What can the DS923+ run?
By Devin Chua · Data checked by Owen Nakamura · Updated The DS923+ runs Plex and Jellyfin for direct-play (software transcode only), full Docker via DSM and real virtual machines. On its AMD Ryzen R1600 (2 cores, 4 threads) with 4 GB (to 32 GB), the sweet spot is Home Assistant, Nextcloud, Pi-hole / AdGuard Home, Paperless-ngx.
The predecessor many bought for the drive policy, and still the only four-bay DiskStation with a genuine 10-gigabit upgrade slot. The Ryzen R1600 has only two cores: strong as a file store with ECC RAM, weak for many containers.
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Everything the DS923+ can run, at a glance
Rated from this model’s real AMD Ryzen R1600 (2 cores, 4 threads) and its 4 GB–32 GB of RAM. “Limited” and “No” are honest — an ARM box does not virtualize, and no hardware transcode is no hardware transcode.
| App | Runs? | Performance | What it needs on this model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plex | Yes | fair | Direct-play; software transcode only |
| Jellyfin | Yes | fair | Direct-play; software transcode |
| Immich | Yes | fair | Recommend a RAM upgrade to 8 GB+ · add RAM › |
| Home Assistant | Yes | good | Container or full HA OS in a VM |
| Nextcloud | Yes | good | Runs well in Docker |
| Frigate | Yes | fair | Add a Coral TPU (USB) for detection |
| Pi-hole / AdGuard Home | Yes | good | Lightweight container |
| Paperless-ngx | Yes | good | Runs well in Docker |
| Vaultwarden | Yes | good | Lightweight container |
| Minecraft server | Yes | fair | RAM upgrade recommended for headroom · add RAM › |
| Docker (general) | Yes | good | Full container platform (DSM) |
| Virtual machines | Yes | fair | Add RAM (16 GB+) for a useful VM · add RAM › |
| Surveillance recording | Yes | good | Scales to many cameras; surveillance drives |
| Time Machine / backup target | Yes | good | Any model |
View the DS923+ on Amazon.com — US$2289 (reseller)
App by app on the DS923+
Plex
The DS923+ runs Plex natively, but the AMD Ryzen R1600 (2 cores, 4 threads) has no integrated GPU: it direct-plays cleanly and its 2-core chip handles the library, yet 4K transcoding falls back to slow software. Over 2 × 1GbE, expandable to 10GbE with the E10G22-T1-Mini add-in card that is rarely the bottleneck — the transcode is.
Jellyfin
Jellyfin runs in a container on the DS923+, but with no Intel iGPU on the AMD Ryzen R1600 (2 cores, 4 threads) it transcodes in software only. Lean on direct-play over 2 × 1GbE, expandable to 10GbE with the E10G22-T1-Mini add-in card and it stays smooth.
Immich
The DS923+ makes a capable Immich server — a self-hosted Google Photos with face and object search. It runs as a Docker stack under DSM, and its 4 GB out of the box and room for 32 GB covers the 8 GB the machine-learning wants. Plan the RAM upgrade first.
Home Assistant
On the DS923+ you get both Home Assistant paths: the lightweight Container in DSM's Docker, or the full HA OS in a virtual machine, since the 2-core AMD Ryzen R1600 (2 cores, 4 threads) supports VMs and can lend a guest some of its 32 GB ceiling.
Nextcloud
For a full private cloud — files, calendar, contacts, office — the DS923+ hosts Nextcloud in DSM's Docker. The 2-core AMD Ryzen R1600 (2 cores, 4 threads) and 4 GB out of the box and room for 32 GB keep it snappy for a family; it wants more headroom than a simple file share, so do not starve it.
Frigate
Frigate will run on the DS923+, but the AMD Ryzen R1600 (2 cores, 4 threads) has no Intel iGPU, so it decodes on the CPU — keep the camera count modest and add a USB Coral TPU for the detection. The ECC RAM is a nice touch for a 24/7 recorder.
Pi-hole / AdGuard Home
The DS923+ makes a fine home for Pi-hole or AdGuard Home: the container barely registers next to storage, and because the box is already on all day, it is a natural network-wide DNS blocker for everything on your 2 × 1GbE, expandable to 10GbE with the E10G22-T1-Mini add-in card.
Paperless-ngx
Paperless-ngx runs in DSM's Docker on the DS923+; the 2-core AMD Ryzen R1600 (2 cores, 4 threads) handles a household's OCR in bursts, with 4 GB out of the box and room for 32 GB to keep indexing quick.
Vaultwarden
Run Vaultwarden on the DS923+ and your passwords live on hardware you control: it is a tiny, Bitwarden-compatible vault that works with the official apps and browser extensions, using almost none of DSM's resources.
Minecraft server
The DS923+ can host a Minecraft world in DSM's Docker: a world wants ~4 GB, and this model offers 4 GB out of the box and room for 32 GB. Add RAM before inviting a crowd; the AMD Ryzen R1600 (2 cores, 4 threads)'s clock does the rest.
Docker (general)
The DS923+ runs a full container platform through DSM, which is what makes it more than a 4-bay disk box — Immich, Nextcloud, Pi-hole and the rest all run here. How many you stack comes down to 4 GB out of the box and room for 32 GB on the 2-core AMD Ryzen R1600 (2 cores, 4 threads).
Virtual machines
The DS923+ is a real VM host: the 2-core AMD Ryzen R1600 (2 cores, 4 threads) virtualizes and 4 GB out of the box and room for 32 GB lets you hand a guest a proper slice while the NAS keeps serving over 2 × 1GbE, expandable to 10GbE with the E10G22-T1-Mini add-in card. Fill it toward 32 GB if VMs are the point.
Surveillance recording
With Synology's built-in surveillance app and the 2-core AMD Ryzen R1600 (2 cores, 4 threads), the DS923+ records a serious number of cameras. Plan the 4-bay storage around your retention window, and fit WD Purple or SkyHawk drives built for the 24/7 write load.
Time Machine / backup target
Backups are the DS923+'s day job: it serves as a Time Machine and Windows/phone backup target over SMB, and its 2 × 1GbE, expandable to 10GbE with the E10G22-T1-Mini add-in card link keeps whole-machine backups quick. Cap each user's quota so the 4 bays are not swallowed by old snapshots.
The DS923+ at a glance
| CPU | AMD Ryzen R1600 (2 cores, 4 threads) |
|---|---|
| RAM | 4 GB DDR4 ECC SO-DIMM (2 slots), up to 32 GB (ECC) |
| Bays | 4 |
| Container platform | Yes — DSM |
| Virtual machines | Yes |
| Plex/Jellyfin transcode | No iGPU — software only, not for 4K |
| OS | DSM 7.x |
Read more
- What can I run? — the full matrix
- Best drives for the DS923+
- RAM for the DS923+
- DS923+ capacity calculator
Frequently asked questions
Can the DS923+ run Plex with 4K transcoding?
Not well. The AMD Ryzen R1600 (2 cores, 4 threads) has no integrated GPU, so the DS923+ direct-plays 4K fine but can only transcode in slow software. For 4K transcoding, choose an Intel Quick Sync model instead.
Can the DS923+ run Docker?
Yes — DSM includes a full container platform, so the DS923+ runs the whole self-hosted world (Pi-hole, Vaultwarden, Nextcloud and more), limited only by its 4–32 GB of RAM.
Can the DS923+ run virtual machines?
Yes. The DS923+ supports hardware virtualization, and with up to 32 GB of RAM it can give a Windows or Linux guest a useful slice while still serving files.
Can the DS923+ run Immich?
Yes. With a RAM upgrade toward 8 GB, the DS923+ runs Immich's machine-learning photo search comfortably in Docker — a strong self-hosted Google Photos replacement.
Can the DS923+ run Home Assistant?
Yes. Home Assistant Container runs in Docker on the DS923+ and barely touches the CPU, and you can run the full Home Assistant OS in a VM if you prefer add-ons.
Is the DS923+ a good home server, or just storage?
It is a genuine home server: full Docker (and VMs) turn it into a platform for Plex, photos, automation and more — not just a file box. RAM is the main lever on how much you stack.
Devin Chua works out which drives, RAM and NVMe cache fit which NAS model at nasdrives.ca, and what the RAID choice means for usable capacity, checked against what is in stock on Amazon.ca.
Data checked by Owen Nakamura, Technical editor (data checking)