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Today we are checking out the Synology DiskStation DS712+, which is powered by an Intel Atom D425 dual-core processor and features a 1GB memory buffer. These hardware specifications should make the DS712+ quite snappy and the ability to support Link Aggregation should help maximize performance of the dual bay NAS device...
This year Synology has made significant upgrades to their standard business product range with the release of high-end orientated products, such as the DS2411+ and DS1511+. Both products feature dual Gigabit LAN controllers for Link Aggregation support, boosting read performance to over 190MB/s.
Synology has also made hot-swappable SATA bays standard on both models, as well as the ability to significantly expand storage using the DX510 and DX1211 expansion units. The DS2411+ can be coupled with a pair of DX1211 expansion units, allowing for a total of 24 hard drives, or 72TB. The storage capabilities of the DS1511+ on the other hand can be expanded using a pair of DX510 units, allowing it to scale up to 15 hard drives for a maximum capacity of 45TB’s. Both products are of excellent quality and at $815 US for the DS1511+ and $2000 for the DS2411+, there is no denying that users are paying top dollar for that quality. Then factor in the cost for the expansion units, DX1211 at $1400 per unit or $500 for the DX510, and you start to appreciate how costly such a setup can be. The problem is not every business is going to require a 12-bay NAS device right away and even the 5-bay DS1511+ can be considered overkill for many, at least initially. The alternative to these large bay devices has been the DS710+, a dual bay device that can be expanded to support 7 drives using the DX510. At $500 the DS710+ is considerably cheaper than the DS1511+, and it’s a good way for businesses to start out as it can support up to 6TB of storage with the potential to expand up to 21T’s with the DX510. However the DS710+ is an ageing product, as it was announced back in February of 2010 along with the DS1010+, which has now been replaced by the DS1511+. In terms of technical specifications the DS710+ is still quite sound, though it does lack one critical feature that is now becoming a standard feature of the business class NAS devices. That feature is of course Link Aggregation, and without it the DS710+ is limited to a maximum read and write throughput of 113 - 102MB/s. Therefore Synology are now upgrading their 2-bay business class NAS to support Link Aggregation, along with their current design and a slightly faster processor. The new model, known as the DS712+, boasts a read speed of 180MB/s with a write throughput of 105MB/s thanks to its dual Gigabit LAN controllers, which provide Link Aggregation. Additionally, the Intel Atom D425 processor provides a little more oomph, while the new hardware design features an updated lock mechanism and larger fan. With that said, let’s take a look at the new DS712+ and its optional DX510 expansion unit in greater detail... |
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Sarge |
Posted on: 10/19/2011 09:19 PM
Looks like a great product home users as well. I am tossing up between this and the QNAP TS-219P II. I am now leaning towards Synology. |
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Razor |
Posted on: 10/19/2011 11:29 PM
Thanks for the review. I agree this is a nice product but when is someone going to build an AMD E-350 version? The E-350 is better than the Atom and its probably cheaper as well. Would also open up the possibility to upgrade the processor in the future. |
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Rob |
Posted on: 10/24/2011 07:10 PM
They should have used the dual-core Atom! |
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Peter |
Posted on: 10/26/2011 03:11 PM
Just called Synology about the CPU, the customer rep said it is single core processor, this website says it is dual core, so who is right then??? |
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ProX |
Posted on: 10/27/2011 09:54 AM
@ Peter - This review features a page titled hardware which has the answer to your question. From the very first sentence... "The DS712+ is powered by an Intel Atom D425 "Pineview" (45nm) single-core processor which is designed to operate at 1.83GHz. Although this is only a single-core processor, it does support two threads thanks to its use of HyperThreading technology." So to rehash its a single core that can support two threads. |
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indothai Posts: 1 Joined: 2011-12-08 |
Posted on: 12/09/2011 05:53 AM
Great review! I am planning on getting the DS712+, then later adding the DX510. BUT, is it possible to combine the volume as one large volume using SHR or will it look seem like two separate volumes? |
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Steve Posts: 80 Joined: 2010-02-08 |
Posted on: 12/09/2011 08:45 AM
Posted by indothai on 12/09/2011 06:53 AM
First thank you and secondly yes you can create one large volume. |
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Fabry Posts: 1 Joined: 2011-11-11 |
Posted on: 01/11/2012 02:34 PM
Great article about the Synology DS712+ NAS. After reading this article and after having had personal experience with the older DS207+, I decided to purchase this unit. It is true, the DS712+ could have had a Dual Core CPU and a USB3 port, however Synology Product Management probably decided that there will be a follower to the DS712+ (maybe a DS713+) with the Dual Core CPU and the latest ports. The DS712+ is a fast NAS! If you get the right Switch (I purchased an HP ProCurve) you can get Link Aggregation and improve on the IN/OUT speed. However, if you are looking at this unit, you need to know that there may be a problem, though. The backup to an external unit (either via USB2 or via eSATA) with standard enclosures does not work. However, the same backup worked on my previous DS207+ but not with this. I am working with Synology to figure out the problem. I hope to see the results of some tests for this problem on the web. |