Side-by-side specifications of the Synology DS416slim and DS418, from official datasheets. Differences are highlighted.
| DS416slim | DS418 | |
| CPU | Marvell Armada 385 88F6820 1.0GHz | Realtek RTD1296 |
| Cores / threads | 2C/2T | 4-core |
| RAM (base) | 512MB DDR3 | 2 GB DDR4 |
| RAM (max) | 512MB | 2 GB |
| Drive bays | 4 | 4 |
| Expandable to | 0 | 0 |
| M.2 slots | 0 | 0 |
| Network | 2x 1GbE | 2x 1GbE |
| 10GbE | no | no |
| Max raw capacity | 8TB | 40 TB |
| Hot-swap | yes | yes |
| Form factor | desktop | desktop |
| Released | 2015 | 2017 |
Choose the DS418 if you want a more capable, longer-lived NAS: it has a much stronger CPU, supports up to 4 GB RAM, and gives you 4 bays versus the DS416slim’s 2. Neither model has built-in 10GbE or M.2, and neither supports expansion units. The DS416slim only makes sense if you specifically want the smallest, lower-power 2-bay box.