Having more RAM for a NAS (Network Attached Storage) device is good for much the same reasons. Upgrading your RAM benefits the system when multitasking, and where individual applications require more RAM due to the nature of the processes they require the Synology's CPU to handle.
I am aware most Synology units do not use ECC RAM; but the Rackstations and higher-end Synology units do use ECC RAM. As I pondering a new purchase, can someone explain how "important" ECC RAM is in a file storage device. If you're asking then you don't need it.
The reason to upgrade a Synology NAS are as numerous as the tasks we ask of them. Perhaps you have a two-bay model and require more bays to upgrade the storage capacity. Newer Synology NAS drives have faster processors and more RAM that can efficiently transcode 4K media streams at 60fps without buffering.
So is it possible to upgrade the CPU on your Synology NAS? Currently only very few high-end business models support CPU upgrades, while all 1-bay, 2-bay models and up to 12-bay do not support CPU upgrades. Even if you want to upgrade it, the CPU is bound to the motherboard (they're actually welded together).
Download and install Synology Assistant (available at Download Center). Launch Synology Assistant and click the upper-right icon. Tick the Memory Test checkbox and click OK. Select the Synology NAS to run the memory test and click the Memory Test button.
In most of the new Synology NAS devices, the “Memory Compression” feature is designed to improve system performance (responsiveness) by storing part of the memory pages in RAM in a compressed form. Upgrade your Synology NAS RAM & “uncheck” the Memory Compression option under Hardware & Power.
The more capacity you have, the greater the weight of tasks/apps/users you can handle. All actions and executed applications require memory space and are pretty much the main reason people upgrade the RAM on their NAS.
Compatible Synology DiskStations (2017 and newer)
| Model | Incl. RAM | Synology RAM |
|---|
| Synology DS918+ | 1x 4GB DDR3L | D3NS1866L-4G |
| Synology DS1618+ | 1x 4GB DDR4 | D4ECSO-2666-16G or D4NESO-2666-4G |
| Synology DS3018xs | 1x 8GB DDR4 | D4ECSO-2666-16G |
| Synology DS1517+ | 2 or 8GB DDR3L | RAM1600DDR3L-4GBx2 of RAM1600DDR3L-8GBx2 |
If someone has a database in the 100 GB range, it's recommended to have anywhere from 16-64 RAM. Of course, there is no such thing as “too much RAM”, but for companies working on a budget, shelling out for maximum RAM may not be an option.
The file server doesn't need lots of RAM, but if it is being access by lots of people, then its better to have extra RAM to reduce loads from hard drives.
Both Synology and QNAP units offer support for PLEX Media Player – one of the main reasons why users decide to purchase a NAS device. However, QNAP units are more efficient with transcoding than Synology counterparts.
Based on personal experience, you'll need at least 1GHz ARM processor (probably Marvell Kirkwood series) to get speeds greater than 50MB/s. Intel processors are generally faster, but also more expensive and power hungry. 256MB RAM is the minimum.
So, DS220j have been around known as entry level NAS that can also work as Plex Media Server (PMS).
You'll either need to have a Plex client that can transcode the stream for you, or convert files first into a format your client can stream before loading it into Plex. It is not the cheapest option, but you can also just use the DS220j for the media and run a separate Plex server - I run Plex on an Intel NUC.
ROM is an acronym for Read-Only Memory. It refers to computer memory chips containing permanent or semi-permanent data. Unlike RAM, ROM is non-volatile; even after you turn off your computer, the contents of ROM will remain. Almost every computer comes with a small amount of ROM containing the boot firmware.
Plex recommends several NAS devices, including the following brands: ASUSTOR. Netgear. QNAP.
The best NAS drives you can buy today
- QNAP TS-231P3. The best NAS drive for most people.
- Synology DiskStation DS920+ The best premium NAS drive.
- TerraMaster F2-210. The best budget NAS drive.
- QNAP TS-431X.
- Synology DiskStation DS218.
- My Cloud Expert Series EX2 Ultra.
- Synology DiskStation DS120j.
- QNAP TS-253D.
If you exceed the maximum memory allowed by the mobo you will end up with the stated limit, a fraction thereof, or the system won't boot. It won't allow more than the stated total to be used or recognised.
