Synology DS124 v QNAP TS133

[JackWhite]

Hi all

I currently have a Synology DS115J. I mainly use it as a simple backup / server for my photos, plus some streaming of music.  These are also stored / backed up to a separate local drive on my PC, and also in Google Photos. I therefore have no need for a multi bay system for backup purposes.  However the DS115J is getting so slow now so I'm looking to upgrade to either the DS124 or the TS133.

Would I see a great improvement in terms of speed and general snappiness of access in use with either of these, and any views as to what might be better?  I see the QNAP seems to have slightly better hardware.

I have looked ta the Beestation which I think in many ways would be great for my needs, but am a little worried about the lack of DNLA and in any event it is the same price  as the DS124 plus a 4TB drive which I understand it essentially the same hardware.

Many thanks

[ed]

Thanks for laying out what you’re doing with your NAS and what you’re looking for — it makes it much easier to steer you in the right direction.

Coming from the DS115j you will definitely see a noticeable improvement in responsiveness and general snappiness with either the DS124 or the TS133. The DS115j is based on an old Marvell chip and is very underpowered by today’s standards. Both the DS124 and TS133 use much newer ARM processors and have much better performance even for basic file serving and photo streaming.

Between the two, you’re correct that the QNAP TS133 does technically have slightly better hardware specs on paper, particularly the CPU cores and memory bandwidth. However, Synology’s DSM software is much more refined and user friendly for your sort of light home use. Features like Synology Photos, Time Machine backup, DLNA support, and overall ease of configuration are still better on the DS124. For a “set and forget” experience with good app support, Synology still feels like the safer choice here.

On the QNAP side, you’d get a bit more performance headroom and some extra tinkering options if you decide to push it beyond simple backups and streaming later. But you’ll have to contend with a less polished app ecosystem and more hands-on maintenance.

The BeeStation, as you noticed, is essentially a DS124 in terms of hardware but locked into a much more basic software experience with limited features. Since it costs the same as a DS124 plus a drive, it really doesn’t make much sense for anyone who wants even a little bit of flexibility.

So in short, for your usage — photos, backups, light streaming — the DS124 is the better fit. It will feel much faster than your current DS115j, and you’ll keep the simplicity and reliability you’re already familiar with.

[JosephQuintana]

Thanks for laying out what you’re doing with your NAS and what you’re looking for — it makes it much easier to steer you in the right direction.

Coming from the DS115j you will definitely see a noticeable improvement in responsiveness and general snappiness with either the DS124 or the TS133. The DS115j is based on an old Marvell chip and is very underpowered by today’s standards. Both the DS124 and TS133 use much newer ARM processors and have much better performance even for basic file serving and photo streaming.

Between the two, you’re correct that the QNAP TS133 does technically have slightly better hardware specs on paper, particularly the CPU cores and memory bandwidth. However, Synology’s DSM software is much more refined and user friendly for your sort of light home use. Features like Synology Photos, Time Machine backup, DLNA support, and overall ease of configuration are still better on the DS124. For a “set and forget” experience with good app support, Synology still feels like the safer choice here.

On the QNAP side, you’d get a bit more performance headroom and some extra tinkering options if you decide to push it beyond simple backups and streaming later. But you’ll have to contend with a less polished app ecosystem and more hands-on maintenance.

The BeeStation, as you noticed, is essentially a DS124 in terms of hardware but locked into a much more basic software experience with limited features. Since it costs the same as a DS124 plus a drive, it really doesn’t make much sense for anyone who wants geometry dash meltdown even a little bit of flexibility.

So in short, for your usage — photos, backups, light streaming — the DS124 is the better fit. It will feel much faster than your current DS115j, and you’ll keep the simplicity and reliability you’re already familiar with.

Thanks for the useful sharing! I am also hesitating between these two models. It seems that DS124 is more suitable if you prioritize simplicity, stability and less technical intervention.