Synology DS124 vs Synology DS223j
Two of the compact nas (1–3 bays) in our best compact nas (1–3 bays, 2026) comparison, lined up spec by spec. Every figure comes from the manufacturer pages linked below, and the scores use the same published formula as the full ranking.
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Best for: 1 official bay, 1 GB official installed memory, 1GbE official onboard Ethernet, 4-core official CPU
Check price at AmazonBest for: 2 official bays, 1 GB official installed memory, 1GbE official onboard Ethernet, 4-core official CPU
Check price at AmazonSpec-by-spec comparison
Green marks the better published figure. "Not listed" means the manufacturer doesn't publish it.
| Spec | Synology DS124 | Synology DS223j | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Installed system memoryOfficial installed system memory published on the maker's specification table. A larger official figure is better for running services alongside file storage. Missing values take the category minimum. | 1 GB | 1 GB | 28% |
| Fastest official onboard EthernetFastest official onboard Ethernet port speed on the maker's specification table, in gigabits per second. Optional ports that the official table lists only as PCIe or add-in-card upgrades are not counted. Missing values take the category minimum. | 1 Gbps | 1 Gbps | 26% |
| Official CPU core countOfficial CPU core count published on the maker's specification table. Core count is not a complete performance picture across ARM and x86 designs, but it is a consistently published official figure. Missing values take the category minimum. | 4 | 4 | 24% |
| Official onboard Ethernet portsNumber of official onboard Ethernet ports on the maker's specification table. Missing values take the category minimum. | 1 | 1 | 22% |
| Drive bays (official table) | 1 official bays — 1 × 3.5" SATA HDD or 2.5" SATA SSD | 2 official bays — 2 × 3.5" SATA HDD or 2.5" SATA SSD | info |
| Installed system memory (official table) | 1 GB DDR4 non-ECC | 1 GB DDR4 non-ECC | info |
| Maximum memory capacity (official table) | Not listed | Not listed | info |
| Memory type (official table) | Official installed memory is listed as non-ECC | Official installed memory is listed as non-ECC | info |
| CPU (official table) | Realtek RTD1619B | Realtek RTD1619B | info |
| Official CPU core count | 4 | 4 | info |
| Official CPU thread count | 4 | 4 | info |
| Fastest official onboard Ethernet | 1 Gbps | 1 Gbps | info |
| Official onboard Ethernet port count | 1 | 1 | info |
| Official onboard Ethernet rows | 1 × official 1GbE (RJ-45 1GbE LAN Port: 1) | 1 × official 1GbE (RJ-45 1GbE LAN Port: 1) | info |
| Aggregate official onboard Ethernet (computed) | 1 Gbps, computed as the sum of official onboard port count × official port speed from the published LAN rows (1 × official 1GbE (RJ-45 1GbE LAN Port: 1)) | 1 Gbps, computed as the sum of official onboard port count × official port speed from the published LAN rows (1 × official 1GbE (RJ-45 1GbE LAN Port: 1)) | info |
| Form factor (official table or official model family) | desktop | desktop | info |
| Hot-swappable drives (official table) | - | - | info |
| Dimensions (official table) | 166 mm × 71 mm × 224 mm | 165 mm × 100 mm × 225.5 mm | info |
| Weight (official table) | 0.7 kg | 0.88 kg | info |
| Power supply (official table) | 36 watts | 60 watts | info |
| Hardware Encryption Engine (official table) | YES | YES | info |
| USB 3.2 Gen 1 Port (official table) | 2 | 2 | info |
| Noise Level (official table) | 19.0 dB(A) | 18.2 dB(A) | info |
| Wake on LAN / WAN (official table) | YES | YES | info |
| Power Consumption (official table) | 10.69 watts (Access) / 3.44 watts (HDD Hibernation) | 16.31 watts (Access) / 4 watts (HDD Hibernation) | info |
| VaultPick score | 0.8/10 | 0.8/10 | 100% |
Where each one comes out ahead
Synology DS124
No scored spec where it is strictly ahead; its case rests on the strengths below.
What we like
- Official specification table publishes the scored memory, Ethernet, CPU and bay figures we use
Watch out for
- Fastest official onboard Ethernet on the table we used is 1GbE
- Official installed system memory is 1 GB
- Official table we used does not list a maximum expandable memory capacity
- Official table lists a single onboard Ethernet port
Synology DS223j
No scored spec where it is strictly ahead; its case rests on the strengths below.
What we like
- Official specification table publishes the scored memory, Ethernet, CPU and bay figures we use
Watch out for
- Fastest official onboard Ethernet on the table we used is 1GbE
- Official installed system memory is 1 GB
- Official table we used does not list a maximum expandable memory capacity
- Official table lists a single onboard Ethernet port
Verdict
The official specification tables list the Synology DS124 as a desktop unit and the Synology DS223j as a desktop unit. The Synology DS124 record lists 1 official bays, 1 GB official installed memory, 1GbE official onboard Ethernet, 4-core official CPU, 1 official onboard Ethernet ports. The Synology DS223j record lists 2 official bays, 1 GB official installed memory, 1GbE official onboard Ethernet, 4-core official CPU, 1 official onboard Ethernet ports.
- Synology DS124: Synology official specifications: DS124
- Synology DS223j: Synology official specifications: DS223j