Introduction

I would like to thank Synology for supplying the review sample.


Synology released the DS1621+, its first Ryzen-based NAS, a while ago, and after exhaustive testing, I have all the results in hand to finally finish this review. Every NAS evaluation takes over a month because I run extended tests to check on not only performance, but reliability and how it operates under various conditions. This is why I cannot deliver a lot of NAS reviews. These products are meant to operate around the clock, so checking on how they behave after many hours of continuous use and under high loads before you come to any conclusions is immensely important.

The DS1621+ uses a quad-core AMD Ryzen V1500B CPU based on the ZEN Microarchitecture, clocked at 2.2 GHz. This is quite a strong CPU for a NAS server. In total, it has four cores and eight threads. At 16 W, its TDP is extremely low, so no active cooling is required, which makes it ideal for a NAS. The only downside is that it doesn't have an embedded GPU, which means it lacks hardware video encoding and decoding capabilities.

With six bays and the option to connect up to two optional DX517 expansion units, the potential storage capacity on offer with the DS1621+ is huge. It can also take two NVMe drives for cache acceleration. Although it doesn't have a 10G port, you have the option of installing the corresponding network card; that said, included out-of-the-box 10G capability would have been ideal. The trays also feature locks. While not of high quality, these make for a nice feature in business environments. Finally, the power supply is internal, so you won't have to mess with power adapters, which take up additional space. However, it is easier to replace a power adapter if it has a problem.

Specifications

This an expensive NAS, but it is meant for businesses, where budget-orientated solutions aren't the top priority. A three-year warranty has been included, and around an additional $100 will get you their EW201 bundle, which extends it to five years.