Synology launched the all-new DiskStation DS223, a NAS with a focus on offering value in a sea of offerings from various vendors. The company must have noticed the shots fired from TerraMaster, QNAP, and ASUSTOR to name but a few brands with enclosures available rocking some impressive specifications at reasonable prices.
The Synology DiskStation DS223 doesn’t directly replace the older Synology DiskStation DS220+. This is a budget-friendly two-bay NAS with an emphasis on cost-cutting to keep the price down. It won’t win any awards for performance, nor will it take the crown in our best NAS collection, but that’s not what this NAS is designed for.
Synology DiskStation DS223 specifications
Inside the Synology DiskStation DS223, you’ll find a quad-core Realtek RTD1619B CPU that’s capable of hitting speeds of up to 1.7GHz. There’s no integrated GPU to speak of, but this is an affordable CPU designed for lighter NAS use. This is reflected in the RAM with just 2GB of non-expandable DDR4 system memory present.
| Specification | Synology DiskStation DS223 |
|---|---|
| CPU | Realtek RTD1619B (4-core, 1.7 GHz) |
| GPU | – |
| RAM | 2 GB DDR4 (max 2 GB) |
| Storage | 2x 2.5/3.5-inch |
| Expansion |  |
| Cooling | 1x 92 mm |
| Ports | 3x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 1x 1Gb LAN |
| Power | W |
| Dimensions | 165 x 108 x 232.7 mm |
| Weight | 1.28 kg |
Because it’s a two-bay NAS, you’ll be able to throw in up to two 2.5/3.5-inch drives with limited capacity when using RAID (which we highly recommend for enhanced data loss protection). For ports, Synology kept things simple by offering just one 1Gb connection and three USB-A 3.0 ports.
This enclosure is best designed for lighter storage use. If you need somewhere to stash some backups or to save some money on cloud storage subscriptions, the DiskStation DS223 would be a good fit. For those seeking a new two-bay Plex platform from Synology, we’ll need to hold off for now.
How much is the Synology DiskStation DS223?
Synology launched the DiskStation DS223 on January 8 at a price of $250. You’ll be able to locate the NAS on Synology’s own store, as well as participating retailers such as Amazon in the coming weeks.
How does this price compare to similar NAS from competitors? Well, not great when you’re looking at TerraMaster. The TerraMaster F2-221 costs just $10 more than the new DS223 but comes with an Intel CPU, upgradable RAM, and an additional 1Gb LAN connection.
Then there’s the QNAP TS-231K with an Annapurna Labs AL-214 quad-core 1.7GHz CPU, 1GB DDR3 RAM, and two 1Gb ports for $239. There’s plenty of choice in this price range. If you want to save more money, the TerraMaster F2-210 has an ARM CPU, 1GB RAM, and two drive bays for just $160.
Synology DiskStation DS223
Synology’s latest two-bay DiskStation DS223 is a NAS with a lot riding on it, being the first two-bay launch since the mighty DS220+.