Side-by-side specifications of the Synology FS1018 and FS2017, from official datasheets. Differences are highlighted.
| FS1018 | FS2017 | |
| CPU | Intel Pentium D1508 | Intel Xeon D-1541 2.1GHz |
| Cores / threads | 2 cores / 2 threads | 8 cores / 16 threads |
| RAM (base) | 8 GB DDR4 ECC SODIMM | 16 GB DDR4 ECC RDIMM |
| RAM (max) | 32 GB | 128 GB |
| Drive bays | 12 | 24 |
| Expandable to | 24 (DX1215 x 2) | 72 with 2× RX2417sas |
| M.2 slots | 0 (via optional adapter card) | 0 |
| Network | 4x 1GbE | 4× 1GbE RJ-45, 2× 10GBase-T RJ-45 |
| 10GbE | optional | yes |
| Max raw capacity | 48 TB internal; 288 TB with 2x DX1215 | 48 TB internal raw |
| Hot-swap | yes | yes |
| Form factor | desktop | 2U rackmount |
| Released | 2018 | 2017 |
| Power consumption | — | — |
| DSM at launch | — | — |
Choose the FS1018 if you want the newer, faster Intel Celeron J3455 CPU, built-in 10GbE, and M.2 SSD support for cache, but it has a lower RAM ceiling and no expansion bay support. Choose the FS2017 if you need more bays and expansion, plus much higher RAM capacity, but it uses an older Atom C2538 CPU and lacks the FS1018’s built-in 10GbE and M.2 features.