In comparison with its rival, the Synology DS1520+ is always dominant as it has a greater installed memory and more raw capacity. It has more hard drive bays and LAN ports. Moreover, its higher read/write speeds and more RAID modes leads to its expensiveness.
Lets take a look at their differences and similarities before discussing them further:
Both devices are designed by Synology.
Both have a 2.0 GHZ Intel Celeron Quad-Core processor.
Here the Synology DS1520+
- provides a higher installed memory.
- offers a greater raw capacity.
- has higher read/write speeds.
- has more drive bays.
- offers more LAN and eSATA ports.
- and provides more RAID modes.
On the other hand, the Synology DS920+
- is quieter of the two, when working at full capacity.
- consumes less power and has less PSU wattage.
- and is cheaper in comparison.
Synology DS920+ has a maximum raw capacity of 64TB. It has seven RAID modes and 4 Drive bays are installed in it.
Its read/write speeds are comparatively lower than that of its counterpart.
Moreover, it features two USB 3.0 ports, one SATA port and 2 LAN ports.
Synology DS1520+ offers a maximum raw capacity of 80TB.
It has eight RAID modes and 5 Drive bays.
Its read/write speeds are much higher than that of its peer.
It has two USB ports, two eSATA ports and four LAN ports. It weighs more and has greater dimensions.
Table of Contents
Side By Side Comparison:
| Specifications | Synology DS920+ | Synology DS1520+ |
| Processor | 2.0 GHz Intel Celeron Quad-Core | 2.0 GHz Intel Celeron Quad-Core |
| Installed Memory | 4GB DDR4 | 8GB DDR4 |
| Maximum Raw Capacity | 64TB (16TB x 4) | 80TB (16TB x 5) |
| Drives Included | 4 | 5 |
| Interface | SATA III | SATA III |
| Ports | 2 x USB 3.0 1 x eSATA 2 x GbE RJ45 | 2 x USB 3.0 2 x eSATA 4 x GbE RJ45 |
| Number of Bays | 4 x 2.5”/3.5” | 5 x 2.5”/3 5” |
Which device is faster?
Speed is one of the key features of cloud devices. Synology DS920+ offers higher latency to the transfer of data so it has lesser read/write speeds as compared to its opponent.
Synology DS1520+ is dominant in the case of speed as it offers lower latency which leads to faster data transmission rate.
Its read/write speeds give it an edge over its competitor.
| Speeds | DS920+ | DS1520+ |
| Read (Mbps) | 225.99 | 451.28 |
| Write (Mbps) | 225.9 | 451.18 |
Design comparison
Synology DS918+ has a box-like shape with four drive bays on its front panel.
Drive tray locks are present on the drive bays.
From the top-left corner of its front panel status indicator and drive status indicators run vertically downwards.
At the lower-left corner, there are USB 3.0 ports and a power button and indicator.
Its rear panel is equipped with two system fans and beneath them there are LAN ports, a power port, an eSATA port, a Kensington security slot and a reset button.
Synology DS1520+ is also square-shaped and has five drive bays on its front panel.
The drive tray locks are present on the drive bays.
Like its counterpart, the left side of its front panel is equipped with a status indicator, drive status indicators, USB 3.0 ports and a power button/indicator.
Its rear panel also features two system fans and below them there are LAN ports, eSATA ports, a Kensington security slot and a reset button.
| Outlook | DS920+ | DS1520+ |
| Physical Dimensions (L x W x H) | 8.78” x 7.83” x 6.54” | 12.5” x 11.8” x 11.6” |
| Weight (lbs) | 4.93 | 9.8 |
| Number of Bays | 4 | 5 |
| Number of Fans | 2 | 2 |
| Size of Fans (mm) | 92 x 92 x 25 | 92 x 92 x 25 |
Both devices have given a beautiful matte-black finish and both have two system fans of the same size.
However, Synology DS1520+ consisting of five drive bays has greater dimensions.
Also, its weight is almost double than that of its rival.
How to set up these devices?
You can setup both devices in the same way by going through the below-mentioned steps:
- First of all, you have to install the drives into the drive bays.
- For this purpose unlock the drive tray and place your drive on it.
- Inject the loaded drive tray into the vacant drive bay.
- Repeat the same process to install other drives into the drive bays.
- After that use a LAN cable to connect your device with the router.
- One end of the AC power adapter is to be connected with the power port.
- One end of the AC power cable is to be connected with the AC adapter and the other end to the power outlet.
- Hit the power button to activate your DiskStation.
These models of Synology have granted their users one of the easiest installations as there is no need of removing the cover or case to install the drives.
Operating temparatures:
Both devices have the same operating and storage temperatures.
They have the same operating humidity but DS1520+ is noisier as compared to its counterpart.
This is because Synology DS1520+ can reside more drives that vibrate more violently and produces more noise.
| DS920+ | DS1520+ | |
| Operating Temperature | 32 – 104°F | 32 – 104°F |
| Noise Level (dBA) | 19.8 dBA | 20.8 dBA |
Power consumption of these devices:
Both devices are powered by an AC power adapter.
They have the same AC input but DS1520+ consumes more power at rest and underwork.
The power supply wattage of DS1520+ is also higher.
What kind of warranty do you get?
Both devices offer user-friendly warranty policies.
Synology grants its users multiple years to reclaim its products.
The warranty span of both devices is extended to three years which is enough to test their reliability.
Some simple policy steps are to be followed to claim their warranty.
Pricing of these devices:
Synology DS1520+ is considered to be the predecessor of its peer.
It comes with some innovations over its counterpart which leads to its expensiveness.
For instance, it has a greater raw capacity and installed memory.
It has more drive bays and higher read/write speeds.