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+--- Thread: Advice on the DS1821+ vs the DS1823xs+ (/showthread.php?tid=12347)
Advice on the DS1821+ vs the DS1823xs+ - Enquiries - 09-26-2025
Hello, I recently purchased a new Synology DS1821+ for $1,035 and the DS1823xs+ for $1596. So, the difference is about $561. My question is the AMD V1780B that much better than the V1500B? Most of the benchmark tests show that the V1780B is almost twice as fast as the V1500B. What I plan on using the NAS for is mainly File Server and media streaming, maybe a few docker containers. Also, the DS1821+ is discontinued and my other concern is the software support which is about 10 years, so I may only have another 6 years of life for this unit. Should I keep the DS1821+ or the DS1823xs+. Is it worth the extra $561.
What are your thoughts and advice?
RE: Advice on the DS1821+ vs the DS1823xs+ - ed - 09-26-2025
The DS1821+ with the V1500B is already very capable for your listed use case. For file serving, media streaming, and a handful of Docker containers, you won’t come close to saturating what that CPU can do. It’s stable, power-efficient, and has plenty of headroom for backups, Plex (direct play), and small apps.
The DS1823xs+ with the V1780B does give you more horsepower — roughly double in synthetic benchmarks, as you’ve seen — but the real-world difference only shows if you plan on running heavier VM workloads, multiple simultaneous Docker stacks, or if you want long-term 10GbE throughput with heavy IOPS and multiple users. It also ships with more base memory and enterprise-level support, which might matter if this was a business-critical environment.
On the support side, you’re right: the DS1821+ is older and has about 6 years of updates left, while the DS1823xs+ should see closer to 9 or 10. That’s probably the bigger long-term differentiator than the raw CPU power.
For a home setup focused on storage, streaming, and light containers, the DS1821+ is the more cost-effective choice. You save the $561, and you’re still covered for years of updates. If you expect your workload to stay within those bounds, I’d keep the DS1821+. If, however, you think you’ll be running heavier Docker/VM environments or need guaranteed longer support, then the DS1823xs+ becomes worth the extra.