This was posted 4 years 7 months 20 days ago, and might be an out-dated deal.

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Synology DS918+ 4 Bay NAS $662 Delivered @ Smarthomestoreau eBay

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Synology DS918+ 4 Bay NAS $662 Delivered @ Smarthomestoreau eBay
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thackleberry on 02/05/2020 - 13:06 ebay.com.au (2833 clicks)
Last edited 02/05/2020 - 13:25
PBOLT15

Been waiting for another deal on the DS918+

Cheapest you can get it at the moment, and yes I know there is a new model coming out this year, however it appears that all it is is a CPU bump. Claiming 15% better performance (https://www.synology.com/zh-tw/products/DS920+#features).

I'm sure there will be comments but ensure the drives you get for your NAS are not SMR, good article on it here;
https://www.tomshardware.com/news/wd-fesses-up-some-red-hdds…

I'm going to use it with ultrastar drives (thanks to systema for posting that deal - now expired).

Original Coupon Deal

Computing NAS Synology

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closed Comments

    • tehlee on 02/05/2020 - 13:17
      +14

      OP mentions it in his post.

    • Miami Mall Alien on 02/05/2020 - 13:23

      It's literally identical aside from a slightly faster CPU that apparently may be even slower for transcoding H.265 than the old CPU in the DS918+. Definitely not worth shelling out full RRP for over a good price on a DS918+.

      • Arsenal on 02/05/2020 - 14:03
        +3

        As pointed out by the OP in that thread that chart is almost certainly wrong with regards to the encoding/decoding capabilities of the new chip. Also the new chipset will use DDR4 rather than DDR3.

        I’ll certainly be waiting for the x20 series as the x18 series CPUs are known to have trouble transcoding live tv in Plex, which I do occasionally use, and I’d prefer to replace my current setup with the NAS entirely if possible.

      • autolux on 02/05/2020 - 14:47
        +1

        The intel CPU in this NAS, and the equivalent QNAP's (TS-453), are almost as bad as the previous models with defect CPU's. they have known defects they don't publicise but support staff will install firmware to address and lower the chances these defects will potentially cause a critical failure to your NAS at any point over its lifetime… its a joke.

        I wouldnt believe the newer CPU's transcode slower, the new CPU looks pretty beastly… but even if they did i'd still go for it, as they'll be less likely to fail…

      • endotherm on 02/05/2020 - 18:16

        If it was just a CPU change, the new release would be designated DS918+II. There seems to be more changes, e.g. DDR4 vs DDR3.

    • Solrak on 02/05/2020 - 15:20

      Ds920+ doesn't offer much extra (still on 1gbe nics) over the ds918+. Save yourself a few dollars and buy the ds918+ in this deal.

    • WayneOZ on 02/05/2020 - 15:22

      So? Doesn't necessarily mean anything.

    • onggie on 02/05/2020 - 16:51
      +3

      You guys are all missing the point. Wait for the 920 to be released and these will be even cheaper. Sellers are just trying to capitalise before they have to drop it even more to clear stock.

      • jace88 on 03/05/2020 - 08:44

        Pretty much. Although the 918+ did seem to last a long time in the market.

  • dan0909 on 02/05/2020 - 13:17
    +1

    Can SSD be installed on these?

    • bargaingod123 on 02/05/2020 - 13:19
      +1

      yes, nvme cache or sata storage

    • MementoMori on 02/05/2020 - 14:06
      +1

      Can I ask why would you want to? Surely it’s too expensive, these things are typically mass storage

      • bargaingod123 on 02/05/2020 - 14:09
        +1

        can be all sorts of reasons, you may move your entire storage from your desktop to your nas

      • dan0909 on 02/05/2020 - 14:12
        +4

        I develop websites, web applications and progressive mobile applications. I want to have an SSD installed and run all the 'under development' websites/web applications from that SSD.

        • MementoMori on 02/05/2020 - 14:34

          Interesting! Thanks

  • B3 on 02/05/2020 - 13:20
    +1

    New models will be released Q3.

    https://nascompares.com/2020/05/01/synology-2020-qa-with-tai…

    • PeppaCat on 02/05/2020 - 13:23
      +1

      Already released

      https://www.synology.com/zh-tw/products/DS920+

      • Arsenal on 02/05/2020 - 17:27
        +2

        If you read the article @B3 posted above you'll see that the Hardware Product Manager at Synology HQ in Taiwan has literally just said they won't be available worldwide until Q3. The fact they have a product page in the country they are manufactured means little in terms of availability to the rest of us unfortunately.

    • Secret ID on 13/05/2020 - 20:08

      I asked Synology about the release date and got this reply today:

      Thanks for contacting Synology.

      DSx20+ series will be launched globally including Australia, which I can confirm. But I'm afraid that I'm unable to share when they will be available for purchasing in Australia, however I can say that will be very soon :)

      You may subscribe our eNews via Synology Account for the latest update, and refer to the list of Synology local supplier if you are not sure where to purchase.

  • PharmerDan on 02/05/2020 - 13:20
    +1

    How are these as Plex Servers? How's the transcoding capability?

    • Miami Mall Alien on 02/05/2020 - 13:25
      +2

      As good as anything else in this price range. The real beauty of Synology NAS devices is the DiskStation Manager OS; its UI is fantastically simple (with the CLI offering advanced customisation options for power users), it's fast and well-supported with regular updates and a ton of add-on packages.

    • lochstar on 02/05/2020 - 14:03

      I use mine as a Plex server, works great. I don't transcode 4K, word is it can handle one or two 4K transcodes at a time.

      • Arsenal on 02/05/2020 - 14:06

        Do you have any 1080p 10bit x265 content? I’d love to get an idea as to how many streams the Celeron’s Quicksync is capable of transcoding at once in that scenario.

        • lochstar on 02/05/2020 - 15:03

          Nah, I don't sorry. Mostly 720p or 1080p x264.

        • No Username on 02/05/2020 - 15:27
          +3

          3 Streams. Tried 6 but 2 kept buffering and then 2 steams died.

          Tested using 1080p HEVC 10 Bit File Size 11MB

          • Arsenal on 02/05/2020 - 17:22

            @No Username: Thanks for the info, but damn, that's lower than i had hoped. Hopefully the newer quicksync can double that number, otherwise i'll probably keep my 8th gen NUC around on Plex server duty for transcoding. Though admittedly with Plex finally releasing the Enhanced Player to non-Plexpass users this week i should hopefully have less need for transcoding x265 content. Will keep an eye on it.

    • cmackOTI on 02/05/2020 - 17:56
      +5

      As an owner of a DS918+, the transcoding capability is OK for 1080p sources, but not great for 4K. As I learned, transcoding is a bit complicated…

      The spec sheet for the DS918+ and the CPU it contains (Intel Celeron J3455) states it is capable of hardware decode of H.265 4K 10-bit video streams. Great! I bought one on this basis, thinking it would be the Ultimate Plex Server™ for H.265 HDR sources to transcode to devices I had at the time which couldn't decode that natively (Direct Play).

      I was wrong.

      I learned that 10-bit (precision) does not equate to HDR (colour space / gamma). 10-bit SDR transcode? Works fine. 10-bit HDR? Not so much.

      I tried back in mid-2018-ish from memory, but the performance was awful. I went back to the Nvidia Shield I'd been using beforehand, and I'm still using today without any performance issues.

      I hadn't thought about it until I saw this post, so I thought I'd install Plex again tonight (coronavirus cabin fever) and see if things had improved. So, using Plex Server 1.19.3.2740 on my DS918+:

      I just tried Ad Astra as a source, H.265 4K HDR 10-bit @ ~30Mbps, and forced a transcode to H.264 1080p SDR @ 20Mbps (one of the Plex client presets). Playback info stated HW transcode was being used.

      The 918+ CPU pegged close to 100% and output video buffered badly - I got about 2 sec of video followed by about 8 sec of buffering. I tried some other 1080p client presets: 12Mbps still buffered badly, about 3 sec video, 3 sec buffer; 8Mbps was about the same.

      720p @ 4Mbps still buffered often, perhaps 5 seconds of video, 2 seconds buffer.

      So, still basically unusable as a Plex Server for H.265 4K HDR sources.

      Using the Nvidia Shield, transcoding to H.264 1080p SDR @ 20Mbps does not buffer at all during playback. Interestingly, the HDR to SDR colour mapping is awful on both the Syno and the Shield, with really obvious stippling and striation on large areas of similar colour (e.g., skylines), which would indicate it's probably a function of the ffmpeg engine used by Plex.

      I'm looking ahead to see what the newer Syno boxes/Intel CPUs are capable of, but it'll be a really expensive cross-grade just for improved transcoding functionality.

      In the meantime I'll stick with the Shield as my Plex server. My Syno is being used as a plain ol' NAS and a great little home server; it runs beautifully with a bunch of Syno packages, and with Docker and 4 containers, all on 8GB with bags of CPU and RAM to spare. It's just not cut out to be the Plex Server I wanted.

      • Arsenal on 02/05/2020 - 18:50
        +3

        4K transcoding in Plex isn't really something to worry about at this point anyway, because as you noted above Plex Media Server doesn't handle the tonemapping involved in 4k HDR to 1080P SDR transcoding properly, even on hardware capable of it. This is why everyone with 4K content recommends keeping it in a separate library and only allowing access to clients/users with the capability to directplay it.

        Unless Plex make some move to fix the tonemapping (no indication so far from what i've seen on the forums) then it alone should not be a reason to keep using your Shield TV as a server? Are you actually transcoding and putting up with the terrible tonemapping?

        • cmackOTI on 02/05/2020 - 20:37

          Yep, you’re spot on. I don’t have any devices left in the house which can’t Direct Play 4K HDR content. It’s been ages since the tonemapping issue was raised in the Plex forums, and I can’t see any movement on it in the near term either. I was one of the ones who raised HDR issues on the Shield a year or so ago, and that took long enough to fix… They got there in the end.

          My Shield is currently connected to an older 1080p SDR projector (Sanyo Z2000, it’s lasted quite a while). It handles tonemapping in-box out to HDMI for the projector beautifully. It also has a bunch of retro emulators installed on it, so it still has a use outside of being a Plex Server… :)

          I’ll reconsider moving the Plex Server function once I can afford a projector upgrade; 4K (or ‘4K’) laser with an OS capable of running a Plex client. So it may be some time… There’s no compelling use case for me to put in the effort for a library shift at the moment.

          As you mention, if you carve off 4K HDR content into its own library, there’s no reason a DS918+ can’t be a good Plex Server otherwise. I’m happy with my 918+ and the role it performs in any case, and would recommend it. It’s good to know the limitations of the 918+ up front though; information helps decision making.

      • Morien on 02/05/2020 - 21:29

        Thanks for the rundown. Won’t bother then.

        Only considered it for a Plex server, but if I take transcoding out of the equation, I might as well stick with my basic raspberry pi based file server. Suits my needs just as much, by the sounds of it. Just a bit hacky.

  • mxlmxlmxl on 02/05/2020 - 13:33
    +6

    I love these posts so much when clearly everyone seems inept and unable to actually read the post and consistently posts "New one being released".

    Asked and answered in the top post people haha

  • Anth0ny on 02/05/2020 - 13:36

    https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Seagate-4TB-IronWolf-NAS-HDD-3-5…

    do you guys think this is a good buy too? with 15% off it will be $174.25
    What do you think?

    • wataripoff on 02/05/2020 - 13:56

      Equates to $43.6 per Tb, not great for 4Tb size though it might not get cheaper for a while due to COVID

    • cc23 on 03/05/2020 - 08:39

      I shucked some seagate compute 4gbs for $99 each, I know I should buy better drives, but I’ll buy them after corona…

  • Scrobo on 02/05/2020 - 13:47

    I'm after something with 10GBe, anything that isn't crazy money?

  • bryans on 02/05/2020 - 13:57
    +4

    Bought this model almost three years ago for $670+… prices haven't moved much

    • Turd on 02/05/2020 - 14:06

      Due to China shutting down

      • petry on 02/05/2020 - 15:00
        -1

        and oz border tax - and our anti chinese government policy..

  • rxjb on 02/05/2020 - 14:16

    Would the CPU compare to a pi4?

    • bargaingod123 on 02/05/2020 - 14:25

      much better on this nas. ARMs are low end for NAS

  • MementoMori on 02/05/2020 - 14:34
    +2

    Hey, what are everybodies favourite use cases for these things?

    • network storage
    • media server
    • photo store
    • private dropbox
    • linux distro downloader
    • desktop backups / timemachine
    • hosting web apps / web app development ?
    • ???
    • Solrak on 02/05/2020 - 15:25

      also good surveillance pvr

    • No Username on 02/05/2020 - 15:28

      Docker and Backup

    • bamzero on 02/05/2020 - 16:52

      I run a Freenas server, started mainly to store media for multiple Kodi clients around the house, as well as desktop backups. Add timemachine after kids were forced to get a Macbook for school and now also use for storage for my IP cameras.

      Few other things I run jailed on it are Home Assistant, Unifi Controller and Nextcloud.

    • bryans on 02/05/2020 - 17:34

      Video surveillance, media streamer, file server, torrenting all 24x7 and its low power usage

    • kob2040 on 02/05/2020 - 22:39
      +1

      I don't understand why you wouldn't just slap together a cheap pc, to do the same for much cheaper, unless the power usage is much less…. torrent server/plex/backups you can do all that on a $50 pi running at 10watts… (shrug)

      • neo8848 on 03/05/2020 - 00:21

        Exactly that, If you are not after the OS in this thing, amd GE200 would crush this one on almost any use cases with similar power consumption. I run open media vault for dockers, on intel NUC, the only thing better on Synology is software :D…

    • jace88 on 03/05/2020 - 08:47

      Local cloud mirror/backup with a few days delay in sync.

  • whatdidthecowsay on 02/05/2020 - 14:38

    This code can't be applied to your order :(

  • sghetti on 02/05/2020 - 14:39

    I'm keen to get one of these set up for a Plex server and desktop backups. But given the new one has just been released, could we see some reduced prices over the coming months?

    • TightTerry on 02/05/2020 - 15:49

      highly doubt it.

  • vinsyd on 02/05/2020 - 14:51

    Anyone got decent NAS friendly HDD deals we can pair with this?

  • happychappy1 on 02/05/2020 - 14:55

    I got one for $636 delivered in late March from Futu.

  • HKS on 02/05/2020 - 15:02

    thanks, bought one. needed a NAS for ages but finally pulled the trigger. mwave have seagate ironwolf 4tb drives for $184 each atm too. ebay deal is cheaper for $191 if you have ebayplus (mwave shipping was $18 to me)

    • sghetti on 02/05/2020 - 15:18

      Rafael posted above, same ebay store has those drives for $174 with PBOLT15 discount

      • HKS on 02/05/2020 - 16:37

        well (profanity) lol. ill cancel that order and re order with them. thanks.

  • t3m on 02/05/2020 - 15:02
    +1

    Glad I bought DS918+ six months ago, DS920+ is incremental, still ship with two 1gb ethernet

  • Ronerrlaw on 02/05/2020 - 15:20

    Anny thoughts on freenas over this u it?

    Just looking something for a Plex server no 4k content and using an VM to run sonarr, radars, and jacket

    • XeKToReX on 02/05/2020 - 15:38
      +1

      This'll do all of that, dockers for sonarr/radarr and jackett and a Plex server will be fine.

      Maybe add 4GB RAM to make it a little better.

    • discobean on 02/05/2020 - 15:38
      +1

      I run all those in docker on my 918+, works great

      • Ronerrlaw on 02/05/2020 - 15:45

        Any reason to use this unit over a diy build using freenas?

        • discobean on 02/05/2020 - 15:52
          +1

          It just works and I don't have to touch it after it is setup. I won't worry about upgrading it, managing the hardware etc etc.

  • TightTerry on 02/05/2020 - 15:52

    Can anyone confirm if these take and run the drives found in the External Western Digital Elements 8gb-10gb drives? Obviously by shucking them

    • Yossarian on 02/05/2020 - 20:58

      I shucked a 10GB WD Elements and it works fine. No need to fiddle with the power pins either, shucked then straight in.

  • sparemywallet on 02/05/2020 - 15:53

    Trying to purchase and comes up "This code can't be applied to your order".

    Has the deal expired?

    • hollykryten on 02/05/2020 - 16:23

      It should work as the coupon code doesn't expire until 13 May. Keep on trying it. You need to enter the code through the redemption code box in the checkout.

      Make sure that this item is the only item in the order as that may make the code not work as it's only for eligible items.

      • sparemywallet on 02/05/2020 - 17:26

        Not working still and seems the seller is not part of the PBOLT15 promo

  • Wasgood on 02/05/2020 - 16:01

    I bought two WD reds 3tb that probably use SMR. If I buy two more drives in the future that don't use SMR would they fit into the array without problems?

    • abb on 02/05/2020 - 17:14
      +1

      Yes, you can add them.

      SMR is not really a problem in itself. The problem you may strike is that SMR is slow to write, and if the controller has aggressive timing constraints it may (falsely) consider this as the drive failing.

      I'm sure there would be info somewhere about how to set things appropriately, if it doesn't happen automatically.

  • Brolor on 02/05/2020 - 16:56

    Is there a 2 bay version that is equivilant to this? Want to use it for 4k streams. I have a 10tb elements drive that I'll be shucking for it too.

    • theprodjuicer on 02/05/2020 - 17:14

      pretty sure the DS218+ is the most powerful 2 bay - but I reckon that 10tb elemments will be slow

      • TightTerry on 02/05/2020 - 18:27
        +1

        Why would it be slow??

        • theprodjuicer on 02/05/2020 - 20:39

          I was speculating as the Elements is a cheaper brand of WD but apon checking I found that its actually great value for $ - so no not too slow - it will stream 4k but the DS218+ wont be powerful enough to transcode

  • UnknownUser74 on 02/05/2020 - 17:39

    Can someone please explain how a NAS system works.

    • PotsyMcGoon on 02/05/2020 - 18:50
      +1

      NAS = Network Attached Storage

      Low powered CPU and components mean a lower power draw, ideal for running 24x7.

      These units will able to hook into your local network and provide storage and services (Backup, File and Media Storage/Streaming/Transcoding, etc) for the rest of your devices at home (Smart TVs, Mobiles, Desktops).

      High storage density with inbuilt redundancy (RAID) means more durability for your data

      Because the OS that these usually run are based on Unix and are open source and modular there are many programs and applications that extend the use case for these devices.

      I have an HP N40L, almost 10 years old at this stage, that has 6TB of redundant storage that runs the OS FreeNAS and serves as my network storage, torrent seed box and media management.

      Many people also use them to store surveillance data from home security.

      Yes you could perform these tasks from any computer, but these can run all day every day and be out-of-site out-of-mind

    • PotsyMcGoon on 02/05/2020 - 19:15
      +1

      Really depends on whether your NAS and your data require consistent uninterrupted access.

      UPS may also add a layer of protection against data corruption resulting from a black/brown out depending on how your RAID is configured.

      If it doesn't cost you money to not have access to it then it's generally only cost effective for business scenarios.

  • auMouth on 02/05/2020 - 18:35

    To those asking what either, 918+ or 920, is like with Plex, I say pfffft, you should evolve and move to Jellyfin - https://jellyfin.org

    • Arsenal on 02/05/2020 - 18:55
      +1

      I'll keep going back and trying Jellyfin as it progresses, but it is not there yet.

      • auMouth on 02/05/2020 - 19:11
        +1

        Daily driver in this household, and the WAF is high. Family is happy, thinks it's an upgrade from Kodi.

        • Arsenal on 02/05/2020 - 19:16

          From Kodi I don't doubt it! Last time i checked out Kodi it felt as if XBMC had never forked to Plex and had essentially kept the same clunky interface for 10+ years.

          I like the approach being taken with Jellyfin, but i need more client support and a way to share with family ala Plex before i can consider it seriously.

        • fredblogs on 03/05/2020 - 13:51

          What are the benefits over plex/kodi?

  • GLO on 02/05/2020 - 19:53

    Is anyone actually using this for their NVR with IP Cameras? What is it like and would you have now preferred keeping it for local storage and use a dedicated NVR?

  • cc23 on 02/05/2020 - 22:28

    Is it worth me flogging my recently bought (and very much enjoying) DS218+ in order to grab this? Seems a good price for a better unit with more bays.

  • y2k on 02/05/2020 - 22:53

    Hi folks, I’m new to Plex and looked at some of these Synology solutions esp the two bay options and my conclusion was that most weren’t great transcodes and you end up relying on your viewing device eg smartphone for decoding. I thought I’d give it a try on my WD MyCloud Mirror 2 which most of the lit says would be agony. I find it works fine at home for some streams and simply refuses to play others, but away from home it’s noticeably slower.

    Am I right in saying that getting these souped up Synology units won’t make much difference and the dream of streaming say 1080p MKVs outside of home just isn’t here no matter how much you spend ?

    • Arsenal on 03/05/2020 - 00:22
      +1

      Looking at the Plex NAS compatibility spreadsheet (linked here https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/201373803-NAS-Comp… ) your MyCloud isn't powerful enough for any level of transcoding. So it sounds like you're directplaying the files that work at home which means the MyCloud has to do virtually nothing other than pass the file to your client, then the files you're having trouble with aren't able to be directplayed by your client and the MYCloud is choking on the transcoding, and then finally when you are outside of home you probably don't have the bandwidth to directplay (or you don't have the remote play option set to allow original quality) and it is having to try to transcode again.

      The Synology's talked about here (x18+ and x20+ series) should be capable of at least one stream of h264 1080p software transcoding (unless quite high bitrate), or if you pay for a Plexpass you can enable hardware transcoding which will definitely be capable of at least 3 simultaneous 1080p transcoded streams.

  • Tehcookiemonsta on 02/05/2020 - 23:10

    Would these Work well for a Home Office sort of thing? Mainly used for Text File Storage and PDF, Possibly used by several people… Good with PC Specs but really don't know much about how much CPU / RAM would be required in the NAS.

    • TightTerry on 03/05/2020 - 00:00

      Probably way overkill for text files and pdfs, just get some cloud storage.

  • DJ-89 on 03/05/2020 - 02:31

    I've just put a DS415+ on ebay for auction starting @ $300 (it's a non-atom bug affected unit). Will see how that goes. Had an offer for $300 right away but i wanna see how the auction goes (probably shoulda taken it, but im a sucker for auctions, haha).

    Building my own UnRaid server with 10GB nics :)

    • nickeveli on 03/05/2020 - 18:01

      Would love to see a pcpartpicker for your build, keen to start my own soon!

      • DJ-89 on 04/05/2020 - 00:36
        +1

        No Worries :)

        Here is my gaming/Unraid Build:

        https://pcpartpicker.com/user/Shootin/saved/#view=Ysqgt6

        Pfsense + DAS to hold the HDD's (which are connected to HBA card of other case).

        https://pcpartpicker.com/user/Shootin/saved/#view=7rTRTW

        Features a mixture of parts dating from 2008-2020. My beloved PC-P80B and PC-P80N are amazing super cases which are the base of both builds. Note that I am still holding on to stuff like my G15 keyboard I've gamed with since 2008. She's seen a lot of action, indeedy! Now that I am moving to this build I can expand on my storage too. Will work on that soon.

        • nickeveli on 04/05/2020 - 08:21

          Thanks mate! I think the first part list may be private, getting a Permission Denied.

          The eBay seller for the mellanox NIC looks good too!

          • DJ-89 on 04/05/2020 - 12:47

            @nickeveli: Sorry bud, ive taken it off private. Should be good now :)

            That Aussie seller ships fast. The Chinese seller with the 2x DAC cables takes a while to ship but is grear value.

  • nfenech on 03/05/2020 - 10:50

    Thinking about replacing my HP N40 with one of these.
    What drives are people putting in here? WD Red? Seagate Ironwolf?
    Thinking I'll go either 6TB or 8TB drives.

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