Side-by-side specifications of the Synology RS2416+ and RS2418RP+, from official datasheets. Differences are highlighted.
| RS2416+ | RS2418RP+ | |
| CPU | Intel Atom C2538 2.4GHz | Intel Atom C3538 |
| Cores / threads | 4 cores / 4 threads | 4 cores / 4 threads |
| RAM (base) | 2GB DDR3 | 4 GB DDR4 non-ECC UDIMM |
| RAM (max) | 6GB | 64 GB |
| Drive bays | 12 | 12 |
| Expandable to | 12 | 12 |
| M.2 slots | 0 | 0 (via optional adapter card) |
| Network | 4 x 1GbE RJ-45 | 4 x 1GbE RJ-45 |
| 10GbE | no | optional |
| Max raw capacity | 168TB with RX1214/RX1214RP | 288 TB |
| Hot-swap | yes | yes |
| Form factor | 2U rackmount | 2U rackmount |
| Released | 2015 | 2018 |
| Power consumption | — | 119.6 W / 55.9 W |
| DSM at launch | — | 6.2 |
Choose the RS2418RP+ if you want the stronger overall platform: it has a newer/faster Intel Atom CPU, much higher RAM ceiling, and support for 10GbE and M.2 cache. It also has 8 bays versus the RS2416+’s 12-bay expansion path? Wait—decisive note: RS2416+ is actually the model with 12 bays total via expansion, while the RS2418RP+ is the 8-bay unit with redundancy-focused dual PSU. If you need more raw disk capacity and expansion, pick the RS2416+; if you want newer hardware, more memory headroom, 10GbE/M.2 support, and redundant power, pick the RS2418RP+.