Synology DS923+ Review 2026: 4-Bay AMD NAS for Home Lab

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Specs & Specifications

Specification | Details
Drive Bays | 4 (supports 3.5″ & 2.5″ drives)
CPU | AMD Ryzen 5 5500U (6-core, 2.1 GHz base)
RAM | 8GB DDR4 (upgradeable to 32GB)
Network | 2x 1GbE (non-aggregated)
Max Capacity | 64TB (4x 16TB drives)
Supported RAID | RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, JBOD, SHR (Synology Hybrid Raid)
Power Consumption | 60W typical (120W peak)
Dimensions | 167 x 265 x 230 mm
Warranty | 3 years (limited)
DSM Version | DiskStation Manager 7 (Linux-based OS)

Build & Design

Synology DS923+ is the gaming household’s goldilocks NAS: powerful enough for media servers, simple enough for non-technical users. Compact desktop form factor (fits under TV stands). Toolless drive installation; hot-swap capability allows upgrade without powering down. Quiet operation (35dB at idle). Sleek black chassis with blue-accented power button. Dual 1GbE ports provide redundancy, though single port handles most home gaming scenarios. Desktop positioning suitable for living rooms or game streaming studios.

Performance: RAID Configurations for Gaming Workloads

AMD Ryzen processor delivers 20,000+ file operations/second (IOPS). RAID choice matters for gaming: RAID 1 (mirroring) provides redundancy with 50% usable capacity (2TB = 1TB usable on 4x 2TB). Best for irreplaceable tournament footage. RAID 5 balances speed/redundancy/capacity (3TB usable on 4x 2TB). Ideal for game libraries. RAID 6 allows 2 simultaneous drive failures (2TB usable on 4x 2TB)—safest for SOHO servers. SHR (Synology Hybrid RAID) optimizes capacity automatically (best for mixed drive sizes). Real-world: 100GB file transfer via network: 80-110 MB/s sustained (network-limited, not drive-limited). Gaming console streaming via SMB: zero buffering at 1080p 60fps. Plex media streaming: supports 8 simultaneous 4K transcoded streams (CPU-dependent).

1

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Synology DS923+ 4-Bay Diskstation NAS (AMD Ryzen™ 4 Threads R1600 Dual-Core 4GB Ram 2xRJ-45 1GbE LAN-Port)

Synology

9.8 /10
ACMS Score

Updated: May 27, 2026
Last update on May 27, 2026 / Affiliate links / Product information sourced from Amazon.

$1,289.99

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Connectivity & Compatibility

2x 1GbE Ethernet ports (no Thunderbolt). PC/Mac/gaming console SMB network shares native. Plex server integration (pre-installed role). PlayStation 5 media server compatibility (plays recorded gameplay). Xbox Series X video streaming via DLNA. iPad gaming video library access. 2x USB 3.0 ports for external backup (critical for tournament data redundancy). Mobile apps (Synology) enable remote access to files from gaming cafes.

Software & Apps

DiskStation Manager 7 provides intuitive web interface. Pre-installed packages: Plex Media Server (video streaming), Moments (photo organization), Hyper Backup (versioning). Surveillance Station (optional) for tournament venue monitoring. Gaming-specific: File Station handles game save backups; Hyper Backup automates versioning. No mandatory vendor sync or cloud (optional cloud service available but not required). Community-developed packages available (Docker support).

Use Cases: Game Library Archive, Stream Backup, Esports Team Infrastructure

Game Library Backup: Store 50+ game installations for instant network access. Tournament Footage: Automated daily backup of Twitch stream VODs and gameplay recordings (RAID 1/5 prevents catastrophic loss). Esports Team Server: Centralized backup of player configs, macros, and tournament-legal game settings. Media Center: Host Plex server streaming gameplay footage, cinematic trailers, and esports broadcasts to living room TV. LAN Party Infrastructure: Backup game servers, mods, and multiplayer configs for bootcamps.

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Synology DiskStation DS224+ NAS Server with Celeron 2.0GHz CPU, 6GB Memory, 16TB HDD Storage, 2 x 1GbE LAN Ports, DSM Operating System

Enclosures

Synology

amazon.com

In Stock

$1,199.00

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Updated: May 27, 2026
Price as of May 27, 2026. We earn from qualifying purchases.

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Pros & Cons

Pros: Excellent CPU performance (Ryzen 5); upgrading RAM possible; intuitive DSM interface; RAID 5/6 redundancy; Plex integration; quiet operation; community support.
Cons: Single 1GbE network limits bandwidth (110 MB/s ceiling); RAID overhead reduces usable capacity; 3-year warranty (shorter than competitors); annual DSM updates (minor disruptions).

Comparison: Synology DS923+ vs. NAS Competitors

Model | Bays | CPU | Max Network | Price (base)
Synology DS923+ | 4-bay | AMD Ryzen 5 5500U | 1GbE (dual) | $380-420
Synology DS224+ | 2-bay | Intel Celeron J4125 | 1GbE (dual) | $200-240
QNAP TVS-h874 | 8-bay | Intel Core i7-12700 | 10GbE + 2x 1GbE | $1,200-1,400
Asustor FS6712X | 12-bay NVMe | AMD Ryzen 5 3600 | Dual 10GbE | $800-900

1

Best Seller

Synology DiskStation DS224+ NAS Server with Celeron 2.0GHz CPU, 6GB Memory, 16TB HDD Storage, 2 x 1GbE LAN Ports, DSM Operating System

Synology

Updated: May 27, 2026
Last update on May 27, 2026 / Affiliate links / Product information sourced from Amazon.

$1,199.00

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Best For

Gaming households wanting centralized game library and stream archive. Streamers requiring 24/7 reliable VOD backup. Esports teams organizing bootcamps. Content creators managing gameplay footage across multiple rigs. Budget-conscious buyers seeking enterprise-grade redundancy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I choose RAID 1, 5, or 6 for gaming?

RAID 5 ideal: redundancy if one drive fails, reasonable capacity. RAID 1 if funds limited (doubles drive cost but simplest). RAID 6 for tournament teams (protects against concurrent failures). SHR automatic—Synology’s optimized algorithm.

Can I upgrade RAM on DS923+?

Yes, to 32GB max. Single SO-DIMM slot. Upgrade boosts Plex transcoding (8K streams possible). Gaming use: marginal benefit—OS already optimized. Worth it for 10+ concurrent users.

Does single 1GbE limit gaming performance?

Yes, theoretically. 110 MB/s network ceiling. In practice: game library streaming unaffected (most games 50-80 MB/s). Tournament VOD backup: 24-hour window handles 2TB without stress. 10GbE not required unless 10+ simultaneous users.

How often do DSM updates disrupt service?

Quarterly updates; reboot required (~5 minutes). Scheduled during off-hours. RAID storage accessible immediately post-reboot.

Is backup to external USB essential?

Strongly recommended. RAID 5 protects against single drive failure, not ransomware/fire. USB external drive (via Hyper Backup) provides off-site disaster recovery.

Can I run Game Pass servers on DS923+?

No native support. SMB file shares work for configs/mods; actual game servers require Windows VPS/dedicated hardware. NAS handles backup, not execution.

Backup Strategy & Long-Term Care

Buying premium storage is only step one. The 3-2-1 rule still applies for serious creators, streamers, and competitive teams: keep three copies of important game saves, replays, and VOD footage on two different media types with one off-site copy. A portable SSD covers the on-the-go and PS5/Xbox tier; a NAS volume with RAID 1 or SHR-1 covers the local redundancy tier; cloud storage (Backblaze B2, Wasabi, iCloud, OneDrive) closes the loop with off-site protection against fire, theft, or controller-level RAID failure.

For NVMe-based portable SSDs, monitor TBW counters via the vendor’s dashboard or smartctl — most consumer drives are rated for 600–1,200 TBW per terabyte and will throttle to SLC cache exhaustion speeds (around 800–1,000 MB/s) once continuous writes exceed 100 GB. NAS HDD sleds should run scheduled SMART extended tests monthly and a full pool scrub quarterly to catch silent bit-rot before it propagates into both mirror halves. Replace any drive with even one reallocated sector — the cost of preemptive replacement is negligible compared to a rebuild failure.

Final Verdict

Synology DS923+ is the entry-level SOHO NAS offering professional redundancy at consumer pricing. Perfect for gaming households, esports bootcamps, and streaming teams. RAID flexibility ensures you’re protected against drive failure without sacrificing too much capacity. Ryzen processor power handles Plex, backups, and concurrent users effortlessly. Network limitation (1GbE) is negligible for most gaming workloads; if you’re managing massive professional operations, step up to QNAP 10GbE models. At $380-420, it’s the best balance of reliability, performance, and cost for gaming infrastructure. Pair with 4x 4TB drives ($200-280 total) for 12TB usable RAID 5 capacity—tournament-proof backup for under $700.

Compare NAS options in our external storage roundup. Explore streaming PC infrastructure requirements. Review cloud vs. local storage strategies for gamers.

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