If for some reason, you find the six-bay DS1621+, which I called the "ultimate home NAS server of 2021", not spacious enough, there's now another option. Indeed, today, Synology unveiled the DiskStation DS2422+.
Synology DS2422+: A new NAS of an all-new expansion solution
As the name suggests, this is the 2022 high-end model year NAS server for home and small businesses that can handle up o 24 internal drives.
By itself, the DS2422+ can host up to 12 internal drives, twice that of the DS1621, in its two columns of the horizontal drive bays. And this is where it gets exciting: the new server now supports a new expansion unit with a much faster connection speed.
Indeed, on the back of the DS2422+, you'll find an all-new Mini-SAS HD port that's capable of delivering up to 24Gbps in throughput. This port is designed to work with a new expansion unit Synology also announced today, the 12-bay DX1222.
For many years, Synology's Plus NAS servers host storage expansion via a much slower eSATA port standard that caps at just 5Gbps, which is the bottleneck between the main server and an existing DX517 unit.
The DS2422+ together with the DX1222 rings in a new era where you can expand storage quickly without compromising performance at all. It's safe to say, future Plus NAS servers will also support this expansion unit.
Familiar specs
However, the most exciting part about the new server is probably that it shares almost the same hardware specs as the DS1621+, the first Synology NAS that runs on an AMD CPU.
Indeed, the new server uses the same AMD Ryzen V1500B quad-core 2.2 GHz process and 4GB of stock memory (upgradable to 32GB).
On top of that, it also has four regular Gigabit ports plus a PCIe add-on slot to host an expansion card to add 10Gbps network capability or NVMe caching.
It's worth noting, though, that while the DS1621+ comes with two built-in M.2 NVMe slots to host two NVMe SSD right away, the DS2422+ doesn't—you need to use the expansion slot for that.
However, considering caching is generally unnecessary for most home and SMB applications, chances are you'll find the new 12-bay server's extra drive bays a more valuable trade-off.
Hardware specifications: DS2422+ vs. DS1621+
DS2422+ | DS1621+ | |
---|---|---|
CPU | AMD Ryzen V1500B quad-core 2.2 GHz | AMD Ryzen V1500B quad-core 2.2 GHz |
System Memory | 4GB ECC DDR4 | 4GB ECC DDR4 |
Max Memory | 32 GB via two memory slots (16 GB x 2) | 32 GB via two memory slots (16 GB x 2) |
Dimensions | 10.63 x 11.81 x 13.39 in (270 x 300 x 340 mm) | 6.53 x 11.1 x 9.57 in (166 x 282 x 243 mm) |
Weight | 20.94 lbs (9.5 kg) | 11.24 lbs (5.1 kg) |
Built-in Drive Bays | 12 | 6 |
Expansion Support | Yes (1x DX1222) | Yes (2x DX517) |
Drive Interface | SATA 6Gbps/3Gbps; Hot-swappable | SATA 6Gbps/3Gbps; Hot-swappable |
Maximum Internal Drives | 24 | 16 |
Built-in M.2 Slots | None | Two |
RAID Types | SHR, Basic, JBOD, RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 6, RAID 10 | SHR, Basic, JBOD, RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 6, RAID 10 |
Ports / Interfaces | 4x RJ-45 1GbE LAN, 2x USB 3.0, 1x Mini-SAS HD | 4x RJ-45 1GbE LAN, 3x USB 3.0, 2x eSATA |
PCIe Expansion | 1 x 8 width slot, Gen 3.0 x4 lanes | 1 x 8 width slot, Gen 3.0 x4 lanes |
Add-in-card Support (not included) | • 10GbE Network Interface Cards: E10G21-F2 / E10G18-T2 / E10G18-T1 • 25GbE Network Interface Cards: E25G21-F2 • M.2 SSD & 10GbE Combo Adapter Card: E10M20-T1 | • 10GbE Network Interface Cards: E10G21-F2 / E10G18-T2 / E10G18-T1 • 25GbE Network Interface Cards: E25G21-F2 • M.2 SSD & 10GbE Combo Adapter Card: E10M20-T1 |
Operating System | DSM 7 (and later) | DSM 6 (and later) |
File System (Internal / External) | Btrfs, EXT4 / Btrfs, EXT4, FAT, NTFS, HFS+, exFAT (via app) | Btrfs, EXT4 / Btrfs, EXT4, EXT3, FAT, NTFS, HFS+, exFAT (via app) |
MSRP (Diskless) | $799.99 | |
Warranty | 3 years | 3 years |
DSM 7 out of the box
The DS2422+ is the first NAS server from Synology to run its latest operating system, the DSM 7, right out of the box. That means you won't be able to use legacy DSM 6-compatible with it.
But that's not necessarily a bad thing. I've been using DSM 7 for a couple of months now and found it quite an excellent OS—more on DSM 7 in this post—with a ton of useful built-in free apps.
Availability
Synology says the new DiskStation DS2422+ and DX1222 expansion units are available today, though the company didn't reveal how much they cost.
In any case, if you choose to use the new DS2422+ server as a single unit without an expansion, chances are it'll give you the same experience as the DS1621+.
That said, check out my in-depth review of the DS1621+ below to have some idea of how well the new 12-bay server will do for your case. My take is it's going to be worth the investment.
Synology DiskStation DS1621+'s Rating
Pros
Powerful AMD CPU delivers fast and reliable performance
Robust DiskStation Operating System with tons of useful home and business applications, including Virtual Machines
Straightforward and consistent setup, upgrade, and management
Built-in M.2 NVMe slots
Lots of network storage options
Quiet operator
Cons
Expensive RAM upgrade
No built-in 10Gbps port (adapter required)
Only two camera licenses included
If you really want to get to the next level of performance, though, Synology also announced the much more expensive DS3622xs+ for large businesses or professionals, which is a similar upgrade to the DS1621xs+. Basically, it's an Intel Xeon-based version of the DS2422+ that can host two DX1222 expansion units.
Comments are subject to approval, redaction, or removal. You're in the no-nonsense zone and that applies BOTH ways.
It's generally faster to get answers via site/page search. Your question/comment is one of many Dong Knows Tech receives daily.
Thank you!
(•) If you have subscription-related issues or represent a company/product mentioned here, please use the contact page or a PR channel.