Synology today is debuting the latest budget-friendly addition to its collection of NAS. The new DS223j may reside in a similar enclosure to the previous-generation model, but don’t let its unassuming appearance fool you. There’s an improved set of internal hardware that will mean Synology’s two-bay NAS remains the go-to, all while keeping the same $190 price tag.
Synology has a new budget-friendly NAS on the way with the DS223j
One of our favorite NAS to recommend to those just getting started with always-on storage has historically been the Synology DS220J. Year after year, we’ve been promoting this as a solid option to see what the whole NAS thing is all about. Now the company is refreshing that popular solution with some improved specs and all of the same entry-level pricing.
The new Synology DS223j arrives next month with the same design as the NAS it is replacing. Everything fits into a two-bay chassis that is wrapped in a white plastic shell, delivering that same compact machine as before. Form factor aside, Synology is actually providing some updates that make this more of a soft reboot than a drastically new machine. Everything now comes centered around a 1.7GHz Realtek RTD1619B Quad-Core processor, replacing the 1.4GHz chip powering the previous-generation model. There’s also now double the memory as before, with 1GB of DDR4 RAM onboard.
The I/O array is also seeing some improvements this time around. Replacing the standard USB 3.0 slots on the original model, the new Synology DS223j NAS ships with two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports around back. Each of them also comes equipped with a single networking interface in the form of a Gigabit Ethernet jack, so nothing has changed on that front.
Pricing, notably, is also staying the same. The upcoming Synology DS223j NAS will begin shipping next month with a $189.99 price tag. That’s the same going rate you’d pay for the new previous-generation DS220j, giving you all the upgrades for no extra cost. It’s worth noting that a few years back, Synology did raise the price of the DS220j from $169.99, so this is technically a $20 increase over the original MSRP.
You can pre-order the new two-bay NAS from Amazon right now, as well as over at B&H. Shipments are slated to begin arriving toward the end of July.
Electronicsforward’ Take
I just got my hands-on on the new Synology DS223j, and so a review will be coming soon. Though all I can say so far is that the company has another hit on its hands. Making that entry-level $190 price tag an even better value is really all Synology needed to do, and the new NAS certainly accomplishes that. Just how it manages to do so in the performance department is something I’ll be exploring here in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for the full breakdown, especially if you have a DS220j right now and are thinking about upgrading.
The adjustments might not look massive on paper, but I can tell they’re going to go a long way toward making the Synology DS223j a go-to in the company’s lineup. The model it replaced has certainly been showing its age lately, and now a new king of the entry-level price point has arrived to begin its reign.
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