DIY NAS vs Synology: Cost, Power & Performance Guide (2026)

Should you buy a Synology DS923+ or build your own NAS with an Intel N100? This is one of the most debated questions in the home server community.

In 2026, the calculus has shifted dramatically. Intel's efficient N100 processors, combined with rising Synology prices and controversial feature removals, have made DIY NAS builds more attractive than ever. Let's break down the numbers.

Quick Verdict

DIY N100 NAS costs 35-50% less than equivalent Synology units while delivering 2x the performance and consuming half the power. Synology wins on ease of use, software ecosystem, and support—but the performance gap has never been wider.

The Numbers at a Glance

Why DIY NAS is Winning in 2026

Intel N100: The Game Changer

The Intel N100 processor changed everything for home NAS builds:

• 6W TDP: Incredibly efficient, often idles at 3-4W
• 4 cores, 4 threads: Plenty for NAS workloads
• Intel QuickSync: Hardware transcoding for Plex/Jellyfin
• AES-NI: Hardware encryption acceleration
• $100 complete boards: Mini-ITX boards with N100 cost ~$100

A complete N100-based NAS can achieve:

• 7-12W idle with drives spinning
• 15-20W under load
• 1080p/4K transcoding without breaking a sweat

Synology's Controversial Changes in 2025-2026

Synology made several decisions that alienated enthusiasts:

1. DS925+ Removed PCIe Slot: No more 10GbE upgrade path
2. Drive Restrictions: Only "Synology Verified" drives (later reversed after backlash)
3. Price Increases: 15-20% higher than previous generation
4. AMD Chips Without QuickSync: No hardware transcoding on Plus models

The community response was swift—forums exploded with users migrating to DIY solutions or alternatives like UGREEN and UniFi.

Cost Breakdown: 10-Year TCO Analysis

Let's compare the true cost of ownership over 10 years for a 4-bay NAS setup.

Initial Hardware Costs

DIY N100 Build (~$450)

Synology DS923+ (~$600)

Annual Power Costs

Using average US electricity rate of $0.15/kWh:

DIY N100 NAS (20W average)

• Annual: 20W × 24h × 365 days = 175.2 kWh
• Cost: 175.2 × $0.15 = $26.28/year

Synology DS923+ (40W average)

• Annual: 40W × 24h × 365 days = 350.4 kWh
• Cost: 350.4 × $0.15 = $52.56/year

10-Year Power Savings: $262.80

Total Cost of Ownership (10 Years)

DIY saves: $363 over 10 years (plus better performance)

Cloud Storage Comparison

For reference, equivalent cloud storage costs:

• Google One 2TB: $100/year = $1,000/10 years
• Backblaze B2 32TB: $160/month = $19,200/10 years
• iCloud+ 2TB: $120/year = $1,200/10 years

Self-hosted NAS pays for itself within 2-3 years compared to cloud storage.

Performance Comparison

Sequential Read/Write

Testing with CrystalDiskMark over 10GbE:

The N100's faster CPU and memory bandwidth allow it to saturate 10GbE connections, while Synology's AMD embedded chips struggle to exceed 5GbE speeds.

Transcoding Capability

This is where DIY absolutely dominates:

Intel N100 (QuickSync)

• 4K HEVC → 1080p: 3-5 streams
• 1080p → 720p: 10+ streams
• Power during transcode: ~15W additional

Synology DS923+ (AMD Ryzen, no QuickSync)

• 4K HEVC → 1080p: 0-1 streams (CPU only)
• 1080p → 720p: 2-3 streams
• Power during transcode: ~30W additional

If you use Plex or Jellyfin, the N100's hardware transcoding is worth the DIY effort alone.

Encryption Performance

From community benchmarks comparing encrypted volume performance:

TrueNAS is 5.2x faster than Synology with encryption enabled.

The N100's AES-NI instructions make encryption essentially free, while Synology's implementation adds significant overhead.

Power Consumption Deep Dive

DIY N100 Builds: 15-25W

Real-world measurements from the community:

With TrueNAS or Unraid's drive spin-down (on Unraid), you can achieve even lower idle power.

Synology 4-Bay: 35-45W

Synology publishes these specs for the DS923+:

Note: Deep Sleep disables network access, making it impractical for always-on NAS use.

Annual Savings Calculation

Running 24/7/365 at US average rates ($0.15/kWh):

Over 10 years: $197 - $329 in electricity savings

New Competition: UGREEN, UniFi Enter the Market

2025-2026 saw major new players disrupting the NAS market:

UGREEN DXP4800+

• Price: $449 (diskless)
• CPU: Intel N100
• RAM: 8GB DDR5 (upgradeable)
• Features: 2.5GbE, HDMI out, hot-swap bays
• Software: UGOS (based on Debian)

Offers Synology-like hardware at DIY prices, though software is still maturing.

UniFi UNAS Pro 8

• Price: $799 (8-bay, diskless)
• Comparison: Similar to $2,000+ Synology DS1823xs+
• Integration: Works with UniFi ecosystem
• Target: Prosumer/SMB market

UniFi's aggressive pricing puts pressure on Synology's entire product line.

Jonsbo N-Series Cases

For DIY builders, Jonsbo's NAS cases have become the gold standard:

When Synology Still Makes Sense

Despite the DIY advantages, Synology remains the right choice for some users:

Business/Enterprise Features

• Synology Active Backup: Enterprise-grade backup solution
• Surveillance Station: Professional NVR with analytics
• Hyper Backup: Comprehensive backup to cloud providers
• Synology Drive: Dropbox-like sync with Office integration
• Active Directory Integration: Seamless Windows environment support

Limited Technical Expertise

If you're not comfortable with:

• Linux command line
• Troubleshooting driver issues
• Configuring ZFS or Btrfs
• Setting up Docker containers

Synology's DSM provides a polished, integrated experience.

Support and Warranty

• 3-year hardware warranty (extendable to 5 years)
• Email and phone support
• Regular security updates
• Known-working configurations

For business-critical data, the support safety net has value.

Synology Photos/Drive Ecosystem

If you're invested in Synology's mobile apps:

• Synology Photos: Google Photos replacement
• Synology Drive: File sync across devices
• DS Video/Audio: Media streaming apps

These apps are polished and work reliably.

When to Build DIY

Budget Priority

DIY saves 35-50% on initial costs and ongoing electricity:

• $150-200 cheaper upfront
• $25-50/year in power savings
• $350+ total savings over 10 years

Hardware Transcoding Needs

If you stream with Plex or Jellyfin:

• Intel QuickSync handles 4K transcoding effortlessly
• Synology's AMD chips require CPU transcoding (slow, power-hungry)
• DIY can support 10+ simultaneous transcodes

Power Efficiency Focus

For always-on NAS:

• N100 idles at 12-20W vs Synology's 35-45W
• Annual savings compound over NAS lifetime
• Better for solar/battery backup setups

Flexibility Requirements

DIY allows:

• Any drives: No vendor lock-in
• Any OS: TrueNAS, Unraid, Proxmox, OMV, or plain Linux
• Upgrades: Add RAM, NVMe, 10GbE anytime
• Repurpose: Hardware can become a different server later

Recommended DIY Builds (2026)

Budget Build (~$350)

Perfect for getting started:

Add drives and you're ready to go with TrueNAS or OpenMediaVault.

Performance Build (~$600)

Optimized for media serving and transcoding:

This build matches or exceeds Synology DS923+ performance at similar cost.

Premium Build (~$900)

For power users and larger libraries:

Enterprise-grade performance for serious homelabbers.

FAQ

Is Synology DSM worth the premium?

For most home users, no. TrueNAS, Unraid, and OpenMediaVault provide comparable features. DSM's advantages are polish and integration—valuable for businesses, less so for tinkerers.

Can I migrate from Synology to DIY?

Yes! Options include:

1. rsync over network: Safest, works with any filesystem
2. Hyper Backup restore: Export to external, import to new system
3. BTRFS pool import: TrueNAS and some Linux distros can read Synology BTRFS pools (with caveats)

What about warranty and support?

DIY components have individual warranties:

• Motherboard: Typically 1-3 years
• RAM: Often lifetime
• PSU: 3-7 years depending on brand
• Drives: 3-5 years

Community support through Reddit, forums, and Discord is excellent for TrueNAS and Unraid.

Is ECC RAM necessary?

For home use, no. ECC RAM provides protection against cosmic ray bit flips, which are rare. Regular DDR4/DDR5 works fine. If you're paranoid about data, ZFS checksums catch corruption regardless of RAM type.

Can DIY match Synology's ease of use?

Almost. Unraid's web UI rivals DSM for simplicity. TrueNAS has improved significantly. The initial setup requires more effort, but daily operation is comparable.

What OS should I use for DIY NAS?

Conclusion

The 2026 landscape heavily favors DIY NAS builds for enthusiasts:

• 35-50% lower cost
• 2x better performance
• Half the power consumption
• Full hardware transcoding
• Unlimited flexibility

Synology remains relevant for businesses needing support contracts and users who value convenience over cost and performance. Their software ecosystem is genuinely excellent.

But if you're reading this site, you probably enjoy building things. In that case, an N100-based DIY NAS offers the best value in home storage today.

Our recommendation: Start with a budget N100 build running TrueNAS Scale or Unraid. You'll save money, learn valuable skills, and end up with a more capable system than any pre-built NAS at the same price point.

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