Visual inspection
The Synology DS223 is an entry-level brand-new NAS that offers a good entry way into the Synology ecosystem. While this NAS looks similar with other models from Synology, it does not offer certain software applications and has limited expansion options available.
The design of the DS223 is simple and resembles that of other two bay Synology NAS units. It uses a metal and plastic casing with two concealed HDD / SSD bays at the front. In addition to that, we have the standard Synology cutouts on the sides and activity LEDs on the front.
The Synology DS223 has a weight of 1.28 kg without the storage drives installed. The dimensions of the NAS are: (H x W x D): 165 mm x 108 mm x 232 mm.
As is the case for many modern Synology NAS units, the DS223 features a lot of vents that provide optimal cooling for not only the internal components of the NAS and the installed storage drives. One of the main intake ports is cut into the sides of the casing, in the shape of the Synology logo.
The front part of the NAS has a detachable panel that covers the two storage drive bays. This panel is made from plastic and has a glossy texture that is unfortunately a dust and fingerprint magnet.
The mounting system for this front decorative panel is simple as it has just four rubber grommets that mount onto the drive bay trays.
In terms of input and output ports, this NAS has a single USB 3.2 Gen 1 Port on the front part. This USB port is placed above the C button which has the one touch copy function, and both the button and the USB port are linked. What the one touch copy function does is simple, you insert any USB compatible storage device in this port and press the C button, afterwards the NAS will copy the entire storage device onto the NAS storage drives.
At the back we have two more USB 3.2 Gen 1 Ports and a RJ-45 1GbE LAN Port alongside the power socket. The small round button next to the USB ports is the reset switch for the NAS. It is recessed so you cannot press it by mistake.
The DS223 much like many other Synology NAS units is cooled by a single 92mm fan installed on the back of the casing. This fan is made by Y.S Tech and has the model number: FD129225LL-N with the dimensions: 90x90x25mm.
Not much is known about this fan in terms of specifications and I am sure that while the model number is the same, this fan is made specifically for NAS usage, and thus, it’s performance will differ from model to model.
What we do know for sure is that the fan can be controlled via the DiskStation Manager (DSM) software.
On the underside, the NAS has four square rubber feet that will not only dampen the vibration but prevent the scratching of the surface the NAS sits on.
Disassembly & Internal components
The disassembly process with the Synology DS223 is simple, as it uses a similarly built case as the rest of the two bay DS NAS units. However, it has enough plastic clips and screws to make it a tricky endeavor for a beginner. In addition, given that this NAS does not have any expansion options means that a regular user has no reason to disassemble it.
The heart of the Synology DS223 is the Realtek RTD1619-B. A 4-core CPU that is running at 1.7GHz. This CPU is an upgrade over the previous generation Realtek CPUs and the fact that is has four cores can only help with the general usage of the NAS software.
In terms of RAM, this NAS uses only 2GB of DDR4 RAM memory and unfortunately it cannot be upgraded for a higher capacity. These RAM chips are made by Samsung and have tome model number: K4A8G165WC-BCWE.
