Side-by-side specifications of the Synology DS212 and DS212+, from official datasheets. Differences are highlighted.
| DS212 | DS212+ | |
| CPU | 1.6GHz | 2.0 GHz |
| Cores / threads | — | — |
| RAM (base) | 256MB | 512 MB |
| RAM (max) | — | — |
| Drive bays | 2 | 2 |
| Expandable to | 0 | 0 |
| M.2 slots | 0 | 0 |
| Network | 1x Gigabit | 1x Gigabit |
| 10GbE | no | no |
| Max raw capacity | 6TB | 6 TB |
| Hot-swap | yes | yes |
| Form factor | Desktop | Desktop |
| Released | 2011 | 2011 |
| Power consumption | 18.2 W / 6.8 W | 18.7 W / 7.9 W |
| DSM at launch | — | — |
Choose the DS212+ if you want the stronger CPU and more headroom: it’s the same 2-bay platform, but the plus model is faster and supports more RAM than the base DS212. Neither has bay expansion, 10GbE, or M.2, so those are not deciding factors here.