The Zimaboard 2 Single Board Server Review – The Best Yet?

In an increasingly saturated market of single-board computers and compact servers, the ZimaBoard 2 arrives with a clear goal: to offer an affordable, x86-powered, DIY-friendly alternative that bridges the gap between embedded systems and full-blown home servers. Developed by IceWhale, a brand that has already seen crowdfunding success with products like the original ZimaBoard, ZimaBlade, and ZimaCube, the ZimaBoard 2 aims to refine the company’s mission of delivering low-power, highly customizable devices for tinkerers, creators, and homelab enthusiasts. At its core, the ZimaBoard 2 is designed for users who want flexibility without complexity—whether that’s spinning up a lightweight virtualization platform, building a smart home hub, deploying a personal cloud, or running a local media server with minimal noise and energy consumption.

Unlike consumer-grade NAS systems or ARM-based boards, ZimaBoard 2 taps into the x86 ecosystem, offering broader OS compatibility and performance benefits while maintaining a compact, passively cooled footprint. This review explores the hardware, thermal and network performance, and software environment of the ZimaBoard 2, evaluating where it fits in the broader landscape of edge computing and personal infrastructure. As with previous IceWhale launches, this unit is being released initially through crowdfunding—a factor that calls for cautious optimism. Still, with a track record of fulfilling past campaigns, IceWhale appears confident in ZimaBoard 2’s readiness. Whether that confidence is justified, and whether the board truly earns its place in a crowded DIY server landscape, is what we’ll determine over the course of this review.

Zimaboard 2 Review – Quick Conclusion

The ZimaBoard 2 is a compact, x86-based single board server that strikes a balance between flexibility, efficiency, and affordability. It offers solid performance for its size, thanks to an Intel N150 processor, dual 2.5GbE ports, and a PCIe 3.0 x4 slot for meaningful expansion, making it suitable for tasks like media serving, light virtualization, and home automation. However, limitations such as non-upgradable 8GB RAM, slow onboard eMMC storage, and reliance on passive cooling require careful consideration for more demanding workloads. ZimaOS provides a user-friendly starting point with Docker support and basic file management, though advanced users may prefer to install alternative operating systems. Overall, the ZimaBoard 2 is a capable and well-engineered device for DIY server enthusiasts who understand its constraints and plan their use case accordingly

BUILD QUALITY - 10/10

HARDWARE - 8/10

PERFORMANCE - 8/10

PRICE - 9/10

VALUE - 10/10

9.0

PROS

x86 Architecture – Compatible with a wide range of operating systems including ZimaOS, Unraid, TrueNAS SCALE, and Proxmox.
Dual 2.5GbE LAN Ports – Offers strong networking capabilities for multi-service workloads and gateway setups.
PCIe 3.0 x4 Slot – Enables high-speed expansion for 10GbE NICs, NVMe storage, or combo cards.
Fanless, Silent Operation – Completely passively cooled, ideal for home or quiet office environments.
Compact and Durable Build – Small footprint with an all-metal chassis that doubles as a heatsink.
ZimaOS Included – User-friendly OS with a Docker-based App Store and basic VM tools, ready out of the box.
Flexible Storage Options – Dual SATA ports plus USB 3.1 support for connecting SSDs, HDDs, or external drives.
Low Power Consumption – Efficient 6W CPU with ~10W idle and ~40W max under heavy load scenarios.

CONS

Non-Upgradable RAM – 8GB of soldered LPDDR5x limits long-term scalability for memory-intensive tasks.
Slow/Small Default Internal Storage – 32GB eMMC is convenient but underperforms for OS-level responsiveness or high I/O workloads.
Thermal Headroom is Limited – Passive cooling alone may not be sufficient in closed environments or under sustained load without added airflow.
Not Launching on Traditional Retail, but instead on Crowdfunding.

NOTE – You can visit the Zimaboard 2 Crowdfunding Page (live from 10:30AM ET 22nd April 2025) by clicking the banner below. The entry price for early backers is $169, but that will revert to $179 (and $239 for a scaled-up storage and memory version). I DO NOT receive any kind of affiliate commission or sponsorship for this review (and this review, like all reviews at NASCompares, was done without the brand in question’s interference or input). You can use the link HERE to see the campaign for yourself and/or click the banner below:

Zimaboard 2 Review – Design and Hardware

The physical build of the ZimaBoard 2 continues IceWhale’s trend of delivering thoughtfully designed hardware. The full aluminum enclosure gives the board a sturdy, premium feel, while also serving as its main cooling surface. Every port is clearly labeled, and the board layout is practical and accessible.

The PCIe slot includes a pre-cut section to accommodate longer cards, allowing for flexibility even in this small form factor. IceWhale also includes eco-friendly packaging, a detail that reflects both brand identity and attention to user experience. A cardboard insert allows users to hold the board upright alongside drives, useful for initial setup before a case is selected.

Optional accessories like a SATA adapter board with combined data/power connectors and third-party-compatible drive cages help complete the DIY experience. However, there are some practical limitations to consider: the soldered RAM means users must carefully plan for memory demands, and the internal storage, while functional, will not satisfy users looking for fast OS performance.

At the core of the ZimaBoard 2 is the Intel N150 processor, part of Intel’s Twin Lake architecture, offering four cores with a base clock that boosts up to 3.6GHz. This chip represents a significant step forward compared to the Celeron N3450 used in the original ZimaBoard, delivering better single-thread and multi-thread performance while maintaining a low 6W TDP.

Complementing the CPU is 8GB of LPDDR5x memory clocked at 4800MHz. While the use of fast memory is a welcome improvement, the limitation lies in its soldered nature—users cannot expand beyond this capacity.

This decision may be acceptable for light workloads such as running a Plex server, Docker containers, or Home Assistant, but it could become a bottleneck for users planning to run multiple VMs or resource-heavy services. The N150 CPU does support hardware virtualization and Intel AES-NI, which is essential for tasks like encrypted storage or virtual machine deployment.

In testing scenarios, the CPU delivered solid performance across typical tasks, and managed to keep up during multi-tasked environments with multiple services active. However, users with ambitions for more demanding applications will need to balance those expectations against the non-upgradable memory ceiling.

ZimaBoard 2 comes with 32GB of onboard eMMC storage, a choice that is both practical and limiting. This eMMC module is soldered to the board and is intended to house ZimaOS out of the box, giving users a ready-to-use system upon first boot. While this inclusion lowers the barrier to entry and simplifies setup for beginners, it presents performance limitations and a lack of flexibility. In testing, write speeds hovered around 35MB/s during mixed I/O operations, which is noticeably slow for tasks that involve frequent read/write cycles.

Moreover, should a user opt to install a different OS—such as TrueNAS SCALE, Proxmox, or Unraid—they would either overwrite the bundled ZimaOS or need to boot from an external USB or PCIe-based drive. Since the internal storage is neither M.2 nor socketed, it lacks the speed and modularity enthusiasts often seek in modern setups. As a result, users planning to use ZimaBoard 2 as a primary virtualization or storage server are better off supplementing it with faster storage via USB 3.1, SATA, or the PCIe slot for booting alternative OS environments. This caveat underscores a recurring theme with ZimaBoard 2: it’s well-positioned for entry-level use but requires external upgrades for more ambitious workflows.

One of the ZimaBoard 2’s most compelling features is its inclusion of two SATA 3.0 ports alongside a full PCIe 3.0 x4 slot. This greatly expands the device’s potential beyond typical SBCs, offering users a reliable way to build custom NAS setups, integrate high-speed NVMe storage, or even install networking and accelerator cards. During testing, a Synology combo card featuring two M.2 NVMe slots and a 10GbE Ethernet port was installed in the PCIe slot. The board successfully recognized all interfaces, demonstrating full PCIe compatibility and allowing throughput measurements to confirm the system could push high-bandwidth traffic.

With up to 4GB/s of bandwidth over PCIe, users can install expansion cards for fast storage, additional networking, or even compute offloading—although the small form factor means thermal and power considerations become important quickly. The SATA ports, while standard in speed, proved perfectly functional for connecting 2.5″ SSDs or traditional HDDs. IceWhale’s own accessories, like SATA power adapters and drive cages, help streamline this process, though third-party solutions work just as well.

For users aiming to transform this board into a flexible micro-server, this PCIe slot is a gateway to many possibilities and a key reason ZimaBoard 2 stands out in its category.

In terms of networking, the ZimaBoard 2 comes equipped with two 2.5GbE Ethernet ports, both powered by Intel chipsets—a choice that emphasizes reliability and driver compatibility across various operating systems. These ports are more than just a checkbox feature; they performed reliably under load and achieved full link saturation during file transfer tests and when used in conjunction with PCIe expansion.

In more advanced setups, users can configure bonding or load balancing to maximize throughput or redundancy. Additionally, there are two USB 3.1 ports for attaching external drives, peripherals, or USB-bootable OS images.

The inclusion of a Mini DisplayPort 1.2 allows for 4K video output at 60Hz, which is useful for users who want to use the board as a lightweight desktop or for initial OS installation and diagnostics—though it does require an adapter to convert to standard HDMI. Notably absent is built-in Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, which aligns with its target audience of wired-first home labs and embedded installations. Overall, ZimaBoard 2 offers a well-rounded set of connectivity options that exceed expectations for its size, with the dual 2.5GbE ports making it particularly attractive for networking-focused use cases like firewalls, proxies, or containerized gateways.

Thermal management on the ZimaBoard 2 is entirely passive, with the aluminum enclosure doubling as a heatsink to dissipate heat away from the CPU and other key components. This fanless approach results in completely silent operation, which is ideal for home or office environments where noise is a concern.

However, the trade-off is that the board’s temperature will steadily rise over time, especially in enclosed cases or cabinets with poor airflow. During idle operation, with minimal system load and attached drives in standby, temperatures hovered around 50°C after an hour, increasing slightly to 52–54°C over a 24-hour window.

Under heavier usage—including Plex playback, VM activity, active networking, and full PCIe slot utilization—the system remained thermally stable but showed significant heat buildup. Power consumption in these high-usage scenarios peaked at approximately 39–40W, which is quite efficient given the workload.

Still, users planning to run the board continuously under load are strongly encouraged to introduce active airflow or leave the system in a well-ventilated space. The all-metal build is a clever and minimalist solution, but it has practical limitations that users need to plan for—especially if operating in warmer environments or planning to enclose the unit in a tight chassis.

When put through real-world workloads, the ZimaBoard 2 delivered performance that largely aligned with its specs and design goals. File transfers over the onboard 2.5GbE interfaces reached full saturation in controlled conditions, proving the CPU and I/O subsystems are capable of pushing maximum throughput without significant bottlenecks. PCIe expansion further unlocked performance potential—especially with the Synology combo card, where simultaneous NVMe and 10GbE performance were tested. While NVMe read speeds reached up to 1.6GB/s, write speeds hovered around 500–700MB/s depending on traffic from the 10GbE port.

These variances are expected, given shared PCIe lanes and bandwidth contention, but overall results were respectable. Multimedia performance was also acceptable, with Plex running smoothly and able to stream and scrape metadata while supporting light VM usage concurrently.

In these scenarios, RAM utilization climbed past 50% and CPU usage approached 100%, but the board remained operational and responsive. It’s clear that ZimaBoard 2 is well-suited to low-to-moderate workloads, and can punch above its weight with strategic expansion. However, pushing it into more demanding territory—like simultaneous virtualization, AI inferencing, or high-speed file serving across multiple interfaces—will begin to test its limits.

The lack of active cooling makes thermal planning essential for any serious workload. But overall, the ZimaBoard 2 feels polished and reliable, with a design philosophy that caters well to its core audience of DIY server builders and edge compute experimenters.

Zimaboard 2 Review – Software

ZimaBoard 2 ships with ZimaOS, a custom-built operating system from IceWhale that is based on CasaOS—a lightweight, open-source platform designed for simplicity and ease of deployment. ZimaOS retains the core principles of CasaOS but adds refinements tailored to the Zima ecosystem, particularly features that emerged during development of the more powerful ZimaCube. The out-of-the-box experience is beginner-friendly, offering an intuitive web dashboard called “LaunchPad,” which centralizes access to installed applications, system controls, and file management.

ZimaOS is pre-installed on the board’s eMMC storage, enabling immediate setup without requiring users to flash a drive or download additional software. Despite the modest resources of the ZimaBoard 2, the OS performs responsively, even with several services running in parallel. The interface is clean, albeit minimalistic, focusing on usability over deep customization.

For users who are new to home servers or Docker deployments, the learning curve is surprisingly gentle. Though it lacks some of the granularity of more established platforms like OpenMediaVault or TrueNAS, it’s clear that IceWhale has designed ZimaOS to get users up and running quickly without sacrificing key functionality.

One of the more distinctive features of ZimaOS is its integrated App Store, which acts as a curated hub for Docker-based applications. Unlike traditional NAS interfaces that require command-line Docker commands or extensive Portainer configuration, ZimaOS simplifies deployment through one-click installation and automated environment setups.

Popular applications like Plex, Jellyfin, Stable Diffusion, and more are available by default, with the option to add third-party sources for broader container variety. Behind the scenes, the system leverages containerization frameworks to handle resource isolation and volume mappings, but much of this complexity is hidden from the end user.

Application setup is further eased by pre-configured defaults such as port assignments, directory structures, and even PUID/PGID settings, reducing friction for non-technical users. For those with more experience, ZimaOS still allows you to tweak or override these settings manually. Notably, ZimaOS also includes a basic virtualization interface that supports downloading and running lightweight VMs using prebuilt images.

While this feature is better suited to the higher-specced ZimaCube due to memory and cooling constraints, its presence on the ZimaBoard 2 is still a nice touch and shows that the OS is aiming to grow into a more comprehensive platform. Overall, the application and container ecosystem here punches above its weight, especially considering the resource constraints of the board itself.

In terms of storage and file sharing, ZimaOS delivers a capable if somewhat minimal feature set that prioritizes simplicity over enterprise-style depth. Users can create RAID groups—a new feature compared to earlier CasaOS iterations—manage individual drives, and set up file-level sharing using standard protocols like SMB.

The file manager, accessible through the main dashboard, allows for browsing, copying, and sharing content in a familiar web-based interface. Integration with IceWhale’s own client tool enables a peer-to-peer feature called “peerdrop,” which links multiple Zima-based systems or client devices (like phones and laptops) for rapid syncing and data exchange.

This is especially useful for users who want an easy method to upload media, backup devices, or move files between multiple systems on a local network. Remote access can be enabled through a simple relay-based mechanism, which generates shareable links for specific files or folders, complete with read/write controls. While more advanced access control, encryption, or user quotas are not present in this build, the essentials for home or small office use are here and function as expected.

Cloud integration is also available, allowing the addition of third-party storage such as Google Drive or Dropbox for backup or syncing purposes. Though ZimaOS doesn’t try to replace full-fledged NAS operating systems in terms of depth, it successfully delivers the features most users will need, and its lightweight design ensures responsiveness even on modest hardware like the ZimaBoard 2.

Zimaboard 2 Review – Conclusion & Verdict

The ZimaBoard 2 is a competent and thoughtfully assembled single-board server that builds meaningfully on IceWhale’s earlier efforts, especially the original ZimaBoard and the ZimaBlade. Its design clearly targets users who want more flexibility and performance than traditional ARM-based boards can offer, but who also value power efficiency, silence, and a small footprint. The use of an Intel N150 CPU, 8GB of LPDDR5x memory, dual 2.5GbE ports, and a PCIe 3.0 x4 slot makes it viable for a variety of home server roles—from basic NAS and smart home coordination to lightweight container hosting and local media streaming. Features like onboard SATA, USB 3.1, and a DisplayPort connection further add to its utility. However, there are hardware limitations that may affect long-term suitability for advanced deployments. The soldered RAM cannot be upgraded, and the internal eMMC storage, while useful for initial setup, is too slow for OS-level responsiveness in more demanding use cases. Passive cooling, while appreciated for silence, also imposes some thermal limitations depending on the deployment environment.

On the software side, ZimaOS offers a decent out-of-the-box experience that caters to users with minimal technical background. It handles core tasks like application deployment, file sharing, and system monitoring without requiring advanced configuration, and its Docker-based App Store simplifies access to popular tools. For more experienced users, the system supports third-party OS installation, which is likely how many will ultimately use the ZimaBoard 2. Still, as a bundled solution, ZimaOS has matured significantly and now presents itself as a lightweight, capable, and non-intrusive platform for those who prefer to get started immediately. In the broader context of DIY server hardware, ZimaBoard 2 occupies a middle ground: more powerful and modular than Raspberry Pi-class systems, yet more constrained than full x86 mini PCs or enthusiast-grade NAS hardware. For those who understand and accept these trade-offs, and are willing to plan around its limitations, the ZimaBoard 2 offers a reliable and flexible foundation for compact, energy-efficient computing at the edge.

NOTE – You can visit the Zimaboard 2 Crowdfunding Page (live from 10:30AM ET 22nd April 2025) by clicking the banner below. The entry price for early backers is $169, but that will revert to $179 (and $239 for a scaled-up storage and memory version). I DO NOT receive any kind of affiliate commission or sponsorship for this review (and this review, like all reviews at NASCompares, was done without the brand in question’s interference or input). You can use the link HERE to see the campaign for yourself and/or click the banner below:

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Synology Beestation Plus 8TB Revealed and Detailed

Synology has unveiled the BeeStation Plus (BST170-8T) in their pre-Computex build up (alongside an early reveal back in Jan 2025 at CES/Pepcom), the latest addition to its growing portfolio of personal cloud storage solutions aimed at everyday users. Building on the success of the original BeeStation (BST150-4T), the Plus model directly addresses feedback from users who wanted greater capacity, faster performance, and more versatile applications—without the steep learning curve of traditional NAS systems. This one-bay device ships pre-populated with an 8TB Synology HAT3310 hard drive (7200 RPM), powered by a quad-core Intel Celeron J4125 processor and 4GB of non-upgradable DDR4 memory. The combination is notable because it brings x86-class processing and hardware transcoding support to an ultra-simplified setup—something virtually unheard of in this form factor. With its out-of-the-box readiness, cloud-linked setup process, and focus on seamless user experience, BeeStation Plus is designed for those seeking to move away from Google Drive, iCloud, and Dropbox subscriptions, offering complete local control of data without compromising on usability. Features such as AI-driven photo management, native mobile apps, and Plex Media Server support are now included, making this device far more than just cold storage. For individuals and families looking to centralize their backups, photos, videos, and personal files in a user-friendly ecosystem—without paying monthly cloud fees—Synology positions the BeeStation Plus as an appealing middle ground between cloud services and more complex NAS platforms like the DiskStation DS224+.

Synology Beestation Plus 8TB – Who Is This For?

The BeeStation Plus is designed with a clear goal: to serve individuals, families, and small teams who want private, centralized storage without the barriers that typically come with managing a traditional NAS. It’s aimed at users who are familiar with cloud platforms like Google Drive, Dropbox, or iCloud, but want to move away from recurring subscription fees and the privacy concerns associated with third-party cloud storage. For many, the idea of hosting data locally remains appealing—yet the complexity of DSM-based Synology systems can be overwhelming. The BeeStation Plus sidesteps that entirely by offering a plug-and-play experience: no drive installation, no volume configuration, no knowledge of RAID, and no need to navigate DSM’s enterprise-leaning control panels.

Instead of DSM, BeeStation Plus runs a simplified, task-oriented operating system that emphasizes automation and immediacy. Setup is handled via a QR code and cloud-linked sign-in process using your existing Apple or Google account. Within minutes, users can begin backing up photos, syncing cloud drives, or transferring personal data using intuitive applications like BeePhotos and BeeFiles. Notably, BeePhotos offers local AI processing for face recognition and subject categorization—no data is sent to the cloud, and everything runs on-device using the integrated GPU in the Intel Celeron chip. These features mimic what users expect from modern photo cloud services, but with full local ownership.

Where the DiskStation platform caters to power users—with capabilities like multi-tiered storage pools, user-group policies, virtualization, Docker containers, and dual-LAN failover—BeeStation Plus avoids this complexity altogether. While some may view it as limiting, Synology has correctly identified a growing segment of mainstream users who simply want a secure, reliable, and easy-to-manage storage hub for their files, memories, and work. For them, BeeStation Plus delivers a near turn-key solution that doesn’t demand IT knowledge or ongoing configuration, while still offering meaningful tools like Plex integration, two-way cloud sync, and internal snapshot recovery.

Synology Beestation Plus 8TB – Hardware Specifications

At the heart of the Synology BeeStation Plus is the Intel Celeron J4125, a quad-core x86 processor that, while not cutting-edge, is a substantial leap from the Realtek RTD1619B used in the original BeeStation. The J4125 brings integrated Intel UHD Graphics 600, enabling hardware video transcoding—critical for smooth 4K Plex streaming and responsive AI-powered photo recognition within BeePhotos. This CPU choice also allows Synology to run a broader range of services, including native Plex Media Server installation and enhanced indexing performance for large photo or document libraries. Paired with 4GB of DDR4 memory, the system is built to handle simultaneous user access and background tasks like backups and media processing without performance degradation—something the original model struggled with due to its lower RAM and ARM-based chip.

The BeeStation Plus ships with a pre-installed 8TB Synology HAT3310 hard drive, a 7200 RPM SATA HDD from Synology’s own verified drive lineup. While the device only supports a single internal bay, the included drive offers ample performance for most home and SOHO workloads, and the use of a higher-RPM disk ensures better responsiveness for large file transfers and indexing tasks. The storage is non-removable by design, as BeeStation products prioritize simplicity and stability over modularity. This also means there is no RAID support—underscoring that this device is not built for redundancy, but rather for centralized storage with optional external or cloud-based backup using BeeProtect or a secondary Synology NAS.

Connectivity is modest but practical. The system includes one 1GbE RJ-45 Ethernet port for network access and two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports (one Type-A and one Type-C) for expanding storage or performing external backups. External drives can be browsed directly via BeeFiles or automatically backed up using the system’s USB Backup function. While some users may lament the lack of 2.5GbE or additional LAN ports, it’s worth noting that the target audience likely won’t saturate even gigabit speeds in everyday use. In real-world tests, BeeStation Plus can hit 150–180MB/s read speeds from its internal drive—enough to support simultaneous multimedia streaming and active file transfers across the network. The compact chassis also includes a cooling fan, a new addition over the passive original BeeStation, helping ensure thermal stability during extended workloads like Plex streaming or bulk photo indexing.

Synology Beestation Plus 8TB – BSM Software and Services

The BeeStation Plus is tightly integrated with Synology’s Bee-branded suite of applications, which form the foundation of its user experience. Chief among them is BeePhotos, a powerful photo management tool that automatically backs up images from mobile devices and organizes them using on-device AI for face, subject, and location recognition. Unlike cloud photo services, all indexing occurs locally, ensuring that sensitive images never leave the device. BeePhotos now supports iCloud Photo Backup, enabling direct migration of Apple photo libraries without requiring intermediate steps via your phone or computer. The web interface replicates the timeline-based design familiar to users of Google Photos or iCloud, complete with album views, smart filters, and Chromecast streaming. Meanwhile, BeeFiles acts as the central file manager, supporting version history, password-protected sharing, USB device browsing, and desktop sync via the BeeStation desktop client for Windows and macOS.

Beyond personal use, Synology has also included multi-user support for up to eight invited users, each with isolated private storage spaces and individual access rights. Users can connect to BeeStation from anywhere via the Synology cloud portal or mobile apps, allowing seamless collaboration and remote file access. BeeStation Plus also introduces native support for Plex Media Server, offering hardware-accelerated streaming of 4K content to TVs, tablets, or mobile devices. Integration is simplified through the BeeStation web portal, and libraries can be organized via BeeFiles’ dedicated “Plex Media Library” folder structure. Users can also take advantage of BeeProtect, a low-cost, unlimited-capacity cloud backup service that stores a full copy of the BeeStation’s data offsite—ideal for disaster recovery. Internal snapshot-based restore points add another layer of protection, allowing users to roll back the system in the event of accidental deletions or ransomware events, without relying on third-party services.

Synology Beestation Plus vs Synology DS224+/DS225+ and Beestation

The BeeStation Plus represents a clear technical upgrade over the original BeeStation, featuring a move from an ARM-based Realtek RTD1619B processor to a quad-core Intel Celeron J4125, along with a jump from 1GB to 4GB of DDR4 RAM. It also swaps the 5400 RPM 4TB HAT3300 drive for a faster 7200 RPM 8TB HAT3310, doubling the storage and improving responsiveness for tasks like AI photo indexing and multimedia playback. The inclusion of an active cooling fan further reinforces its suitability for continuous workloads, while added support for Plex Media Server and iCloud Photo Backup expands its capabilities far beyond the entry-level functionality of its predecessor. Both units share the same compact 1-bay form factor and cloud-integrated setup process, but the Plus model is built for heavier use, particularly in multi-user homes or for users archiving large libraries of photos and videos.

Synology Beestation Plus 8TB – Pricing and Release

The Synology BeeStation Plus (BST170-8T) launched globally in May 2025 with a suggested retail price of $369.95 USD (excluding VAT), positioning it as a compelling middle-ground between basic cloud drives and full NAS systems. This price includes the pre-installed 8TB Synology HAT3310 hard drive, three months of complimentary BeeProtect cloud backup, and full access to the BeeFiles and BeePhotos applications out of the box. While significantly more expensive than the original BeeStation’s $199.95 launch price, the BeeStation Plus delivers a considerable leap in performance, storage, and application support. Synology is clearly aiming to attract users looking to escape rising cloud subscription fees, with the device’s total cost of ownership undercutting comparable iCloud or Google One plans over just a few years. With increasing emphasis on private cloud solutions that are easy to deploy, the BeeStation Plus marks Synology’s most consumer-friendly push yet into the mainstream storage market.

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Depuis plusieurs mois, le marché des NAS connaît un regain d’effervescence. Longtemps dominé par une poignée d’acteurs, ce segment attire désormais des entreprises issues de secteurs connexes, bien décidées à se faire une place. Qu’est-ce qui motive cet intérêt soudain ? Quels enjeux pour les acteurs établis comme Synology ou QNAP ? Décryptage…

Un nouvel appétit pour un marché de niche

Ce que l’on observe actuellement n’est pas l’émergence de start-up, mais plutôt l’arrivée de groupes déjà bien installés sur d’autres segments technologiques. Citons notamment UGREEN, réputé pour ses accessoires, ou encore des spécialistes du Mini-PC comme Minisforum, Beelink, ORICO ou Aoostar. Tous ont récemment investi le marché des NAS avec une stratégie affirmée : concurrencer les leaders traditionnels en s’appuyant sur leurs capacités industrielles existantes.

Un marché restreint, mais en croissance

Le NAS reste un produit de niche, à destination d’un public averti, professionnel ou technophile. Toutefois, il continue d’afficher une croissance régulière (souvent à 2 chiffres). Dans un contexte de diversification nécessaire pour les industriels chinois, ce segment représente un relais de croissance crédible, d’autant plus attractif qu’il ne requiert pas de rupture technologique majeure.

Un contexte favorable à l’entrée de nouveaux acteurs

Historiquement, la conception de NAS impliquait des investissements significatifs (matériel et logiciel). Aujourd’hui, la donne a changé. Des systèmes comme OpenMediaVault, TrueNAS, Unraid ou encore ZimaOS permettent aux utilisateurs de déployer eux-mêmes une infrastructure de stockage avancée, sans expertise pointue.

Par ailleurs, l’essor de Docker facilite la gestion et l’installation d’applications sur les NAS, réduisant encore la nécessité pour les fabricants de développer des interfaces logicielles propriétaires. Une économie de ressources considérable pour les nouveaux entrants.

Résultat : les barrières à l’entrée se sont considérablement abaissées, rendant ce marché bien plus accessible qu’il ne l’était il y a encore quelques années.

Des positions historiques sous pression

Les marques traditionnelles comme Synology, QNAP et Asustor ont longtemps prospéré grâce à la robustesse de leur matériel, à leur écosystème logiciel intégré et à un service après-vente éprouvé. Mais l’arrivée d’acteurs disposant de capacités industrielles comparables (voire supérieures) rebat les cartes.

Une bataille tarifaire en perspective

L’écart de prix entre les 2 marques est notable : les NAS  UGREEN sont proposés à des tarifs sensiblement inférieurs à ceux de Synology, pour un nombre de baies équivalent et des composants souvent plus récents. Un positionnement agressif qui n’implique pas nécessairement de compromis sur les performances, lesquelles se révèlent parfois supérieures.

Des consommateurs mieux informés

Autre évolution majeure : les utilisateurs, qu’ils soient professionnels ou particuliers, sont aujourd’hui plus avertis. Ils scrutent les composants, exigent une évolutivité tangible et comparent systématiquement les rapports qualité/prix. Les nouveaux venus pourraient tirer parti de cette exigence accrue, à condition de répondre aux standards attendus.

Vers une transformation du marché ?

Si le cycle de renouvellement des NAS reste relativement lent, les précédents ne manquent pas pour illustrer la rapidité avec laquelle un marché peut se transformer. L’exemple des robots aspirateurs est éclairant : iRobot (Roomba), autrefois leader incontesté, a été rapidement dépassé par des challengers asiatiques comme Roborock, Dreame ou Mova. Le NAS pourrait-il suivre une trajectoire similaire ?

La question reste ouverte. Mais elle mérite d’être posée, tant les conditions semblent réunies pour une recomposition accélérée du secteur.

En synthèse

Le marché du NAS est à l’aube d’une profonde recomposition. Sous l’effet combiné d’une pression concurrentielle accrue, de l’évolution des attentes utilisateurs et de la baisse des barrières technologiques, les lignes sont en train de bouger. Si les leaders historiques disposent encore de solides atouts, ils ne peuvent ignorer la montée en puissance de nouveaux acteurs agiles, bien décidés à redistribuer les cartes.

Synology a officiellement annoncé son nouveau NAS : DS1825+. Même s’il n’est pas encore disponible à la vente, ses spécifications techniques sont connues. Vous avez été nombreux à nous demander ce que ce nouveau modèle apporte face à son prédécesseur, le DS1821+. Voici donc une analyse comparative pour vous aider à faire un choix…

DS1825+ vs DS1821+

Les DS1825+ et DS1821+ occupent le segment particulier chez Synology. Tous les 2 proposent 8 baies en façade pour les disques durs ou SSD, ainsi que de 2 emplacements SSD NVMe accessible sous le châssis.

Ils prennent également en charge jusqu’à 2 unités d’extension de 5 baies, permettant d’atteindre un total de 18 disques. À noter : le DS1825+ est compatible avec la nouvelle unité d’extension DX525, connectée en USB-C, tandis que le DS1821+ repose sur des extensions en eSATA (DX517).

Processeur et RAM

Le Synology DS1825+ embarque un processeur AMD Ryzen V1500B (quad-core à 2,2 GHz). C’est exactement le même que son prédécesseur, le DS1821+. La bonne nouvelle, c’est que la RAM a été doublée ici, le DS1825+ possède 8 Go DDR4 ECC de base (extensible jusqu’à 32).

Connectique

Le DS1825+ gagne 2 ports USB Type-C et 2 ports réseau 2,5 Gb/s. C’est vraiment la grande nouveauté de la gamme DSx25+.
Comme avec le DS1821+, le DS1825+ conserve l’emplacement son emplacement PCIe permettant de recevoir une carte réseau (1* 10 Gb/s, 2* 10 Gb/s ou encore 2* 25 Gb/s).

Le DS1825+ se distingue principalement par sa connectique modernisée :

• 2 ports USB-C font leur apparition (contre aucun sur le DS1821+)
• 2 ports réseau 2,5 Gb/s remplacent les 4 ports 1 Gb/s de l’ancien modèle

Attention, les ports USB-C ne sont utilisables qu’avec des unités d’expansion Synology. En effet, clé et SSD externe ne fonctionnent pas sur ces ports. L’emplacement PCIe est toujours présent, permettant d’ajouter une carte réseau 10 Gb/s ou même 25 Gb/s.

Toutefois, on note la suppression de 2 ports USB 3.0 et des ports eSATA, ce qui pourrait poser problème à certains professionnels ou utilisateurs avancés.

Politique de compatibilité plus stricte

Synology poursuit sa stratégie controversée : comme pour les autres modèles de la série DSx25+, l’utilisation de disques certifiés est désormais obligatoire. À ce jour, seuls les disques Synology sont officiellement compatibles. Une contrainte qui risque d’en rebuter plus d’un.

Tableau comparatif DS1825+ vs DS1821+

Faut-il passer au DS1825+ ?

Le DS1825+ remplace formellement le DS1821+, mais en y regardant de plus près, les améliorations sont très limitées. On perd des ports (USB 3.0, eSATA), on gagne du USB-C et un réseau légèrement plus rapide en 2,5 Gb/s… mais cela ne conviendra pas à tous les usages, notamment en environnement professionnel où le 10 GbE natif devient souvent indispensable.

La mémoire de base est doublée, mais 8 Go restent insuffisants pour de nombreux cas d’usage avancés (virtualisation, conteneurs, etc.).
Enfin, la restriction sur les disques non certifiés pourrait être un vrai frein pour les utilisateurs soucieux de leur liberté de choix ou de leur budget.

En synthèse

Le DS1825+ n’apporte pas de véritable révolution. Il constitue une évolution mineure. Si vous possédez déjà un DS1821+, il n’y a aucune urgence à migrer. En revanche, si vous partez de zéro, le choix dépendra surtout de votre besoin en connectique, de votre tolérance à la politique de disques imposée… et bien sûr du prix final, encore inconnu.

Synology (FINALLY) has an NVMe Flash Server – The Synology PAS7700 System

Synology are seemingly going ‘all guns blazing’ at Computex 2025 this year, with a wide array of hardware and software solutions being revealed at the event. Many of these we already know about via official and unofficial reveals over the last 6 months or so, how the PAS NVMe flash storage system is one that was actually originally shown last year at the brand’s 2024 Solution Exhibition in Taipei, this was still an early prototype system and was built using an existing 2U chassis and was much more comparable to existing SAS storage systems from the brand. However, the PAS NVMe Flash system has seemingly (and RAPIDLY) evolved since it was first revealed as an early 12 bay prototype 2U rackmount last year into a dual active 4U Behemoth solution that is significantly more focused on leveraging the performance benefits of NVMe, alongside the scale-out, redundancy and failover of other enterprise tier Synology NAS solutions.

Synology already has an existing range of SSD Flash soltuons, in their Flashstation series, but this proposed PAS7700 system is a completely different class of system against those more classic DSM hardware systems. Synology has been somewhat behind the curve when it comes to NVMe flash systems in the last few years (both entry class m.2 NVMe systems at desktop, but also larger business and enterprise class NVMe over U.2/U.3 compared with competitors such as QNAP (and their FX/FU series), but the PAS is hoping to fill this gap in the brand’s portfolio at this higher tier of buyer. So, what do we know so far?

Synology PAS7700 Hardware Specifications

The Synology PAS7700 is a 4U rackmount dual-node NVMe flash storage system engineered for high-performance, mission-critical enterprise workloads. Designed with a non-disruptive architecture, it enables active-active operations across both nodes, ensuring continuous data availability and efficient load distribution without single points of failure. Each node occupies 2U of rack space and operates independently, yet cooperatively, allowing both to concurrently handle client requests and internal processes. This design eliminates the need for manual failover while maintaining performance even during node maintenance or partial outages.

At the heart of each node lies a 24-core AMD EPYC processor, optimized for dense, multi-threaded workloads such as data analytics, database transactions, and large-scale virtualization. These processors provide ample PCIe Gen4 lanes to support high-speed interconnects, storage interfaces, and compute operations. Each node is equipped with 64GB of DDR4 ECC memory out of the box, with upgrade support up to 1TB. This high memory ceiling is particularly beneficial for large-scale caching, deduplication, and inline compression tasks in high IOPS environments. Memory cache protection mechanisms are built in to preserve data integrity during unexpected power loss, using supercapacitors or battery-backed modules.

The storage backplane supports a total of 48 U.2 or U.3 NVMe SSDs across the chassis—24 per node—maximizing both performance and density. Drive control is split between the native AMD EPYC-integrated PCIe controllers and additional PCIe switching and management provided by ASMedia Technologies, likely to balance performance across multiple backplanes and mitigate PCIe bottlenecks. This configuration ensures that each SSD can be utilized to its full potential with minimal latency and optimal throughput. Network connectivity includes a dedicated 1GbE copper port per node for management, along with dual 10GbE NICs for data operations. These ports support link aggregation and failover, with options for expansion to higher-speed interfaces expected, though not yet confirmed. The PAS7700 likely supports several PCIe expansion slots internally, allowing future upgrade paths to 25/40/100GbE if required. This flexibility positions the unit for use in diverse network topologies and high-bandwidth enterprise infrastructures.

That said, we should discuss the thorny subject of storage media. Synology has recently implemented a more stringent hardware compatibility policy, mandating the use of Synology-branded or certified storage media in its latest 2025 Plus Series NAS devices. This policy restricts full functionality and support to only those drives that have been validated by Synology, potentially limiting user flexibility and increasing costs due to reduced third-party options. Currently, Synology’s in-house SSD lineup includes SATA SSDs and M.2 NVMe SSDs, with capacities up to 800GB. This raises questions about their plans for higher-performance storage media suitable for systems like the PAS7700, which is designed for demanding enterprise workloads. As of now, Synology has not announced any U.2 or U.3 NVMe SSDs in their product range. Given the PAS7700’s reliance on high-speed NVMe storage, it’s unclear whether Synology will expand its SSD offerings to include higher-capacity and performance options or if they will certify third-party drives for use with this system. The company’s updated compatibility lists will be crucial for users to identify approved drives. Until more information is available, potential PAS7700 users may need to consider the implications of Synology’s hardware compatibility policies on their storage choices.

Synology PAS7700 Services and Flash Protocols

The Synology PAS7700 supports a diverse array of storage access protocols optimized for NVMe over Fabrics (NVMe-oF), ensuring compatibility with modern data center architectures and latency-sensitive applications. These protocols are tailored to support high-throughput and low-latency workloads across both local and remote environments, catering to sectors such as virtualized infrastructure, high-performance computing, and real-time analytics.

Among the supported technologies are NFS RDMA, NVMe-TCP, NVMe over Fibre Channel (NVMe-FC), and NVMe over RoCE (Remote Direct Memory Access over Converged Ethernet). These protocols differ in terms of performance characteristics, implementation complexity, and deployment environments, giving administrators flexibility in aligning the system’s networking stack with existing infrastructure and performance objectives. These include:

• NFS RDMA (Remote Direct Memory Access):

  • Enhances traditional NFS performance by bypassing the CPU for memory transfers.

  • Significantly reduces latency and CPU usage in environments using NFSv4.x.

  • Ideal for high-performance, low-latency use cases like virtual machines or scientific computing.

• NVMe-TCP (NVMe over TCP/IP):

  • Extends NVMe-oF across standard Ethernet networks without requiring specialized hardware.

  • Enables NVMe-level performance benefits using existing TCP infrastructure.

  • Easier to deploy in enterprise environments with mixed networking equipment.

• NVMe-FC (NVMe over Fibre Channel):

  • Combines the speed of NVMe with the reliability of Fibre Channel.

  • Suitable for enterprises already using Fibre Channel SANs.

  • Offers low-latency performance with high stability and established zoning capabilities.

• NVMe/RoCE (RDMA over Converged Ethernet):

  • Provides near-direct memory access over Ethernet without involving the CPU.

  • Achieves ultra-low latency for applications such as real-time trading or video rendering.

  • Requires a compatible network fabric with lossless Ethernet configuration.

We are still awaiting confirmation on whether this will be running on traditional DSM, a dual controller variation (such as found on the current UC3200 0 Active/Active system), a multinode management variation (as found in the GS/GridStation system, or a brand new splinter of DSM services (as found in the DP series with Active Protect).

Synology PAS7700 Failover and Redundancy

The Synology PAS7700 is designed with full-stack redundancy to eliminate single points of failure and minimize service disruption across hardware, software, and protocol layers. Its dual-node active-active design enables uninterrupted operations even during firmware updates, system maintenance, or unplanned hardware failures. This architecture ensures that both nodes can operate independently while maintaining synchronized data access and state, effectively enabling non-disruptive service continuity in multi-user enterprise environments. Each layer of the system—from networking to storage to memory—is fortified with specific failover mechanisms. Networking is protected via IP failover configurations, allowing services to automatically reroute through a secondary interface or node should a primary link fail. The system also supports Multipath I/O (MPIO) across iSCSI, Fibre Channel, and NVMe-oF protocols, ensuring high availability and load balancing across multiple paths. On the protocol level, persistent handle support in SMB and grace periods in NFS ensure that client sessions remain intact during failovers or server transitions.

Synology further implements failover at the component and data protection level. Memory modules are equipped with cache protection to safeguard in-flight data in the event of power loss, typically via battery backup or capacitor-based retention systems. On the storage layer, support for RAID-TP (triple parity) adds an extra layer of disk fault tolerance, protecting against up to three simultaneous drive failures. Additionally, enterprise-grade SSDs used in the PAS7700 are expected to include power loss protection (PLP), preserving cached writes during sudden shutdowns.

• Protocols:

  • SMB Persistent Handles: Maintains client file handles during failover events.

  • NFS Grace Periods: Allows NFS clients to re-establish sessions without data loss.

  • MPIO: Multipath I/O for load balancing and failover across multiple transport paths.

• Networking:

  • IP Failover: Automatically reroutes network services to a standby node or NIC if a primary fails.

• System-Level:

  • Hardware Failover: One node takes over if the other becomes non-functional.

  • Upgrade Failover: Supports live system or firmware updates without downtime.

• Memory:

  • Cache Protection: Retains volatile memory contents in the event of power loss using supercaps or batteries.

• Storage:

  • RAID-TP: Triple parity RAID support for enhanced data redundancy.

  • Power Loss Protection (PLP): SSDs preserve unwritten data during power failure.

Whether other specific SSD/Flash services that are currently available on devices like the Flashstation series (such as RAID F1 for controlled and predicted NAND wearing) will also be integrated here on scale are yet to be confirmed. While the full software environment and feature set of the Synology PAS7700 are yet to be confirmed, its hardware architecture and protocol support position it as a serious entry into the enterprise flash storage segment. With dual-node active-active operation, extensive NVMe protocol compatibility, and comprehensive failover mechanisms, the PAS7700 is clearly designed for organizations that require uncompromising uptime and performance. As more details emerge at Computex 2025, the PAS7700 is expected to clarify its role within Synology’s broader storage portfolio—particularly how it compares to the UC series and where it fits in demanding environments such as virtualized infrastructure, high-frequency transactional workloads, and critical business continuity deployments.

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WE LOVE COFFEE

Bonjour à tous,

J’espère que vous allez bien et que vous avez profité des ponts pour vous ressourcer. Ce n’est pas fini, il y en a un autre dans 2 semaines Pour ma part, je n’en ai pas forcément profité… mais j’avoue que d’avoir une coupure dans la semaine, ça fait du bien.

Comme vous avez pu le constater, il y a eu beaucoup d’articles ces dernières semaines. Il faut dire que l’actualité autour des NAS a été riche et elle va continuer quelques semaines. En effet, avec le Computex qui arrive à grands pas (du 20 au 23 mai), les annonces devraient fleurir. Plusieurs tests très attendus ont été publiés et d’autres sont à venir. J’ai pris un peu de retard dans mes mails et je vous prie de m’excuser. Je reçois de plus en plus de demandes : tests, tutos et autres. Malheureusement, je suis quasiment seul aux commandes et moi aussi… j’ai besoin de lâcher le clavier de temps en temps.

Du côté des films et séries TV, j’avoue que j’ai regardé Conclave (oui c’est en lien avec l’actualité récente). Cela reste une fiction, mais j’ai aimé. Comme beaucoup parlent de Balle Perdue 3, je me suis dit que j’allais au moins regarder le premier opus (Balle Perdue). Ça se regarde, mais franchement… c’est pas fou. Enfin, j’ai regardé The Pitt. C’est une série TV ou l’on retrouve Noah Wyle (producteur également), encore dans un service des urgences. Elle se laisse regarder, même s’il faut avouer que c’est très loin du côté glamour de la série des années 90. Là, c’est assez gore… j’avoue que j’ai détourné les yeux à deux ou trois reprises. C’est intense, on aime ou on déteste.

Allez, je vous souhaite une excellente journée…
FX

The Synology DS925+ versus Synology DS923+ – Buy OLD or BUY New?

Every few years, when Synology chooses to refresh several of its popular devices—updating a number of its hardware features—new buyers and those looking to upgrade have a choice to make. Is it nobler in the mind to purchase the more affordable and already well-known older-generation device, or hold out and purchase the brand-new, refreshed, updated model with its improved hardware but likely slightly increased price tag? Refreshes are planned for 2025. Today, I want to discuss whether users should consider purchasing the DS923+—which has been in the market for several years now—or set their sights on the newer DS925+ NAS. On the face of it, many will consider this an easy choice, as newer hardware likely means a better system. However, the reality is much more nuanced. Alongside older-generation hardware having had a greater deal of time to be developed within its own ecosystem and by third-party developers, there is also the question of whether newer-generation hardware really is genuinely a hardware upgrade. Or do you have the potential to miss out on certain hardware features in the new generation that may have become legacy options (remember the DS920+?). Which one deserves your money and your data?

Synology DS925+ NAS		Synology DS923+ NAS
Check Amazon in Your Region for the Synology DS925+ NAS	Check B&H for the Synology DS925+ NAS	Check Amazon in Your Region for the Synology DS923+ NAS	Check B&H for the Synology DS923+ NAS

Synology DS925+ vs DS923+ – Hardware Specifications

When comparing Synology’s DS925+ and DS923+, it’s easy to assume the newer model automatically holds the advantage. However, a closer inspection of their hardware specifications reveals a more nuanced story where hardware changes in the 2025 Series are…mixed (that sounds fair, right?). While both systems cater to prosumers and small business users with high expectations for performance and reliability, they differ in several key areas—from CPU architecture and networking capabilities to expansion options and noise levels. Below, we break down the detailed hardware specifications of both NAS units side-by-side, highlighting where one system clearly outshines the other and where parity exists.

Category	DS925+	DS923+	Advantage / Notes
CPU Model	AMD Ryzen V1500B	AMD Ryzen R1600	–
CPU Cores / Threads	4 Cores / 8 Threads	2 Cores / 4 Threads	DS925+ offers more cores and threads
CPU Frequency	2.2 GHz	2.6 GHz (base) / 3.1 GHz (turbo)	DS923+ has higher clock speeds
Architecture	64-bit	64-bit	–
Hardware Encryption Engine	Yes	Yes	–
Memory (Pre-installed)	4 GB DDR4 ECC SODIMM (1x 4 GB)	4 GB DDR4 ECC SODIMM (1x 4 GB)	–
Total Memory Slots	2	2	–
Max Memory Capacity	32 GB (2x 16 GB)	32 GB (2x 16 GB)	–
Drive Bays	4	4	–
Max Drive Bays (with Expansion)	9 (DX525 x1)	9 (DX517 x1)	–
M.2 Drive Slots	2 (NVMe)	2 (NVMe)	–
Supported Drive Types	3.5″ SATA HDD, 2.5″ SATA SSD, M.2 2280 NVMe SSD	3.5″ SATA HDD, 2.5″ SATA SSD, M.2 2280 NVMe SSD	–
Hot Swappable Drives	Yes (SATA only)	Yes (SATA only)	–
LAN Ports	2 x 2.5GbE RJ-45	2 x 1GbE RJ-45	DS925+ offers faster network ports
USB Ports	2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1	2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1	–
Expansion Port Type	USB Type-C	eSATA	DS925+ has a modern expansion port
PCIe Slot	None	1 x PCIe Gen3 x2 (network expansion)	DS923+ allows NIC upgrades
Dimensions (HxWxD)	166 x 199 x 223 mm	166 x 199 x 223 mm	–
Weight	2.26 kg	2.24 kg	DS923+ is slightly lighter
System Fans	2 x 92mm	2 x 92mm	–
Fan Modes	Full-Speed, Cool, Quiet	Full-Speed, Cool, Quiet	–
LED Brightness Control	Yes	Yes	–
Power Recovery	Yes	Yes	–
Noise Level (Idle)	20.5 dB(A)	22.9 dB(A)	DS925+ is quieter
Power Supply	100W Adapter	100W Adapter	–
Power Consumption (Access / Hibernation)	37.91 W / 12.33 W	35.51 W / 11.52 W	DS923+ is slightly more power efficient
BTU (Access / Hibernation)	129.27 / 42.05	121.09 / 39.28	DS923+ generates less heat
Operating Temp	0°C to 40°C	0°C to 40°C	–
Storage Temp	-20°C to 60°C	-20°C to 60°C	–
Humidity	5% to 95% RH	5% to 95% RH	–
Warranty	3 years (extendable to 5 years)	3 years (extendable to 5 years)	–

The hardware comparison between the Synology DS925+ and DS923+ highlights that, while these two NAS models share a common design and similar baseline features, they also differ in ways that could significantly impact real-world use. Both offer 4 drive bays, dual M.2 NVMe slots, dual memory slots supporting up to 32 GB ECC DDR4 RAM, and nearly identical physical dimensions and cooling configurations. However, their distinct hardware differences become apparent when you look beyond these fundamentals. The DS925+ provides users with faster 2.5GbE LAN ports by default—doubling the network throughput capability compared to the DS923+’s 1GbE ports. This makes the DS925+ better suited to environments where higher network bandwidth is required, such as multi-user file sharing, large media transfers, or remote backups. Additionally, it features a more modern USB Type-C expansion interface and operates at a lower idle noise level, which may be important for those placing the NAS in noise-sensitive spaces like home offices or studios.

Meanwhile, the DS923+ offers a unique advantage in expandability, thanks to its PCIe Gen3 x2 slot, which allows for add-on network cards—something the DS925+ lacks. This modularity can be a decisive factor for users who want the flexibility to upgrade to 10GbE networking or other accessories in the future. The DS923+ also comes in slightly lighter and marginally more power-efficient under typical access and hibernation loads, which may appeal to users seeking a balance between performance and energy use. In the end, both models are capable and versatile NAS units, but their hardware differences point them toward different user priorities. The DS925+ favors users looking for built-in speed, quieter operation, and simplicity. In contrast, the DS923+ caters more to those who value customization, long-term expandability, and subtle improvements in efficiency. Matching these characteristics with your specific deployment goals will help determine which model is the better fit.

DS925+ wins in: CPU core/thread count Network port speed (2.5GbE) Expansion port type (USB-C) Lower noise output

DS923+ stands out for: Higher CPU frequency PCIe expansion slot for upgrades Slightly lower power and heat output

---

AMD R1600 vs V1500B – CPU Specifications (Synology DS923+ vs DS925+)

When we examine the CPU specifications in isolation, it’s clear that the V1500B in the DS925+ delivers greater multi-core throughput, while the R1600 in the DS923+ offers higher single-core clock speeds. But understanding how these numbers affect real-world tasks within Synology’s DiskStation Manager (DSM) is far more meaningful. Thanks to its 4-core, 8-thread configuration, the DS925+ excels in multi-threaded workloads, which is evident in its higher software limits. It supports up to 8 virtual machines and 8 virtual DSM instances through Virtual Machine Manager, making it ideal for users running containerized services, development environments, or isolated OS instances. Additionally, it handles more concurrent SMB connections (up to 40 with RAM expansion), supports up to 150 Synology Chat users, 80 Synology Drive users, and 80 Synology Office users—all reflecting its capacity to manage a larger user base and more simultaneous services without bottlenecks.

For surveillance and media workloads, the DS925+ also pulls ahead, matching the DS923+ in the number of supported camera channels (up to 40 cameras and 1200 FPS at 1080p H.265), but benefiting from more headroom when additional tasks are running in parallel—such as snapshots, backups, or AI-powered photo indexing via Synology Photos. Meanwhile, the DS923+, with its faster per-core performance and support for PCIe expansion, remains well-suited to users running lighter, more focused workloads or who plan to scale via hardware add-ons, such as a 10GbE network card. It still supports a respectable 4 VMs, 60 MailPlus users, and 50 users each for Synology Drive and Office, making it perfectly adequate for small teams or power users who prioritize customization and future expansion. While both CPUs are capable, the DS925+ delivers superior multi-user, multi-tasking performance, aligning closely with higher software thresholds and offering better out-of-the-box readiness for more demanding and concurrent applications across Synology’s DSM suite.

• R1600 (DS923+) excels in single-core performance (better for fast app responsiveness and lighter workloads).

• V1500B (DS925+) dominates in multi-core performance (better for multitasking, virtualization, and heavier parallel tasks).

• The V1500B also has more PCIe lanes (16 vs 8), which may benefit systems with more storage or networking needs.

Synology DS925+ vs DS923+ – Software Specifications

Beyond hardware, the real power of a NAS lies in what it enables users to do—and that’s where software specifications take center stage. Synology’s DSM (DiskStation Manager) operating system unlocks a vast suite of applications and services, from virtualization and backup to media streaming, file sharing, and surveillance. However, the scope and scale of these capabilities are directly influenced by the underlying system hardware and memory architecture. Let’s compare the software capabilities of the Synology DS925+ and DS923+, not just in terms of what each system can technically support, but how far each can be pushed in real-world use. We examine backup limits, virtual machine support, hybrid cloud services, user and group management, surveillance channel support, and more—offering a complete picture of each system’s software potential under DSM 7.2.

While both the Synology DS925+ and DS923+ run the same robust DSM software and offer access to the full Synology ecosystem, their software ceilings differ significantly—reflecting the difference in overall system capability. The DS925+ consistently supports higher concurrent workloads across nearly every category. It enables up to 8 virtual machines, compared to just 4 on the DS923+, and supports double the Virtual DSM instances. It also allows for more Synology Chat users (150 vs 100), more Synology Office and Drive users (80 vs 50), and handles twice the VPN connections (8 vs 4). For collaborative environments, this means smoother performance when multiple users are accessing files, editing documents, or messaging in real time. It’s also more equipped for enterprise use with double the number of Shared Folder Sync tasks and higher MailPlus user capacity (90 vs 60 users), making it ideal for larger teams or more demanding deployment scenarios.

Meanwhile, the DS923+ still provides an impressive software suite, especially considering its smaller hardware footprint. It supports all major DSM features—Snapshot Replication, Hyper Backup, High Availability, Surveillance Station, and more—making it a solid choice for small businesses or power users who may not need the extended capacity but still want rich functionality. Its support for 10GbE upgrades via PCIe also allows for flexible scaling, even if its base configuration starts at a lower software threshold. The DS925+ is better suited for multi-user environments, heavier workloads, and broader deployment, while the DS923+ is ideal for lighter workflows, cost-sensitive setups, or users planning to grow into the system gradually. Understanding these software limitations and allowances is key to choosing the right NAS for your workload, user count, and future planning.

• The DS925+ outperforms the DS923+ in:

  • Max volume size (up to 200 TB with RAM upgrade)

  • SMB connections

  • Shared folder sync tasks

  • Synology Chat users

  • MailPlus users

  • Synology Drive & Office users

  • Virtual machines and VPN connections

• The DS923+ has an edge only in volume count, supporting 64 internal volumes vs 32.

Synology DS925+ vs DS923+ NAS – Hard Drive and SSD Compatibility

As of this writing, Synology is taking a more restrictive stance on third-party drive support, especially with the introduction of its 2025 hardware series—including the DS925+. Since launching its own branded SSDs and HDDs in 2020–2021, Synology has steadily reduced the number of third-party drives listed as compatible with DSM. This trend escalated with DSM 7.1 in 2022, which introduced warning states for systems using unverified drives.

Although the impact of these warnings was later reduced, Synology has continued moving toward a locked-down storage ecosystem. The DS925+ marks a significant escalation. At launch, it only lists Synology-branded drives as compatible, and more critically, the system will not allow DSM initialization at all if unsupported drives are detected. This is a sharp departure from earlier practices where unverified drives merely triggered warnings post-setup. Despite sharing identical internal hardware with earlier NAS models from 2020 and 2023—which still support a wide range of drives from Seagate, WD, Toshiba, Samsung, and others—the DS925+ now enforces this compatibility policy at the firmware level.

In contrast, the DS923+ remains more flexible. While it will flag third-party drives as “unverified,” it still allows users to fully initialize the system, create storage pools, and access all DSM storage services without restriction. This flexibility makes the DS923+ a more appealing option for users who already own or prefer third-party HDDs and SSDs, particularly in regions where Synology’s own media is either overpriced or hard to source. Compounding the issue is the lack of clarity around Synology’s rollout. The policy was first disclosed on Synology’s German site and remains vaguely worded on the official DS925+ product page. There’s still no definitive answer on whether compatibility will expand to include major third-party brands—raising concern for system integrators, resellers, and first-time buyers.

If Synology’s goal is to ensure higher reliability through tighter integration, it should match that with transparent testing data, global pricing consistency, and readily available stock. In many regions, Synology drives are neither as accessible nor as competitively priced as third-party equivalents, which makes this policy feel restrictive rather than protective. While existing users can still migrate third-party drives from an older NAS into a DS925+, this is of little comfort to new buyers building from scratch. And the inconsistency with the DS923+—which continues to operate under the older, more open approach—only adds to user confusion. Synology appears to be transitioning toward a closed appliance model, where software, hardware, and media are tightly controlled. Whether this delivers long-term benefits or alienates a portion of its user base remains to be seen. For now, the DS925+ presents both a warning and a decision point for those evaluating their next NAS—especially if they rely on third-party drives.

Synology DS925+ vs DS923+ NAS – Which Should You Buy?

The DS923+ is a NAS system that, when first launched by Synology at the end of 2022, was met with mixed reactions. This was largely due to Synology shifting the system’s focus away from multimedia and GPU-accelerated tasks, and instead toward file processing and business-oriented deployments. Fast forward a few years, and the rest of Synology’s portfolio has realigned—bringing back more home and multimedia models—making this more utilitarian, file-centric 4-bay system easier for users to appreciate in context. That said, the DS925+ is the better choice in almost every way. It features a processor originally designed for higher-tier business-class systems, offering more cores, more threads, and greater performance potential across productivity tasks and multi-user workloads. Synology has also finally introduced 2.5GbE on this system—an overdue improvement that significantly enhances out-of-the-box network speeds compared to the 1GbE-only DS923+. As long as the DS925+ is priced within a reasonable 5% margin of the DS923+’s original launch price, it stands as the more capable system by default. However, it does come with a notable caveat: the lack of a 10GbE upgrade option. Unlike the DS923+, which includes a PCIe Gen3 x2 slot allowing for a future 10GbE NIC upgrade, the DS925+ is capped at its built-in 2.5GbE ports. While this still provides a theoretical 6Gbps of total bandwidth across both ports via link aggregation, it means there’s no room for expansion beyond that ceiling. This limitation becomes particularly relevant for users planning to fully populate the NAS with high-performance SATA SSDs or utilize M.2 SSD storage pools. In these cases, the network will eventually become a bottleneck—one that the DS923+ can avoid through its 10GbE upgrade path. Additionally, the DS923+ supports a wider range of third-party HDDs and SSDs, allowing greater flexibility and cost control, especially in regions where Synology-branded drives are less available or more expensive. The DS923+ will still let you initialize, create storage pools, and run DSM services using unverified third-party drives, unlike the DS925+, which now enforces stricter media validation at the OS level.

Reasons to Buy the Synology DS923+

Reasons to Buy the Synology DS925+

Faster 2.5GbE Networking Out-of-the-Box – Dual 2.5GbE ports offer higher baseline network speeds (up to 6Gbps aggregated), doubling the network performance compared to the DS923+ without requiring expansion cards. More Powerful Processor (More Cores/Threads) – The V1500B CPU offers 4 cores and 8 threads, delivering superior multitasking and heavier workload handling, especially for virtual machines, multiple users, and simultaneous services. Quieter Operation – The DS925+ operates at a lower idle noise level (20.5 dB vs 22.9 dB), making it better suited for office, home office, or studio environments where sound matters. Higher User and Service Limits – Thanks to the more powerful CPU, the DS925+ supports more Synology Drive users, Synology Office users, Synology Chat users, more concurrent SMB connections, and more virtual machines than the DS923+. Better Out-of-the-Box Experience – With stronger networking, higher multi-threaded performance, and no need for immediate upgrades, the DS925+ is ready to deliver higher performance without any additional investment, perfect for users who want maximum capability from day one.

PCIe Expansion for 10GbE Upgrades – The DS923+ features a PCIe Gen3 x2 slot, allowing users to install a 10GbE network card later, massively boosting network speeds beyond the built-in 1GbE ports. Broader 3rd-Party Drive Compatibility – Unlike the DS925+, the DS923+ allows full system initialization, storage pool creation, and DSM services even with non-Synology hard drives and SSDs—giving users more flexibility and choice. Lower Power Consumption and Heat Output – The DS923+ is slightly more energy-efficient in both active use and hibernation modes, making it a better fit for always-on environments where power savings add up over time. Potentially Lower Price (Especially Post-DS925+ Launch) – As the newer DS925+ replaces it, the DS923+ is likely to see discounts and wider availability, offering excellent value for budget-conscious users without sacrificing capability. Ideal for Customization and Long-Term Scalability – With the ability to upgrade the network, use a wider range of drives, and maintain full DSM functionality, the DS923+ is better suited for users who plan to evolve their setup over time.

In practical terms, the DS925+ is the stronger out-of-the-box choice, especially for users who value simplicity, improved default performance, and do not anticipate needing higher-than-2.5GbE networking down the line. However, the long-term value proposition becomes murkier when you factor in the DS923+’s PCIe expansion, broader drive compatibility, and the potential price drops that will follow its ageing status in Synology’s lineup. In short, the DS925+ is the better NAS on day one—more powerful, faster, and quieter. But if you’re planning for day 1,000, it’s worth pausing to consider whether the expandability and media flexibility of the DS923+ may be a better fit for your storage and networking needs over the next five to seven years.

Synology DS925+ NAS		Synology DS923+ NAS
Check Amazon in Your Region for the Synology DS925+ NAS	Check B&H for the Synology DS925+ NAS	Check Amazon in Your Region for the Synology DS923+ NAS	Check B&H for the Synology DS923+ NAS

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Synology a officiellement annoncé son nouveau NAS : DS1525+. Même s’il n’est pas encore disponible à la vente, ses spécifications techniques sont désormais connues. Vous nous avez demandé ce qu’apporte ce modèle face à son prédécesseur, le DS1522+. Voici donc un comparatif pour vous aider à faire un choix éclairé….

DS1525+ vs DS1522+

Les DS1525+ et DS1522+ se positionnent dans le haut de gamme grand public chez Synology. Ils disposent de 5 emplacements en façade pour disques durs ou SSD, ainsi que de 2 emplacements SSD NVMe situés sous le châssis (pour du cache ou comme volumes de stockage).

Ils peuvent également accueillir 2 unités d’expansion de 5 baies, permettant d’atteindre un total de 15 disques. À noter que le DS1525+ introduit une nouveauté : la prise en charge du DX525, une nouvelle unité d’extension connectée en USB-C.

Processeur

Synology poursuit l’intégration de processeurs AMD Ryzen dans ses NAS. Le DS1525+ embarque un Ryzen V1500B (quad-core à 2,2 GHz), en remplacement du Ryzen R1600 (dual-core à 2,6 GHz de base, 3,1 GHz en boost) du DS1522+. Ce changement est similaire à ce qu’on a observé sur les modèles DS925+ et DS923+.

Le nouveau processeur (sortie 2018) apporte un gain de performances, en particulier en multitâche. En revanche, aucun des 2 modèles ne dispose d’iGPU, ce qui limitera les capacités de transcodage vidéo matériel.

Mémoire ECC

Les 2 NAS intègrent 8 Go de mémoire DDR4 ECC, extensible jusqu’à 32 Go. C’est un bon point, surtout comparé au DS925+ livré avec seulement 4 Go. La mémoire ECC permet de corriger automatiquement certaines erreurs et d’améliorer la stabilité, même si son intérêt reste limité sur un NAS ne reposant pas sur ZFS.

Connectique

Le DS1525+ gagne 2 port USB Type-C et 2 ports réseau 2,5 Gb/s. C’est la grande nouveauté de la gamme DSx25+, trop longtemps attendu.
Aussi, contrairement au DS925+, le DS1525+ conserve l’emplacement pour la carte réseau 10 Gb/s (en option). Cette dernière permet d’atteindre jusqu’à 1181 Mo/s en lecture et 1180 Mo/s en écriture séquentielle, selon Synology.

Politique de compatibilité plus stricte

Le point noir reste la restriction sur les disques certifiés. Synology impose l’utilisation de modèles validés suivant un cahier des charges très stricte. A l’heure actuelle, aucun disque n’est encore officiellement compatible avec la série DSx25+… sauf les disques Synology. Une contrainte qui risque de rebuter certains utilisateurs souhaitant réutiliser leurs propres disques.

Tableau comparatif DS1525+ vs DS1522+

En synthèse

Le DS1525+ est une légère évolution du DS1522+. Certes, il y a quelques améliorations, comme le processeur et les ports réseau 2,5 Gb/s… mais le Multi-Gig était déjà possible grâce à l’ajout d’une carte 10 Gb/s.  Avec sa nouvelle politique de disques certifiés, pas sur ce que ce nouveau NAS trouve sa place.

Certains utilisateurs lui préféreront le DS1522+ avec son prix affiché actuellement à environ 757 €.

Synology vient d’annoncer l’arrivée prochaine de 2 nouveaux NAS : DS1525+ et DS1825+. Ces modèles font partie de la nouvelle génération DSx25+. Au programme : un processeur AMD Ryzen V1500B, 8 Go de RAM DDR4 ECC, 2 ports réseau 2,5 Gb/s et…

Synology DS1525+ et DS1825+

Les nouveaux NAS DS1525+ et DS1825+ partagent beaucoup de points communs. Tout d’abord, ils possèdent respectivement 5 et 8 baies en façade et 2 emplacements NVMe pour des SSD (accessibles par le dessous). Ils pourront chacun recevoir jusqu’à 2 unités d’expansion (DX525) pour ajouter 2*5 baies supplémentaires.

Ils sont construits autour du processeur Quad Core AMD Ryzen V1500B cadencé à 2,2 GHz, épaulé par 8 Go de RAM en DDR4 ECC (extensible jusqu’à 32 Go). Oui, c’est le même que le DS925+ ou les anciens DS1621+ et DS1821+.

Connectivité et évolutivité

Le DS1525+ vient remplacer le DS1522+, alors que le DS1825+ remplace le DS1821+…

DS1525+

Au niveau de la connectique, le DS1525+ propose : 2 ports USB 3.0 (dont un à l’avant), 2 ports USB Type-C (pour les unités d’expansion), 2 ports réseau 2,5 GbE… et 1 emplacement PCIe Gen 3 permettant de recevoir la mini-carte 10 Gb/s (E10G22-T1-Mini).

Souvenez-vous, nous avions apprécié son arrivée avec le DS923+… avant de voir l’emplacement disparaitre avec le DS925+.

DS1825+

Du côté du DS1825+, ce dernier dispose : 3 ports USB 3.0 (dont un à l’avant), 2 ports USB Type-C (pour les unités d’expansion), 2 ports réseau 2,5 GbE… et 1 emplacement PCIe Gen 3 x8 permettant de recevoir une carte réseau (1* 10 Gb/s, 2* 10 Gb/s ou encore 2* 25 Gb/s). À noter que ce modèle dispose également d’une alimentation interne, contrairement aux DS1525+ et DS925+.

Politique restrictive

Avec la série DSx25+, Synology applique une politique de compatibilité stricte. Si vous installez des SSD ou disques durs non listés, le système affiche des alertes, peut désactiver le cache NVMe ou refuser la création d’un volume. Synology limite ainsi l’usage de marques tierces comme Seagate IronWolf ou WD Red. Seul les produits Synology pour l’heure compatible avec les NAS Synology. Cette démarche, présentée comme un gage de fiabilité, se traduit par un surcoût et réduit la liberté de mise à niveau pour tous.

Synology va devoir jouer la carte de la transparence et fournir rapidement une liste de disques certifiés… autre que ses propres disques.

Prix et disponibilité

Au moment où nous écrivons ces lignes, Synology n’a pas encore fourni de date officielle de sortie. Ce devrait arriver très rapidement, avant le Computex. Aucun prix n’a pour le moment fuité. Nous ne manquerons pas de modifier cet article le moment venu.

Pour en savoir plus sur ces nouveaux produits, rendez-vous sur les pages du DS1525+ et DS1825+…

UGREEN Headquarters in Shenzhen, China – NAS Plans, Company Culture, R&D and More

As part of a week-long visit to Shenzhen to better understand the operations behind some of the rising tech brands in China, I arranged a tour of UGREEN’s headquarters. The visit was not sponsored or paid for by UGREEN, nor was I invited by them directly. It was simply part of a wider initiative to learn more about the companies producing network storage hardware that is increasingly popular in Western markets. Although UGREEN previously sponsored a separate video about their NAS hardware, this trip was independently funded and organized. I spent roughly four to five hours across several buildings at their primary site in Longzhen Industrial Park, Guangdong Province, gaining insight into their development process, support infrastructure, and product plans.

So, what do we know about UGREEN Online already? ​Founded in 2012 by Zhang Qingsen in Shenzhen, China, UGREEN began as an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) producing data cables for international brands. Recognizing the potential for greater innovation and brand identity, Zhang transitioned the company from OEM services to establishing UGREEN as an independent brand. The company specializes in a wide range of consumer electronics, including USB hardware, charging devices, audio equipment, and mobile accessories. Over the years, UGREEN has expanded its presence to over 100 countries, earning a reputation for delivering high-quality, affordable products. The company’s commitment to research and development, design, manufacturing, and brand marketing has solidified its position as a global leader in the consumer electronics market

UGREEN’s operation is spread across four main buildings, each with a distinct purpose: international and domestic marketing, customer support, and research and development. Most of my time was spent in the R&D building and parts of the customer service center.

The first area I visited was their product showroom, a space clearly designed for internal partners and B2B visitors rather than public foot traffic. The showroom featured one of every UGREEN product, including several items not yet announced publicly, with placeholders on the shelves suggesting upcoming Thunderbolt 5 and new NAS models.

Staffing levels across the buildings seemed consistent with what you’d expect from a company scaling into premium storage solutions. I counted around 40 to 50 people in support and R&D departments alone, with visible crossover between teams. The support center operated in what appeared to be a traditional open-office structure, with teams seated in long desk arrays. While I couldn’t film this area due to consent concerns (and was provided with some official footage), the impression was of a well-staffed, professional operation. Observing lunch break foot traffic—easily 60 or 70 people exiting en masse—it became clear that UGREEN’s core NAS and support teams were substantial and not limited to a token few.

One of my central questions going into the visit was about UGREEN’s approach to support. Network-attached storage is a 24/7 solution for most users and competes with both premium and open-source platforms. I was particularly interested in how UGREEN intended to position themselves with regard to long-term reliability and assistance. Their answer was partly logistical—dedicated support staffing—and partly software-focused. In discussions with their development team, it was apparent that software enhancements are now a priority following their initial hardware deployment. One example discussed was the demand for iSCSI support, which has been slower to arrive due to regional differences in usage habits.

UGREEN’s proprietary NAS OS, UOS, is based on development efforts that began with Chinese-market NAS solutions around 2020. With the newer DXP series expanding into international markets, UOS has been undergoing rapid westernization. There was a candid discussion about cultural and user-base differences that caught the team off-guard—particularly in the importance of specific protocol support and integrations. While I signed an NDA preventing me from disclosing every part of the roadmap, the general message was that the next two years will focus primarily on maturing the UOS software stack, including AI-driven features, broader language support, and improved cross-platform expansion options.

A significant portion of the discussion centered around hardware expansion. UGREEN has developed a range of DAS (direct-attached storage) solutions, many of which are still only available in China, but which they intend to integrate more fully with their NAS lineup globally and serve as NAS expansion devices. USB4 and Thunderbolt connectivity is also in active development, with Windows support reportedly complete but ongoing issues with macOS integration delaying a broader release.

These updates were presented not as future aspirations but as active, iterative engineering challenges currently underway, which aligns with the company’s overall stated intention of refining rather than rushing.

Arguably the most distinctive part of the visit was the NAS Lab—a dedicated test space designed to simulate real-world deployment scenarios. Unlike many brands that showcase NAS capabilities in tightly controlled demo booths or static displays at trade shows, UGREEN has constructed multiple functioning environments: a home media suite, an office collaboration space, and a creative studio tailored to video editing.

These setups are used internally to identify pain points in both hardware and software by replicating user workflows in a live, interactive context. It was clear from the walkthrough that this lab is an active part of their development cycle and not just a showroom for visitors.

These test suites enabled the company to simulate multi-user environments, such as households streaming content while backups run in parallel or video editors accessing high-bitrate files remotely. The lab also helps visualize inefficiencies and inconsistencies in system deployment, such as UI design issues or performance bottlenecks in hybrid-use cases.

Such testing environments are more commonly found in laptop and mobile device labs but are rare in the NAS world, especially at this price tier. It added credibility to UGREEN’s claims of wanting to provide a more seamless and flexible user experience.

During the visit, I was repeatedly shown signs of a long-term strategy. While some early criticisms of UGREEN’s NAS rollout remain valid—particularly around the initial reliance on crowdfunding and uneven software features—the team seemed aware of these issues and determined to address them. There was no indication of a short product lifecycle.

In fact, staff emphasized that the current DXP models are not expected to receive a hardware refresh for at least two years. The focus in that window will be firmware updates, compatibility expansions, and building out features. The overarching message was clear: UGREEN wants to be seen as a top-tier NAS vendor within the next 3 to 5 years.

UGREEN is clearly taking its NAS division seriously. While this visit offered a curated look at their operations—something to be expected with any factory tour—the underlying infrastructure and approach felt well-considered. Unlike many brands that rely on OEM or white-label models, UGREEN appears to be building their NAS solutions from the ground up.

While the company didn’t confirm or deny third-party manufacturing partnerships, the focus on in-house software, R&D-heavy staffing, and direct integration of their own accessory ecosystem suggests a vertically integrated model. Based on what I observed, UGREEN isn’t simply experimenting with NAS—they’re actively investing in it as a long-term product category. Their roadmap may still be evolving, and the software isn’t yet on par with incumbents like Synology or QNAP, but their forward-looking approach and resource commitment imply they’re in it for the long haul.

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Le marché des NAS s’enrichit avec 2 nouvelles propositions chez Aoostar : les NAS WTR Pro. Ces boîtiers 4 baies se déclinent en 2 versions, l’une équipée d’un processeur Intel N100, l’autre d’un AMD Ryzen 7. Ces solutions venues de Chine associent les fonctionnalités avancées d’un NAS à la polyvalence d’un mini-PC, tout en affichant un positionnement tarifaire agressif…

WTR Pro : 2 NAS polyvalents

L’Aoostar WTR Pro est un boîtier 4 baies compatible avec des disques durs ou SSD SATA. Il dispose également d’un emplacement NVMe, livré avec un SSD de 512 Go pour installer le système d’exploitation de votre choix : Windows, TrueNAS, OpenMediaVault, etc.

Aoostar WTR Pro (N100)

La première version embarque un processeur Intel N100 Quad-Core cadencé à 1,8 GHz (mode Burst jusqu’à 3,4 GHz), accompagné de 16 Go de RAM DDR4. À noter que le fabricant indique que cette dernière peut être étendue à 32 Go, alors qu’Intel indique 16 Go maximum.

Son format compact (22,8 x 15 x 18,5 cm) et sa faible consommation électrique en font un choix intéressant.

Aoostar WTR Pro (Ryzen 7)

La seconde version s’appuie sur un AMD Ryzen 7 5825U Octo-Core cadencé à 2 GHz (mode Burst jusqu’à 4,5 GHz), épaulé par 16 Go de RAM DDR4 (extensible jusqu’à 64 Go). Cette configuration cible les utilisateurs exigeants, notamment pour le multitâche et la virtualisation. A noter que le processeur dispose d’un iGPU.

WTR Pro et connectique

Côté interface de connexion, ils embarquent tous les deux : 2 ports Ethernet 2,5 GbE, 2 ports USB 2.0, 2 ports USB 3.0, 1 port USB 3.0 Type-C, 1 emplacement micro-SD, 1 prise casque 3,5 mm, ainsi que 1 sortie audio-vidéo HDMI 2.1 et 1 DisplayPort.

Chose importante et qui surprend, c’est que tous les ports sont accessibles sur le côté du NAS. Pas sur le devant ou à l’arrière, non… sur le côté.

Prix et disponibilité

Proposé à environ 390€, le NAS Aoostar WTR Pro N100 se place nettement en dessous des modèles équivalents d’autres fabricants. Il est disponible immédiatement. Pour l’Aoostar WTR Pro Ryzen, son prix démarre à 470€ et devrait être disponible à la fin du mois. Attention, ces produits étant importés de Chine, il convient d’ajouter d’éventuels droits de douane.

Merci FlyDutch

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Synology DS1825+ NAS Revealed – New 8 Bay NAS on the Block

Synology has quietly launched the new DS1825+ NAS, an 8-bay desktop solution aimed at prosumers, creative professionals, and small businesses in need of high-capacity, high-reliability network storage. Replacing the 2020-era DS1821+, this new model has debuted across eastern markets including Taiwan, Japan, China, and Australia, with broader availability expected within the coming month. While the DS1825+ shares the same AMD Ryzen V1500B processor as its predecessor, it introduces meaningful upgrades in system memory, network connectivity, and expansion port design. This release also reflects Synology’s increasingly closed hardware ecosystem approach, particularly in terms of drive compatibility. With pricing expected to be similar to the DS1821+—around $999 to $1099 USD—the DS1825+ positions itself as an incremental yet strategically significant refresh in Synology’s “Plus” lineup.

Synology DS1825+ NAS – Hardware Specifications

The DS1825+ is powered by the AMD Ryzen V1500B, a quad-core, 64-bit processor running at 2.2 GHz. This is the same CPU used in the DS1821+, and while it lacks a performance boost on paper, it continues to deliver reliable, multi-threaded performance suited for virtualization, large file transfers, and simultaneous user workloads. The system comes with 8 GB of DDR4 ECC SODIMM memory pre-installed, up from 4 GB in the DS1821+, and supports up to 32 GB across two slots. ECC memory adds an additional layer of data protection by automatically correcting memory errors—a key consideration for business-critical environments.

Component	Specification
CPU	AMD Ryzen V1500B (4-core, 64-bit, 2.2 GHz)
Memory (Pre-installed)	8 GB DDR4 ECC SODIMM (1 × 8 GB)
Memory (Max Capacity)	32 GB (2 × 16 GB)
Drive Bays	8 × 3.5″/2.5″ SATA HDD/SSD (Hot-swappable, except M.2)
M.2 NVMe Slots	2 × M.2 2280 NVMe SSD (for caching or storage pools, Synology drives only)
Max Drive Bays (with Expansion)	18 (with 2 × DX525 via USB-C)
LAN Ports	2 × 2.5GbE RJ-45 (Link Aggregation / Failover supported)
USB Ports	3 × USB 3.2 Gen 1
Expansion Ports	2 × USB Type-C (for DX525 expansion units)
PCIe Slot	1 × PCIe Gen3 x8 (x4 link)
Cooling	2 × 120 mm fans (user-replaceable; Full-Speed, Cool, Quiet modes)
Power Supply	Internal 250W PSU
Power Consumption	60.1W (Access) / 18.34W (HDD Hibernation)
Noise Level	23.8 dB(A) (Idle with Synology drives)
Dimensions (H × W × D)	166 mm × 343 mm × 243 mm
Weight	6.0 kg
Operating Temperature	0°C to 40°C
Drive Compatibility	Only Synology-verified HDDs and SSDs supported for full functionality

In terms of connectivity and expansion, the DS1825+ introduces two 2.5GbE RJ-45 LAN ports, replacing the older model’s four 1GbE ports. This change offers significantly higher throughput potential out of the box, particularly for multi-user environments or those running link aggregation. For further scalability, the unit includes one PCIe Gen3 x8 slot (x4 link), which supports 10GbE or 25GbE network interface cards. Additionally, Synology has swapped out the traditional eSATA expansion ports in favor of two USB-C-based connectors, used to link up to two DX525 expansion units, increasing total drive support to 18 bays.

Drive flexibility is offered through eight 3.5”/2.5” SATA drive bays and two M.2 2280 NVMe slots for SSD caching or storage pools – though we will return to the subject of just how flexible drives are in this system in a wee bit. The NVMe slots are not hot-swappable and are positioned internally, but provide a route for improving IOPS performance. Two 120mm fans handle cooling with configurable profiles, and the system operates at an idle noise level of 23.8 dB(A), slightly louder than the DS1821+ but still relatively quiet for an 8-bay desktop NAS. The DS1825+ also retains a 250W power supply, with typical access power consumption rated at 60.1W.

Synology DS1825+ NAS – DSM Software Specifications

The DS1825+ runs Synology’s DiskStation Manager (DSM), a Linux-based operating system that brings a wide array of software features designed for both home and business environments. Core functionalities include Synology Drive, which supports up to 100 users for cloud-style file syncing and sharing, and Synology Office, which enables real-time collaborative editing across documents, spreadsheets, and slides with similar user caps. For data protection, Snapshot Replication allows up to 256 snapshots per shared folder and 4,096 total system snapshots, while Hyper Backup and Active Backup for Business provide comprehensive options for client and server backups. Surveillance Station is also included with two default IP camera licenses and supports up to 40 1080p or 4K streams, depending on codec and frame rate, making it suitable for medium-scale surveillance setups.

One area where the DS1825+ makes a notable shift is in its storage pool policies. While the M.2 NVMe SSD slots can be used to create dedicated storage pools in addition to cache, this functionality is locked behind strict hardware validation. Only Synology-certified drives—specifically the SNV3400 series—are permitted for this role. This tighter integration may offer improved thermal management and reliability assurances but represents a step away from the broader compatibility seen in previous Plus-series devices.

Synology DS1825+ NAS vs the DS1821+ NAS

At first glance, the DS1825+ and DS1821+ appear nearly identical in core architecture, both using the AMD Ryzen V1500B processor and offering 8 drive bays with optional expansion to 18. However, the DS1825+ introduces several hardware-level improvements that cater to modern network environments. These include a bump in default RAM from 4 GB to 8 GB, upgraded LAN ports from four 1GbE to two 2.5GbE, and a shift from eSATA to USB-C-based expansion for DX525 units. These changes may not result in dramatically different performance under all conditions but do reflect a push toward better bandwidth utilization and a more consolidated hardware platform. Additionally, while the PCIe slot remains the same (Gen3 x8, x4 link), users looking to upgrade to 10GbE or 25GbE networking will benefit from increased LAN speed potential out of the box.

Category	Synology DS1821+	Synology DS1825+
CPU	AMD Ryzen V1500B (4-core, 2.2 GHz)	AMD Ryzen V1500B (4-core, 2.2 GHz)
System Memory (Default)	4 GB DDR4 ECC SODIMM	8 GB DDR4 ECC SODIMM
Max Memory	32 GB (2 × 16 GB)	32 GB (2 × 16 GB)
Drive Bays	8 × 3.5″/2.5″ SATA (Hot-swappable)	8 × 3.5″/2.5″ SATA (Hot-swappable)
Expansion Support	Up to 18 drives (2 × DX517 via eSATA)	Up to 18 drives (2 × DX525 via USB-C)
M.2 NVMe Slots	2 × M.2 2280 (cache only)	2 × M.2 2280 (cache or storage pools, Synology SSDs only)
LAN Ports	4 × 1GbE RJ-45	2 × 2.5GbE RJ-45
USB Ports	4 × USB 3.2 Gen 1	3 × USB 3.2 Gen 1
Expansion Ports	2 × eSATA	2 × USB Type-C
PCIe Slot	1 × PCIe Gen3 x8 (x4 link)	1 × PCIe Gen3 x8 (x4 link)
Cooling	2 × 120mm fans	2 × 120mm fans
Power Supply	250W internal	250W internal
Power Consumption (Access)	59.8W	60.1W
Power Consumption (HDD Hibernation)	26.18W	18.34W
Noise Level (Idle)	22.2 dB(A)	23.8 dB(A)
Dimensions (H × W × D)	166 × 343 × 243 mm	166 × 343 × 243 mm
Weight	6.0 kg	6.0 kg
Drive Compatibility	Broad third-party drive support (with warnings)	Only Synology-verified drives supported

That said, the DS1825+ introduces certain trade-offs compared to its predecessor. While the DS1821+ maintained broader compatibility with third-party hard drives and SSDs, including full DSM functionality even with unverified drives, the DS1825+ enforces a stricter hardware compatibility policy. As a result, users are now limited to Synology-verified drives for core functions like volume creation and SSD caching. This shift may benefit system reliability and warranty alignment but could deter users with existing non-Synology storage media or those seeking cost-effective alternatives. Moreover, while the DS1825+ enables a higher potential single-volume size (200 TB with expanded memory), it actually reduces the number of internal volumes from 64 to 32, which may be a consideration for more advanced or segmented storage environments.

Category	DS1821+	DS1825+
DSM Version	DSM 7.2+	DSM 7.2+
Max Internal Volumes	64	32 ▼ Reduced
Max Single Volume Size	108 TB	200 TB (requires 32 GB RAM) ▲ Increased
M.2 SSD Storage Pools	Not supported	Supported (Synology NVMe only) ▲ Added
Third-Party Drive Support	Allowed (with warning banners)	Blocked during DSM install ▼ Restricted
Snapshot Replication	256 per folder / 4,096 total	256 per folder / 4,096 total
Synology Drive Users	110 ▲	100 ▼
Synology Office Users	110 ▲	100 ▼
Virtual Machines (VMM)	Up to 8 VM/Virtual DSM instances	Up to 8 VM/Virtual DSM instances
Surveillance Station Support	Up to 40 IP cameras (4K H.265: 480 FPS)	Up to 40 IP cameras (4K H.265: 480 FPS)
SMB Connections (RAM Expanded)	60	60
Hybrid Share Folders	10	10
High Availability Support	Supported	Supported
Snapshot / Backup Tools	Full support for Hyper Backup, Active Backup, Snapshot Replication	Full support for Hyper Backup, Active Backup, Snapshot Replication
Virtualization Integration	VMware vSphere, Windows Server, Citrix, OpenStack	VMware vSphere, Windows Server, Citrix, OpenStack
RAID Support	SHR, JBOD, RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10	SHR, JBOD, RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10
Syslog Throughput	1,000 events/sec	1,000 events/sec
Protocols Supported	SMB1/2/3, NFSv3/v4.1, FTP, WebDAV, Rsync, iSCSI, HTTP/HTTPS, SNMP, LDAP	SMB1/2/3, NFSv3/v4.1, FTP, WebDAV, Rsync, iSCSI, HTTP/HTTPS, SNMP, LDAP

Synology DS1825+ NAS – Hard Drive Compatibility

With the release of the DS1825+, Synology has fully adopted its stricter hardware validation policy, significantly limiting support for third-party hard drives and SSDs. Unlike earlier models such as the DS1821+, which allowed DSM installation and storage pool creation with non-verified drives (albeit with warning messages), the DS1825+ enforces compatibility checks at the system level. Currently, only Synology-branded drives — such as the HAT3300 and HAT5300 series HDDs, and the SAT5200 and SNV3400 SSDs — are included on the official compatibility list. Attempts to install DSM with unverified HDDs, including popular models like the Seagate IronWolf and WD Red Plus, result in a complete block at initialization. There is no option to bypass or ignore these restrictions, and DSM will not proceed past setup when such drives are detected.

This strict policy has also been observed during storage expansion and migration. Migrated volumes from older Synology systems using unverified drives will still mount successfully on the DS1825+, allowing users to retain access to their data. However, the DSM interface will persistently display warnings, error icons, and status alerts across the Storage Manager and system health panels.

Feature / Function	Pre-2025 Synology NAS<br>(e.g., DS1821+, DS920+, DS923+)	2025 Synology NAS<br>(e.g., DS1825+, DS925+, DS1525+)
DSM Installation – Verified Drives	Full support	Full support
DSM Installation – Non-Verified Drives	Allowed (with warnings)	Blocked completely
Drive Migration (Non-Verified Drives)	Fully functional, minor alerts	Works, but shows persistent warnings
Storage Pool Creation – Verified Drives	Fully supported	Fully supported
Storage Pool Creation – Non-Verified Drives	Allowed (with warnings)	Blocked
Storage Pool Expansion – Verified Drives	Fully supported	Fully supported
Storage Pool Expansion – Non-Verified Drives	Allowed (mixed arrays supported)	Blocked – drives flagged as incompatible
Hot Spare Assignment – Verified Drives	Fully supported	Fully supported
Hot Spare Assignment – Non-Verified Drives	Allowed	Blocked
RAID Recovery – Verified Drives	Supported	Supported
RAID Recovery – Non-Verified Drives	Supported	Blocked – system will not rebuild with unverified media
M.2 NVMe Cache – Synology SSDs	Supported	Supported
M.2 NVMe Cache – 3rd Party SSDs	Supported	Blocked
M.2 NVMe Storage Pools – Synology SSDs	Not supported	Supported
M.2 NVMe Storage Pools – 3rd Party SSDs	Not supported	Blocked
SMART Monitoring – Verified Drives	Full support	Full support
SMART Monitoring – Non-Verified Drives	Full support	Limited or blocked (TBC)
Storage Manager Alerts – Non-Verified Drives	Warnings, dismissible	Persistent, cannot be cleared
Overall Compatibility Flexibility	High – mix-and-match drives allowed	Low – walled-garden enforcement

These alerts cannot be dismissed or suppressed, and while they do not affect system operation, they may be problematic for less technical users or managed IT environments. Furthermore, expanding an existing storage pool with unverified drives is no longer allowed — even if the new drives are identical to those already in use. Tests confirm that DSM will refuse to integrate non-listed drives into a pool, issue compatibility errors for hot spare assignments, and block recovery attempts for degraded arrays using unverified media.

One exception, as currently observed in testing, involves SATA SSDs. While unverified 3.5” HDDs are completely blocked from use during initialization, certain non-Synology SATA SSDs can still be used to install DSM or create volumes. These drives are flagged with warnings post-installation, but DSM allows the setup to proceed. That said, these SSDs also carry ongoing status alerts, and users cannot combine them with verified HDDs in mixed arrays or use them to expand verified pools. M.2 NVMe support is even more restrictive — only Synology SNV-series SSDs are accepted for either caching or pool creation, and all third-party models are entirely blocked. For now, users relying on legacy or third-party drives face a clear trade-off: adopt Synology’s ecosystem fully or accept a range of functional and visual limitations that reduce overall flexibility.

Synology DS1825+ NAS – Price and Release

The Synology DS1825+ is currently available only in select eastern regions, including Taiwan, Japan, China, and Australia, with broader global availability expected to follow within the next few weeks. Based on current distribution information, retail listings, and typical rollout timelines, availability in North America, the UK, and Europe is anticipated by the end of May or early June 2025. While Synology has yet to confirm official regional pricing, early indications suggest the DS1825+ will launch at approximately $999 to $1,099 USD—on par with the original MSRP of the DS1821+. This pricing strategy maintains Synology’s established positioning for its 8-bay “Plus” series NAS models, appealing to both advanced home users and small business environments looking for scalable, reliable storage solutions.

As with recent releases in the 2025 Synology lineup, prospective buyers should pay close attention to official announcements and trusted retailers, particularly in light of increasing emphasis on bundled hardware and reduced third-party flexibility. The DS1825+ introduces modest but meaningful hardware changes—such as default 8GB ECC memory, dual 2.5GbE LAN, and USB-C expansion support—while retaining the same core CPU. Although it lacks a generational leap in processing power, the unit aims to refine the overall platform rather than reinvent it. However, potential buyers should be fully aware of the enforced drive compatibility limitations, which mark a shift from previous models and may impact long-term upgrade plans. For those seeking a dependable NAS with improved baseline specs and tighter integration into the Synology ecosystem, the DS1825+ presents a balanced, if slightly more controlled, successor.

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The Synology DS1525+ NAS is Confirmed and Just Overshadowed the DS925+

The Synology DS1525+ NAS represents a significant evolution in the brand’s 5-bay desktop series, bringing forward a more scalable, performance-focused solution aimed at both advanced home users and professional environments. Positioned as a more powerful and versatile alternative to the recently launched DS925+, the DS1525+ is clearly engineered with broader deployment scenarios in mind—from creative professionals handling high-volume media workflows to small businesses seeking reliable virtualization, backup, and collaboration tools. It boasts a modernized hardware foundation, including a Ryzen quad-core processor, 8GB of ECC memory (upgradeable to 32GB), dual M.2 NVMe SSD slots, and native support for 2.5GbE networking—features that now align with the increasing demands for multi-user, high-throughput environments.

Yet the DS1525+ isn’t just about faster networking or raw internal horsepower—it also brings back long-requested upgrade options like 10GbE scalability via a PCIe slot and dual DX525 expansion support for up to 15 drives total. This places the DS1525+ in a much more flexible tier compared to previous 5-bay Synology NAS systems and even challenges some of the lower-end rackmount models in terms of features and performance. With the continuing integration of Synology’s DSM 7.2 platform and a shift in how the brand is enforcing drive compatibility policies in the 2025 generation, the DS1525+ also enters the market during a controversial transition period for the company—something that may significantly influence buying decisions. Whether you’re upgrading from an older DS920+/DS1520+ or looking to deploy a scalable data solution for your home or office, the DS1525+ arrives at a pivotal moment for Synology.

Synology DS1525+ NAS – Hardware Specifications

The Synology DS1525+ brings a refined balance of processing power, memory, connectivity, and scalability that reflects its positioning in the upper end of Synology’s Plus Series. At its core is the AMD Ryzen V1500B processor, a 64-bit quad-core chip running at 2.2GHz with support for hardware encryption and virtualization. While this processor first debuted in Synology’s higher-end SMB models in 2020, its migration to the 5-bay desktop tier represents a welcome boost in capability for power users. It offers significantly more multitasking headroom compared to the dual-core Ryzen R1600 seen in the DS923+, and its support for native virtualization, container workloads, and file services under sustained loads makes it a particularly strong choice for office deployments and edge data processing.

Category	Specification
CPU	AMD Ryzen V1500B, Quad-Core, 2.2 GHz, 64-bit architecture, AES-NI encryption
Memory (Default/Max)	8 GB DDR4 ECC SODIMM (1 × 8 GB) / Up to 32 GB (2 × 16 GB)
Drive Bays	5 × 3.5″/2.5″ SATA HDD/SSD (hot-swappable)
M.2 Slots	2 × M.2 2280 NVMe SSD slots (for caching or storage pools, Synology drives only)
Expansion	Up to 15 drives with 2 × DX525 expansion units
PCIe Slot	1 × PCIe Gen 3 x2 slot (for 10GbE upgrade module E10G22-T1-Mini)
LAN Ports	2 × 2.5GbE RJ-45 (Link Aggregation & Failover support)
USB Ports	2 × USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps)
Cooling	2 × 92mm system fans (auto speed control)
Power Supply	External 100W AC power adapter (100V–240V, 50/60Hz)
Dimensions	166 mm (H) × 230 mm (W) × 223 mm (D)
Weight	2.67 kg (without drives)
Max Volume Size	108 TB (200 TB with 32 GB RAM and Btrfs)
RAID Support	SHR, Basic, JBOD, RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10
File Systems	Internal: Btrfs, EXT4 / External: Btrfs, EXT4, EXT3, FAT32, NTFS, HFS+, exFAT
Operating Temperature	0°C to 40°C (32°F to 104°F)
Warranty	3 years (extendable to 5 years in select regions with EW201/EW+ plans)

Alongside this CPU is a pre-installed 8GB ECC DDR4 SODIMM module—double that of the DS925+—with support for up to 32GB across two slots. ECC (Error-Correcting Code) memory is still rare at this price point and capacity, and it adds another layer of data integrity assurance, particularly useful when running business-critical workloads like database hosting, mail servers, or multi-user collaborative suites. Whether you’re hosting Synology Office or leveraging multiple Docker containers, the default 8GB RAM already places the DS1525+ above its peers in out-of-the-box readiness, with upgrade options that scale appropriately with larger RAID arrays and SSD caching.

Specification	AMD Ryzen Embedded V1500B	AMD Ryzen Embedded R1600
Cores / Threads	4 Cores / 8 Threads	2 Cores / 4 Threads
Hyperthreading	Yes	Yes
Base Frequency	2.20 GHz	2.60 GHz
Turbo Frequency (1 Core)	Not Supported	Up to 3.10 GHz
Turbo Frequency (All Cores)	Not Specified	Not Specified
Overclocking	No	No
TDP	16W	25W
Cache (L1 / L2 / L3)	384KB / 2MB / 32MB	192KB / 1MB / 4MB
Socket Type	BGA1140	BGA1140
Architecture	Zen (Normal)	Zen (Normal)
CPU Class	Embedded / Mobile	Embedded / Mobile
First Seen	Q2 2021	Q4 2022
Single Thread Rating (CPUBenchmark)	1230 (-28.7% vs R1600)	1724 (Higher)
CPU Mark (Overall) (CPUBenchmark)	4829 (Higher)	3276 (-32.1% vs V1500B)
Estimated Yearly Power Cost	$2.92	$4.56

The DS1525+ also introduces versatile storage configuration options. It supports five 3.5″/2.5″ SATA HDDs or SSDs, with the option to add two DX525 expansion units for a maximum of 15 bays total—translating to 300TB of raw capacity with 20TB drives. Additionally, the system includes two M.2 NVMe slots, allowing users to add SSD cache acceleration or create separate storage pools without sacrificing any of the main drive bays. As with other 2025-generation Synology models, the M.2 slots currently only support Synology’s own SNV-series drives for both caching and pool creation, further tying storage choices to the Synology ecosystem.

Network and expansion features on the DS1525+ are another standout area. The NAS includes two native 2.5GbE LAN ports that support Link Aggregation, failover, and SMB multichannel. This addresses a long-standing complaint of previous generations, which were limited to 1GbE by default. Better still, the DS1525+ includes a PCIe Gen3 x2 slot for installing Synology’s E10G22-T1-Mini 10GbE network card—something that was removed from the DS925+ entirely. This combination of faster default networking and optional 10GbE makes the DS1525+ suitable for demanding data workflows, such as multi-camera surveillance, real-time 4K media editing, and large-volume backup tasks.

Synology DS1525+ NAS vs the DS925+ (2025) or DS1522+ (2022)

The release of the Synology DS1525+ will naturally invite comparisons with two other key models in Synology’s portfolio: the recently launched DS925+ and the 2022-era DS1522+. On paper, the DS1525+ shares a large portion of its DNA with both of these models — borrowing the same AMD Ryzen V1500B processor from the DS925+, and directly succeeding the DS1522+ as Synology’s latest 5-bay NAS in the Plus series. But while these three models target similar audiences — advanced home users, creative professionals, and small businesses — there are clear differences in hardware, scalability, network architecture, and long-term usability that separate them meaningfully. The DS1525+ builds directly on the foundation laid by the DS925+, which itself introduced a wave of hardware upgrades to the Synology Plus series in early 2025. Both devices feature the same AMD Ryzen V1500B 4-core, 8-thread processor and support ECC memory up to 32GB. However, where the DS925+ stops at 4 bays with no support for expansion units, the DS1525+ supports up to 15 total bays with the inclusion of two DX525 expansion chassis — a major difference for users planning long-term storage growth. The DS1525+ also doubles the memory out of the box (8GB vs 4GB in the DS925+), includes the same 2x 2.5GbE ports for faster-than-gigabit networking, and features dual M.2 NVMe slots for cache or storage pools. In essence, the DS1525+ is the more scalable, robust choice — particularly if you foresee needing significantly more storage or concurrent users down the line.

The DS1522+, launched in mid-2022, was one of Synology’s most widely praised 5-bay NAS systems, with an excellent price-to-performance ratio. It featured the AMD Ryzen R1600 processor (dual-core, 4-thread) and came with 8GB of ECC memory, a PCIe Gen 3 slot for 10GbE upgrades, and four Gigabit Ethernet ports for flexible network configurations. The DS1525+ modernizes and refines that package. While it drops the PCIe slot, it replaces it with native 2.5GbE networking — removing the need for upgrades just to get faster-than-Gigabit speeds. It also improves processor efficiency with the more capable V1500B CPU (same as in the enterprise-grade DS1823xs+) and retains support for up to 32GB of ECC RAM. Additionally, the M.2 NVMe slots in the DS1525+ support both caching and storage pools — unlike earlier models where storage pool creation was either unsupported or limited to Synology-only drives.

Which of these NAS systems is right for you comes down to a blend of performance needs, scalability goals, and budget. The DS1525+ offers a more future-proof solution with high raw performance, 5-bay storage out of the box, superior expansion support (up to 15 drives), and a modern networking stack with 2.5GbE ports included as standard. It’s ideal for content creators with large media libraries, teams running shared services or VMs, or businesses needing long-term flexibility. The DS925+, on the other hand, is the budget-conscious user’s pick — priced lower and providing nearly identical internal hardware, but in a more compact 4-bay enclosure with no option to scale beyond that. If you’re confident you won’t need more than 4 drives and don’t require 10GbE or PCIe expansion, the DS925+ still provides DSM 7.2 and Synology’s excellent software ecosystem without compromise. Finally, for users still holding onto the DS1522+ or considering it due to its often discounted price post-DS1525+ launch, it’s worth weighing the trade-offs. While the DS1522+ provides a PCIe slot for 10GbE expansion, it lags behind in CPU power, lacks 2.5GbE out of the box, and doesn’t support NVMe storage pools. The DS1525+ is clearly the better long-term investment — if the price difference fits your budget. For users looking for the right balance of power, performance, and scalability — without needing to jump to the pricier XS series — it may well be the best 5-bay Synology NAS to date.

Synology DS1525+ NAS – HDD and SSD Compatibility

One of the biggest points of contention with the new Synology DS1525+ — following the controversy sparked by the DS925+ — is Synology’s stricter enforcement of drive compatibility. Historically, Synology supported a broad range of third-party hard drives and SSDs, merely issuing warning messages when unsupported drives were used. That changed with the DS925+, and the DS1525+ appears to double down on this new policy. At launch, the DS1525+ only lists Synology-branded HDDs and SSDs — such as the HAT3300, HAT5300, SAT5200, and SNV3400 — as officially compatible. If users attempt to initialize DSM using a drive not listed, the system will block installation entirely. This is a significant departure from earlier models like the DS1522+ or DS920+, which allowed DSM installation with third-party drives, even if accompanied by warning banners.

This tighter control extends to both SATA HDDs and M.2 NVMe SSDs. In the DS1525+, users can no longer use third-party NVMe SSDs for even basic caching — a feature previously accessible with non-Synology drives. Storage pools and caching are now restricted to Synology’s own SNV-series drives. This limitation can be a deal-breaker for users with existing SSDs or those seeking more affordable alternatives.

Drive migration from older NAS systems still works, with volumes booting as expected — but warning messages about unverified drives will be persistent. Moreover, trying to expand existing storage pools with unlisted drives will now fail outright, blocking the option in Storage Manager unless using Synology-verified models. While Synology cites system reliability and long-term support as reasons for these restrictions, the user base has expressed growing frustration. This new approach marks a clear shift toward a walled ecosystem, and while it may enhance stability, it reduces flexibility — especially for enthusiasts and IT professionals used to Synology’s former openness.

Synology DS1522+ NAS Release Date and Price?

The Synology DS1525+ NAS is expected to see a staggered global release, continuing the rollout pattern observed with the DS925+ and other 2025 series models. Initial availability is anticipated in Synology’s eastern markets — including Taiwan, China, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand — with Western availability (North America, UK, and Europe) likely landing in late May or early June 2025. This regional launch strategy has become common for Synology, allowing them to manage early feedback and firmware polishing before global distribution.

As for pricing, early indicators suggest that the DS1525+ will launch between $699 and $799 USD, depending on local taxes and bundled accessories (such as pre-installed memory or included drives). This places it squarely between the DS925+ ($599–$649) and the older DS1522+, which has often dipped below $550 in recent sales due to its older hardware and limited upgradability. Despite being the most expensive of the trio, the DS1525+ justifies its price tag with enhanced default memory, greater expansion potential, and retained PCIe support for optional 10GbE — features notably absent on the DS925+.

While Synology has yet to officially confirm regional pricing or exact release dates, retail listings and early distribution documents hint that pre-orders and launch events may begin rolling out in key Asian markets before the end of May. As always, early adopters should watch Synology’s official channels and trusted retailers for updates, especially considering recent trends toward drive bundling and tighter ecosystem control. For those who waited for a more robust refresh of the DS1522+, the DS1525+ is shaping up to be the spiritual and practical successor many had hoped for.

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This description contains links to Amazon. These links will take you to some of the products mentioned in today's content. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Visit the NASCompares Deal Finder to find the best place to buy this device in your region, based on Service, Support and Reputation - Just Search for your NAS Drive in the Box Below

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Le Synology DS925+ vient tout juste d’être lancé et nous vous proposons de le découvrir en avant-première. Ce nouveau NAS 4 baies marque un tournant décisif pour le fabricant, notamment en matière de stratégie produit et de compatibilité matérielle. Découvrez notre test complet…

Test Synology DS925+

La nouvelle série DSx25+ de Synology suscite de nombreux débats, principalement à cause de la restriction imposée à l’usage exclusif de disques durs et SSD de la marque. Le fabricant se veut rassurant en promettant la certification future d’autres disques, mais à ce jour, seuls les modèles Synology figurent sur la liste de compatibilité.

Contenu de la boîte

Commençons par découvrir le contenu de la boîte :

• Le DS925+ en lui-même ;
• 2 câble réseau RJ45 ;
• L’alimentation externe et son câble ;
• Les clés de verrouillage des disques ;
• Des vis pour les SSD ;
• Un QR code renvoyant vers le manuel en ligne ;
• Un livret sur la garantie/conformité.

Comme à son habitude, Synology fournit le strict nécessaire pour assurer le bon fonctionnement de l’appareil.

Construction du NAS et design

Le design du DS925+ reste fidèle à la tradition Synology : un boîtier compact en plastique noir, robuste, pesant environ 2,2 kg et mesurant 166 x 199 x 223 mm. À l’arrière, on retrouve deux ventilateurs de 92 mm, assurant une circulation de l’air dans le boitier.

Installation du NAS

L’installation des disques durs ne nécessite aucun outil, tout comme celle des SSD NVMe (accessibles sous le NAS). En revanche, un tournevis est requis pour les SSD SATA. Pas d’évolution de ce côté, c’est simple et rapide…

Compatibilité des disques et tensions

Le principal point de crispation concerne la compatibilité des disques. Synology impose désormais l’utilisation de disques durs et SSD certifiés (voir notre article). Pour l’instant, seuls les modèles de la marque sont officiellement compatibles. En cas de migration depuis un ancien NAS, le volume sera indiqué comme migré, mais Synology recommandera de remplacer les disques. Pour une nouvelle installation, il est impossible de créer un volume si les disques durs ne sont pas des Synology (lire notre dossier). À noter : l’utilisation de SSD d’autres marques permet de créer un volume, mais des avertissements s’afficheront pour vous inciter à les changer par des modèles certifiés.

Il existe néanmoins des solutions non officielles, comme le script 007revad. Ce dernier permet de faire reconnaître des disques tiers comme compatibles. Synology ne bloque pas encore cette méthode, mais le support technique pourrait limiter l’assistance en cas de problème de performance.

Connectique

Le NAS dispose des interfaces suivantes :

• 2 ports USB 3.0 Type-A (dont 1 à l’avant) ;
• 1 port USB 3.0 Type-C (pour une unité d’expansion) ;
• 2 ports réseau 2,5 Gb/s.

L’arrivée du Multi-Gig est appréciable, mais la disparition du port PCIe (présent sur le DS923+) empêche désormais l’ajout d’une carte 10 Gb/s… une régression pour certains utilisateurs. Synology passe enfin au 2,5 Gb/s en standard sur ses NAS, c’est une excellente nouvelle. Pour rappel, la concurrence le propose depuis 2019.

Intérieur du DS925+

Le DS925+ embarque un processeur Quad Core AMD Ryzen V1500B à 2,2 GHz, déjà utilisé sur les modèles DS1621+ et DS1821+ (sortis en 2020). Il est épaulé par seulement 4 Go de RAM DDR4 ECC, extensible jusqu’à 32 Go. Ce processeur ne dispose pas d’iGPU et  a obtenu un score de 4829 points selon Cpu Benchmark. L’absence d’évolution matérielle notable est regrettable, surtout en 2025, face à une concurrence qui innove davantage.

DSM 7.2

Le NAS est livré avec DSM 7.2, la dernière version du système Synology. Au moment où nous écrivons ces lignes, rien n’indique qu’une nouvelle version majeure soit en approche.

L’interface reste soignée, performante et adaptée aux besoins des professionnels comme des particuliers. L’accent est mis sur la sécurité des données et la convivialité, des atouts qui continuent de séduire. Il faut bien l’avouer, DSM reste encore au-dessus du lot. Cependant, la concurrence se fait de plus en plus pressante… L’écosystème complet Synology va-t-il continuer de séduire ?

Performances du DS925+

Dans la première partie des tests, nous allons évaluer les performances des transferts à travers un réseau 2,5 Gb/s (entre le NAS et des ordinateurs). Ensuite, nous regarderons les capacités du processeur, en analysant ses performances dans la virtualisation et le transcodage vidéo… même si ce NAS ne devrait pas offrir de grandes surprises.

Vitesses dans les transferts

Depuis plusieurs années, nous avons mis en place un protocole de tests rigoureux fournissant des données fiables et comparables avec les performances des autres NAS. Pour cela, nous utilisons 4 applications de mesure différentes (2 sous macOS et 2 sous Windows) et réalisons en plus des transferts de fichiers de tailles variées dans les deux sens (NAS -> Ordinateur puis Ordinateur -> NAS) :

• Petites tailles : 100 fichiers de 500 Ko à 12 Mo (MP3, photos, documents Office)
• Tailles moyennes : 30 fichiers de 12 à 350 Mo (DivX, images RAW, archives ZIP)
• Fichiers volumineux : 10 fichiers avec une taille comprise entre 4 et 10 Go (MKV, ISO)

À la suite de ces tests, une moyenne des transferts est calculée et nous la représentons sous forme de graphiques exprimée en mégaoctets par seconde (Mo/s). Plus le nombre est élevé, plus le NAS est rapide. Pour notre évaluation du DS925+, nous avons configuré un premier volume avec 2 SSD NVMe en RAID 0, puis en RAID 0 avec le chiffrement des données. Nous continuerons avec 3 SSD SATA en RAID 5. Enfin, nous finirons avec le RAID 0 et 2 câbles réseau.

RAID 0 (1 seul câble)

Le Synology DS925+ offre des performances bien équilibrées. On remarque immédiatement les bienfaits du 2,5 Gb/s, mais on s’attendait à dépasser les 300 Mo/s dans nos tests… Malheureusement, ce ne fut pas le cas.

RAID 0 + Crypt (1 seul câble)

Avec le chiffrement des données, le DS925+ s’en sort très bien. L’impact en écriture reste faible… ce qui est plutôt rare.

RAID 5 (1 seul câble)

Avec le volume en RAID 5 (SSD SATA), le Synology reste dans la cohérence et les performances sont au rendez-vous.

RAID 0 (2 câbles)

En utilisant 2 câbles et en activant le SMB Multichannel, il est en théorie possible de doubler les débits.

Comme vous pouvez le constater, s’il y a un gain sur les débits en lecture. Cependant, les performances en écriture sont moins bonnes, notamment sur les petits fichiers.

Performances globales

Tout d’abord, il convient de rappeler que le DS925+ est équipé d’un processeur AMD Ryzen dépourvu d’iGPU, ce qui rend impossible le transcodage vidéo matériel avec des applications comme Plex ou Jellyfin. Cette limitation peut s’avérer pénalisante pour certains usages multimédias. En revanche, lors de nos tests, aucune latence ni difficulté particulière n’a été constatée lors de l’exécution de machines virtuelles (par exemple sous Linux) ou de conteneurs Docker… Le processeur offre de bonnes performances globales.

Consommation électrique et nuisance sonore

Les deux ventilateurs (92 mm) sont relativement silencieux. Il faudra vous rapprocher à moins d’un mètre pour les entendre. En utilisation normale avec 3 SSD SATA et 2 SSD NVMe, la consommation électrique varie entre 17 et 18 W. Lors de transferts intensifs avec chiffrement des données ou le transcodage logiciel, elle ne dépasse pas 27 W.

Le Lockerstor 4 Gen3 (AS6804T) d’ASUSTOR est un NAS 4 baies haut de gamme destiné aux utilisateurs exigeants. Il est équipé d’un processeur AMD Ryzen V3C14 capable d’atteindre 3,8 GHz et de 16 Go de mémoire. Ce NAS promet des performances de très haut niveau. Cependant, son prix le destine plutôt au mon de de l’entreprise. Rentrons immédiatement dans le vif du sujet…

Test de l’ASUSTOR AS6804T

Cela faisait plusieurs mois que nous attentions avec impatience ce nouveau NAS. Le boitier s’adresse aux utilisateurs les plus exigeants, qu’ils soient professionnels ou passionnés de technologie. Sur le papier, il faut avouer qu’il a tout pour plaire… voire un peu plus.

Contenu de la boîte

Commençons par découvrir le contenu de la boîte :

• L’AS6804T en lui-même ;
• 4 câble réseau RJ45 Cat.6 ;
• Des vis de fixation pour les disques/SSD ;
• L’alimentation externe avec son câble ;
• Un guide de démarrage rapide ;
• Un livret de garantie.

La présence de 4 câbles réseau Cat.6 est une excellente surprise, mais 2 auraient été suffisant. En revanche, Asustor ne fournit pas de dissipateurs thermiques pour les SSD NVMe, ce qui peut sembler regrettable étant donné la sensibilité de ces supports à la chaleur.

Design et connectivité

Le châssis en métal du Lockerstor 4 Gen3 inspire confiance.  La ventilation est assurée par un ventilateur de 120 mm à l’arrière et un caloduc en cuivre dédié au refroidissement du processeur. En façade, on retrouve 4 emplacements pour disques durs (ou SSD SATA), ainsi qu’un écran LCD deux lignes, qui accentue l’orientation professionnelle du produit.

Sur le plan de la connectivité, il offre :​

• 2 ports 10 Gb/s RJ45 ;
• 2 ports 5 Gb/s RJ45 ;
• 2 ports USB4 (type C)* ;
• 3 ports USB 3.2 Gen 2 (type A) dont 1 en façade.

La connectique est de très haut niveau avec ces nombreux ports réseau (10 Gb/s et 5 Gb/s) et tous ces ports USB haute vitesse. Forcément, cela se ressent dans le prix de ce produit.

À noter : aucune sortie HDMI sur ce modèle, ce qui pourrait en surprendre plus d’un. Nous y reviendrons.

* Attention, les ports USB4 sont limités. Par exemple, il n’est pas possible d’y connecter un PC/NAS directement, ni de carte graphique externe (eGPU).

Intérieur du AS6804T

Passons à l’intérieur du NAS… Tout d’abord, on y trouve 4 emplacements M.2 NVMe PCIe Gen 4 (x1) pour SSD​ ultrarapide. Nous reviendrons sur les performances un peu plus loin. Le NAS est construit autour d’un processeur Quad-Core AMD Ryzen V3C14 cadencé à 2,3GHz (avec un mode turbo jusqu’à 3,8 GHz). Un choix intéressant de la part d’Asustor, mais ce dernier ne dispose pas d’iGPU (carte graphique intégrée)… cela limite les capacités de transcodage vidéo matériel et explique l’absence de sortie HDMI. Le NAS est livré avec 16 Go de RAM ECC DDR5 (extensible jusqu’à 64).

Pour information, ce processeur obtient un score de 11 882 points selon CPU Benchmark (avec une marge d’erreur). C’est un très haut niveau… À titre de comparaison, l’AMD Ryzen V1500B a un score de 4 829 points (le processeur du DS925+ de Synology).

Il est important de noter la présence d’un emplacement PCIe 4.0, pour une carte réseau uniquement selon le fabricant. Le NAS dispose déjà de 4 ports réseau, on peut s’interroger sur la nécessité d’en ajouter encore un cinquième. Mais ne jugeons pas, il y a peut-être de la demande… la possibilité d’installer une petite carte graphique aurait aurait été une alternative bienvenue.

Installation du NAS

L’installation est simple et efficace. Les disques durs 3,5″ se montent sans outils. Pour les disques 2,5″, comme les SSD SATA, des vis sont fournies. Le fond du boîtier est renforcé pour amortir l’insertion des disques, un détail important notamment pour la fonction MyArchive.

Asustor ne fournit pas de radiateur pour les SSD NVMe, contrairement à d’autres fabricants. C’est dommage, car la chaleur est l’ennemi des performances de ces supports de stockage. La ventilation du boîtier reste cependant efficace.

ADM 5.0

Les NAS de la série Lockerstor Gen3 sont les seuls à pouvoir bénéficier d’ADM 5.0. Les autres NAS sont encore en version ADM 4.3 officiellement, au moment où sont écrites ces lignes.

ADM 5.0 est une mise à jour importante au regard de sa numérotation. Voici quelques améliorations importantes :

• Mise à niveau du noyau Linux vers la version 6.6 LTS avec de nombreux correctifs de sécurité
• Mises à jour d’OpenSSL pour améliorer la compatibilité et les performances
• SMB Multi-Channel passe (enfin) en version stable
• Améliorations de l’expérience utilisateur :
  • La barre d’outils ADM peut être masquée automatiquement
  • ADM adopte par défaut la langue du navigateur
  • Mise à jour des options régionales et des fuseaux horaires
  • Affichage optimisé du Gestionnaire de stockage pour une lecture plus efficace des informations

L’interface a subi quelques retouches ici et là, mais rien de vraiment révolutionnaire… d’un autre côté, Asustor nous a habitués aux fils des années à opérer seulement à des petites touches. L’ensemble est stable, fonctionnel et rapide.

On appréciera l’accompagnement au premier démarrage qui est d’excellente qualité, que nous vous recommandons de suivre. S’il peut sembler un peu intrusif, il est essentiel pour mettre en place les bonnes pratiques : stockage, partage et sécurité.

Par contre, nous avons noté quelques petits bugs notamment d’affichage. Rien de vraiment bloquant, mais ils peuvent être gênant. Un redémarrage du NAS a corrigé la plupart des soucis rencontrés.

On a particulièrement apprécié l’arrivée d’un éditeur de texte dans ADM et qu’il est possible de lancer directement depuis l’Explorateur de fichiers intégré.

Performances de l’AS6804T

Pour la première partie de nos tests, nous allons évaluer les performances des transferts à travers un réseau 10 Gb/s (entre le NAS et des ordinateurs). Ensuite, nous analysons les capacités du processeur et plus particulièrement ses performances de virtualisation et de transcodage vidéo.

Vitesses dans les transferts

Depuis plusieurs années, nous avons mis en place un protocole de tests rigoureux pour fournir des données fiables et comparables avec les performances des autres NAS. Pour cela, nous utilisons 4 applications de mesure différentes (2 sous macOS et 2 sous Windows) et réalisons en plus des transferts de fichiers de tailles variées dans les deux sens (NAS -> Ordinateur puis dans un second temps Ordinateur -> NAS) :

• Petites tailles : 100 fichiers de 500 Ko à 12 Mo (MP3, photos, documents Office)
• Tailles moyennes : 30 fichiers de 12 à 350 Mo (DivX, images RAW, archives ZIP)
• Fichiers volumineux : 10 fichiers avec une taille comprise entre 4 et 10 Go (MKV, ISO)

À partir de ces tests, nous calculons une moyenne des transferts que nous représentons sous forme de graphiques, exprimée en mégaoctets par seconde. Plus le nombre est élevé, plus le NAS est rapide. Pour nos tests avec l’ évaluation de l’AS6804T, nous avons configuré un premier volume avec 2 SSD NVMe en RAID 0, puis en RAID 5 avec 3 SSD en RAID 5. Nous avons utilisé des WD Red SN700, certainement les meilleurs de leur catégorie.

RAID 0

En lecture, le NAS dépasse les 1000 Mo/s sans difficulté. En écriture, les performances sont un peu en retrait, mais restent excellentes.

RAID 0 avec le chiffrement activé

La lecture reste rapide, mais l’écriture chute à environ 300 Mo/s. Cela reste acceptable, mais en deçà de nos attentes.

RAID 5

Très bon niveau global, mais les performances ne franchissent pas un nouveau cap malgré l’utilisation de SSD NVMe et du 10 Gb/s. Nous sommes cependant dans le haut du panier.

Performances générales de l’AS6804T

Le processeur AMD Ryzen V3C14 s’en sort remarquablement bien sur les tâches complexes : chiffrement, machines virtuelles, conteneurs Docker, etc. Côté puissance brute, rien à redire. En revanche, l’absence d’iGPU rend le transcodage vidéo matériel impossible. Pour les flux Ultra HD/4K via Plex ou Jellyfin, cela fonctionnera suivant le périphérique utilisé pour le décodage (côté client). Nous n’avons pas réussi à le mettre en porte-à-faux.

Consommation électrique et nuisance sonore

Le ventilateur (120 mm) reste relativement discret, bien qu’audible à proximité. Côté consommation électrique, en utilisation normale avec 3 SSD, elle varie entre 15,5 et 16,1 W. Lors de transferts intensifs avec chiffrement ou transcodage, elle ne dépasse pas 35,5 W.

Synology 2025 NAS Series 3rd Party Drive Compatibility Tests

UPDATED 07-05-25 = Added Unverified HDD and SSD (Migrated) Storage Pool RAID Repair, RAID POOL Expansion and Hot Spare Tests. Right now, the following is what works and what does not (between pre-2025 Series and the 2025 Series that is releasing now):

Feature / Function	Pre-2025 Synology NAS<br>(e.g., DS1821+, DS920+, DS923+)	2025 Synology NAS<br>(e.g., DS1825+, DS925+, DS1525+)
DSM Installation – Verified Drives	Full support	Full support
DSM Installation – Non-Verified Drives	Allowed (with warnings)	Blocked completely
Drive Migration (Non-Verified Drives)	Fully functional, minor alerts	Works, but shows persistent warnings
Storage Pool Creation – Verified Drives	Fully supported	Fully supported
Storage Pool Creation – Non-Verified Drives	Allowed (with warnings)	Blocked
Storage Pool Expansion – Verified Drives	Fully supported	Fully supported
Storage Pool Expansion – Non-Verified Drives	Allowed (mixed arrays supported)	Blocked – drives flagged as incompatible
Hot Spare Assignment – Verified Drives	Fully supported	Fully supported
Hot Spare Assignment – Non-Verified Drives	Allowed	Blocked
RAID Recovery – Verified Drives	Supported	Supported
RAID Recovery – Non-Verified Drives	Supported	Blocked – system will not rebuild with unverified media
M.2 NVMe Cache – Synology SSDs	Supported	Supported
M.2 NVMe Cache – 3rd Party SSDs	Supported	Blocked
M.2 NVMe Storage Pools – Synology SSDs	Not supported	Supported
M.2 NVMe Storage Pools – 3rd Party SSDs	Not supported	Blocked
SMART Monitoring – Verified Drives	Full support	Full support
SMART Monitoring – Non-Verified Drives	Full support	Limited or blocked (TBC)
Storage Manager Alerts – Non-Verified Drives	Warnings, dismissible	Persistent, cannot be cleared
Overall Compatibility Flexibility	High – mix-and-match drives allowed	Low – walled-garden enforcement

Here’s what we’ve confirmed so far in the tests as of 07/05/25:

Using Synology 1st Party Drives – Everything Works as Expected

If you’re using Synology-branded HDDs or SSDs, then your experience on the DS925+ will be completely normal.

System initialization, DSM installation, storage pool creation, and all other operations work exactly as they always have, with no warnings, compatibility errors, or feature restrictions. This includes both the Plus series (e.g., HAT3300/HAT3310) and the Enterprise-class HAT5300 drives.

These drives are the only ones currently listed as fully supported on the official compatibility list for the DS925+, and this exclusive support ensures full DSM integration, performance monitoring, and system health reporting. If you’re a first-time buyer who’s starting from scratch, and you’re willing to buy fully into the Synology ecosystem, this route remains the most seamless — albeit more expensive — option.

New Installations Blocked for Non-Verified Drives

As discussed in our NASCompares coverage and testing videos, attempting to initialise the DS925+ with hard drives that are not on the 2025 series compatibility list will block you from even starting DSM installation.

Below is the Synology DS925+ HDD Compatibility as of 3rd May 2025

This marks a major departure from Synology’s previous approach in DSM 7.0 and 7.1, where unsupported drives could still be used — though users would receive warnings in Storage Manager.

Below is the Synology DS923+ HDD Compatibility for comparison

Now, if you’re using unverified HDDs (such as Seagate IronWolf or WD Red Plus), the DS925+ will not proceed past the initial setup.

You’ll receive a message informing you that the drive is not compatible, and DSM cannot be installed. There’s no bypass, workaround, or “install anyway” option — and this applies even if the drives are physically identical to previously approved models.

This new and more limited approach (at least at the time of writing) raises concerns for home and business users alike who have previously relied on mixing and matching their preferred HDD brands with Synology hardware.

Drive Migration from Older Synology NAS – It Works, But Comes with Warnings

If you already own a Synology NAS and are planning to migrate your storage pool from an older system to the DS925+, you’ll be able to do so — even if your drives are no longer listed as compatible on the newer system.

DSM will recognize the array, import the configuration, and boot the system using your original DSM setup.

However, the entire system will then display a persistent series of warnings and error states, including amber and red icons in Storage Manager, drive health indicators marked “At Risk,” and compatibility warnings across the interface.

While everything technically works, the interface becomes visually and functionally “noisy.” For system integrators or IT administrators, this is especially important — your clients may perceive something is seriously wrong with the NAS even when the system is healthy.

It’s recommended to proactively inform any end users or clients about these warnings post-migration, to avoid unnecessary concern or support tickets. Synology has not yet provided a method to suppress or acknowledge these warnings permanently.

SATA SSDs Seem to Bypass the Block – But Still Carry Warnings

One of the more surprising findings in our testing was that SATA SSDs, even when not listed on the official compatibility list, were still able to initialize the DS925+ and allow DSM to be installed.

We tested this with several models, and the installation process continued normally — a stark contrast to the hard stop experienced with unverified HDDs.

However, this partial loophole comes with a catch. Once DSM is up and running, the system flags the non-verified SSDs the same way it flags migrated drives, with warnings in Storage Manager and ongoing notifications.

So while you can proceed, you’ll still be treated to that same red and amber text throughout your DSM environment. Still, for users willing to tolerate the interface alerts, this may provide an interim solution — especially for those who prefer SSDs for quiet, low-power deployments.

Expanding Existing Storage Pools with Unverified Drives is Blocked

Another key limitation to note is that you cannot expand an existing storage pool using unverified drives — even if your system was initialized using fully supported drives.

We tested this by creating a pool with Synology-approved HDDs, then attempting to add a non-Synology drive as an expansion. While the drive appeared in Storage Manager as “available,” the system refused to proceed with the expansion, citing that the drive was not verified or supported.

This strict enforcement essentially locks users into an all-or-nothing ecosystem. There’s no flexibility to upgrade later using lower-cost or readily available drives unless Synology chooses to add them to the compatibility list down the line.

M.2 NVMe Drives: No 3rd Party Support for Caching or Storage Pools

Historically, Synology has limited M.2 NVMe storage pools to their own SNV SSDs, but allowed third-party drives for read/write caching. That has now changed in the DS925+ and, presumably, all 2025 series models moving forward.

Our testing confirmed that non-Synology NVMe SSDs are no longer usable at all — neither for caching nor for creating storage pools.

Attempting to configure third-party NVMes results in the same hard block and error messages as unsupported HDDs. At the time of writing, only Synology SNV3400 and SNV3410 drives are listed as supported — both of which are tuned more for endurance than performance, making them a questionable fit for cache-centric workflows.

Pool Expansion Using a 4TB Seagate IronWolf Drive

We attempted to expand the existing migrated RAID pool with an additional 4TB Seagate IronWolf drive (same model, also verified on the DS923+). The drive was physically detected, appeared in Storage Manager, but the system refused to proceed with expansion.

System Message: The additional drive was flagged as incompatible, and any attempt to integrate it into the existing RAID resulted in an error stating that the media is not suitable or not verified. However, if your migrated pool is using SATA SSDs (or you setup the system with unverified SATA SSDs, which is still possible at the time of writing) you CAN expand the pool with likewise SATA SSDs.

Conclusion: The DS925+ does not permit expansion of an existing pool using unverified drives if you are using unverified HDDs, even if the original array consists of the exact same drive model. But SATA SSDs still allow this feature at the moment.

Pool Expansion Using a 4TB Seagate IronWolf Drive

What if you are using an existing pool that is made up of verified HDDs on the NAS (i.e drives from Synology or drives that are now on the verified compatibility list), but also want to create a 2nd pool, made up of unverified SATA HDDs or SATA SSDs?

Result: As expected, if you use SATA HDDs, then you can ONLY create a new separate pool using verified HDDs. However, SATA SSDs still allow for unverified SSD pools.

Hot Spare Addition Attempt Using Seagate IronWolf Drive

We repeated the process above but this time attempted to add a likewise Seagate IW 4TB drive as a Hot Spare.

Result: Just like the pool expansion test, the additional drive was visible but flagged as unsupported, and DSM blocked any attempts to add this as a failover Hot Spare repair drive with the migrated array.

Recovery of Degraded RAID Pool Using Seagate IronWolf Drive

To test RAID recovery, one of the three IronWolf drives in the migrated SHR array was removed, placing the system into a degraded state. We then inserted a fresh 4TB Seagate IronWolf drive.

Result: DSM detected the new drive but refused to initiate RAID rebuild, citing unsupported media.

Conclusion: Recovery of a degraded array using a Seagate IronWolf drive (unverified for DS925+) is not permitted — even when it’s the same model previously used in the pool.

Drive Removal and Reintroduction to Pool

Lastly, we removed one of the IronWolf drives from the active pool and reinserted it a few minutes later. This drive was part of the original migrated SHR setup.

Result: DSM re-added the drive without issue, recognizing it as part of the existing array. No rebuild or repair was needed, and the system returned to normal status — albeit still with the usual compatibility warnings.

Conclusion: Previously initialized and migrated drives will be accepted back into the same array, provided their identity matches the original configuration. However, these reinserted drives remain flagged as unverified.

Background: How Synology Got Here

At the time of writing this review, Synology is seemingly waging a war on unverified third-party drives being used inside their systems. Back in 2020/2021, Synology began rolling out their own range of storage media for use in their systems — starting with SSDs and eventually expanding to a range of 3.5-inch server-class and enterprise storage-class hard drives. Over the years, we have seen the brand begin to reduce the number of third-party drives listed as certified and verified for use in the DSM platform and in their NAS server devices. This duality — of promoting their own storage media while supporting third-party drives — has had its balance shifted considerably over the last two major Synology generations and across several updates in DSM.

In 2022, when the brand rolled out an update in DSM 7.1 that changed the system status for any NAS using non-Synology-approved drives to display a warning state, the wider Synology user base was in uproar. Synology would eventually roll this back and, although they never reversed the policy of warning users that their drives were not on the compatibility list, they did soften the system’s response. Fast forward to now, and the brand is again changing its third-party drive verification and compatibility methodologies internally. The 2025 series and onward will strictly require drives that are already listed on Synology’s compatibility list. Why is that a problem? Well — twofold. First, right now only Synology HDDs and SSDs are listed on the official DS925+ compatibility pages, despite the hardware inside the DS925+ being identical to previous Synology hardware from both the 2020 and 2023 generations. Second, Synology’s aggressive approach to enforcement. Previously, users could proceed with installation and simply be warned later. Now, installation is entirely blocked.

This will no doubt be problematic with e-retailers and online dealers unless they make this strict compatibility policy exceptionally clear. The rollout has been inconsistent and unclear at best. It first emerged via a press release on Synology’s German website, and the DS925+ page remains vague on the specifics. It might well be that weeks or months from now, the list of drives supported on the Synology DS925+ and other 2025 NAS systems will expand to include more third-party media. Nevertheless, the messaging has been profoundly unclear. If Synology’s verification tests have changed, they need to clearly explain how and why. If they have reported failures with unverified drives, those results should be shared. In discussions with numerous users online, many agree that Synology is walking a confusing line. Either fully embrace third-party drives as before — or bundle your own media and commit to it. Don’t sit in the middle.

Future Expansion & Unanswered Questions

Synology has stated that it is working with Western Digital, Seagate, and others to test and certify additional drives for use in the 2025 series. However, they also clarified that the responsibility for verification now lies more with the drive manufacturers, not Synology themselves. This means the pace and outcome of compatibility expansion are largely out of users’ hands — and still leaves early adopters in a restrictive position. We’ve already seen similar policies with M.2 NVMe SSDs in the 2023 generation — only allowing storage pool deployments if you use Synology-branded drives. And while DSM still supports caching with third-party drives in those older systems, that flexibility has now been removed in the 2025 series.

Conclusion – CHECK DRIVE COMPATIBILITY BEFORE YOU BUY!!!

The Synology DS925+ is a great piece of hardware in many respects, but it arrives with a much more locked-down approach to storage media than any Plus series NAS before it. Users hoping to reuse existing drives, mix-and-match HDDs for flexibility, or use cost-effective SSDs and NVMes from other brands need to reconsider their storage strategy or prepare for an ecosystem that’s increasingly closed. We’ll continue to test newer Synology 2025 devices as they launch and will update this article as compatibility lists evolve and behaviors change. But for now, if you’re planning to buy into this generation — and especially if you need to build on a budget — be aware: the HDDs you might WANT to buy might not be usable with your system – SO CHECK THE COMPATIBILITY PAGES FIRST!.

Stay tuned for more deep-dive comparisons, migration tutorials, and drive compatibility experiments right here at NASCompares. In the meantime, if you are considering purchasing an older generation Synology NAS that has more open and established storage media compatibility, below is a comparison of the Synology DS923+ from 2022/2023 and the new 2025 DS925+ NAS.

OLD Synology vs NEW Synology (DS923+ vs DS925+)

Reasons to Buy the Synology DS923+

Reasons to Buy the Synology DS925+

Faster 2.5GbE Networking Out-of-the-Box – Dual 2.5GbE ports offer higher baseline network speeds (up to 6Gbps aggregated), doubling the network performance compared to the DS923+ without requiring expansion cards. More Powerful Processor (More Cores/Threads) – The V1500B CPU offers 4 cores and 8 threads, delivering superior multitasking and heavier workload handling, especially for virtual machines, multiple users, and simultaneous services. Quieter Operation – The DS925+ operates at a lower idle noise level (20.5 dB vs 22.9 dB), making it better suited for office, home office, or studio environments where sound matters. Higher User and Service Limits – Thanks to the more powerful CPU, the DS925+ supports more Synology Drive users, Synology Office users, Synology Chat users, more concurrent SMB connections, and more virtual machines than the DS923+. Better Out-of-the-Box Experience – With stronger networking, higher multi-threaded performance, and no need for immediate upgrades, the DS925+ is ready to deliver higher performance without any additional investment, perfect for users who want maximum capability from day one.

PCIe Expansion for 10GbE Upgrades – The DS923+ features a PCIe Gen3 x2 slot, allowing users to install a 10GbE network card later, massively boosting network speeds beyond the built-in 1GbE ports. Broader 3rd-Party Drive Compatibility – Unlike the DS925+, the DS923+ allows full system initialization, storage pool creation, and DSM services even with non-Synology hard drives and SSDs—giving users more flexibility and choice. Lower Power Consumption and Heat Output – The DS923+ is slightly more energy-efficient in both active use and hibernation modes, making it a better fit for always-on environments where power savings add up over time. Potentially Lower Price (Especially Post-DS925+ Launch) – As the newer DS925+ replaces it, the DS923+ is likely to see discounts and wider availability, offering excellent value for budget-conscious users without sacrificing capability. Ideal for Customization and Long-Term Scalability – With the ability to upgrade the network, use a wider range of drives, and maintain full DSM functionality, the DS923+ is better suited for users who plan to evolve their setup over time.

In practical terms, the DS925+ is the stronger out-of-the-box choice, especially for users who value simplicity, improved default performance, and do not anticipate needing higher-than-2.5GbE networking down the line. However, the long-term value proposition becomes murkier when you factor in the DS923+’s PCIe expansion, broader drive compatibility, and the potential price drops that will follow its ageing status in Synology’s lineup. In short, the DS925+ is the better NAS on day one—more powerful, faster, and quieter. But if you’re planning for day 1,000, it’s worth pausing to consider whether the expandability and media flexibility of the DS923+ may be a better fit for your storage and networking needs over the next five to seven years.

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WE LOVE COFFEE

Il y a quelques mois, j’ai décidé de remplacer mon QNAP TS-464. Ce dernier ne m’avait jamais vraiment convaincu : impression d’un OS mal fichu, performances pas dingues… Bref, il était temps de passer à autre chose. En cherchant une alternative, je suis tombé sur le UGREEN DXP4800 Plus – un nouveau venu sur le marché du NAS, avec des promesses intéressantes : matériel récent, format compact, et un OS maison qui semblait tenir la route. Voici mon retour après plusieurs semaines d’usage intensif…

UGREEN DXP4800 Plus

Aujourd’hui, c’est Flow (lecteur de Cachem) qui s’est proposé de prendre le clavier pour nous présenté son UGreen DXP4800 Plus et l’usage qu’il en fait.

Présentation & déballage

À la réception, bonne surprise côté packaging : soigné, propre, rien à dire. Le NAS lui-même respire la qualité, à la hauteur de ce qu’on retrouve chez QNAP ou Synology. Le boîtier est sobre, bien fini, et se fait discret une fois installé. Côté bruit, rien à signaler, même en charge. On est clairement sur un produit sérieux.

Configuration matérielle

J’ai choisi la version standard du DXP4800 Plus, avec un petit upgrade de la RAM à 32 Go.

Stockage :

• 2 SSD NVMe de 4 To en RAID pour les services critiques (VM, containers, DB…)
• Des disques 3.5″ à 7200 tr/min pour un total de plus de 40 To pour les médias et sauvegardes

Le CPU embarqué est bien plus récent que ce qu’on trouve chez Synology sur des gammes équivalentes. C’est aussi une des raisons de mon choix.

Installation & OS

J’ai gardé l’OS fourni par UGreen. Franchement, aucun souci à l’installation, c’est du plug and play comme on en a l’habitude avec les NAS récents. Pas besoin de réglages complexes ou de tweaks bizarres : ça fonctionne dès le départ.

Et pour les curieux, oui, on peut y installer autre chose (TrueNAS, Unraid…), mais je ne suis pas allé jusque-là pour l’instant.

Utilisation au quotidien : 70 containers Docker

Je suis un gros utilisateur de containers Docker, et le NAS les encaisse sans broncher. Voici une liste (non exhaustive) des services que je fais tourner dessus :

Domotique & maison connectée :

• Home Assistant
• Zigbee2MQTT
• ESPHome
• AppDaemon

Multimédia :

• Jellyfin
• Jellyseerr
• Radarr
• Sonarr
• Komga
• Navidrome

Téléchargement & automation :

• Transmission
• Prowlarr
• Recyclarr
• Authelia
• Autobrr

Sauvegardes & supervision :

• pgBackWeb
• Watchtower
• Portainer
• Uptime-Kuma
• Crowdsec

Divers :

• Actual
• Ghostfolio
• Freshrss
• Meilisearch
• Ombi
• Firefox
• Dozzle
• Ghost
• Money-actual
• Stash
• ModManager

À noter : 4 utilisateurs Jellyfin peuvent streamer en simultané sans aucun lag. Clairement, la machine est stable et tient la charge.

Performances

Je n’ai pas benché précisément les débits, mais aucun ralentissement à signaler, même avec 70 containers actifs.
Pas de bruit excessif, pas de surchauffe, et je ne monitore pas la consommation électrique — mais vu la charge, je suis impressionné par la stabilité.

Comparaison & raisons du choix

J’ai eu plusieurs NAS avant celui-ci : des Synology 2 baies, un QNAP TS-464… Pourquoi avoir choisi le DXP4800 Plus ?

• Matériel plus récent
• OS simple, mais fonctionnel
• Bon rapport qualité/prix
• Marque prometteuse qui évolue vite

Synology DS925+ NAS Review – Good News, Bad News

If you have been looking at making the move away from your cloud service provider to gain better ownership of your data, or are looking to upgrade your existing network storage system to something a tad more modern, chances are that Synology and the new DS925+ system have already appeared on your radar. Synology, a 25-year veteran in the world of network-attached storage, is arguably one of the biggest names in the game and has long commanded the largest market share in home and business purchases of NAS. The new DS925+ is the refresh of the late 2022 Synology DS923+, upgrading a few things and arguably clipping the wings of others. Whenever Synology refreshes its range of solutions every few years, it is normally a moment of largely universal praise as long-term Synology users consider upgrading their kit.

However, the Synology 2025 series of devices has been arguably more contentious and criticized internet-wide due to the brand’s changing stance on its support of hard drives in this newer generation, revamping the way in which users can choose which drives they can use in their systems. This change is still very much in its early days and could easily end up working out for the best — or being reversed — but nevertheless, the Synology DS925+ has arrived on the scene to a great deal more criticism and apprehension than most other Synology NAS devices ever launched in the brand’s two-and-a-half-decade-long history. But all of that aside, is the DS925+ actually any good? What can it do, what can’t it do, and does it deserve your money and your data?

Synology DS925+ NAS Review – Quick Conclusion

On a sheer hardware level, the Synology DS925+ is one of the strongest 4-bay systems the brand has ever released in this class. Whether compared to the 2023 refresh or earlier models, it delivers a noticeably better hardware package for the price. The long-overdue move to 2.5GbE is welcome, even if extremely late, and the upgrade from a dual-core, four-thread processor to a quad-core, eight-thread chip is ideal for VMs and containers. The continued inclusion of ECC memory (4GB, expandable to 32GB) reinforces its focus on reliability. DSM remains a standout — arguably still the best turnkey NAS OS on the market for stability, usability, and features. However, the removal of 10GbE upgrade options feels like a significant regression, especially as external 2.5G/5G USB network adapters are now commonplace. The hardware, while generally solid, will still feel underwhelming to users who expect more flexibility — especially given the price.

But it’s Synology’s aggressive stance on storage compatibility that casts the longest shadow. The DS925+ refuses to initialise DSM unless you’re using approved drives — a dramatic shift from previous generations using identical hardware that supported many third-party drives. Synology’s vague communication and inconsistent rollout of this policy only amplify user frustration. It’s hard to escape the sense that Synology is either hesitating to fully commit to bundling its NAS units with storage, or clumsily trying to control the ecosystem. The DS925+ is still a very good NAS, maintaining a decade-long price point while offering improved internals and software. But unless Synology quickly clarifies this compatibility policy, this release may be remembered more for controversy than capability — their biggest “Apple moment” yet, for good or for bad.

SOFTWARE - 10/10

HARDWARE - 6/10

PERFORMANCE - 8/10

PRICE - 9/10

VALUE - 8/10

8.2

PROS

Dual 2.5GbE Ports: Finally upgrades from 1GbE, offering significantly better bandwidth and support for link aggregation and SMB multichannel.
ECC Memory Support: Comes with 4GB ECC RAM (expandable to 32GB), rare at this price point and excellent for data integrity in long-term storage.
Quad-Core Ryzen V1500B CPU: A proven server-grade processor with 4 cores and 8 threads, ideal for multitasking, VMs, containers, and business apps.
Excellent Thermal Performance: Dual 92mm fans and a well-ventilated chassis keep internal temperatures low even under extended load.
Low Noise Operation: Impressively quiet in idle and moderate use; system noise is more dependent on drive selection than fan noise.
USB-C Expansion Support: Adds future-proof connectivity via the DX525 expansion unit, replacing the aging eSATA interface.
Top-Tier DSM Software: Ships with DSM 7.2 — widely considered the best NAS OS — offering excellent backup, cloud, and media tools with a polished UI.
EXCEPTIONAL License-free software in Active Backup and inclusive-license Surveillance Station Software

CONS

No 10GbE Upgrade Option: Removes the PCIe slot from the DS923+, eliminating any path to scale beyond 2.5GbE.
Comparatively underwhelming hardware compared to similarly priced Turnkey NAS solutions available from QNAP, UGREEN, Asustor, etc
Strict Drive Compatibility: Will not initialise DSM without Synology-branded HDDs or drives on the compatibility list (which we are still awaiting confirmation on re: verification). Brand messaging on which drives work now, later, long term, etc is messy at the moment

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Synology DS925+ NAS Review – Design, Cooling and Power Consumption

The DS925+ maintains Synology’s long-standing chassis design, which has remained largely unchanged since around 2018–2019. It features a compact black plastic exterior with a solid metal internal frame that offers excellent durability and airflow.

The unit measures the same as its predecessors and blends easily into home or office environments. Ventilation is a central focus of the design, with large ventilated side panels, additional intake on the base, and a dual-fan array at the rear. These two 92mm fans replace the more typical single-fan setup found in many rival 4-bay systems, providing a more even and effective airflow throughout the unit.

The DS925+ also uses an external 100W power brick, though actual usage rarely approaches that limit.

In terms of noise, the DS925+ is impressively quiet during idle and moderate use — provided you’re using standard Synology-branded drives. With the system fully idle (RAID built, fans running at variable speed, no active users), the noise levels hovered around 36–37 dB(A).

When pushed with dual 2.5GbE connections and all drives under load, noise levels rose to about 48–50 dB(A), though much of this was attributed to the drives rather than the fans. Users planning to install high-capacity, enterprise-class drives like the HAT5300 series should expect higher operational noise. While the NAS fans remain relatively quiet, drive selection plays a significant role in the overall acoustic footprint of the system.

Power consumption during testing was also well within expectations. In a fully idle state, with base apps installed and the system not being accessed, the DS925+ drew approximately 28 watts. When fully loaded — with all four bays filled, SSDs installed, the CPU under strain, and both 2.5GbE connections active — consumption peaked around 62–64 watts.

These numbers align with what you’d expect for a Ryzen V1500B-based system with ECC memory and SSD support, though it’s worth noting that Synology’s own published power usage figures are lower. This discrepancy is likely due to Synology using SSDs in their testing rather than HDDs, which naturally draw more power and generate more heat.

Thermal performance on the DS925+ is particularly strong, especially considering the plastic enclosure. At the one-hour mark under moderate usage, system temperatures ranged from 35°C to 39°C.

After 24 hours of intermittent access, including background tasks like scrubbing and package installation, the system maintained a stable range of 34°C to 36°C. The dual rear fans, in conjunction with the well-ventilated chassis, clearly play a key role in keeping the internal environment controlled. These results are especially encouraging given that many competing 4-bay NAS systems still ship with only a single rear fan and less efficient airflow paths.

Bottom line, the DS925+ offers a refined, if familiar, physical design that prioritises quiet operation, effective heat management, and reasonable power efficiency – something this product series has always excelled at vs it’s competitors (such as the QNAP TS-464, Asustor Lockerstor series or still new UGREEN DXP4800. While Synology hasn’t reinvented the chassis, the dual fan design, ample ventilation, and strong thermal numbers show thoughtful incremental improvements. However, as with most NAS systems, the overall experience is still influenced heavily by drive selection — particularly in terms of noise and power draw. For users seeking a low-noise, power-efficient solution with excellent temperature control, the DS925+ remains a very well-balanced option in the 4-bay NAS category.

Synology DS925+ NAS Review – Ports and Connectivity

The Synology DS925+ supplies a fairly middling range of connections, depending on your point of view. Hot take: if you were to compare this device against previously released Synology devices, there is actually something of a mixed bag here to like as well as dislike. Likewise, if you compare the device to the available range of NAS solutions from this brand’s competitors, you could probably be especially critical of what you see here. However, there are some interesting features worthy of note, and given Synology’s heavy emphasis on internal operations and remote access priorities, it isn’t a huge surprise that the physical connections on this modest system are likewise pretty understated.

The front of the system features a single USB Type-A 5 Gb per second connection port that is predominantly used for connecting storage drives to make them remotely accessible. Synology has largely reduced the utility of these USB ports on their systems to simply storage and connection of a UPS system. So you can forget about utilising the majority of PC USB peripherals, directly connecting to the device over USB, or even simple network USB adaptors — a particularly unpopular choice by Synology in their DSM 7 update a few years ago. That said, the USB connectivity integrates extremely well with the backup software on this system, allowing for scheduled and automated backups to be conducted via this port, with particularly sophisticated filter customisation as needed.

Flipping the device around shows us the more important system connections available on the DS925+. The big headline here is Synology finally — finally — upgrading this system and the 2025 generation moving forward with 2.5 GbE ports, rather than the pedestrian and outdated 1 GbE network ports. The system features two ports, and the DSM platform allows for merging of these connections via protocols such as port trunking, link aggregation, load balancing, and SMB multi-channel, as well as failover as needed. These are certainly a welcome — if hugely overdue — upgrade on this system (when the bulk of this brand’s hardware competitors rolled out 2.5G as much as five years earlier at a similar price point). But at the very least, this does mean that users are going to be able to enjoy fuller saturation of the four SATA drive connections on this system more so than in previous generations of this product series.

That said, Synology giveth and Synology taketh away! Even though Synology has upgraded the default network connections on the device, they have removed the optional mini PCIe upgrade slot that was available on the DS923+ before this. This is going to be a huge kick in the ass for a lot of users who were considering purchasing this device over the DS923+ predecessor, as it means that the ability to scale up the network connectivity toward 10GbE is now not available on this system. So despite the fact that this system can now comfortably accommodate over two and a half times the external network bandwidth of its predecessor out of the box, it also means that the effective potential maximum network connectivity that a user could hope to achieve down the line has now been effectively halved! Again, this was always an optional upgrade in its predecessor, but it was an extremely welcome one for many — and given that even their value series of hard drives can hit between 180 and 200 MB per second per drive, that means that even the most inefficient RAID cluster with these drives will almost certainly still oversaturate the base twin 2.5G connections that the base model has. Therefore, you are being somewhat bottlenecked down the road because of this lack of network adapter upgradability. And don’t even get me started on the throttling that you will likely encounter if utilising M.2 NVMe RAID pools on the DS925+ via remote network connectivity.

Finally, we find another change in this product over its predecessors, and that is the shift in expandability on this system toward a USB-C output. This USB-C provides 5 Gb/s connectivity and only supports the new DX525 expansion chassis, which costs around $350 to $450 depending on where you are in the world and your local tax rate. Synology has always afforded the ability to expand this product series with a 5-bay expansion, either to spread the RAID configuration or mirror it appropriately, so this is a welcome — if expected — integration in the DS925+ class nonetheless, and it allows for greater storage scalability over the years.

All that said — and I’m sorry to be negative again — I can’t help but feel that this expandability is still being handled a tad clumsily. For a start, even at USB-C, that still means that the five SATA drives that the expansion supports are effectively capped in their maximum external bandwidth potential. And although you were never really going to enjoy greater speeds regardless — due to the 2.5 GbE network connectivity anyway — there are definitely going to be users who are sad about this further bottleneck on the performance of those drives in the expansion.

The fact that Synology did not implement an improved means of network connectivity — perhaps via 10 GbE or USB 3.2 Gen 2 (almost certainly due to a CPU choice limitation) — is really disheartening. Likewise, since this expansion now connects over standard USB, why are we still only limited to one expansion, and only via that specific USB port? The fact that we could have increased the number of expansion devices in line with the other available USB ports would have been tremendously appealing to users thinking about the long-term scalability of their system. And given that USB ports are common (if a little more restrained) on practically every single Synology NAS, this is a real missed opportunity to add storage expandability — and I can only assume it’s a conscious and deliberate choice by the brand to maintain their portfolio segmentation.

Bottom line: I love that this system is expandable, and I do like that a number of the features of the system have been improved over its predecessor. But as I mentioned earlier, the general standard of connectivity on the DS925+ is still awfully restrained when you take even a casual glance at the rest of the market right now. It only further underlines the fact that Synology is doubling down on this system more in terms of its software and capabilities rather than its hardware — which is no doubt going to please the bulk of users looking at this system who just want a stable NAS that does its job, but will nonetheless annoy enthusiasts and prosumers who want to make the most of their hardware.

Synology DS925+ NAS Review – Internal Hardware

If there is one area that Synology consistently gets criticised for, it is the hardware they choose to use. It can definitely be argued that, as a NAS is a 24/7 system, manufacturers need to focus heavily on the efficiency of hardware and keep things as high-performance as possible at the lowest cost of power consumption and hardware utilisation. Equally, it could be argued that because Synology prioritises software over hardware — and wants to maintain tightly locked price points in its portfolio — over the years they have had to be awfully tactical in the hardware they choose to use across their product lines. All these things no doubt play their part, but nonetheless, it all adds up to a system that is not exactly going to blow anyone away if they are looking at the hardware specs as the chief buying point for their first server or an upgrade.

The first thing I want to discuss is that CPU! Keeping things positive, this is a four-core, eight-thread AMD embedded server-class Ryzen processor. In human speak, that means this CPU is designed for server utilisation — chiefly for file processes and for spreading itself quite thinly across multiple processes and tasks with efficient ease. Additionally, this processor has already been utilised and heavily investigated by Synology since its first rollout at the higher end of the SMB section of its portfolio as early as 2019/2020 — so the brand has extensive experience in getting the very most it can out of this processor. Additionally, Synology has often taken the hardware configuration of a higher-tier solution in their portfolio and — between multi-year refreshes — then passed this hardware configuration down into lower and more affordable tiers over the years. So this processor’s appearance, and its refresh of the previous R1600 dual-core, four-thread processor in the DS923+ predecessor, is not unexpected — and for many, actually quite welcome.

Here is how the R1600 in the DS923+ 2022/2023 Release compares with the V1500B in the DS925+ Refresh:

Likewise, this processor provides the full spectrum of system software services and abilities that DiskStation Manager 7.2 has to offer. There is not a single DSM application or component that you are unable to take advantage of on this hardware spec. Alongside that, this CPU will comfortably allow for a decent number of VMs, containers, file processes, and simultaneous proprietary application services to all run at the exact same time — despite this system’s modest stature. Integrated graphics processors have been phased out from this particular product family — and this is the second refresh of the product line to remove integrated graphics-equipped processors — instead moving this kind of deployment to its smaller and more multimedia-focused DS425+ and DS225+ models. There are mixed results to this of course, especially given that the DS925+ has removed network upgradability — which I think may well leave quite a lot of CPU bandwidth by the roadside somewhat. But given the similarity in price point between this system and previous refreshes of this 4-bay series, I’m not, on the whole, unhappy with this processor. It’s just a continued departure by the brand away from classic 4-bays like the DS920+ and DS918+.

Alongside this processor, the system arrives with 4GB of DDR4 ECC SO-DIMM memory. ECC memory, in most network storage tech circles, is absolutely paramount for high-volume and high-frequency file transfers and long-term storage. Very, very few systems at the $550 price point ever include ECC memory in a turnkey NAS solution, and I know this is something that has always met with phenomenal praise by system integrators (SIs) who recommend Synology for simple and effective business storage requirements. Additionally, this memory can be scaled up all the way to 32GB, which — once you factor in the eight threads on this processor being spread out across multiple processes — is pretty darn good when you think about the scale of this system physically versus the potential of that software! Of course, in line with several other Synology policy changes over the years, the system is strictly compatible with only first-party memory upgrades from Synology — which you will not be surprised to hear are notably more expensive than third-party options in the market from Crucial, Kingston, and Samsung. This has always been something that has been met with notable disapproval by many, but Synology defends this by repeating the point that they want a single-party ecosystem, and the DS925+ is an appliance that centres around being smooth, efficient, and easy to deploy.

At the base of the system, we find the two M.2 NVMe slots that allow you to install one or two 2280-length SSD drives that can be utilised for read & write caching and/or use as storage pools. The benefits of utilising caching — when used in conjunction with the ECC memory and that file-transmission-focused processor — are pretty bloody significant, and it does allow for a degree of versatility and optimisation for users once again focused on high-volume and high-frequency data storage needs 24/7. But the use of these bays for storage pools is still pretty underwhelming at launch, and a big part of this is — much like other system upgrades — these M.2 bays are limited to only using Synology NVMe SSDs. This is a limitation compared with the predecessor, and while it’s a small tweak over the status quo, it becomes a significant one when you factor in that, currently, the only Synology M.2 NVMe offering is the heavily durability-focused but write-performance-weak SNV3400 series.

No doubt, as Synology rolls out more proprietary media-focused systems in their 2025 lineup and continues to expand the offering of branded storage media, the brand will eventually roll out a much more performance-rich NVMe SSD (perhaps the SNV5300 or SNV7400). But until that happens, these bays are a little restricted in terms of compatible media to really make the most of their capabilities right now.

Bottom line: for the money you’re laying down here — and if you factor in the value and quality of the software — many are going to be happy to overlook the comparatively underwhelming internal hardware on offer here when comparing it against the number of competitors on the market that focus on the hardware more than the software. If you’ve followed the brand for a long time, you’ll probably agree that what we’re seeing here is fairly standard for what this brand tends to include in their systems, and therefore you may be happy to give them a pass on this. But if this is a system that is chiefly being sold on its software and services — let’s discuss those a great deal more!

Synology DS925+ NAS Review – DSM Software and Services

The DS925+ arrives preloaded with Synology’s DiskStation Manager (DSM) 7.2, the latest version of their industry-leading NAS operating system. DSM has long been praised for its clean, intuitive interface that makes it easy for even novice users to get started while still offering deep functionality for IT professionals. Everything from user account creation, network configuration, file sharing, and app management is presented through a streamlined browser-based GUI. It’s an OS that feels more like a well-polished desktop environment than a traditional NAS UI, and the DS925+ handles it with ease thanks to its Ryzen CPU and ECC memory.

DSM offers comprehensive file management through File Station, and supports standard protocols such as SMB, FTP, WebDAV, and Rsync. Whether you’re accessing files locally or remotely, the experience is responsive and customisable. File previews, right-click menus, and in-browser streaming of media files all work out of the box, while features like folder-level encryption, WORM (write once, read many), and fine-grained user permissions ensure strong data governance. The included Synology Drive application further enhances file syncing and backup capabilities across multiple platforms — Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS.

Synology has also baked in powerful backup and disaster recovery tools into DSM, with Active Backup for Business standing out in particular. It supports full OS and file-level backups for Windows, Linux, virtual machines, SaaS apps like Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, and even other NAS devices.

Best of all, it requires no additional licenses for most features. Hyper Backup provides flexible multi-destination backup options, while Snapshot Replication protects against ransomware or accidental deletions by allowing near-instant recovery of shared folders or entire volumes.

For users focused on multimedia, DSM supports apps like Synology Photos, Audio Station, and Plex Media Server. While Synology has scaled back some native media tools like Video Station, DSM remains highly compatible with third-party platforms. Container Manager and Virtual Machine Manager allow for lightweight app deployment and virtualisation without a license fee — with the DS925+ capable of running multiple Docker containers or virtual DSM instances simultaneously. Synology’s mobile apps also tie in seamlessly with DSM services, offering secure access to files, surveillance feeds, photo backups, and more.

Ultimately, DSM is the DS925+’s strongest asset. Synology’s software-first approach continues to pay off, delivering an experience that’s miles ahead of most competitors in terms of polish, security, and integration.

Whether you’re a home user setting up private cloud storage or a small business deploying multi-site backups, DSM remains the gold standard in NAS operating systems. For many users, the value of DSM alone justifies choosing Synology — even when hardware compromises or compatibility limitations exist.

Below is a breakdown of how the Synology DS925+ improves upon the software and service support of the DS923:

Synology DS925+ NAS Review – Storage and Compatibility

At the time of writing this review, Synology is seemingly waging a war on third-party drives being used inside their systems. Back in 2020/2021, Synology began rolling out their own range of storage media for use in their systems — starting with SSDs and eventually expanding to a range of 3.5-inch server-class and enterprise storage-class hard drives. Over the years, we have seen the brand begin to reduce the number of third-party drives listed as certified and verified for use in the DSM platform and in their NAS server devices. This duality — of promoting their own storage media while supporting third-party drives — has had its balance shifted considerably over the last two major Synology generations and across several updates in DSM.

In 2022, when the brand rolled out an update in DSM 7.1 that changed the system status for any NAS using non-Synology-approved drives to display a warning state, the wider Synology user base was in uproar — whether it was because they didn’t like the brand’s position on dictating which drives worked and which didn’t, or because, as a system integrator or admin, they suddenly had a bunch of clueless users complaining that the system had gone from green to amber. Synology would eventually roll this back and, although they never reversed the policy of warning users that their drives were not on the compatibility list, they did soften the system’s response. Fast forward to now, and the brand is again changing its third-party drive verification and compatibility methodologies internally. The 2025 series and onward will strictly require drives that are already listed on Synology’s compatibility list. So why is that a problem right now?

Well — twofold. First, right now only Synology HDDs and SSDs are listed on the official DS925+ compatibility pages, despite the hardware inside the DS925+ being identical to previous Synology hardware from both the 2020 and 2023 generations — both of which still list many Seagate, Western Digital, Toshiba, Samsung, Kingston, and more drives. That does look a little off.

But the second, more serious reason is Synology’s aggressive approach to this policy. Previously, if you used an unverified drive, the system would warn you in Storage Manager after setting up DSM, informing you that the drives were not verified by Synology and that using them might put your system in an unsupported state — potentially limiting any after-sales or technical support the brand could offer. The 2025 series, however, currently will not even allow you to initialise the system out of the box if you are using non-Synology hard drives.

This will no doubt be problematic with e-retailers and online dealers — unless they make this strict compatibility policy exceptionally clear. The rollout of these changes across the 2025 series has been inconsistent and unclear at best. It first emerged via a press release on Synology’s German website, despite now being mentioned in different areas of global Knowledge Centers. Even now, as I write this review, although the official Synology DS925+ page is live, the wording surrounding unverified drives and their support on this new system remains very diplomatic and vague.

It might well be that weeks or months from now, as this system rolls out, the list of drives supported on the Synology DS925+ and other NAS systems in the 2025 series will eventually include third-party drives from WD and Seagate. Nevertheless, the messaging has been profoundly unclear and inconclusive. Synology has always supported third-party drives in numerous systems before this one — systems that, as mentioned earlier, have exactly the same hardware as this system and run the latest version of DSM as well! If their verification and compatibility tests have changed, they need to make this a great deal clearer and more justifiable to users. If they have numerous reported cases of unverified drives wreaking havoc, they need to share these results.

On the flip side, many could argue that as long as Synology provides a range of hard drives and SSDs that are comparable in price and performance to those of third parties, then losing access to third-party drives is no big deal. Unfortunately, that is not globally true. While there are some examples of Synology media being at the same price and performance level as third-party options, the availability and pricing for these drives is nowhere near as consistent as those of third-party brands — and for many, that forms one of the greatest long-term issues for their storage.

If you have an existing Synology NAS that is using third-party hard drives, you are still able to migrate drives over to the new system physically. This will allow for an easy upgrade path for existing users — but it’s not really a tremendous benefit for those who were considering the DS925+ as their first shiny new NAS system.

Migrating your drives physically from an older Synology NAS to a new device allows you to proceed – but with warnings

In discussions with numerous people online, a lot of us agree that Synology is kind of half-assing something here. If they’re going to support third-party hard drives and SSDs on their systems, then they need to do it — and do it as well as they have before. Revamping a verification system in-house that many would argue didn’t need revamping in the first place seems silly at best and calculated at worst. Otherwise, if they want to commit to recommending their own media above all else, just go the whole hog: bundle the solutions as standard, pre-populated, and maybe even extend the savings too. Interestingly, the changes in system recognition of non-listed compatible drives seems to only impact HDDs at this time. If you first-time-setup your Synology DS925+ NAS with SATA SSD(s) – you are still able to initialise the NAS as before – albeit with red and amber warnings on the storage GUI:

We’ve already seen the brand’s stance on storage media play out this way with M.2 NVMe SSDs in the 2023 generation and later — only allowing storage pool deployments if you use Synology-branded drives and no others (yet still supporting third-party drives for caching, if you like). Synology knew this was going to be an unpopular policy, but obviously, this is part of their wider roadmap. The brand themselves state that this is a move toward redefining their platform — away from being just hardware and toward becoming a full and complete data appliance.

I do also want to comment on the way that the system presents the use of 3rd party drives, even when used in authorized ways (eg using SATA SSDs in initialization does NOT bar you from their use the way HDDs are when not on the compatibility pages – likewise when you use drives from an older Synology NAS via physical migration to the DS925+).

When you DO have non-synology confirmed drives in the system via these methods – the presentation of DSM is notably more negative and aggressively alarming. Red and Orange text, icons, warnings, alerts and triggering words like ‘At Risk’ are thrown around far, far too liberally.

As mentioned several times, this might all turn out to be a storm in a teacup, and Synology may expedite verification of hard drives on their compatibility lists — or even U-turn on this decision entirely and pretend it never happened. Either way, a lot of users — new and old — have based significant purchasing decisions on this change by the brand.

Synology DS925+ NAS Review – Conclusion & Verdict

On a sheer hardware level, the Synology DS925+ is largely a superior system out of the box compared with any previous 4-bay Synology NAS solution released by the brand in this class series. Whether you’re comparing how much has scaled up in this refresh of the previous 2023 series release, or just generally looking at the standard of what you get for your money here, for the most part — in terms of hardware — it is better than the majority of systems that came before it. The long, long overdue upgrade to 2.5 GbE network connections is welcome (even if the brand is especially late to the party here). The upgrade from a dual-core, four-thread processor to a quad-core, eight-thread processor is certainly going to please those VM and app sandbox/container users greatly. And the continued implementation of ECC memory at 4GB, with scalability up to 32GB, only further doubles down on this point.

DSM continues to impress and still holds itself comfortably as the premier turnkey NAS software solution on the market — both in terms of its feature set as well as its stability and usability. The lack of 10GbE scalability is a bitter pill to swallow when many of us were just getting used to the idea of Synology engaging with 10G NIC upgrades at this hardware level. And although this feature is promised on the DS1525+, it is still something of a pain point on the DS925+ — especially now, as $25 USB-to-2.5G and 5G network adaptors are very much a thing and widely supported everywhere. But for the most part, the hardware is consistent — if a little underwhelming. Synology solutions, though, have never been about the hardware. But beyond this is where the rather curious and unpopular choices by the brand regarding storage compatibility and verification in DSM and the 2025 series in general really end up marring what could have been a very confident release by Synology in the DS925+.

I hope that months from now, this matter is just a memory, and Synology has either expedited the verification of third-party drives or reversed the majority of these decisions due to public outcry. In truth, I think a lot of users would probably have preferred the DS925+ to roll out pre-populated with storage media — much like their new BeeStation series does. Going down the road of restricting which drives people can use was never going to be popular, so either don’t do it or fully commit to it. There is, of course, the argument that these drives — which were previously verified and confirmed working on the exact same hardware (CPU, motherboards, network deployment, and software utilisation) in previous generations — have mystically now been deemed unverified on the new 2025 series and its genuinely identical hardware to what came before. It’s an odd line in the sand to draw, a message that has been delivered messily, and I do not envy the Synology marketing team having to shape the narrative on this one. The bottom line is that the DS925+ is still a very, very good Synology NAS system, and although it loses a few bells and whistles compared to its predecessors, it still delivers very well on a platform that has maintained the same price point for its scale for more than a decade — despite changing world events. But until Synology clears up exactly how and why they’ve changed drive verification on this system in a clear and transparent fashion, I do think this is a NAS device that is going to pale in comparison to the deployment and overall sales of its predecessor — and the brand needs to sort this quickly.

The DS925+ is a good NAS for the money in terms of hardware and software, but we may well be witnessing Synology’s biggest “Apple moment” — for good and for bad.

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WE LOVE COFFEE

Cette année, la journée mondiale du mot de passe est tombée le 1er mai. Pas de bol, je n’avais pas préparé d’article pour ce jour, donc il parait aujourd’hui. Mieux vaut tard que jamais, diront certains. J’ai décidé de partager mon expérience, donc n’hésitez pas à en faire de même en commentaire.

Bonnes pratiques pour ses mots de passe

Comme c’est la journée mondiale du mot de passe, il est important de rappeler quelques règles essentielles pour protéger vos comptes en ligne :

• Créez des mots de passe forts de 12 caractères minimum, en mélangeant lettres majuscules et minuscules, chiffres et symboles. Plus c’est complexe, mieux c’est !
• Ne jamais réutiliser les mots de passe sur plusieurs sites. Je sais, c’est plus facile à dire qu’à faire, surtout si l’on doit tout retenir de tête.
• Utilisez un gestionnaire de mots de passe (gratuit ou payant, il en existe beaucoup) pour stocker et générer des mots de passe uniques.
• Ajoutez l’authentification multifactorielle (MFA) lorsque c’est possible. Cela ajoute une couche de sécurité supplémentaire, même si votre mot de passe est compromis.

Mon expérience : gestionnaires de mots de passe

Au fil des années, j’ai utilisé plusieurs outils pour gérer mes mots de passe. Parmi les derniers, je peux citer KeePass, LastPass (que je déconseille pour diverses raisons de sécurité) et surtout Bitwarden. Ce dernier reste mon favori : il est sécurisé, multiplateforme, très complet, gratuit dans sa version de base, rapide et peut même être auto-hébergé sur un NAS. Pour ma part, j’ai environ 400 mots de passe enregistrés (impossible de tous les retenir). Du coup, j’ai un identifiant et un mot de passe fort uniquement pour accéder à mon coffre-fort Bitwarden.

Personnellement, j’utilise Bitwarden sur mon NAS depuis plusieurs années grâce à Docker (Vaultwarden). Cela signifie que mon coffre-fort de mots de passe est hébergé uniquement chez moi, ce qui me rassure côté confidentialité et sécurité.

Pour le quotidien, j’utilise l’extension Bitwarden dans mon navigateur préféré (Firefox) ainsi que l’application officielle sur mon téléphone. Cela me permet d’accéder à mes mots de passe où que je sois, sans sacrifier la sécurité.

Quelques mots de passe « hors ligne »

Cependant, je ne mets pas tous mes mots de passe dans Bitwarden. Oui, je l’avoue, je suis un peu parano sur les bords. Certains mots de passe ultra-sensibles, comme ceux de ma banque en ligne, l’accès à mes PC à la maison et au travail, ou encore celui de mon NAS, ne sont stockés nulle part (sauf dans ma tête, tant qu’elle fonctionne). C’est une précaution supplémentaire, même si cela demande un effort de mémoire.

Et vous, quelles sont vos habitudes pour gérer vos mots de passe ? Utilisez-vous un gestionnaire ? Si oui, lequel ? N’hésite pas à laisser un commentaire