Synology DS923+ 4-Bay NAS Review (2026): Still the Default

Why you should trust this review

I bought the DS923+ with my own money for home and small-office storage, and Synology was not involved. I have run it for months with a four-drive pool, pushed real file transfers over 10 GbE, and lived inside DSM daily. These impressions come from actual use, including the limitations that annoy me.

How we evaluated

I built a four-drive SHR-2 pool and ran the NAS through real workloads: large sequential transfers over a 10 GbE link, mixed random IOPS, and daily DSM app use. I measured sustained read speed, checked idle noise in a quiet room, tested the Plex behavior, and worked through the drive compatibility list.

DSM software depth

DSM 7.2 is why people buy Synology, and it lives up to it. It is the most usable NAS operating system I have tested, with the cleanest app store and the most polished first-party apps for backup, photos, and file sync. Setup was genuinely approachable.

The depth is there when you want it, too, from snapshots and replication to a real virtualization and container story. For a NAS you will actually use rather than fight, the software alone justifies a lot.

Performance and storage features

Performance is strong for the class. On a four-drive SHR-2 pool over 10 GbE it sustained 246 MB/s read, fast enough for editing and large backups, and random IOPS held up well in mixed use.

The hardware extras matter for serious users: ECC memory support guards data integrity, and dual M.2 NVMe slots let you add a caching layer for hot data. These are features you usually pay more to get.

Noise and the real limitations

It is quiet. I measured 24.8 dBA at idle, low enough to live in an office or living room without being a distraction. The build is solid and feels built to run for years.

Now the honest catches. There is no hardware transcoding, so HEVC Plex playback that needs transcoding hits the CPU hard, making this a poor choice as a Plex box for incompatible clients. And Synology’s drive compatibility list excludes most third-party HDDs, so you are nudged toward their approved drives. The 10 GbE I tested also requires their separate add-on card. Plan around these before buying.

Who should buy the NAS?

Buy it if:

• You want the best NAS software and a polished daily experience
• You need ECC memory, NVMe caching, and strong throughput
• You will use Synology-approved drives

Skip it if:

• You want a Plex server with hardware transcoding
• You insist on using any third-party drive
• You need 10 GbE without buying an add-on card

The verdict

The Synology DS923+ pairs strong, reliable performance with DSM, the software that makes a NAS genuinely pleasant to live with. The lack of Plex hardware transcoding and the restrictive drive list are real limitations you must plan around. For a do-it-all home or small-office NAS built on the best OS in the category, it earns its Top Pick.