Side-by-side specifications of the Synology DS716+ and DS718+, from official datasheets. Differences are highlighted.
| DS716+ | DS718+ | |
| CPU | Intel Celeron N3150 | Intel Celeron J3455 |
| Cores / threads | 4c/4t | 4-core |
| RAM (base) | 2GB DDR3 | 2 GB |
| RAM (max) | 2GB | 6 GB |
| Drive bays | 2 | 2 |
| Expandable to | 7 | 7 |
| M.2 slots | 0 | 0 |
| Network | 2x 1GbE | 2x 1GbE |
| 10GbE | no | no |
| Max raw capacity | 16TB | 20 TB |
| Hot-swap | yes | yes |
| Form factor | Desktop | desktop |
| Released | 2015 | 2017 |
Choose the DS718+ if you want the newer, faster Intel Celeron J3455 CPU and a higher RAM ceiling (up to 6 GB vs the DS716+’s lower ceiling). Both are 2-bay NAS units and neither has built-in 10GbE or M.2 support, so expansion is basically not a deciding factor here. The DS716+ only makes sense if you’re getting it much cheaper; otherwise the DS718+ is the better pick.