Data Storage

Compare products. Choose well.

Buying guide

NAS Expansion Units

Our pick

Synology DX1215II

Choose the Synology DX1215II for a supported DiskStation that needs twelve additional drive bays.12

Why this one

  • Its twelve SATA bays make it a practical way to grow a large archive on a compatible NAS.123
  • The five-year hardware warranty provides a longer period of fault cover.3

Read the review

Compare the alternatives
Synology DX1215II

The alternatives

Other contenders

  • QNAP TR-004

    Choose the QNAP TR-004 for four SATA bays with built-in RAID control on a computer or supported NAS; check QNAP’s exclusions before buying.413

  • Synology DX517

    For a DS1817+ or DS1517+ needing five extra bays, choose the DX517 with its eSATA connection.8

  • Synology RX1213sas

    For an RS10613xs+ that needs twelve bays and redundant power, choose the RX1213sas; its dual SAS connection supports link redundancy.10

Buying advice

  • Match the exact NAS model and storage layout first; the DX1215II requires DSM 6.2.4-25556 or later and an InfiniBand expansion connection.13

6 models / at a glance

Key differences

Every specification ↗

Compare the options

6 products

Narrow your options

Drive bays (bays)
Warranty (years)
Reset requirements
Compare models side by side

Models in this comparison

Every specification for these products
SpecificationSynology DX1215IIQNAP TR-004Synology DX213Synology DX517Synology RX1213sasSynology RX1214
Compatible NAS modelsFS series:FS1018 19 series:DS2419+II, DS2419+ 18 series:DS3018xs 17 series:DS3617xsII, DS3617xs 15 series:DS3615xs, DS2415+, DS2015xs 13 series:DS2413+ 12 series:DS3612xs 11 series:DS3611xs, DS2411+ (Environment: DSM version requirement: 6.2.4-25556 or later version.)1Not publishedCross-volume models: DS1815+, DS1813+, DS1812+, DS1515+, DS1513+, DS1512+, DS1511+, DS1010+, DS713+, DS712+, DS710+ Independent-volume models: DS415+, DS413, DS412+, DS214+, DS214play, DS213+, DS212+, DS114, DS112+, DS1125Synology DiskStation Servers: DS1817+ DS1517+8RS10613xs+10RS2414+/RS2414RP+12
Drive bays12 bays24 bays42 bays55 bays812 bays1012 bays12
Form factorDesktop tower3Not publishedNot publishedDesktop tower7Rackmount6Rackmount6
Host connectionInfiniband expansion cable3USB (Host: The TR-004 does not support the following: the TS-128, TS-228, TS-131, TS-231, TS-431, TS-431U, and NAS models that cannot be updated to QTS 4.3.6 (or later).; Protocol: USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps))4Sata expansion cable (Host: Use only listed compatible Synology DiskStation models; cross-volume and independent-volume behavior differ by host. DSM 4.0-2240 or above.)5Sata expansion cable8Sas expansion cable (Host: Synology RS10613xs+; dual SAS cables provide connection redundancy.)10Infiniband expansion cable (Environment: DSM needs to be upgraded to version 4.2 or above.)11
Built-in RAIDNot publishedYes4Not publishedNot publishedNot publishedNot published
Hot-swap baysYes3Not publishedNo6Yes9Yes10Yes12
Redundant power supplyNot publishedNot publishedNot publishedNot publishedYes10No12
Warranty5 years (Duration: The warranty period starts from the date of purchase as stated on your purchase receipt.)32 years (Duration: If needed, you can purchase a warranty extension that increases your coverage up to 5 years.)42 years143 years95 years105 years12
Idle power-downNot publishedNot publishedYes6Not publishedNo6Yes12

Find the right fit

Reset requirements

6 products

Synology DX1215II, model photo 1

Synology DX1215II

Form factor
Desktop tower3
Host connection
Infiniband expansion cable3
Hot-swap bays
Yes3
Idle power-down
Not published
QNAP TR-004, model photo 1

QNAP TR-004

Form factor
Not published
Host connection
USB (Host: The TR-004 does not support the following: the TS-128, TS-228, TS-131, TS-231, TS-431, TS-431U, and NAS models that cannot be updated to QTS 4.3.6 (or later).; Protocol: USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps))4
Hot-swap bays
Not published
Idle power-down
Not published
Synology DX213, model photo 1

Synology DX213

Form factor
Not published
Host connection
Sata expansion cable (Host: Use only listed compatible Synology DiskStation models; cross-volume and independent-volume behavior differ by host. DSM 4.0-2240 or above.)5
Hot-swap bays
No6
Idle power-down
Yes6
Synology DX517, model photo 1

Synology DX517

Form factor
Desktop tower7
Host connection
Sata expansion cable8
Hot-swap bays
Yes9
Idle power-down
Not published
Synology RX1213sas, model photo 1

Synology RX1213sas

Form factor
Rackmount6
Host connection
Sas expansion cable (Host: Synology RS10613xs+; dual SAS cables provide connection redundancy.)10
Hot-swap bays
Yes10
Idle power-down
No6
Synology RX1214, model photo 1

Synology RX1214

Form factor
Rackmount6
Host connection
Infiniband expansion cable (Environment: DSM needs to be upgraded to version 4.2 or above.)11
Hot-swap bays
Yes12
Idle power-down
Yes12

How they compare

Scroll the table to see every product and specification.

SpecificationOur pickSynology DX1215IIQNAP TR-004Synology DX213Synology DX517Synology RX1213sasSynology RX1214
Compatible NAS modelsFS series:FS1018 19 series:DS2419+II, DS2419+ 18 series:DS3018xs 17 series:DS3617xsII, DS3617xs 15 series:DS3615xs, DS2415+, DS2015xs 13 series:DS2413+ 12 series:DS3612xs 11 series:DS3611xs, DS2411+ (Environment: DSM version requirement: 6.2.4-25556 or later version.)1Not publishedCross-volume models: DS1815+, DS1813+, DS1812+, DS1515+, DS1513+, DS1512+, DS1511+, DS1010+, DS713+, DS712+, DS710+ Independent-volume models: DS415+, DS413, DS412+, DS214+, DS214play, DS213+, DS212+, DS114, DS112+, DS1125Synology DiskStation Servers: DS1817+ DS1517+8RS10613xs+10RS2414+/RS2414RP+12
Drive bays12 bays24 bays42 bays55 bays812 bays1012 bays12
Form factorDesktop tower3Not publishedNot publishedDesktop tower7Rackmount6Rackmount6
Host connectionInfiniband expansion cable3USB (Host: The TR-004 does not support the following: the TS-128, TS-228, TS-131, TS-231, TS-431, TS-431U, and NAS models that cannot be updated to QTS 4.3.6 (or later).; Protocol: USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps))4Sata expansion cable (Host: Use only listed compatible Synology DiskStation models; cross-volume and independent-volume behavior differ by host. DSM 4.0-2240 or above.)5Sata expansion cable8Sas expansion cable (Host: Synology RS10613xs+; dual SAS cables provide connection redundancy.)10Infiniband expansion cable (Environment: DSM needs to be upgraded to version 4.2 or above.)11
Built-in RAIDNot publishedYes4Not publishedNot publishedNot publishedNot published
Hot-swap baysYes3Not publishedNo6Yes9Yes10Yes12
Redundant power supplyNot publishedNot publishedNot publishedNot publishedYes10No12
Warranty5 years (Duration: The warranty period starts from the date of purchase as stated on your purchase receipt.)32 years (Duration: If needed, you can purchase a warranty extension that increases your coverage up to 5 years.)42 years143 years95 years105 years12
Idle power-downNot publishedNot publishedYes6Not publishedNo6Yes12

Sources

  1. global.download.synology.com
  2. www.morele.net
  3. global.download.synology.com
  4. www.qnap.com
  5. global.download.synology.com
  6. www.storagereview.com
  7. www.computerbase.de
  8. www.compsource.com
  9. global.download.synology.com
  10. global.download.synology.com
  11. global.download.synology.com
  12. global.download.synology.com
  13. www.servethehome.com
  14. global.download.synology.com