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Synology today announced the official US availability of its model year 2023 dual-bay extension-ready NAS server, the DiskStation DS723+โthat's DS723 Plus.
The server had been available in some other regions a few days earlier.
As the name suggests, this is a dual-bay server that can hold two internal disksโ3.5-inch or 2.5-inch hard drives (HDDs) or 2.5-inch solid-state drives (SSDs)โby itself and then can host a 5-bay DX517 extension unit. So it can handle up to 7 drives by design.
As such, the new server is about half of the DS923+ in terms of storage capacity and physical footprint, but its capability is almost identical.
Synology DS723+: An all-new 2-bay server of its family
Like the case of the DS923+, as well as the DS1522+, the new DS723+ is totally different from the previous models in the family.
The DS723+ is the 6th generation after the DS720+, DS718+, DS716+, DS713+, and DS710+. The last two digits signify their model year.
Specifically, it has the following that is new in the product line:
- It runs on an AMD CPU, the first among its siblings, instead of an Intel CPU.
- It's the third Synology productโafter the DS1522+ and DS923+โto feature the all-new 10GbE Quick Upgrade Slot to host an E10G22-T1-Mini module.
- It runs DSM 7 right out of the box. You won't be able to run DSM 6 on it, not that there are many reasons you want to do that.
- It's the second server from Synologyโafter the DS923+โto offer NVMe storage (*). In previous servers, including the DS720+, the M.2 slot could only be used for caching.
(*) The support for NVMe storage has some caveats, including:
- Strictly Synology-approved SSDs: the Synology SNV3410 (presently available in 400GB and 800GB) is the only supported drive.
- No boot option: You can't use these fast SSDs as the primary or the only volume of the server that holds the operating system. The M.2 slots are only available after the OS has been installed (on a SATA volume.)
- No hot-swap ability: You must turn the server off before you can replace any of the NVMe SSDs.
The new server is very similar to the DS923+ in processing power and hardware specs, as you will note in the table below.
Synoloyg DS723+ vs. DS923+: Hardware specicications
 |  | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Synology DS723+ | Synology DS923+ | ||
| CPU | AMD Ryzen R1600 Dual-core 2-core 2.6GHz / 3.1 GHz (turbo) | ||
| System Memory | 1x 2GB DDR4 ECC (installed) | 1x 4GB DDR4 ECC (installed) | |
| Max Memory | 32GB via two memory slots (16GB x 2) | ||
| Dimensions | 6.53 x 4.17 x 8.78 in (166 x 106 x 223 mm) | 6.53 x 7.83 x 8.78 in (166 x 199 x 223 mm) | |
| Weight | 3.33 lbs (1.51 kg) | 4.93 lbs (2.24 kg) | |
| Drive Bays | 2 | 4 | |
| Expansion Support | Yes (1x DX517) | ||
| Drive Interface | SATA 6Gbps/3Gbps (hot-swappable) | SATA 6Gbps/3Gbps (hot-swappable) | |
| Built-in M.2 Slots (NVMe) | Two | ||
| Drive Support | 3.5" SATA HDD 2.5" SATA SSD/HDD M.2 2280 NVMe SSD (cache & storage) | ||
| RAID Types | Hybrid RAID (SHR), Basic, JBOD, RAID 0, and RAID 1 | SHR, Basic, JBOD, RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 6, RAID 10 | |
| Ports | 2x RJ-45 1GbE LAN, 1x USB 3.0, 1x eSATA | ||
| PCIe Expansion | None | ||
| Add-on Card (not included) | 10GbE E10G22-T1-Mini module | ||
| DiskStation Manager (operating system) | DSM 7 | ||
| File System | Internal: Btrfs, EXT4 External: Btrfs, EXT4, EXT3, FAT, NTFS, HFS+, exFAT (via app) | ||
| US Price (at launch / diskless) | $449.99 | $599.99 | |
| Warranty | 3 years | ||
Likely a familiar Synology experience
Other than the fewer drive bays, both natively and via expansion, and all that implies, the DS723+ is expected to deliver the same performance and overall experience as the DS923+.
In fact, as a server that runs on DSM 7, you can expect it to behave remarkably similarly to previous NAS servers running the same operating system version. They only differ in the storage space they can hold, their network port speed, and processing power.
For more on what you can expect from this or any Synology server, check out my primer post on Synology NAS.
As a server powered by an AMD CPU, the DS723+ will outperform previous Intel-based versions. Conventional wisdom might have that will not do as well in video transcoding though that hasn't proved to be the case in my experience with the DS923+ and other AMD-based servers.
All things considered, the DS723+ is a compact powerhouse for a home or small business that needs a modest amount of storage space and essential redundancy.
You can expect a lot of advanced features and functionalities from it via apps. That includes the ability to run virtual machines (VM Manager), comprehensive PC-less downloads (Download Station), a robust media streaming server (Video Station), a security system (Surveillance Station), a personal cloud storage server (Synology Drive Server), and much more... all at the same time.
Clearly, some upgrades are in order if you want to get the most out of this server.
I'd recommend maxing out its RAM and getting a 10GbE E10G22-T1-Mini module. The NVMe storage is always a bonus though that's not a must unless you intend to run virtual machines, such as a Windows server, within it.
The DS723+ shares the same hardware upgrades as the DS923+. For more on how to pick the best Synology NAS server for your needs, check out this post.
Availability and pricing
The new Synology DiskStation DS723+ server is available now worldwide. In the US, it goes for $459.99 (diskless).
Considering the cost, I'd pay another $100 to get the four-bay DS923+, but this server will do for those with modest storage needs.
For more on what you can expect from it, including its storage performance via RAID 0 or RAID 1, check out the in-depth review of the DS923+โits quick rating box below will give you an idea.
Below is the rating of the similarly-specced DS923+ for reference.
Synology DiskStation DS923+'s Rating
Pros
NVMe storage volume support; fast and reliable performance, easy 10Gbps network upgrade
Powerful AMD CPU; lots of useful home and business applications
Straightforward and consistent setup, upgrade, and management
Lots of network storage options
Runs cool and quiet
Cons
Extremely restrictive NVMe support for general storage; many generic NAS drives are not on the official supported list
No built-in Muli-Gig; expensive upgrade hardware (RAM, 10Gbps module, NVMe SSDs); no SFP+ option
Legacy eSATA for storage expansion; only two camera licenses included
