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Synology Unveils New 5-Bay/8-Bay NAS For All Your Storage Needs

Nasys Synology.
Nasys Synology.

As the cost of hard drives gets larger and the prices get cheaper we search for new and reliable ways to store our files. RAGE Works has been a long standing user of Synology brand NAS units that not only store our shows and content but also documents, photos, videos and the occasional comic book database.

We recently reviewed a 2-bay solution that with its low barrier of entry should make you seriously think about how you store your files.  Our friends at Synology unveiled two new NAS units that not only take storage capacity to a new level but scalability as well.

The DS1517+ & DS1817+ come with your choice of 2GB/8GB memory modules which can be expanded up to 16GB. Both units also support dual-channel memory which will make the executions of process nice and zippy. These new units are no pushovers with processing power either as both the DS1517+  and DS1817+ come with an Intel quad-core 2.4 GHz CPU.

Let's talk storage which is what we're all concerned about. DS1517+ supports up to 15 drives with two Synology DX5172 Expansion Units attached, allowing you to start small and easily to scale up on demand. The PCIe slot supports the optional PCIe M.2 SSD adapter card M2D173 for dual M.2 SATA SSD slots to be used as SSD cache for greatly enhanced storage performance without using the 3.5″ drive bays. The PCIe slot can also be used to upgrade the DS1517+ with 10GbE network add-in-cards. The DS1817+ supports up to 18 drives with two Synology DX5172 Expansion Unit attached and has all features that were mentioned above for the smaller 1517+.

While both of these units are for more robust storage needs I know a few of my fellow geeks are already in those storage thresholds and worst of all a lot you have a mishmash of external hard drives and internal drives with no clear backup strategy or hard drive failure planning in place. You can go small scale and check out the 2-bay drive or even go with the 4-bay solution but if your budget allows and you're overflowing in drives then check out the DS1517+ and DS1817+ because no one wants to lose treasured photos, files or anything else for that matter.

We're hoping to check one or both of these out in the near future so as always keep it locked to RAGE Works.

Show Press Release

Release Date: 13 April 2017

Synology® Introduces DiskStation DS1517+, DS1817+, and Expansion Unit DX517

High-performance NAS optimized for data-intensive tasks

Bellevue, Wash. — April 13, 2017 — Synology® Inc. launched DiskStation DS1517+ and DS1817+ together with the Expansion Unit DX517 today. This powerful and scalable 5-bay and 8-bay tower servers offer a high-performance, reliable, and versatile network-attached storage solution for tech enthusiasts and small/medium-sized businesses.

The exciting new feature in DS1517+ and DS1817+ is the inclusion of a PCIe slot, which allows users to install an optional 10GbE network interface card or Synology’s new M2D17 M.2 SATA SSD adapter. In addition, DS1517+ and DS1817+ both come in 2GB and 8GB memory configurations, which can be upgraded to 16GB thanks to the easily accessible memory compartment.

Installing an additional network interface card allows enthusiasts and businesses to take advantage of up to two 10GbE ports to boost maximum throughput. When combined with the Intel® Atom™ quad-core 2.4GHz processor and equipped with optional dual channel memory, DS1517+ and DS1817+ can deliver sequential throughput performance up to 1,179 MB/s reading and 542 MB/s writing speeds.

With the introduction of Synology’s new M2D17 PCIe adapter card, DS1517+ and DS1817+ can be equipped with dual M.2 SATA SSDs, allowing users to enhance performance and latency using SSD caching without occupying the front drive bays.

“DS1517+ and DS1817+ offer tech enthusiasts and small businesses more storage options that bring outstanding performance and flexibility for intensive storage tasks,” said Jason Fan, Product Manager at Synology Inc. “DS1517+ and DS1817+ are Synology’s first two NAS supporting M.2 SSD, designed to solve the performance bottleneck for heavy workload applications and significantly reduce the I/O latency.”

Both DS1517+ and DS1817+ support connecting up to two DX517 expansion units, allowing users to add up to 10 additional drive bays and scale up storage capacity on-the-fly. The RAID volume can be expanded without having to reformat the existing hard drives, ensuring seamless capacity expansion without downtime.

DS1517+ and DS1817+ are powered by DiskStation Manager (DSM) 6.1, the versatile and intuitive operating system for Synology NAS devices. Featuring a wide range of applications for backup, network management, and productivity, DS1517+ and DS1817+ can serve an integral role in office IT infrastructure. Synology has received numerous media accolades, such as topping the mid-range NAS category in TechTarget's storage solution survey.

DS1517+ and DS1817+ both carry 3-year limited warranties.

For more information on DS1517+, please visit https://www.synology.com/products/DS1517+
For more information on DS1817+, please visit https://www.synology.com/products/DS1817+
For more information on DX517, please visit https://www.synology.com/products/DX517
For more information on M2D17, please visit https://www.synology.com/products/M2D17
For more information on extended warranty, please visit https://www.synology.com/products/extended_warranty

Availability

DS1517+, DS1817+, DX517 and M2D17 are available worldwide immediately.