, all of the models have one RJ-45 1GbE LAN port and 2 USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports. The DS220j and DS223 do not have a USB 2.0 port, while the DS218 and DS218play have one USB 2.0 port.

In terms of file system, the DS220j and DS223 use EXT4, while the DS218 uses both Btrfs and EXT4 and the DS218play uses only EXT4.

In terms of apps and limits, the DS220j has the lowest maximum number of local user accounts (1,024) and the DS218 has the highest (2,048). The DS218 has the highest maximum number of Hybrid Share Folders (5) and the highest maximum number of snapshots (256), while the DS220j, DS218play, and DS223 do not support Hybrid Share Folders and snapshots.

In conclusion, the Synology 2-bay Value series offers a range of options for users looking for a NAS device. The DS220j is the most basic model, while the DS223 is the most advanced. The DS218 and DS218play fall in between, offering more advanced features than the DS220j, but not as many as the DS223. Ultimately, the choice will depend on the specific needs and requirements of the user.

Tell me more about this DS223 CPU

The RTD1619B is a SoC (system on a chip) developed by Realtek, a Taiwan-based company that specializes in the design of semiconductor solutions for a wide range of applications, including IoT, multimedia, communications, and more.

The RTD1619B is built on a 64-bit architecture, meaning it can handle 64-bit instructions and data and can address a larger amount of memory than a 32-bit CPU. It has 4 cores, meaning it can process 4 concurrent threads, and it operates at a clock speed of 1.7 GHz.

The RTD1619B is also equipped with a Mali-G51 GPU. Mali-G51 is a part of the Mali family of GPUs developed by ARM. It is a Bifrost GPU, which is the middle tier of ARM’s Mali GPU offerings and has a performance of 1.5 Gpix/s. It also included with NPU (Neural Processing Unit) which is able to perform 1.6TOPS of AI operations.

It’s likely that this SoC is targeted at embedded and IoT applications that require some level of real-time processing and AI capabilities, such as smart home devices, cameras, and other similar products.

RTD1296 vs RTD1619B

The RTD1296 and RTD1619B are both SoCs developed by Realtek, both with 64-bit architecture, and both with 4 cores. However, there are a few key differences between the two:

1. Clock speed: The RTD1619B has a higher clock speed of 1.7 GHz compared to the RTD1296’s 1.4 GHz. This means that the RTD1619B will generally perform faster than the RTD1296 for tasks that rely heavily on the CPU’s processing power.
2. GPU: The RTD1619B comes with a Mali-G51 GPU, while the RTD1296 comes with a Mali-T820 MP3 GPU. Both are developed by ARM, Mali-G51 is Bifrost architecture and have a performance of 1.5 Gpix/s, meanwhile, Mali-T820 is Midgard architecture and have a performance of 1.2 Gpix/s. In general, the Mali-G51 GPU has higher performance than the Mali-T820 MP3, thus the RTD1619B is better equipped to handle tasks that require graphics processing, such as video decoding and gaming.
3. NPU: The RTD1619B comes with a NPU (Neural Processing Unit) that is able to perform 1.6TOPS of AI operations. This gives the RTD1619B an edge over the RTD1296 in tasks that require AI-related processing, such as image recognition and machine learning.
4. Power consumption: The RTD1619B may have higher power consumption than RTD1296 because of it’s faster clock speed and additional functionality.

It’s worth noting that these are general comparisons, and the performance of each SoC can also depend on other factors such as the memory, storage, and specific implementation of the software.

What apps will not work?

You will need 2GB of memory to be able to run things like:

-Hybrid Share
-Replication Service
-Snapshot Replication

This means that only new DS223 will be able to run these apps.

Hybrid Share combines local Synology NAS and C2 Storage cloud storage space to cache frequently used files locally to provide a low-latency file access experience.

The Replication Service is a core service that provides replication of snapshots taken from the source to the destination. This package cannot work alone, it must be used in conjunction with other core packages that provide snapshot functions.

Snapshot Replication is a point-in-time replication mechanism designed specifically for data backup and restoration. Businesses need to protect data against accidental deletion, application or data corruption, and data loss due to viruses.

PLEX compatibility and performance

As of today, there is no Plex installation created for this CPU. When we can we will test a package made for RTD1296 ARMv8 which is a package for 64-bit CPUs. 

We can expect this NAS to be able to handle 1080p video transcoding in Plex. Maybe even a tiny bit of 4k (very simple files).

NAS 2-bay range performance compared

1GbE Web Server – Nginx PHP Response Performance (using HDD)

SMB 1GbE – Windows File Transfer (using HDD)

Conclusion

DS220j is the weakest NAS with 512MB memory which basically only allows to us e it for file storage and backups. Anything else will be a slow and painful experience.

DS218play is a slightly faster model with 1GB RAM which already allows you to do a little more than basic backups. You can also use it for multimedia.

DS223 (replacement for DS218) Can do everything mentioned above. But you also get few extra things like Hybrid Share, snapshots and more CCTV camera support.

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