Synology rolled out the DiskStation DS224+ four months ago, and the NAS has a lot going for it. The 2-bay NAS uses the same Intel Celeron J4125 that was a mainstay in the likes of the DiskStation DS920+ and DS1520+. With newer models like the DiskStation DS923+ and DS723+ using the Ryzen-powered R1600, it's interesting to see the DS224+ use the older Intel hardware.
That said, there are a few inherent advantages to this move. The Celeron J4125 has an integrated GPU, and that makes it a great choice if you want to use hardware transcoding in Plex — the Ryzen-powered NAS servers don't have this feature. There's a subset of the community that needs Plex transcoding, and the DS224+ caters to those users. Even if you don't intend to use that particular feature, the DS224+ is just about the best starter NAS available today.
The best part about the DS224+ is that it debuted at the same $299 price point as its predecessor, and for Black Friday, it is getting a 15% discount — you can now buy it for just $254. That is a fantastic deal considering the DS224+ launched just a few months ago, and if you've been thinking about getting a NAS but haven't done so yet, now is the time to act.
The DiskStation DS224+ misses out on M.2 slots or multi-Gigabit Ethernet ports, but you still get dual Gigabit ports and two USB 3.0 ports that lets you connect external hard drives. Thanks to the Intel hardware, the DS224+ is a brilliant choice if you want to use a NAS as a Plex media server, and you get an extensive range of software features that genuinely make a difference.
It's no wonder that the DS224+ has been selling really well following its launch, and honestly, I didn't think it would be discounted for Black Friday. So the fact that you can get a brand-new DS224+ for just $254 makes this one of the best deals this holiday season. And if you need hard drives to slot into the DS224+, Seagate's 4TB IronWolf is down to $79, and the 8TB model is going for just $139.
As we're on the subject of Plex, the lifetime Plex Pass is down to $89.
