Synology launches the DS423+. For this humble NAS, the manufacturer ignores AMD. Inside is a modest and slightly older Intel chip, which in theory is good news for multimedia users.

Synology launches the DiskStation DS423+. This is a relatively modest NAS with four 3.5-inch bays with no room for expansion. The device is therefore suitable for enthusiasts or small businesses. Meanwhile, Synology almost traditionally ignores the card of innovation, although the broader specs make this NAS more suitable for media users than other recently launched devices.

Old Intel chip

This is because Synology does not opt ​​for an AMD processor, but for an Intel processor. The Intel Celeron J4125 is a lightweight quad-core chip that has been on the market since late 2019 and appeared in the DS1520+ a year later. The processor is by no means a power pack, but it is characterized by the built-in UHD Graphics 600. This means that this chip can transcode multimedia much more smoothly than the AMD Ryzen R1600 and similar AMD chips that Synology uses for its SME series.

It is unclear why Synology again refuses to choose a newer chip from the Intel portfolio. The manufacturer certainly doesn’t always have to opt for the most modern processors, but the Celeron J series received an update in early 2021 with consistently superior chips.

DSM

Like other Synology devices, the new NAS features the powerful DiskStation Manager (DSM) operating system. This simplifies administration and provides support for interesting features. Think built-in backup features, IP camera support, and more.

DSM also has a built-in hypervisor, but you shouldn’t run many virtual machines on this NAS. Synology delivers the device with 2 GB of soldered RAM. This is expandable up to 6GB via a single DIMM slot. This NAS also has space for two NVMe SSDs that can serve as fast cache storage. As is usual with devices in this category, Synology only puts 1GbE into the NAS. We also find that a bit strange: the competition is gradually implementing 10 GbE as the standard. For a device with these specs, we expect 1GbE to be really good enough

No leap forward

The Synology DiskStation DS423+ seems to be a capable NAS and a welcome alternative to devices with an AMD Ryzen chip and thus without built-in graphics components. DSM (7.x) turns Synology NAS devices into very powerful and easy-to-use small servers that are more than storage hubs. We suspect that the DS423+ is very suitable for many lighting scenarios, especially if you want to store a lot of multimedia. Still, we’re missing some newer hardware to really get excited. After all, the DS423+ hardly seems to differ from the DS420+.

The device can be delivered immediately, but we have to look in practice before we can find a copy. Expect a recommended price of approx. 480 euros without VAT.