Well (and this is going to get VERY ‘inside baseball’), but those that have been following Synology these last few years will know that this is not the first time the J4125 has been used on a Synology Plus series NAS. Indeed, it has appeared several times in previous NAS systems (DS920+, DS720+, DS620slim, DVA1622 and DS1520+) love the last three years. In that time, not only has Intel moved on a couple of times to new cycles of processors (the N5105, N5095, J6415) which provide better power efficiency, PCI gen support and memory caps, but also competitor NAS brands have rolled out 1-2 more generations of hardware with configurations that capitalizes on Intel’s newer Celeron models. Now, it CAN be argued that because Synology have spent so much time and research exploring the capabilities of this processor, that they can get the most out of it for DSM. Equally, Synology has always been very clear that the jewel in their crown (and indeed the main selling point for their systems) is the DSM software and not the hardware. Then there is the fact that ‘at least it’s an Intel integrated graphics CPU, when Synology has been very ‘AMD Emb.Ryzen’ heavy of late! Finally, there is the argument that when the J4125 was featured previously, it was in their fully-featured ‘SMB’ tier – so the DS423+ in their more affordable Home/Prosumer tier is actually scaled up in having this quad-core Celeron processor. There are ALOT of different ways to look at Synology putting the Intel Celeron J4125 in the DS423+ NAS. But I think it would be fair to say that users of the DSx16+ and DS18+ generation that opted to skip the DSX20+ generation to ‘wait and see’, might be a little underwhelmed. Lets discuss the Synology DSM software and what the DS423+ can do for you and your data. I will also be maxing out the M . 2 slots with the highest expandability **STRICTLY for Caching only** ul>

Taipei, Taiwan—15 March 2023—Synology today announced the release of the 4-bay Synology DiskStation DS423+, the latest in its lineup of all-in-one storage solutions for home office and small business use. The Synology DS423+ NAS drive is structurally similar to most personal computers and laptops, as it features a CPU, memory, and storage. However, it boasts components that are designed to be more energy-efficient and provide optimal performance for 24/7 usage, with a greater emphasis on storage-related applications. On the other hand, the hardware in a PC or laptop is geared towards running general applications, with storage services being relatively basic. The DS423+ NAS is equipped with a popular mid-range server CPU, DDR4 memory, and can accommodate both Hard Drives and SSDs using SATA connections. Although the specifications of Synology NAS drives are not directly linked to Plex, it is important to understand the hardware specifications relevant to Plex when considering the DS423+ NAS. Below, I have compiled a list of the hardware specifications of the DS423+ that play a significant role in its compatibility and performance with Plex: Synology Video Station – Manage all your movies, TV shows, and home videos. Stream them to multiple devices or share them with friends and family. That means that DS423+ is a very capable PLEX server. By default, it can serve any content needed, but if a particular PLEX instance has a PLEX Pass feature activated, that will then change this NAS into a transcoding station if needed. Any need for remote streaming using a client that does not support the native resolution or codec (audio or video) will require some sort of transcoding on the part of the server. I would like to set this up as a place where I can access the entire collection in all one place, similar to a media server like spotify or youtube, but just with my own content. I will also be purchasing a Plex pass.With support for a maximum 72 TB of raw storage, the DS423's size and capacity make it perfect for remote employees or small businesses looking to consolidate data onto a centralized platform and gain access to Synology's essential data management applications. Being priced lower than the DS923+, and with no expansion or 10G options, if anyone is in the market for a low-noise, low-power device with lots of features and enough bays to offer a huge amount of space, the DS423+ is a perfect choice! The NAS is powered with a 90W PSU, and in terms of power consumption it will use about 28W while accessing the NAS, all the way down to about 8W while in hibernation. This will depend on the actual drives being used, so the values could go up or down depending on the actual setup. On top of this in an idle state with four Synology drives, the noise level is just below 20 dB(A). The DS423+ comes with two easily accessible M.2 NVMe slots, which can be used to either enable fast flash caching or create SSD storage volumes without occupying standard drive bays. SSD storage pools are ideal for workloads that require low latency and high random write performance, while​ SSD cache volumes can significantly boost I/O performance on slower HDD volumes. On-premises storage with cloud integration For more information on the most important terms to understand when discussing/researching a NAS as a Plex Media Server can be found in my video below:

So, first up, let’s discuss the high points! Here are the five reasons why the Synology DS423+ NAS drive deserves your money and your data! Nothing is perfect, right? For all of the positives that I have highlighted above, the DS423+ is still not a perfect Synology NAS solution. Here are five reasons why you might want to give the Synology DS423+ NAS drive a miss, opt for a alternative brand or go for a lower priced predecessor. #1 – 1GbE by Default and No Means to Upgrade SD, 160p, 240p, 480p, 720p, 1080p, 4K : The resolution refers to the level of detail at which media is displayed, ranging from SD to 160p, 240p, 480p, 720p, 1080p, and 4K. The higher the resolution, the more pixels are present, which is determined by the quality of the original recording. Displaying high-resolution media, such as 1080p and 4K, puts a heavier load on the NAS hardware. NAS devices with limited graphics capabilities or no graphics at all may struggle to play 4K media seamlessly or not play it at all. It’s important to keep in mind that just because a NAS brand, such as Synology, claims that their latest NAS is capable of natively playing 1080p or 4K media (natively meaning through their own software, client tools, and/or DLNA), this does not guarantee that the DS423+ NAS will perform the same way with Plex. As Plex is a third-party tool, it may have different requirements and limitations. Despite the Synology hardware portfolio in the last year or so slowing moving towards more ‘file server’ and ‘high transfer speed’ processors, the Synology DS423+ NAS is the first release diskstation release from the brand in almost 2 years to arrive with an Intel Integrated graphics processor! Now, WHY is that a big deal for Plex, Emby and Jellyfin media servers? Don’t all the Synology NAS systems play 1080p and 4K media? Well, yes they do! But there is a certain contingent % of users who need their multimedia servers to convert (AKA transcode / encode/decode) their multimedia collection on the fly. In brief, must users have multimedia NAS needs that fall into the following categories: Configuration of DSM in terms of accounts and initial settings will take a few more minutes after which the NAS will be ready. DSM 7.1.1 running on DS423+

Preferably 10 gb ports, with expandability options up to 25 or even 40 gb read speeds. Or whatever will be the fastest to stream a 1080p music video, with having the only limitations be the remote user’s connection. Synology Surveillance Station – Safeguard your business, home, and other valuable assets with reliable video surveillance tools. With improved AI services being accessible thanks to Synology BC500 and TC500 Cameras arriving in 2023. Additionally, you can connect this platform with Synology’s cloud platform to use ‘C2 Surveillance’ and bolster the odds of recordings being maintained in the event of accidental/malicious damage to your surveillance system. Without any additional RAM, VMM (Virtual Machine Manager) was also not an option, so VM speeds were also not an option, but the DS423+ does indeed support that particular hypervisor and will give a decent one-VM machine experience if needed. Personally, I would not recommend using this NAS as a VM machine, as it will be an "expensive" hypervisor with not much to offer in that department. Also, running a VM will take quite a big performance hit on any other service that might be running on the same device. Now, Synology does not allow upgrading that memory beyond 6GB in this configuration (Intel Max limit on this CPU is 8GB), stating that using the system in an unsupported fashion can lead to weakened/invalidated support by the brand when you need it (as you are using the device in a configuration they did not verify and/or cannot replicate). This also includes using 3rd party memory, instead of their own branded modules I can partially see their point – they want to run a smooth, reliable and stable platform. Just a shame that Synology Memory modules are a noticeable degree more expensive than alternatives from Crucial and Kingston. Next we need to discuss the CPU inside the DS423+ NAS – something of a hot point for some.

This means that you can only officially upgrade the DS423+ via the single SODIMM slot towards 6GB with a single extra 4GB SODIMM module in the available bay. Aside from 6GB being an odd amount, people are most certainly going to make comparisons with the DS920+ having 4GB on Day 1 and 8GB max. Important Terms to Understand in Plex/NAS/Multimedia that will make the DS423+ NAS Plex Tests Easier to Understand. Bellevue, WA (May 17, 2023) - Synology today launched the 4-bay DiskStation DS423, its newest addition to the Value Series, designed as a multipurpose storage solution for homes and small businesses. As it was with the previous model, the DS423+ supports four 2,5" or 3.5" drives inside the main bays, as well as two additional M.2 NVMe drives on the bottom of the unit for cache or user-manageable volumes (only with Synology SVN3400 series drives) that is a new feature with all x23 models so far. For those last two camps, a NAS that features a CPU with integrated graphics is going to be ENOURMOUSLY desireable – which is something I am pleased to say the Synology DS423+ NAS has!We can see that forcing transcode is at about the same CPU utilization as with three 4K streams, 20-30%.