A Look Inside

Taking apart the DS220j was a piece of cake. However, there is no need for you to do so since the RAM cannot be upgraded.


The main body of the NAS is made out of metal, while the case is made out of plastic.


The mainboard is tiny, and the SoC is covered by a heatsink. There is of course no need for active cooling because of the SoC's low TDP.


On the other side of the mainboard, we have the PCIe port, bottom SATA slot, and fan header.


A closer look at the PCIe port.


The SATA expansion card only has one slot; the other is on the mainboard.


This is a Macronix MX25L12833F serial flash multi I/O device. It stores the BIOS code.


An 8-bit microcontroller by PIC—its model number is PIC16F18345.


The mainboard features a small buzzer for audible notifications—it is installed close to the battery that keeps the BIOS data intact.


In the photo above are an SK34C Schottky Barrier Diode (SBR), a polymer cap in the middle, and a 4435GM FET on the left. The MAX8632 PWM controller sits right next to the coil, to the left of the 4435GM FET. Below the aforementioned FET is another one with model number FDMS7694.


All caps are polymers by FPCAP, a good manufacturer.


The 92 mm diameter fan is provided by Y.S. Tech, and its model number is FD129225LL-N (12 V, 0.12 A, 1900RPM, and 36.3 CFM). Its RPM is kept low during normal operation, which minimizes noise output. You cannot call it noisy at even full speed. According to Y.S Tech, it is equipped with Sintetico bearings, which look to be of high quality and will easily outlive any plain sleeve bearing.