Bumping the thread.
Thanks to members that have replied to me. I will individually reply to your posts in the near future.
After some research, procrastination, supply chain issues, and then waiting for a while for the next model to be released, I didn't want to wait any longer and eventually settled on a brand new, but superseded Synology DS918+.
One of the main reasons I chose the superseded model is it has two accessible ram slots which makes it easier for a ram upgrade, where as the current model, the DS920+ has 4GB of ram soldered on, which means the maximum ram you can have is 12GB, not 16GB. I know using another brand of ram voids my warranty, so I will not head down that path straight away, but the option is there for the future when I start learning about adding a virtual machine etc. Also, should that soldered on ram ever die, it is unknown if the NAS will run off the other slot, or the NAS becomes a throw away.
There was a lot of debate whether the processor can use 12GB or 16GB of ram, as Intel say maximum ram for that processor is 8GB. Does any member have experience with installing more ram than what Intel says their processor can utilize? Youtube clips showed the ram being used in the NAS software, but some argued the processor will only use 8GB.
The processor is faster on the newer model, but I don't think I will notice it too much. It's not a business NAS. If back ups take some hours, no problem.
The superseded model was only marginally cheaper than the new model, with some reports of the superseded model rising in price after the new model was released, possibly due to the soldered on ram.
My research lead me to believe Synology is going down the path of forcing its customers to use their ram and their HDD's. This also was a factor in choosing the older model.
It's a 4 bay NAS, and I have populated it with 3 x 4TB Ironwolf Pro drives. I'll keep a bay spare at this stage.
I really liked a QNAP NAS that had just about everything you could think of, but it was considerably more expensive, and I doubt I have the knowledge or use for most of its capabilities.
Does anyone own a DS918+, or a similar spec Synology?
Any thoughts on my choice of NAS?
Here's the data sheet.
https://global.download.synology.com/download/Document/Hardware/DataSheet/DiskStation/18-year/DS918+/enu/Synology_DS918_Plus_Data_Sheet_enu.pdf