Synology Diskstation DS411 Slim Review (2.5 inch NAS)

1. Introduction2. Synology Diskstation DS4113. The DiskManager Operating System4. Testing Methodology and Performance5. Acoustics, Temperatures and Power Drain6. Closing Thoughts7. View All Pages

We take the issue of noise very seriously at KitGuru and this is why we have built a special home brew system as a reference point when we test noise levels of various components.

Why do this? Well this means we can eliminate secondary noise pollution in the test room and concentrate on components we are testing. It also brings us slightly closer to industry standards, such as DIN 45635.

As this can be a little confusing for people, here are various dBa ratings in with real world situations to help describe the various levels.

KitGuru noise guide
10dBA – Normal Breathing/Rustling Leaves
20-25dBA – Whisper
30dBA – High Quality Computer fan
40dBA – A Bubbling Brook, or a Refridgerator
50dBA – Normal Conversation
60dBA – Laughter
70dBA – Vacuum Cleaner or Hairdryer
80dBA – City Traffic or a Garbage Disposal
90dBA – Motorcycle or Lawnmower
100dBA – MP3 player at maximum output
110dBA – Orchestra
120dBA – Front row rock concert/Jet Engine
130dBA – Threshold of Pain
140dBA – Military Jet takeoff/Gunshot (close range)
160dBA – Instant Perforation of eardrum

Noise was measured from half a meter away with two 500GB drives installed.

The DS411, with drives installed barely registered on our test equipment. It is almost silent and the noise of the mechanical drives is actually louder than the fan system.

With 2 drives installed we only registered 15 watts under load, falling back to 9 watts under hibernation mode.

Time to test the cooling system. Our room ambient temperatures are 23c which is a reasonable temperature for an air conditioned environment.

The drives held within 1c and 6c above ambient. The single cooling fan spins between 500 rpm and 1,500 rpm depending on the internal heat.

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