Synology is closing the gap on third-party hard drive support further in 2025

UPDATE 3 – Synology has now made the DS925+ NAS NAS Product Page live in several of the Eastern regions (China, Australia, Japan – not the Taiwan page yet however). With it, we can now see the official compatibility pages. On the hard drive page there is now only Synology Drive media, and the option to select supported 3rd party HDD choices is removed. For all we know, this will return if/when 3rd party drives from WD and Seagate are verified. But at least for now, it seems the brand is serious about only recommending its own storage media in their 2025 systems at launch:

The full list of drives includes the Synology Plus series of HDDs, the Enterprise class drives and the enterprise class SATA SSDs. However, there are currently no Surveillance class drives listed (WD Purple/Seagate Skyhawk, etc):

In terms of M.2 NVMe SSD support, the brand has also removed any selection of 3rd party SSDs from Samsung, WD, Seagate, etc. I am particularly surprised about this, as their own M.2 drives are good for durability, but performance-wise are much lower than most in the market and whether it is as caching drives or as storage pools, there are definitely a lot of good options in the market. I hope Synology roll out some performance class SSDs to compensate for this very soon.

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UPDATE 2 (22/04) – I have been in communication with several representatives from Synology regarding this matter to get further clarification on this from them. The following statement was provided by a senior Synology representative and provided publicly with their consent :   “Synology’s storage systems have been transitioning to a more appliance-like business model. Starting with the 25-series, DSM will implement a new HDD compatibility policy in accordance with the published Product Compatibility List. Only listed HDDs are supported for new system installations. This policy is not retroactive and will not affect existing systems and new installations of already released models. Drive migrations from older systems are supported with certain limitations. As of April 2025, the list will consist of Synology drives. Synology intends to constantly update the Product Compatibility List and will introduce a revamped 3rd-party drive validation program.” Reason for the new Synology HCL Policy: Each component in a Synology storage solution is carefully engineered and tested to maintain data security and reliability. Based on customer support statistics over the past few years, the use of validated drives results in nearly 40% fewer storage-related issues and faster issue diagnostics and resolution. Each validated hard drive on the compatibility list undergoes over 7,000 hours of comprehensive compatibility testing across platforms to ensure operational reliability. Technical support data shows that validated drives result in a 40% lower chance of encountering critical disk issues. For models that have adopted the new hard drive compatibility policy, severe storage anomalies have decreased by up to 88% compared to previous models. By adhering to the Product Compatibility List, we can significantly reduce the variances introduced by unannounced manufacturing changes, firmware modifications, and other variations that are difficult for end-users and Synology to identify, much less track. Over the past few years, Synology has steadily expanded its storage drive ecosystem, collaborating with manufacturing partners to ensure a stable and consistent lineup of drives with varying capacities and competitive price points. Synology intends to expand its offerings and is committed to maintaining long-term availability, which is not available with off-the-shelf options. We understand that this may be a significant change for some of our customers and are working on ways to ease the transition. Synology is already collaborating with our partners to develop a more seamless purchasing experience, while maintaining the initial sizing and post-install upgrade flexibility that DSM platforms are renowned for.” – Senior Synology Representative on the record.

 

Original Article:

Over the last few years, Synology have not been exact about being forward in supporting. Back in 2021, we started to see the brand reduce the number of third-party hard drives and SSDs on their systems. This diminishing support has manifested itself in two main ways. The first is that drives that are listed on the official support and compatibility pages have significantly reduced, favouring the utilisation of their own growing range of hard drives and SSD media. The second way this has presented itself drew significant criticism in 2022/2023, when utilising third-party hardware resulted in the system presenting warning messages and even service limitations being suggested. It appears that this is something they are putting into force for their new 2025 series of devices. Numerous websites in Germany have today reported that Synology plans to go full first-party drive priority on all systems released from the 2025 generation and onwards. An official statement from Synology via an official source has not been released, but it appears that the brand is going to go hard on pushing their own drives when using their own systems – at least at launch. So, what are the intended limitations for those who want to use non-Synology branded drives from Seagate and Western Digital? And why would Synology do this with their systems that have been open for over 25 years? Let’s discuss.

UPDATE #2 – There is now an official press release by Synology on this, available from Synology.de:

Synology is increasingly relying on its own ecosystem for upcoming Plus models Germany, Düsseldorf – April 16, 2025 – Following the success of the High-Performance series, the company is now increasingly relying on Synology’s own storage media for the Plus series models, which will be released starting in 2025. Users will thus benefit from higher performance, increased reliability, and more efficient support.  “With our proprietary hard drive solution, we have already seen significant benefits for our customers in a variety of deployment scenarios,” said Chad Chiang, Managing Director of Synology GmbH and Synology UK. “By expanding our integrated ecosystem to the Plus series, we aim to provide all users—from home users to small businesses—with the highest levels of security and performance, while also offering significantly more efficient support.”  For users, this means that starting with the Plus series models released in 2025, only Synology’s own hard drives and third-party hard drives certified according to Synology’s specifications will be compatible and offer the full range of functions and support.

There will be no changes for Plus models released up to and including 2024 (excluding the XS Plus series and rack models). Furthermore, migrating hard drives from existing Synology NAS to a new Plus model will continue to be possible without restrictions.  The use of compatible and unlisted hard drives will be subject to certain restrictions in the future, such as pool creation and support for issues and failures caused by the use of incompatible storage media. Volume-wide deduplication, lifespan analysis, and automatic hard drive firmware updates will only be available for Synology hard drives in the future.  Tight integration of Synology NAS systems and hard drives reduces compatibility issues and increases system reliability and performance. At the same time, firmware updates and security patches can be deployed more efficiently, ensuring a high level of data security and more efficient support for Synology customers.

TL;DR: Synology to Restrict Third-Party Drive Functionality on 2025+ NAS Models

Starting with the 2025 generation of Synology Plus series NAS devices, the company appears to be tightening restrictions on third-party hard drives. While you’ll still be able to use non-Synology drives (like those from Seagate or WD), early reports suggest that certain features may be limited or disabled unless you’re using Synology-branded or Synology-certified drives. According to preliminary reporting (not yet officially confirmed by Synology), using third-party drives may restrict (i.e several news reports indicate this, but no official statement/confirmation yet):

• Creation of storage pools

• Access to health monitoring tools

• Volume-wide deduplication support

• Drive lifespan analysis

• Automatic firmware updates

• Access to official Synology support

Older NAS models (up to and including 2024, excluding XS+ and rackmount units) are not affected. Drive migration from existing systems to new ones should remain possible — but full functionality may require Synology drives.

Source – HERE (or click below)

What are the proposed limitations of using third-party hard drives in the Synology 2025 lineup?

Although the brand themselves, at the time of writing, has not officially stated that devices after the 2025 series will only support their drives, sources highlighted on numerous news outlets have detailed that a number of key storage features and functionality are going to be limited. These include health monitoring tools, deduplication features built into DSM, official support from the brand in some cases, and (most worrying of all if it’s true) storage pool support. I’m still waiting for further clarification if this storage pool support limitation to first-party drives is only referring to the use of M.2 NVMEs in storage pools (something we are already aware of from the 2023 series), or whether people are not going to be able to use third-party hard drives in storage pools moving forward in 2025 series releases. But it would seemingly very much indicate the latter. It’s also worth highlighting that this limitation seems to be a ‘launch’ choice and may also mean that drives are granularly added to the supported pages as the likes of WD and Seagate submit compatibility reports. But the message seems to be that Synology themselves will not be the ones who verify the drive compatibility.

It should also be worth highlighting that users who have purchased devices before the 2025 lineup will not be currently affected by this change and will continue to have broader support of third-party hard drives, although even that has diminished since 2021–2022 as it stands. This does bring into question for some whether this broader policy is something that would be applied in a large-scale DSM update down the road, i.e. DSM 7.3 or DSM 8. For now, until we have an official statement from the brand or access to compatibility lists for the intended new products, we need to reserve our full judgement.

Why would Synology reduce compatibility with the majority of third-party hard drives (Seagate and WD)?

There are plenty of reasons why Synology would consider a move like this, for good and for bad. So in the interest of balance, let’s start positive. What are the good reasons why Synology would endeavour to only support the use of their own storage media in their systems?

• To a much smaller group, it allows them to tailor performance and system deployment expectations a great deal more realistically and could result in improved overall performance for all users, as it allows the development of future solutions to be significantly more targeted.
• If Synology solutions only support Synology drives, it allows the brand to be a great deal more effective at reducing the TCO of the system to buyers, as it will be an all-in-one party solution and even opens the door to the brand rolling out bundled systems that will further reduce the total cost of ownership.

• Export costs in the US — Synology centralising the full component list of their products to the end user can also allow them to better absorb any potential costs efficiently and hopefully pass those cost savings onto the consumer, reducing reservations on purchasing the product in light of potential price hikes.
• Support will be a great deal more specialised if end user deployments have fewer variables to consider, resulting in reduced support resolution times and potentially improved support services as an end result for all users.

Beyond the other potential benefits, they will be considering this proposition to drastically reduce third-party hard drive compatibility and utilisation in the 2025 lineup:

• In a word, profit. Having their own storage hard drives as the main — and potentially only — storage option alongside their systems will allow the brand to make profit vertically across the product deployment. For a long time, the brand was only really monetizing the core system itself, which is really only going to be replaced every 7 to 10 years for most users. Storage media, given the escalating growth rate of people’s data, will require a great deal more regular replacement.

• If Synology storage media is largely the only option to buyers, the brand has a greater degree of control over which products are available. So, for example, currently Synology has fewer different capacity tiers and drive variation tiers compared with other brands (i.e. 24TB drives, surveillance-optimized drives, M.2 NVMEs built for performance, etc.), so in some cases a user may have to opt for a larger capacity or a more enterprise-class drive when they might not need to.

• Eliminates smaller-scale purchases. This is a particularly cynical point of view, I know, but a move like this will almost certainly push value series devices significantly more towards the likes of the BeeStation (which are already pre-populated and fixed with Synology storage media) and away from the Plus series, as a divide begins to appear in terms of the overall total purchase price for many users. Alongside upselling their value series to that buyer tier, it will also move only more serious buyers towards the Plus series and higher from 2025 onwards.

All of the above reasoning towards why Synology would prioritise their own drives over that of third parties are my own points of view, but I do think there’s a ring of truth in some of them.7

What are the potential problems surrounding Synology’s push toward its own storage media over third-party drives?

There are several small issues that are worth highlighting in this broader plan of Synology hard drive prioritisation that we should probably touch on — and hopefully ones that Synology themselves will resolve quickly if this is something they’re going to push hard on. Such as:

• The brand inadvertently revealed earlier this year that they are working on a 6 x 2.5-inch SATA SSD system called the DS-625 Slim. However, the only 2.5-inch SATA SSD media the brand has are way too enterprise — the SAT5200 series — and would be like putting a Ferrari engine into a Ford Focus in terms of the disparity in the hardware being used and the price point!

• Synology has still yet to introduce higher-performing M.2 NVMe storage media, and although several of the new 2025 series of devices arrive with M.2 NVMe support, Synology’s own M.2 SSDs prioritise durability over performance. That is a good thing, but users who are not going to be able to use third-party SSDs for caching or storage pools face being restricted to much lower-performing SSDs in these bays.

• How will the system identify the use of third-party drives, and to what extent are these drives going to be limited? Although lots of details have been revealed in the news reports today, we’re still yet to see a full detailing from Synology themselves on an official platform.
• Surveillance utilisation. Synology has an impressive range of surveillance solutions in the NVR and DVA series, as well as support for Surveillance Station on the majority of their systems, but to date, the brand still does not have surveillance-optimised hard drives in its lineup. Surveillance-optimised hard drive media like WD Purple are designed to have much higher write performance leveraging rather than read, and surveillance drives are generally only accessed for a very small percentage of the time when in use. Will third-party drive limitations extend to these systems as well?

I’m still waiting on an official Synology response on this matter, as there have been early indications (such as the Synology DS925+ Amazon.co.uk link 2 days ago) that indicate some of these systems may be arriving in May 2025 — not that far away! So, until we have full and officially backed confirmation on this, still treat it with a grain of salt. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little disheartened by this move by the brand, as although their software is still absolutely the king of the hill in the world of NAS, further restrictions on their more modest hardware to only use their own range of hard drives — versus that of more widely available, globally distributed, and industry veteran–backed drives — seems a very odd move, and one that I think a lot of home/prosumer/enthusiast/SMB users might take issue with.

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‘Used Seagate EXOS HDDs Missold as ‘New – Other Drives Implicated

Now would be a very good time to check any hard drives you’ve purchased in the last 12 to 24 months! Recent reports from popular German news outlet Heise have raised increased reports of refurbished and modified SMART-reported drives being sold as brand new, leading to large concerns of widespread ex-cryptocurrency-burnt drives being sold through trusted business and domestic retailers. Although the scope of the issue seems to be largely focused on Seagate Exos data center-class drives, because of the wide-ranging drives that were used in Chia cryptocurrency mining several years ago, there is an increased likelihood that other large-capacity and high-durability drives should be considered, thanks to the relative ease of firmware modifications and larger quantities of HDDs being resold off the back of 5 year durabilities lines being crossed by the original coin miners!

UPDATED 20/02/25 (video HERE)

Reports are now arriving that Seagate Ironwolf and Ironwolf Pro modified/mis-sold HDDs are now also affected. The extent to this is still too early to confirm, but the latest reports from Heise indicate that 8TB and 16TB HDDs have been highlighted.

Further reports from ComputerBase via a community member fanatiXalpha provided further evidence and indications of this via the images from the original article here:

REAL HDD	FAKE HDD

In this video I discuss multiple ways to initially identify issues with a ‘new’ Seagate Ironwolf HDD that do not involve connecting the HDD to a system. Later in this article cover several more methods that require connecting the drive to a NAS or general client system.

Another Example of a Fake HDD from user Busse:

Original Article:

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The Missold Hard Drive Issue – TLDR

• Check Your HDDs – Reports indicate used Seagate Exos hard drives are being sold as new, particularly 12TB-18TB models.

• Firmware Manipulation – SMART data shows zero usage, but deeper FARM tests reveal 15,000-50,000 hours of prior use.

• Widespread Issue – Over 200 reports from buyers in Germany, Japan, Australia, and other regions, spanning multiple retailers.

• Crypto Mining Connection – Many affected drives likely came from Chia cryptocurrency farms (2018-2022) and re-entered the market fraudulently.

• Tampering in Supply Chain – Drives may have been repackaged and resold by wholesalers and distributors, bypassing Seagate’s official channels.

• Retailers & Seagate Respond – Some retailers are issuing refunds/exchanges. Seagate denies involvement and is investigating the supply chain breach.

• Verify Your Drives – Use SMART, FARM, Seatools, and warranty checkers to confirm if your drive is genuine. Report suspicious drives to Seagate and your retailer.

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What has been reported on the Seagate EXOS HDD Misselling

Earlier in the year, Heise reported that they had received dozens of reports from users who had purchased brand-new, enterprise-class Seagate Exos hard drives, only to find that when receiving the drives, they had scuffs and marks on them that suggested they were used—and used en masse. Further investigation of the hard drives using popular firmware tools initially showed that the drives’ SMART data was indicating little to no power-on usage. However, deeper investigation with deeper drive tools went on to reveal that the firmware had been manually adjusted to hide the tens of thousands of hours that these drives had already accrued in use.

Usage on drives has varied from between 15,000 hours and 50,000 hours, well over five years of deployment and well outside the warranty and workload rating on these drives in most cases. What is interesting though, is that retailers that have been impacted by this, and in fact a wide-ranging number of German retailers, have been highlighted as sources of these drives. However, reported issues span outside of Germany and include claims from purchases made in Japan, Australia, and other parts of Europe.

Fingers are initially being pointed at wholesalers, large-scale resellers, and distributors who supply the traditional retail and e-commerce websites that most users would be eligible to purchase from. Depending on the retailer, and several have already been highlighted in the now over 200 reports submitted to Heise, the returns and RMA process does differ from site to site, but this does appear to be a growing issue that most users will not even realize they have been hit by unless they take the time to investigate the usage data on their drives.

Primarily, Chia crypto farming has been highlighted as the origin of most of these drives, with huge quantities of large-capacity data center drives being purchased in 2018 to 2022, when this emerging and less GPU-centric form of cryptocurrency was being mined. Brands such as Seagate, WD, and Toshiba saw extraordinarily high sales numbers during this period for these drives, and equally, domestic users ended up being negatively impacted by supply shortages and price hikes. It seems that a lot of these drives that have either been abandoned from previously pursued cryptocurrency setups or just simply swapped out for ongoing farming have now made their way back into the supply chain under the guise of being regular, new, out-of-the-box drives!

The distribution channels, wholesalers, and affected e-commerce websites in order to ascertain how these drives have entered the supply chain and to what extent it has happened. They issued the following statement:

“We are taking this matter very seriously and are conducting a thorough investigation. As explained in the previous statement, Seagate did not sell or distribute these drives to retailers. We cannot provide details of the ongoing investigation, but we suspect that these drives are new products that Seagate sold to customers and were later resold by them on the used market. In this case, we believe that the drives were remarketed somewhere in the used market supply chain and resold as new. We recommend that retailers only purchase drives from certified Seagate distribution partners, as purchasing from certified Seagate distribution partners is the best way to ensure the authenticity of Seagate products for retailers and their customers.

Seagate has processes in place to investigate these types of cases, with teams working proactively with our vendors to take action where necessary. Our security team also regularly works with local authorities to take necessary action. Many investigations are initiated based on anonymous tips and reports from partners and customers. These measures are designed to protect Seagate partners and end customers in an increasingly global marketplace.

We encourage anyone who suspects they have received a used drive marketed as new to help with the investigation by reporting the incident to us directly at [email protected] . In addition, customers who have doubts about whether the products they purchased match the claims of the sellers can access our warranty checker tool . Suspicious drives and/or sellers can also be reported anonymously through our Ethics Hotline .

We are grateful for the trust our customers have placed in us and are determined to do everything possible to maintain that trust.” – Provided to Heise.de in response to the 200+ HDD Claims HERE 7/2/25

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Which Hard Drives are affected/reported?

Currently, the bulk of aggregate reporting of this is going through the Heise website, and a lot of the submissions have been done via their anonymous reporting link, so exact model IDs are hard to track down right now. However, the bulk of the reported mis-sold drives appear to be Seagate Exos drives ranging from 12TB to 18TB. As mentioned earlier, however, the original reporting suggests that other drives have been highlighted by users. Realistically, it’s pretty unlikely that only Exos drives are going to be impacted as such. A wide-ranging procurement took place during the peak of Chia cryptocurrency farming, and pretty much any moderately durable, high-capacity hard drive was changing hands quickly at that time. This all does seemingly indicate right now that a lot of these drives are being offloaded with their firmware modified by one or a handful of bad actors, who likely are sitting on high quantities of the same hard drives. However, it would not surprise me whatsoever if over the coming months and years, we see spikes on affected drives outside of the Seagate Exos data center series.

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How Can I Check If My Drives Were Mis-Sold as New?

Tools:

• Putty Download Tools HERE
• Seatools (PC/Linux) HERE
• Smartmontools HERE
• DriveDX for Mac HERE

There are multiple ways to check whether the hard drive inside your system, which you purchased as brand new, is actually new. However, the suitability of each tool will depend heavily on the system type and operating system your drive is running on. Seagate’s Seatools application allows you to check and validate multiple data points on your hard drives. However, it is only available as a Windows or Linux client, as well as a portable version. That means Mac users, or those less comfortable with command-line tools, may find it difficult to use—not to mention users who have multiple drives deployed in systems without a suitable GUI or command-line interface for validity checks. Below, I’ve broken down recommended tools and commands that you can use to verify your drives, their power-on hours, and other critical details.

How NAS users can Check and Verify the usage of the HDDs:

NAS users who suspect their drives may have been mis-sold as new can verify their SMART data and power-on hours using various tools. Most NAS operating systems, including Synology DSM, QNAP QTS, TrueNAS, and UnRAID, have built-in SMART monitoring tools within their storage manager or disk health sections. These tools provide essential SMART attributes, including Power-On Hours (POH), Reallocated Sectors, and Drive Temperature. However, in some cases, the SMART data may have been manipulated to show zero usage, making further verification necessary.

For deeper analysis, users can SSH into their NAS and install smartmontools, a command-line utility that provides detailed drive health reports. Running the command:

smartctl -a /dev/sdX

(where X is the drive identifier) will display all SMART attributes, including power-on hours. However, if the SMART data has been reset or manipulated, users can check the FARM (Field-Accessible Reliability Metrics) values for a more accurate picture of a drive’s actual usage history. To retrieve FARM values, NAS users can use:

smartctl -l farm /dev/sdX

This will reveal true power-on hours, drive usage patterns, and whether a drive has been extensively used before being reintroduced into the supply chain.

For those using QNAP or Synology NAS devices without direct access to smartmontools, Seagate’s Seatools (Windows/Linux) can be used by connecting the drives externally via a USB or SATA dock. Additionally, Seagate’s warranty checker tool allows users to verify if their drive was originally part of a multi-drive batch—a red flag that it may have been previously used in a server or data center environment.

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How NAS Users Can Check SMART Data and Power-On Hours Over SSH (Including FARM Values for Verification & Integration with Smartmontools)

NAS users with SSH access can perform a deeper, more accurate verification of their hard drives’ SMART data and power-on hours to detect possible tampering. While many NAS systems, such as Synology DSM, QNAP QTS, TrueNAS, and UnRAID, provide built-in SMART monitoring via their web interface, these tools often rely on basic SMART queries, which may not reveal manipulated or reset power-on hours. By accessing the NAS via SSH, users can run Smartmontools directly, allowing them to extract FARM (Field-Accessible Reliability Metrics) values, which are not included in standard SMART logs.

To begin, users should SSH into their NAS and install Smartmontools if it is not already available. On Debian-based NAS systems (such as OpenMediaVault, TrueNAS SCALE, and some QNAP models running Debian Linux), install Smartmontools with:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install smartmontools

On Red Hat-based systems, use:

sudo yum install smartmontools

For NAS systems that do not allow package installations, users can still manually compile Smartmontools or install a Docker container that includes the tool.

Once Smartmontools is installed, running the command:

smartctl -a /dev/sdX

(replacing X with the correct drive identifier) will display SMART attributes, including Power-On Hours (POH). However, since bad actors can manipulate SMART data to show zero hours, users should perform an additional FARM query with:

smartctl -l farm /dev/sdX

Unlike SMART power-on hours, which can be reset, FARM values track long-term reliability metrics stored at a deeper firmware level, making them much harder to falsify. If there is a discrepancy between SMART-reported power-on hours and FARM-reported power-on hours, it strongly suggests that the drive has been used before but was manipulated to appear new.

Integrating Smartmontools into a NAS for Automated Checks

To automate drive health monitoring, NAS users can schedule periodic SMART and FARM scans using cron jobs or integrate them with the NAS system’s notification service.

1. Create a SMART Monitoring Script
   Users can create a simple script to check SMART and FARM values for all installed drives and log the results.

#!/bin/bash

LOGFILE=”/var/log/smart_check.log”

echo “SMART Check – $(date)” >> $LOGFILE

for DRIVE in /dev/sd[a-z]; do

    echo “Checking $DRIVE…” >> $LOGFILE

    smartctl -a $DRIVE >> $LOGFILE

    smartctl -l farm $DRIVE >> $LOGFILE

done

Save this script as smart_check.sh and make it executable:

chmod +x smart_check.sh

2. Schedule Automated Checks with Cron
Users can schedule the script to run daily or weekly using cron.
Open the cron editor:

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How Desktop Windows users can Check and Verify the usage of the HDDs:

Desktop users can verify the SMART information and power-on hours of their hard drives using several tools, including Smartmontools 7.4+, CrystalDiskInfo, and Seagate’s Seatools. The easiest method is using CrystalDiskInfo, a free GUI-based tool for Windows that displays critical SMART attributes, including Power-On Hours (POH), Reallocated Sectors, and Drive Health Status. However, if a drive has been tampered with, its SMART data may have been reset, making further verification necessary.

For deeper inspection, users can install Smartmontools 7.4 or later, which provides advanced diagnostics, including FARM (Field-Accessible Reliability Metrics) values, which can reveal the drive’s true runtime history. To check SMART data, open a command prompt (or terminal in Linux/macOS) and run:

smartctl -a /dev/sdX

(replacing X with the correct drive letter) to view detailed SMART attributes. If the reported power-on hours seem too low or suspiciously reset, users can retrieve FARM values by running:

smartctl -l farm /dev/sdX

This command will reveal the actual power-on hours and potential prior usage, even if the SMART data was modified.

Alternatively, Seagate’s Seatools (available for Windows and Linux) can run extended drive diagnostics, check SMART status, and validate warranty details. Users can also enter their drive’s serial number into Seagate’s warranty checker tool to confirm if the drive was originally sold as part of a batch, which may indicate prior data center or enterprise use.

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How Mac users can Check and Verify the usage of the HDDs:

Mac users can verify SMART data and power-on hours using Smartmontools 7.4+, Seagate’s Seatools for Linux (via a bootable drive), and third-party macOS utilities like DriveDx. Since macOS does not provide built-in SMART monitoring tools, users need to install Smartmontools via Homebrew by running:

brew install smartmontools

Once installed, users can check SMART attributes, including power-on hours (POH), by opening Terminal and running:

smartctl -a /dev/diskX

(replacing X with the correct disk identifier, which can be found using diskutil list). If the reported power-on hours appear suspiciously low, users can retrieve FARM (Field-Accessible Reliability Metrics) values by running:

smartctl -l farm /dev/diskX

This will reveal the true runtime history of the drive, even if the SMART data was manipulated to show zero or low usage.

For users who prefer a graphical interface, DriveDx is a third-party macOS tool that provides SMART data, health status, and power-on hours. However, DriveDx does not display FARM values, so Smartmontools remains the best option for deeper diagnostics.

Since Seagate’s Seatools is not available for macOS, users can create a bootable USB drive with a Linux live environment (such as Ubuntu), run Seatools from there, and check the drive’s SMART health and warranty status. Additionally, Mac users can enter their drive’s serial number into Seagate’s online warranty checker to confirm if the drive was originally part of a batch sale, which may indicate prior enterprise use.

It’s important to note that depending on your system, the directory paths and identifiers for your drives will vary significantly. So, even if 100 users all had the same hard drive model, if they deployed them in different NAS brands, desktop OSs, or even external enclosures, the directory paths and device names would be different. Keep that in mind.

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Are only Seagate EXOS Hard Drives Affected?

The Exos series drives appear to be taking the brunt of the reporting here. Realistically, if this flood of dubiously classified new drives is true, then the Exos series is definitely not going to be the only drives impacted by this. Moreover, Seagate was not the only hard drive manufacturer that was pumping out large-capacity hard drives at 12TB, 14TB, 16TB, and 18TB during the peak of this particular crypto-mining industry change! I think it is only now, thanks to the correlation of reports by Heise, that any kind of through-line has been found that specifically targets one hard drive brand or model series. At best, it really comes down to the bad actors who are modifying the firmware on these drives having the financial incentive to do so on a larger scale on a different hard drive series that they happen to have their hands on. The modification process of the onboard firmware and SMART data on Seagate drives is largely identical to that of the process on WD or Toshiba hard drives, and therefore, it really once again comes down to a question of correlating reports of these fake new drives all being collected together.

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How Has This Happened? How Did Used Hard Drives Enter the Supply Chain?

You might not know, but when you purchase a hard drive from your local retailer, that retailer almost certainly does not directly receive their stock of hard drives from the hard drive manufacturer in question. Ordinarily, hard drives, like a lot of electrical components, have a pre-established supply chain that retailers and e-commerce websites have to follow when selling their goods. With the exception of OEM companies who can buy from further up the chain and cloud/data centers like AWS and Google who can even buy right from the top, there are technically four layers in the supply chain of hard drives.

1. The first part of the supply chain is the hard drive manufacturer itself, in this case, Seagate Technology, which manufactures the hard drives at one of its production facilities in numerous locations around the world.
2. The next step in the supply chain is the Regional Distribution Centers (RDCs). These are the hubs where the hard drive brand sends its manufactured goods to be distributed to numerous smaller distribution centers across different countries.
3. The next step is wholesalers and resellers. Sometimes resellers can also act as direct-to-end-user sales points, but the lines can get blurry depending on the quantity or device in question. Nevertheless, the majority of electronics and consumables (including hard drives) cannot be sold directly from this point to an end user and instead need to be funnelled to the final step in the chain—retail shops.
4. Which brings us to the final step in the chain—traditional retail outlets on the high street and the e-commerce websites you choose to purchase from. These are the ones you’ll be most familiar with, and unfortunately, a lot of these are the same retailers that end users impacted by these mis-sold hard drives have as their initial point of contact.

The issue is that these used hard drives, which are being falsely marketed as new, have been introduced into the supply chain somewhere between steps two and four. Seagate has not had any involvement in their reintroduction into the supply chain. Somewhere along the line, these used drives were inserted into the system, and that is what Seagate is currently investigating. The retail outlet where an affected user purchased the drive has more than likely been completely unaware that they have been selling used drives as new. In most cases, these drives would have arrived in sealed retail packaging, and the retailers would have been reluctant to open up supposedly new products for testing, as doing so would immediately devalue the product in the eyes of their consumer and business buyer base.

Therefore, it is going to take time for Seagate to find the smoking gun and pinpoint which wholesaler, reseller, or distributor allowed these used drives to re-enter the supply chain.

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Is Selling Used/Refurbished Hard Drives Illegal?

The sale of used, data center-grade, refurbished, or officially recertified drives is completely legal. Although Seagate, WD, and Toshiba would probably prefer to see the used hard drive market disappear, selling used drives is not illegal.

Many online retailers, including Amazon and Newegg, actively sell recertified and renewed drives—just as easily as brand-new ones.

The problem here is that these were used drives that were fraudulently mis-sold as brand new—and that IS illegal. In short, this is fraud, and the people selling these drives could be pursued for damages if customers lose data due to these drives failing far sooner than expected. That’s why any drive that isn’t new is required to be labeled as recertified, refurbished, or renewed. This ensures clarity for the buyer when making a purchasing decision.

That said, some sellers intentionally make it hard to determine if a drive is refurbished. For example, a Seagate IronWolf 12TB hard drive sold on Amazon’s “previously owned” listings might clearly state that it’s used—but it won’t mention that it was originally manufactured in 2017, meaning it could be 8 years old and already have tens of thousands of hours of prior use. It wouldn’t be so bad if the manufacturing date was displayed at the top of the listing, but instead, it’s buried deep in the product details. Bottom line: Selling used drives is not illegal. Selling used drives under the guise of being brand new is fraud—and highly illegal.

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Is This Seagate’s Fault?

In all honesty, one could argue that Seagate is responsible for selling large volumes of high-capacity, data center-class hard drives to the original cryptocurrency farmers. However, this would be no different than selling the drives to any regular SMB, just a question of large-scale volume. Seagate is not responsible or in any way officially authorizing the reselling of its hard drives under the classification of new storage media. Additionally, the official partners that Seagate chooses to sell its goods through have almost certainly sold these drives with as much authentication between them and the distributors/resellers as possible. It could be argued that Seagate should personally step in at the supply chain level further down the chain to periodically check the health and condition of drives—much like a hard drive secret shopper—but that’s really about it. Right now, as long as Seagate commits to investigating how this occurred and acts upon what they find to ensure that mis-sold drives don’t enter the supply chain again, that’s about as far as I think this can go in terms of blaming Seagate. Realistically, we can’t lose sight of the fact that it is the fault of the bad actors who modified these hard drives in an effort to recover the original money spent on them before Chia farming collapsed. Wherever the entry point was that allowed these drives to re-enter the supply chain, that is what needs to be identified and stopped.

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What Should I Do if I Believe my HDD was Missold?

If you believe that the hard drive in your NAS, server, or storage system was mis-sold to you as a brand-new drive when in fact it was heavily used, you need to contact your point of sale immediately. Tools such as Seagate’s own warranty checker allow you to enter the serial number of your hard drive into their database checker. Regardless of whether your hard drive is still under warranty, it will still highlight whether this is an official drive or not. Additionally, if you purchased a single drive that was sold as new, but upon entering the details into the warranty checker on Seagate’s website shows that this drive was part of a larger batch, this would imply that the drive you purchased was originally included in a larger server system previously—not unlike how a food or drink product is labeled as part of a multipack and not for individual resale. If a single drive that you purchased as brand-new is listed as originally part of a multi-drive system, it is highly recommended that you contact your retailer and/or raise this with Seagate directly for further investigation.

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Minisforum MGA1 Oculink GPU Dock Review

The Minisforum MGA1 Oculink GPU Dock is a purpose-built external graphics solution that combines portability with performance. It features an integrated AMD Radeon RX 7600M XT GPU, making it ideal for users who need scalable graphical performance for tasks like gaming, video editing, or 3D rendering. Unlike traditional eGPU docks that rely on USB4 or Thunderbolt, the MGA1 leverages the Oculink PCIe Gen 4 x4 interface, which delivers up to 64Gbps of bandwidth. This connection offers higher data throughput compared to USB4 or Thunderbolt 4, ensuring minimal bottlenecks for demanding applications. Additionally, the dock includes a robust set of connectivity options, such as three USB-A 10Gbps ports, one USB-C 65W Power Delivery output, and video outputs supporting up to three 8K displays through HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 2.0. Its design makes it a powerful and versatile addition to compact computing setups.

Minisforum MGA1 Review – Quick Conclusion

The Minisforum MGA1 Oculink GPU Dock is a thoughtfully designed external graphics solution that provides a substantial performance boost for compatible mini-PCs, laptops, and workstations. By utilizing the high-bandwidth Oculink PCIe Gen 4 x4 interface, it ensures minimal bottlenecking and smooth performance for gaming, video editing, and multitasking tasks. Its integrated AMD Radeon RX 7600M XT GPU delivers reliable mid-tier graphical power, making it a practical choice for professionals and gamers alike. The dock’s compact design, built-in 240W power supply, and efficient thermal management system enhance portability and ease of use, making it a convenient option for users transitioning between home, office, and travel setups.

While the reliance on Oculink limits its out-of-the-box compatibility to devices with this emerging standard, the availability of affordable M.2-to-Oculink adapters expands its usability to a wider range of systems. Additionally, the dock supports a USB-C fallback connection, though with reduced performance. Its ability to drive multiple 8K displays, combined with versatile USB connectivity, positions it as more than just an eGPU—it’s also a capable docking station. For users seeking a portable yet powerful external GPU solution that balances performance and convenience at a competitive price, the MGA1 is an appealing option that bridges the gap between compact computing and high-performance workloads.

DEAL WATCH – Is It On Offer Right Now? These Offers are Checked Daily

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Oculink is the cornerstone of the MGA1’s performance advantage, providing significantly more bandwidth than USB4 or Thunderbolt 4. While Thunderbolt 4 and USB4 max out at 40Gbps, Oculink achieves up to 64Gbps, translating to roughly 8GB/s of real-world data transfer rates. This increased bandwidth directly benefits GPU-intensive tasks, reducing data transfer delays and improving frame rates in games or rendering times in creative applications. However, it’s important to note that Oculink is not yet widely adopted, limiting the MGA1’s compatibility to devices that support the interface. For systems without native Oculink ports, adapters are available to convert M.2 PCIe slots into Oculink connections, albeit with additional setup complexity. This positions the MGA1 as a forward-thinking device that offers unmatched performance for users with compatible systems but requires additional considerations for broader adoption.

Component	Specification
GPU	AMD Radeon RX 7600M XT
Memory	8GB GDDR6
Uplink	Oculink 4i (PCIe Gen 4 x4)
Video Outputs	1x HDMI 2.1, 2x DisplayPort 2.0
USB Ports	1x USB-C PD (65W), 3x USB 3.2 Gen 2
Power Supply	Built-in 240W GaN
Power Input	110-220V ~3A
Dimensions	247 x 128 x 46.5 mm
Weight	1.42 kg

The MGA1’s compact design enhances its appeal for users who prioritize portability. Weighing approximately 1.42 kg and featuring a slim form factor, the dock is easy to transport, making it suitable for both stationary and mobile setups. Its built-in 240W GaN power supply eliminates the need for bulky external power bricks, reducing clutter.

The dock is also equipped with advanced thermal management, utilizing ventilation on all sides to maintain optimal GPU temperatures. During testing, the cooling system performed efficiently, keeping noise levels at a minimum compared to the connected mini-PCs. These design choices make the MGA1 an attractive option for professionals and gamers who require occasional high-performance capabilities in a portable form factor.

Performance benchmarks of the MGA1 validate its capabilities as a reliable eGPU solution. The dock demonstrated significant improvements in synthetic tests such as 3DMark and FurMark, showcasing its ability to handle GPU-intensive tasks with ease. With a TDP rating of 120W, the AMD Radeon RX 7600M XT GPU draws between 90W and 110W during typical workloads, ensuring stable performance without exceeding power limitations.

For creative professionals, the MGA1 excelled in video editing and rendering tasks, significantly reducing processing times compared to integrated GPUs. Its ability to handle multiple workloads efficiently makes it a versatile tool for users seeking an upgrade without the need for a desktop GPU setup.

Compatibility is another critical aspect of the MGA1. While Oculink remains the ideal interface for maximum performance, the dock supports USB-C connections for reduced-speed operations. This fallback option allows users with systems lacking Oculink ports to still utilize the dock’s GPU capabilities, albeit with limitations.

For users with PCIe Gen 4 M.2 slots, adapters are available to bridge the compatibility gap, enabling Oculink functionality. However, these adapters may introduce additional setup steps, making them less user-friendly for non-technical users. As Oculink adoption increases in upcoming devices, the MGA1’s relevance and usability are expected to grow, aligning it well with future market trends.

Compared to other eGPU docks, the MGA1 offers a balanced mix of performance and convenience. Open-air GPU docks, such as the Minisforum DEG1 or Aoostar AG01, may provide more flexibility for custom configurations but often require external power supplies and are bulkier. On the other hand, USB4/Thunderbolt 4 eGPU solutions like the Ayaneo AG01 and OneXGPU2 offer broader compatibility but fall short in terms of bandwidth and real-world performance. The MGA1’s self-contained design, combined with its advanced connectivity and thermal management, makes it a compelling choice for users seeking a hassle-free eGPU solution.

In gaming scenarios, the MGA1 delivered consistent performance, particularly at 1080p and 1440p resolutions. The AMD Radeon RX 7600M XT GPU provided smooth frame rates in modern titles, with minimal bottlenecking thanks to the Oculink interface. While ultra-high resolutions like 4K revealed some limitations in bandwidth, the dock excelled in scenarios where data-intensive transfers were less critical. For casual gamers and enthusiasts, the MGA1 strikes a good balance between performance and portability, offering an effective solution for mid-tier gaming setups.

For professionals, the MGA1’s support for up to three 8K displays and its robust USB and video output options make it a versatile docking station. Whether used for multitasking across multiple monitors or rendering high-resolution content, the dock’s capabilities align well with the demands of creative workflows. Its compact and portable nature further enhances its utility, allowing professionals to transition seamlessly between home, office, and travel setups without compromising on performance.

Oculink vs Thunderbolt4/USB4?

Oculink offers a significant performance edge over Thunderbolt 4 and USB4 by leveraging the PCIe Gen 4 x4 interface, delivering up to 64Gbps of bandwidth compared to the 40Gbps limit of its competitors. This additional throughput results in tangible advantages for GPU-intensive tasks, such as gaming, rendering, and video editing, where data transfer rates directly impact performance. Oculink achieves this by providing a dedicated PCIe connection with minimal overhead, allowing for near-direct communication between the GPU and the host system. Thunderbolt 4 and USB4, on the other hand, introduce additional layers of protocol overhead and shared bandwidth, which can lead to bottlenecks in high-demand scenarios. For users seeking maximum performance, Oculink’s raw data transfer capabilities are unmatched, making it particularly suitable for applications where latency and throughput are critical. However, Oculink’s advantages come with notable limitations. Its adoption is still in its infancy, with only a limited number of devices, such as select mini-PCs and laptops, supporting the interface. This makes it less versatile than Thunderbolt 4 and USB4, which are widely implemented across modern consumer and professional devices. Furthermore, Oculink lacks the plug-and-play convenience of Thunderbolt and USB4, often requiring system restarts or cold boots for device recognition, as it operates more like an internal PCIe connection. In contrast, Thunderbolt 4 and USB4 prioritize ease of use, offering hot-swappable connections and seamless integration into a wide variety of ecosystems. These interfaces also support multi-functionality, including data transfer, video output, and power delivery, making them more versatile for general-purpose use.

From a pros-and-cons perspective, Oculink excels in raw performance and efficiency, making it ideal for power users and professionals who demand the highest data transfer rates for specific workloads. On the downside, its niche adoption and less intuitive setup process can be barriers for casual users. Conversely, Thunderbolt 4 and USB4 offer broader compatibility, user-friendly features, and a well-established ecosystem of peripherals, but their lower bandwidth and protocol overhead make them less suitable for tasks requiring maximum performance. Choosing between the two depends largely on user priorities: those seeking top-tier performance should consider Oculink, while users valuing flexibility and ease of use may prefer Thunderbolt 4 or USB4.

Minisforum MGA1 Review – Verdict

The Minisforum MGA1 Oculink GPU Dock is an innovative solution that combines high performance with portability. Its reliance on the emerging Oculink standard positions it as a forward-thinking product, but it also limits its immediate appeal to users with compatible systems. The dock excels in delivering substantial performance gains for GPU-intensive tasks while offering a compact and user-friendly design. For users with compatible systems or those willing to invest in adapters, the MGA1 offers a compelling mix of performance, portability, and convenience. Its design and functionality make it a valuable addition to compact computing setups, bridging the gap between portability and high-performance computing.

PROS of the Minisforum MGA1 eGPU	CONS of the Minisforum MGA1 eGPU
High bandwidth through Oculink (64Gbps). Compact design with a built-in 240W power supply. Effective thermal management and low noise levels. Plug-and-play functionality for Oculink-enabled devices. Support for three 8K displays via HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 2.0. Versatile USB-C and USB-A connectivity. Significant performance improvements in gaming and professional workloads. Competitive pricing compared to USB4/Thunderbolt eGPU solutions.	Limited compatibility due to Oculink’s niche adoption. USB-C fallback results in reduced performance. Requires additional adapters for non-Oculink systems, adding complexity.
The MGA1 is Available on Amazon for $569	The MGA1 is Available on AliExpress for $561 HERE

 

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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

Need Advice on Data Storage from an Expert?

Finally, for free advice about your setup, just leave a message in the comments below here at NASCompares.com and we will get back to you. Need Help? Where possible (and where appropriate) please provide as much information about your requirements, as then I can arrange the best answer and solution to your needs. Do not worry about your e-mail address being required, it will NOT be used in a mailing list and will NOT be used in any way other than to respond to your enquiry. [contact-form-7] TRY CHAT Terms and Conditions   Alternatively, why not ask me on the ASK NASCompares forum, by clicking the button below. This is a community hub that serves as a place that I can answer your question, chew the fat, share new release information and even get corrections posted. I will always get around to answering ALL queries, but as a one-man operation, I cannot promise speed! So by sharing your query in the ASK NASCompares section below, you can get a better range of solutions and suggestions, alongside my own.

WE LOVE COFFEE