Kingston a lancé son SSD Fury Renegade G5 en version 8 To, un modèle PCIe 5.0 atteignant jusqu’à 14 800 Mo/s en lecture et 14 000 Mo/s en écriture, destiné aux utilisateurs recherchant haute capacité et performances extrêmes.

L’article Kingston Fury lance un SSD de 8 To, avec des débits de 14 800 Mo/s est apparu en premier sur Tom’s Hardware.

Can We Forgive and Forget The Synology HDD Compatibility Flip Flop?

Synology’s recent reversal on hard drive compatibility has reopened a larger debate about whether its NAS systems remain a trustworthy and sensible choice for both new buyers and long-term users. Throughout most of 2025, the company faced sustained criticism after enforcing strict drive verification checks that prevented users from installing or operating third-party HDDs and SSDs from major brands like Seagate and Western Digital. This policy, applied to the new Plus-series NAS models such as the DS925+, DS1525+, and DS1825+, effectively forced customers to purchase Synology’s own branded media or risk an unusable system. For a company long regarded as the industry standard for dependable and user-friendly storage solutions, the move appeared both unexpected and self-defeating. Although Synology later justified the decision as a way to ensure system stability and reliability, the backlash was immediate and global, with declining sales and widespread frustration among users who saw the change as a form of corporate overreach. Now, with the brand having confirmed a full rollback through the DSM 7.3 update—restoring support for non-Synology drives and removing prior warning prompts—the discussion has shifted. While the reversal is seen as a victory for users, it also highlights how fragile consumer confidence has become, and how a single policy misstep can redefine a company’s relationship with its community.

Below, my original video after the change by Synology after 6 months of their strict HDD media stance:

What Did Synology Do Wrong?

Synology’s critical mistake was implementing a restrictive hardware policy that undermined one of its key historical strengths: flexibility. For years, the company had built its reputation on offering an intuitive software platform, DSM, that ran on a wide variety of hardware configurations. By deciding to enforce hard drive compatibility restrictions in the 2025 generation of Plus-series NAS systems, Synology effectively turned once-open devices into closed platforms. The systems refused to initialise DSM or create storage pools when non-Synology drives were detected, and even when users managed to proceed, the interface was flooded with persistent warnings labelling third-party media as “unverified” or “at risk.” This move frustrated not only home users who wanted affordable upgrade options, but also small businesses that relied on Synology NAS for their daily operations. It created unnecessary technical and financial barriers at a time when alternative NAS vendors were offering greater compatibility and value. The brand’s own messaging made the situation worse: early statements focused on “system integrity” and “firmware optimisation” but failed to acknowledge that the change mainly benefited Synology’s hardware sales rather than the end user.

The second major error lay in how the company managed the fallout. Synology’s communication strategy throughout the controversy was inconsistent, fragmented, and in some regions almost non-existent. Different regional branches released conflicting press materials, with some hinting that compatibility with Seagate and Western Digital drives would soon return, while others maintained silence. No clear timeline or explanation was given for the testing process or the reasoning behind such aggressive enforcement. As a result, long-standing partners and distributors were left unsure of how to address customer concerns. Meanwhile, the online community—particularly on Reddit, NAS forums, and YouTube—quickly filled the information vacuum, fuelling frustration and speculation. Instead of clarifying the company’s intentions, Synology appeared defensive and disengaged, disabling comments on some of its own videos and refusing to directly address mounting criticism. This combination of restrictive policy and poor communication not only hurt its reputation but also suggested a growing disconnect between the brand’s leadership and its user base.

Why Are Users Mad at Synology?

Many users felt betrayed by Synology’s actions because the company had long marketed itself as the reliable, user-first alternative to more complex or DIY storage solutions. For years, Synology’s systems were praised for their openness—allowing customers to build their NAS setups using widely available components from trusted brands like Seagate, WD, and Toshiba. The introduction of hard drive restrictions in 2025 fundamentally altered that relationship. Suddenly, the same users who had invested heavily in Synology’s ecosystem found themselves unable to upgrade, expand, or even install DSM without purchasing the brand’s own drives, which were often rebranded versions of existing enterprise models sold at a premium. The move was viewed as a breach of trust, and the lack of transparency surrounding it only made things worse. Many saw it as an attempt to create a closed ecosystem that prioritised recurring hardware profits over customer freedom. This frustration was compounded by the timing—during a period when users were already facing higher hardware costs and tighter IT budgets, making Synology’s restrictive approach feel especially tone-deaf.

The Alerts and ‘Warnings’ that users have gotten used to up tll now (i.e pre DSM 7.3 roll out):

Another major source of anger came from how the policy rollout created confusion and inconsistency across Synology’s product lineup. While the Plus-series desktop NAS models received the strictest restrictions, larger RackStation and XS-series devices remained unaffected, creating the impression that Synology viewed its home and small-business customers as expendable. Even after announcing the rollback with DSM 7.3, many users noted that the company’s official compatibility lists still failed to mention Seagate or WD drives, and that public communication about the change was minimal. For those outside tech circles, this meant that the situation looked unchanged—product pages still implied that only Synology drives were supported, and many older negative reviews remained visible online. As a result, even with the restrictions now lifted, the perception of Synology as a brand willing to prioritise profit over user loyalty persists. The long delay in addressing community backlash, combined with inconsistent messaging, has left many customers sceptical that this U-turn represents a genuine shift rather than damage control.

What Did Synology Do to Fix This?

Synology’s eventual fix came in the form of a full policy reversal integrated into DSM 7.3, the company’s next major software update. With this version, users of the 2025 generation of Plus-series NAS devices—including models such as the DS925+, DS1525+, and DS1825+—regained the ability to freely use third-party hard drives and SSDs. The update removed not only the installation barriers but also the persistent “unverified drive” and “at risk” warnings that had previously appeared in Storage Manager. For most users, this restored full functionality, allowing them to initialise DSM, create and expand RAID arrays, use hot spares, and assign SSDs for caching without restrictions. The change essentially returned Synology’s systems to the state they were in before the controversial policy was introduced earlier in the year. The reversal applied primarily to desktop-class NAS systems rather than rackmount or XS-series models, suggesting that Synology wanted to restore goodwill among its core consumer and small-business audience first.

However, the way Synology implemented this reversal has drawn mixed responses. Instead of releasing a simple compatibility database update, which could have resolved the issue quickly, the company bundled the fix into a full DSM version upgrade. That meant users had to install an entirely new operating system build to regain third-party drive support, even if they were otherwise satisfied with their existing DSM 7.2 installations. For those managing multiple NAS units or enterprise environments, this created complications, especially since DSM 7.3 initially lacked a public beta and required careful validation before deployment.

The company also issued few direct statements about the rollback, opting instead for limited press communications that focused on “listening to customer feedback.” Despite the importance of the change, Synology’s product pages still make little mention of renewed Seagate and WD compatibility, leaving potential buyers to rely on external coverage or word of mouth. While the technical fix was effective, the manner of its rollout showed that Synology’s communication strategy remains cautious, reactive, and focused on damage limitation rather than proactive transparency.

What were/are the benefits of Buying Synology-branded Hard Drives and SSDs?

In parallel with the policy adjustments introduced in DSM 7.3, Synology has also begun expanding a series of benefits and incentives aimed at customers who purchase Synology NAS systems together with Synology-branded storage media. These initiatives are part of the company’s ongoing effort to strengthen its vertically integrated ecosystem, ensuring optimal performance and reliability when all components come from the same source. In selected markets, buyers who purchase Synology HAT, HAS, or SAT series drives on the same invoice as their NAS hardware now receive extended warranty coverage of up to five years, administered directly through authorized distributors and resellers. In addition, Synology has introduced an Express Replacement program, allowing for immediate drive swaps during the warranty period without waiting for the defective unit to be shipped and inspected, effectively mirroring the convenience of a premium RMA service. These benefits are available at no extra cost when drives are purchased through approved channels. The initiative is designed to make Synology’s validated ecosystem more appealing to businesses seeking predictable lifecycle management and faster recovery in the event of hardware failure, while also providing an incentive for users to standardize on Synology-branded components rather than mixing third-party storage.

Head over to Blackvoid HERE to read Luka’s great write-up on DSM 7.3 below:

Why Are Some Users Unconvinced?

Many long-time Synology owners remain sceptical because the company’s pattern of restrictive decision-making has not been limited to hard drives. Over the years, Synology has gradually tightened control over hardware support in other areas, such as M.2 NVMe SSD usage, network adapters, and GPU compatibility. Even though the recent rollback allows full use of third-party HDDs and SSDs in Plus-series models, the same freedom does not apply to NVMe storage. Users still cannot create storage pools or volumes on M.2 drives unless they are Synology-branded, which reinforces the perception that the company is only willing to compromise when it faces enough public pressure. Critics point out that while Synology deserves credit for reversing the hard drive restrictions, it has shown no similar flexibility in other parts of its ecosystem. This selective openness suggests a tactical move designed to repair short-term reputation damage rather than a genuine shift toward more open hardware policies. As a result, many users fear that future DSM updates could easily reintroduce similar restrictions under a different justification.

Another concern is that Synology has not done enough to communicate these changes clearly to new buyers. Even after the DSM 7.3 announcement, the company’s official compatibility lists for 2025 models still prioritise its own drives, with no explicit mention of Seagate or WD models being supported again. For first-time users who rely on these lists for purchasing decisions, there is no clear indication that the policy has changed.

This lack of transparency undermines confidence in Synology’s commitment to openness. Furthermore, the decision to tie the rollback to a major DSM update rather than a smaller patch raises worries that the company could use similar tactics in the future to control hardware functionality through software revisions. Many see the reversal as a necessary correction rather than an act of goodwill, and that distinction matters. Users may accept Synology’s reasoning for now, but the brand’s reputation for reliability has been replaced by a lingering doubt about whether it can be trusted to keep its platform open and user-focused.

NAS Series	Drives on Compatibility List	Drives Not Listed	Drives on Incompatibility List
RS Plus (e.g., RS2423+, RS422+)	Supported for new installation, storage pool creation, and migration	Supported only for migration; cannot create new storage pools or caches	Fully blocked from all operations
DVA/NVR Series (e.g., DVA1622, DVA3221, NVR1218)	Supported for installation and migration	Supported only for migration; cannot create new storage pools	Fully blocked from all operations
Supported Drive Types	HDD and 2.5″ SATA SSD	HDD and 2.5″ SATA SSD (migration only)	All drive types blocked
Drive Example Notes	Synology HAT5300/HAT3300 verified; select enterprise drives	Seagate IronWolf, SkyHawk, WD Purple not yet verified for use	Drives failing thermal or firmware tests
Use Case	Rackmount and surveillance workloads requiring consistent write throughput	Data migration or backup restoration	Unsupported entirely

Should You Trust Synology NAS Again?

Trusting Synology again depends largely on how much users value its software ecosystem compared to its corporate behaviour. The company’s DSM operating system remains one of the most advanced and stable NAS platforms available, offering a wide range of applications for backup, surveillance, multimedia, and virtualization that are unmatched by most competitors. For those who prioritise reliability, ease of use, and integration over raw hardware flexibility, Synology still provides a compelling product. The reintroduction of unrestricted hard drive support in DSM 7.3 restores much of the practical functionality that users lost earlier this year, and for many, that will be enough to justify purchasing a new NAS. From a technical standpoint, the Plus-series devices are still capable and efficient, with consistent performance, strong data protection features, and excellent long-term support. In short, the hardware remains solid, and the software continues to define Synology’s market dominance in turnkey storage solutions.

Below, references to the change in hard drive support policy are either absent in release notes or severely underplayed on the compatibility pages as of 3rd Nov 2025.

However, from a consumer trust perspective, caution is still warranted. The brand’s repeated pattern of restricting features, followed by later partial reversals, has left many wary that similar policies could return in future product generations. Even though DSM 7.3 represents a positive correction, Synology has not issued any long-term assurances that it will maintain this open stance. There is also concern about how much influence profit margins and proprietary hardware incentives continue to have over product decisions. For experienced users, the safest approach may be to treat Synology as a premium but increasingly closed ecosystem—one that delivers outstanding software at the cost of long-term flexibility. Whether it is “okay” to buy a Synology NAS now depends on priorities: if you value a polished interface and dependable system behaviour above everything else, Synology is still one of the best options available. But if transparency, open standards, and full hardware freedom matter more, then the company’s recent U-turn should be seen not as a full restoration of trust, but as a cautious and temporary concession to public pressure.

If/When you do wish to purchase a Synology NAS, please do use the links below in order to purchase your NAS. Doing so results in a small commission coming to me and Ed here at NASCompares, and it allows us to keep doing what we do here, and is the most frictionless and zero-cost way for you to support our articles, reviews, videos, guides, support systems and more.

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WE LOVE COFFEE

 

– Article invité, rédigé par Vincent Lautier, contient des liens affiliés Amazon –

On ne va pas se mentir : trimballer un disque dur externe, aujourd’hui, ça ressemble un peu à sortir un baladeur CD. C’est bruyant, fragile, lent, bref, on passe. Les SSD portables, eux, ont tout changé : finis les plateaux qui tournent et les transferts qui prennent des heures.

Un bon SSD, c’est du silence, de la vitesse (jusqu’à 2 000 Mo/s, contre 120 en moyenne pour un disque dur), et la possibilité d’enregistrer directement ses vidéos 4K ProRes sur un iPhone sans remplir sa mémoire interne.

Lexar, marque bien connue dans la photo et la vidéo, s’est fait une spécialité de ces modèles rapides et compacts, et comme elle m’en a envoyé plusieurs pour les tester (merci bien Lexar), je vous propose ici un petit comparatif rapide de chacun d’entre eux : le SL500, le ES5, et le Professional Go avec Hub. Trois approches et trois usages différents. Les trois fonctionnent très bien sur ordinateur, PC ou Mac, sur smartphone, iPhone ou Android, et même sur tablette genre iPad.

Lexar SL500 : un SSD rapide tout simplement

Le SL500, c’est surtout un SSD rapide. Il exploite l’interface USB 3.2 Gen 2×2, capable d’atteindre jusqu’à 2 000 Mo/s en lecture et 1 800 Mo/s en écriture, du moins sur un ordinateur compatible (les Mac et iPhone non “Pro” se limitent à 10 Gb/s, soit environ 1 000 Mo/s). Dans la pratique, on tourne autour de 1 600 à 2 000 Mo/s, de quoi transférer un film en 4K en quelques secondes.

Il a un design en aluminium, pèse 95 grammes et a en option un étui magnétique MagSafe (le truc au dessus sur la photo) qui lui permet de se fixer directement à un iPhone (ce que vous n’êtes pas du tout obligé de faire hein, c’est aussi un très bon SSD pour ordinateur). Il est certifié IP54, supporte les chutes jusqu’à deux mètres. 

En usage réel, c’est un SSD à l’aise partout : montage vidéo, photo RAW, sauvegarde de projet, il encaisse tout. Là tout de suite on le trouve en dessous des 100 euros en version 1 To, c’est l’un des meilleurs rapports vitesse/prix du moment. Idéal pour les freelances, étudiants ou créateurs polyvalents qui veulent du sérieux sans se ruiner.

• SL500 1 To sur Amazon
• SL500 2 To sur Amazon

Lexar ES5 : le baroudeur pour créateurs mobiles

L’ES5, c’est le SSD qui ne craint pas de sortir du bureau. Même interface rapide que le SL500 (USB 3.2 Gen 2×2), mais un look et une conception différents : coque en silicone, 49 g sur la balance, IP65 et résistance aux chutes jusqu’à 3 mètres. En clair, il encaisse bien la poussière, la pluie, et être jeté à l’arrache dans un sac.

Il est aussi magnétique, avec un aimant puissant et une bague métallique pour l’attacher à n’importe quel smartphone ou laptop. Avec les iPhone « Pro », il permet d’enregistrer en ProRes 4K 60 ou 120 fps. Il dispose d’une application mobile pour sauvegarder automatiquement photos et vidéos sans passer par le cloud, et reste bien sûr compatible PC/Mac.

Côté performance, rien à redire : autour de 1 800 à 2 000 Mo/s, il se est constant, même sur de longs transferts. En France, on le trouve à environ 150 € en 1 To, 220 euros en 2 To. C’est un peu plus cher que le SL500, mais son format plus compact et sa robustesse justifient l’écart. Le public visé ? Les vloggers, journalistes, créateurs de terrain ou voyageurs qui ont besoin d’un SSD à la fois rapide, solide et pratique à accrocher à leur setup.

• ES5 1 To sur Amazon
• ES5 2 To sur Amazon

Lexar Professional Go avec Hub : pour les vidéastes

Le Professional Go est une petite curiosité. Ultra-compact (13 g seulement), il se branche directement en USB-C à l’iPhone, sans câble intermédiaire. Les vitesses sont plus modestes (1 050 Mo/s en lecture, 1 000 Mo/s en écriture) mais largement suffisantes pour enregistrer des vidéos 4K ProRes sans saturer la mémoire du téléphone.

Sa particularité, c’est son hub intégré : quatre ports USB-C permettant de brancher un micro, une lumière, une batterie externe ou un autre accessoire. Une sorte de mini-station de tournage qui transforme l’iPhone en rig complet. Le tout est IP65, protégé contre la poussière et les éclaboussures, et livré avec un bumper en silicone pour encaisser les coups.

L’ensemble est un peu plus cher, environ 190 € en 1 To et 280 € en 2 To, mais c’est un produit assez unique. On peut tout brancher sans adaptateur ni multiprise, et garder un setup léger. Pour les vidéastes iPhone, c’est un outil redoutable : rapide, bien pensé, et surtout très pratique.

• Professional Go With Hub 1 To
• Professional Go With Hub 2 To

Alors on choisit lequel ?

Bah, c’est assez simple en fait. Le Lexar SL500 mise sur la vitesse pure et un bon rapport qualité-prix. Il vise aussi les utilisateurs grand public qui veulent un disque rapide, bien fini et polyvalent.

Le Lexar ES5 s’adresse plus aux créateurs mobiles, qui veulent la même puissance mais dans un format plus solide, prêt pour les tournages en extérieur. C’est le modèle que je préfère, sans aucun doute.

Le Lexar Professional Go avec Hub, lui, cible clairement les vidéastes iPhone : un mini setup complet pour filmer en ProRes tout en branchant micro et lumière.

Ces trois modèles couvrent pratiquement tous les usages, de la sauvegarde quotidienne au tournage pro, avec un vrai souci du détail et des prix cohérents. Quoi qu’il en soit, si vous hésitez encore à passer du disque dur au SSD, croyez-moi : après avoir goûté à 2 000 Mo/s, vous ne reviendrez plus jamais en arrière.

Article invité publié par Vincent Lautier . Vous pouvez aussi faire un saut sur mon blog , ma page de recommandations Amazon , ou lire tous les tests que je publie dans la catégorie “Gadgets Tech” , comme cette liseuse Android de dingue ou ces AirTags pour Android !

Review of the Sharge Disk Pro Mobile Hub and Docking Station

The Sharge Disk Pro is a compact external SSD and multifunction USB hub aimed at users who need additional high-speed storage and connectivity for their mobile or desktop devices. Measuring roughly the size of a credit card and just 11mm thick, it merges solid-state storage, data transfer, and video output within a single enclosure. The device is equipped with an integrated USB-C cable, a fan-assisted thermal system, and a magnetic mounting design that allows it to attach securely to compatible smartphones, handheld gaming consoles, or laptops. Available in 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB versions, it uses 162-layer 3D TLC NAND flash and supports sustained 10Gbps transfers via USB 3.2 Gen 2. The Disk Pro also includes active and automatic fan modes designed to regulate temperature during extended operation. Unlike a standard enclosure, it has no option for user-upgradeable storage, with Sharge citing the closed design as essential for cooling performance. The product is currently being crowdfunded through Kickstarter, with early pricing beginning at $189 for the 1TB model and scaling to $469 for the 4TB version, and retail availability expected after the campaign concludes.

Sharge Disk Pro Review – Quick Conclusion

The Sharge Disk Pro is a compact 10Gbps external SSD and USB hub that stands out for its active cooling system, magnetic mounting, and integrated cable design. It delivers sustained read and write speeds of around 800–900MB/s without thermal throttling, even under prolonged load, thanks to its effective fan-assisted cooling. Its multi-port layout, including HDMI 2.1, USB-C PD, and USB-A connectivity, makes it suitable for both laptops and mobile devices, functioning as a miniature docking station. However, it has several trade-offs: the internal SSD cannot be upgraded or replaced, there is no hardware encryption, and the fixed USB-C cable limits repairability. Noise from the fan is noticeable during heavy use, and while its 10Gbps limit caps peak performance, overall reliability and heat management make it a strong all-in-one solution for portable data and connectivity needs.

Note – The Sharge Disk Pro is NOW LIVE HERE

Sharge Disk Pro Review – Design and Storage

The Sharge Disk Pro adopts a slim, rectangular chassis with a transparent, cyberpunk-style exterior typical of the brand’s product line. At just 11mm thick and weighing approximately 150g, it remains small enough to slip into a pocket or attach directly to the rear of a device via its magnetic backplate. Sharge provides several self-adhesive magnetic rings that enable mounting on laptops, smartphones, and handheld consoles, including MagSafe or Qi2-compatible models. This mounting flexibility is particularly useful when connecting the device to mobile systems with limited space or single-port connectivity, allowing it to remain flush with the device body during use rather than dangling on a cable.

Internally, the Disk Pro integrates TLC NAND flash storage that is permanently sealed within the casing. It comes in 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB configurations, but does not support user replacement or expansion. Sharge has stated that opening the casing would compromise the structural integrity of the fan-assisted cooling system, which directs airflow directly across the SSD and controller. While this closed design limits user flexibility, it contributes to improved durability and controlled thermals during sustained data operations, addressing a common weakness in other compact SSDs that tend to throttle under heavy load.

Externally, the unit uses an aluminium frame combined with a transparent plastic shell that reveals parts of its internal structure. The materials provide both aesthetic appeal and heat dissipation, with the aluminium core helping to channel heat away from the NAND and controller components. The integrated USB-C cable is short and reinforced, designed for use with laptops, tablets, and mobile phones without introducing unnecessary slack. Although the compactness is one of the Disk Pro’s strongest traits, it does come at the cost of expandability and limited repair potential due to the permanently sealed housing.

From a storage standpoint, Sharge’s choice of 162-layer 3D TLC NAND provides a balance of endurance and sustained performance, suitable for large data transfers, video capture, or use as external storage for gaming devices. Each model is preformatted for exFAT to ensure cross-platform compatibility between Windows, macOS, Android, and Linux systems. The inclusion of integrated power management also means the SSD can draw adequate power even when connected to low-output ports, with the fan and SSD operating efficiently under mobile conditions.

The Disk Pro’s overall form factor and integrated features place it closer to a high-performance portable hub than a simple external SSD. Its sealed construction, integrated active cooling, and additional connectivity are intended to reduce heat buildup, protect data integrity, and simplify on-the-go workflows. For professionals working with large 4K or 8K media files, or gamers seeking extended storage without extra cables, this design approach represents a different balance of portability and utility compared with most standard SSD enclosures on the market.

Sharge Disk Pro Review – Ports and Connections

The Sharge Disk Pro is built around a compact yet functional hub layout that integrates five active ports alongside the internal SSD. These include one HDMI 2.1 output, one USB-C port, one USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 port, and one USB-A 2.0 port, all managed by independent controller chips to prevent bottlenecks when multiple peripherals are in use. The inclusion of an HDMI 2.1 output enables video output up to 8K at 30Hz or 4K at 144Hz, depending on the connected device’s bandwidth. This makes it suitable for use with laptops, tablets, and compatible gaming consoles where both data access and display output are needed simultaneously. The USB-C port provides up to 100W input for power delivery passthrough, while the SSD and downstream ports can output up to 80W, allowing users to charge connected devices while maintaining full data and display functionality.

The built-in USB-C cable is one of the device’s defining physical features. Permanently attached to the chassis, it eliminates the need for separate cabling, reducing potential signal degradation and clutter. The short length ensures a secure connection with minimal strain, making it well-suited for handhelds and mobile phones where portability is essential. However, because it is non-removable, users have no option to replace the cable if it wears out or becomes damaged. The Disk Pro operates entirely over USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps), meaning it cannot exceed around 1GB/s transfer speeds, but remains fast enough for sustained high-volume workloads and video file handling.

Sharge also includes a 100W USB Power Delivery pass-through system designed for multi-device setups. When connected to a charger, the Disk Pro can simultaneously power a laptop or smartphone and operate as an SSD hub. The system manages current allocation automatically between the SSD, active ports, and the connected host device, maintaining stability under load. Users can switch the SSD off using a built-in hardware toggle to conserve NAND lifespan or operate solely as a docking station. This is a useful inclusion for those who primarily use the Disk Pro as a connectivity bridge rather than as continuous storage.

Despite its small dimensions, the hub’s port spacing and layout are designed for accessibility. Each connection point is positioned to avoid cable overlap, which can be problematic in other compact hubs. The HDMI port sits at the rear next to the USB-C power input, while the USB-A ports are side-mounted to support accessories such as flash drives, keyboards, or game controllers. This arrangement allows the device to function as both a desktop companion and an attachable expansion unit for mobile platforms.

• Interface Standard: USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps)

• Integrated Cable: Built-in USB-C, fixed length

• USB Ports: 1 x USB-C PD (100W input / 80W output), 1 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, 1 x USB-A 2.0

• Video Output: HDMI 2.1 supporting 4K 144Hz / 8K 30Hz

• Power Delivery: 100W input passthrough, 80W total output

• Controller Architecture: Three independent controller chips for port load management

• SSD Disable Switch: Hardware button to disable SSD for hub-only use

Sharge Disk Pro Review – Performance Tests

In practical testing, the Sharge Disk Pro delivered performance that closely aligned with its stated specifications. Using AJA System Test on a Windows 11 PC, sustained read speeds averaged between 800 and 900 MB/s, while write speeds remained consistent at around 700 to 800 MB/s across multiple test cycles. These results are in line with expectations for a USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) interface, which typically caps out at 1,000 MB/s due to bus limitations. During repeated five-minute transfer tests using 256MB file blocks, there was no noticeable performance degradation or thermal throttling, confirming that the integrated fan and heatsink design effectively maintained stable throughput even under extended workloads. Sequential transfers performed best, while random 4K operations showed typical limitations of USB-based external drives, making it more suited for large media file transfers rather than small transactional data.

Thermal performance was a key focus of Sharge’s design, and testing showed the fan to be highly effective at maintaining low SSD temperatures. With the fan disabled, idle temperatures hovered around 35–37°C, rising only slightly during short file operations.

When the fan was activated in Auto mode, the device maintained temperatures around 34–35°C externally, and the SSD’s internal sensors never exceeded 40°C during prolonged testing. In Turbo mode, which spins the fan up to 10,000 RPM, the system achieved an additional reduction of around 5°C compared to passive cooling. For comparison, typical compact SSDs of similar capacity can reach over 60°C under similar workloads, confirming that active cooling provides tangible longevity and stability benefits for the NAND and controller components.

Noise measurements taken during operation showed moderate but noticeable levels. With the fan off, the Disk Pro was entirely silent, as expected for a solid-state design. When active cooling was engaged, noise levels ranged between 42 and 43 dBA at a one-meter distance, roughly equivalent to a quiet office environment. Although audible, it was far from intrusive and balanced against the benefit of consistent thermal performance. The fan’s automatic speed curve effectively adjusted to thermal demands, rarely ramping to maximum unless under sustained high-intensity transfers. Users who prioritize silence can manually disable the fan when operating in cooler environments or when using the device primarily for intermittent transfers.

The internal SSD uses 162-layer 3D TLC NAND with a proprietary controller tuned for consistent throughput rather than peak burst speeds. The design choice ensures reliable operation across mixed workloads such as 4K video capture, game installation, and system backups. The integrated power delivery circuitry also maintained stability under simultaneous port loads, allowing the SSD and connected peripherals to perform consistently without power drops. While the lack of hardware encryption may be a drawback for enterprise or security-focused users, the drive remains fully compatible with software encryption solutions available on Windows, macOS, and Android.

• Interface Speed: USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps, ~1,000 MB/s theoretical)

• Measured Read Speed: 800–900 MB/s sustained

• Measured Write Speed: 700–800 MB/s sustained

• NAND Type: 162-layer 3D TLC NAND (BiCS6)

• Cooling System: Active fan with Auto (7,000 RPM) and Turbo (10,000 RPM) modes

• Operating Temperatures: 34–40°C under sustained load

• Noise Levels: 42–43 dBA under fan operation, 0 dBA passive

• Power Draw: 60W power input for device and fan operation, 100W passthrough charging support

Sharge Disk Pro Review – Verdict and Conclusion

The Sharge Disk Pro represents a deliberate departure from conventional external SSDs, offering a hybrid approach that merges high-speed storage with full USB hub functionality in a portable form factor. Its sealed, magnetically mountable chassis and integrated fan system address the common issue of heat buildup in compact SSDs, maintaining reliable performance over long transfers. While its 10Gbps interface limits absolute throughput to around 1GB/s, the consistent sustained speeds and controlled thermals make it suitable for demanding use cases such as 4K editing, live data capture, or console game storage. The fixed internal SSD and integrated cable limit upgradeability and repair potential, but they also contribute to its streamlined design and compact efficiency.

For users seeking a versatile storage expansion that also replaces a traditional docking station, the Disk Pro’s multi-port setup and cooling design provide clear practical benefits. However, those wanting modular storage or hardware encryption will find its closed system less appealing. Ultimately, it’s a well-engineered portable hub that balances mobility, temperature management, and performance more effectively than most devices in its class. If the retail version maintains the same build and stability demonstrated in testing, it will fill a distinct niche for creators and professionals needing fast, thermally stable external storage in a highly compact form.

Note – The Sharge Disk Pro is NOW LIVE HERE

Sharge Disk Pro PROS

Sharge Disk Pro CONS

Compact, magnetically attachable design ideal for mobile and laptop use. Integrated active cooling system maintains SSD temperatures below 40°C during sustained transfers. Delivers consistent 800–900MB/s read and 700–800MB/s write speeds over USB 3.2 Gen 2. Includes HDMI 2.1 port supporting up to 8K 30Hz or 4K 144Hz video output. Built-in USB-C cable and multiple ports (USB-C PD, USB-A 3.2, USB-A 2.0) provide hub-level versatility. Hardware switch to disable SSD extends lifespan and allows hub-only operation. Sturdy construction with efficient thermal design and magnetic mounting accessories included.

Non-upgradeable internal SSD limits long-term flexibility. Noticeable fan noise (around 42–43 dBA) under heavy cooling load. Lack of hardware encryption may deter professional or security-focused users.

 

 

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L’explosion de la demande liée à l’intelligence artificielle provoque une pénurie mondiale de mémoire et de SSD. Les prix s’envolent pour les particuliers.

Cet article L’IA vide les stocks mondiaux de SSD et de RAM a été publié en premier par GinjFo.

Should You Upgrade Your Synology from DSM 7.2 to DSM 7.3?

DSM 7.3 represents Synology’s final major release under the DSM 7 platform before the expected transition to DSM 8, and it introduces a mix of refinements, policy reversals, and new enterprise tools that signal both the maturity and the approaching end of this software generation. The update arrives after an extended rollout period that began in mid-2025 and has been deployed gradually across supported NAS models to ensure stability. It brings several notable changes, most prominently the revision of the company’s restrictive hard drive policy under the new HCL 5.0 standard, allowing a broader range of third-party drives on 2025 Plus series systems. Other additions include the Synology Tiering package, designed to automate storage management between multiple NAS devices, and the introduction of the AI Console, a framework that integrates external AI and LLM providers into Synology’s productivity applications. Alongside these new components, DSM 7.3 also adds incremental updates such as native exFAT support, more flexible encryption handling, improved domain and directory management, and several kernel-level security patches.

However, for most existing users running DSM 7.2, the decision to upgrade should not be automatic. Many of the most visible features in DSM 7.3, including Synology Drive 4.0 and early versions of Synology Tiering, can already be accessed through separate beta packages on DSM 7.2 without performing a full system upgrade. Moreover, DSM 7.3 has arrived without a public beta phase, leading to mixed community feedback on compatibility issues and minor application regressions reported during early adoption. The release is stable for general use, but it represents an incremental refinement rather than a fundamental reinvention of Synology’s operating environment. For many users, DSM 7.3 serves as both a capstone for the current platform and a preparatory step toward the next-generation DSM 8 ecosystem expected to follow in 2026.

Should You Upgrade to Synology DSM 7.3? The TL;DR

For most existing Synology users, DSM 7.3 is a cautious, incremental update rather than a transformative one. It refines several areas—particularly in data security via vulnerability patches, encrypted storage handling, and drive compatibility—but few of these changes are critical for stable systems already running DSM 7.2. The improved drive policy on 2025 Plus models is a welcome reversal of the restrictive compatibility introduced earlier, yet older systems benefit little beyond quality-of-life improvements. Similarly, the new Synology Tiering and AI Console frameworks show potential but are limited in scope, requiring multi-system deployments or external AI integrations that do not suit typical home or small business users. In short, DSM 7.3 is reliable and functionally solid, but it introduces no must-have feature for those already content with DSM 7.2. Users with newer 2025 Plus series hardware, or those who need to take advantage of the new tiering, encryption, or administrative tools, can confidently upgrade once their model is supported. However, administrators running mission-critical workloads, media servers, or older legacy devices may prefer to wait until early 2026 for further stability updates or the initial DSM 8 previews. The release feels transitional—a final, polished step for the DSM 7 generation rather than a defining milestone—so unless your deployment directly benefits from one of its headline features, remaining on DSM 7.2 remains a perfectly reasonable choice.

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Will Upgrading to DSM 7.3 Remove My Ability to Hardware Transcode?

Upgrading to DSM 7.3 does not remove hardware transcoding support on systems that already possess compatible integrated graphics or dedicated GPU functionality. The removal of hardware transcoding drivers occurred earlier, during the rollout of DSM 7.2.2, and affected only specific 2025-generation NAS models where Synology chose to disable HEVC (H.265) hardware acceleration for licensing and driver maintenance reasons. For all older devices—such as the DS920+, DS423+, and DS224+—the upgrade to DSM 7.3 preserves existing transcoding capabilities, including both H.264 and H.265 conversions, assuming these were functional in DSM 7.2. Users can continue to use hardware-assisted video conversion in applications such as Synology Video Station (if you still have it!), Plex, and Jellyfin without additional configuration. No drivers are removed or replaced by the DSM 7.3 upgrade process, and GPU-accelerated workloads remain fully accessible. The only cautionary point applies to future NAS models that will ship with DSM 7.3 preinstalled, as these may already reflect Synology’s newer driver policy, but existing systems upgrading from DSM 7.2 retain their transcoding performance entirely unchanged. Just remember that Synology 2025 series devices that have an integrated graphics CPU do NOT have the graphics driver by default. Watch the video below to learn more:

Will Upgrading to DSM 7.3 Result in My M.2 SSDs Becoming Unsupported or Unusable?

For most users, upgrading to DSM 7.3 will not cause any change to M.2 SSD functionality. Systems that already have existing cache or storage configurations using M.2 NVMe drives in DSM 7.2 will continue to operate normally after the upgrade, with no data loss or drive disconnection. The update does not remove support for previously installed third-party NVMe SSDs, nor does it alter existing caching or volume structures.

However, DSM 7.3 maintains Synology’s restrictive stance on creating new NVMe-based storage pools (i.e only their own bradned drives currently) or caches using unverified drives. While the broader HCL 5.0 policy restores open drive usage for SATA HDDs and SSDs on the 2025 Plus series, it does not extend to M.2 NVMe media, which still require official validation to be initialised in new roles. Users upgrading from DSM 7.2 who already have third-party M.2 drives configured will see no functional difference, but those attempting to add or reassign new NVMe devices after the upgrade will remain subject to the same compatibility enforcement introduced in DSM 7.2.

Is Synology Drive 4.0 Worth Upgrading to DSM 7.3 For?

Synology Drive 4.0 introduces a collection of small but practical improvements that enhance team collaboration and file management, but none of these changes require DSM 7.3 to function. The new version adds improved file labelling and categorisation tools, making it easier for teams to assign colour-coded or custom tags to shared content.

It also refines file request functionality, allowing users to specify reasons for requesting access and to track these submissions more transparently. File locking has also been expanded, now supporting manual control in addition to automatic version locking, which prevents conflicts when multiple users are editing the same document.

Together, these updates improve workflow precision and traceability, particularly in shared office environments or remote teams using Drive as a private alternative to cloud collaboration platforms such as OneDrive or Google Drive.

Beyond these refinements, Synology Drive 4.0 also brings stronger integration with Synology Account authentication, a requirement for accessing its newest collaborative features. This includes cross-user label sharing, improved audit tracking, and the option to enforce identity binding for Drive users in larger deployments.

However, all of these capabilities remain accessible to DSM 7.2 users via Synology’s beta package program, meaning there is no requirement to upgrade to DSM 7.3 to test or use them. Unless you specifically need tighter Drive account linkage or plan to adopt other DSM 7.3-only features such as Tiering or AI Console integration, the Drive 4.0 update alone does not justify upgrading your NAS operating system.

Is Synology Tiering Worth Upgrading to DSM 7.3 For?

Synology Tiering is one of the most significant new features in DSM 7.3, introducing an automated data management system designed to move infrequently accessed files from fast “hot” storage to lower-cost “cold” storage across multiple NAS devices. The concept is similar to hierarchical storage management in enterprise systems, but unlike QNAP’s QTier, it does not operate within a single NAS.

Instead, it requires two or more Synology NAS units running DSM 7.3, with the hot tier hosting the primary, frequently used data, and the cold tier configured as a secondary vault where less active files are migrated. Administrators can create tiering plans that determine how long a file remains in the hot tier based on modification or access frequency, with policies ranging from one day to several years. Transfers occur automatically over encrypted HTTPS connections, and stub files are left behind in the hot tier to preserve accessibility, allowing users to recall files seamlessly when needed.

However, despite its potential, Synology Tiering remains a beta-stage feature with limited configuration depth and hardware support. Not all NAS systems qualify for hot-tier deployment, and the supported model lists are inconsistent. For example, the DS425+—a system without M.2 slots—supports hot-tier operation, whereas the DS923+, which features greater performance and expandability, does not. Likewise, several older Plus-series models and most rackmount units are limited to cold-tier functionality only.

The service currently lacks integration with Synology Drive, encrypted folders, or other key DSM services, meaning many shared folders cannot participate in tiering policies. While the feature offers promise for businesses managing distributed sites or large archives, it is still early in development and unsuitable as the sole reason to perform a DSM 7.3 upgrade. It can also be tested independently on DSM 7.2 via the beta package, allowing administrators to evaluate its practicality before committing to a full system migration.

It is worth noting that Synology’s allocation of which NAS systems qualify as hot-tier and cold-tier devices under DSM 7.3 results in some unusual distinctions between models. Several systems with similar or even higher technical specifications are listed only as cold-tier devices, while others with more modest hardware are fully approved for hot-tier functionality.

For example, the Intel Celeron-based DS225+, which supports only SATA HDDs and lacks M.2 NVMe or 10GbE connectivity, is officially designated as a hot-tier system. In contrast, the AMD Ryzen R1600-based DS923+, which includes dual M.2 NVMe slots and 10GbE upgradability, appears only on the cold-tier list.

This creates a noticeable mismatch between capability and feature assignment across both desktop and rackmount systems, suggesting that Synology’s tiering support matrix has been determined on a per-model basis rather than by hardware class.

Model Listings (as defined under DSM 7.3):

• Hot-tier supported systems:
  FS6400, FS3600, FS3410, FS3400, FS2500, FS200T, HD6500, SA3400D, SA3200D, SA6400, SA3610, SA3600, SA3410, SA3400, RS4021xs+, RS3621xs+, RS3621RPxs, RS2825RP+, DS3622xs+, DS1823xs+, DS1621xs+, DS1825+, DS1525+, DS925+, DS725+, DS425+, DS225+.

• Cold-tier supported systems:
  HD6500, FS6400, FS3600, FS3410, FS3400, FS2500, FS200T, SA3400D, SA3200D, SA6400, SA3610, SA3600, SA3410, SA3400, RS4021xs+, RS3621xs+, RS3621RPxs, RS2825RP+, RS2423RP+, RS2423+, RS2821RP+, RS2421RP+, RS2421+, RS1221RP+, RS1221+, RS822RP+, RS822+, RS820RP+, RS820+, RS422+, DS3622xs+, DS1823xs+, DS1621xs+, DS2422+, DS1825+, DS1821+, DS1621+, DS1525+, DS1522+, DS1520+, DS925+, DS923+, DS725+, DS723+, DS920+, DS720+, DS620slim, DS425+, DS423+, DS420+, DS225+, DS224+, DS220+, DVA1622, DVA3221.

The division between these two groups highlights some unexpected choices, where NAS models with more advanced configurations—such as integrated NVMe storage or faster network options—are limited to cold-tier participation, while smaller, SATA-only systems are permitted full hot-tier operation.

Are Synology AI Admin Console Services Worth Upgrading to DSM 7.3 For?

The Synology AI Console is a new administrative framework introduced in DSM 7.3 that allows NAS administrators to connect external artificial intelligence and large language model (LLM) services, such as OpenAI, Azure OpenAI, Google Gemini, and Amazon Bedrock, directly into select Synology productivity applications. Its purpose is to enhance tools like Synology MailPlus and Synology Office with text summarisation, translation, and content generation capabilities.

Rather than hosting AI workloads locally, the Console acts as a bridge between the NAS and third-party AI providers through user-supplied API keys. Administrators can control who can access these features, set daily or per-minute token limits to manage consumption, and monitor all requests via detailed transaction logs.

A privacy-focused de-identification mechanism can also be enabled to mask sensitive data—such as names, IP addresses, or account details—before it leaves the NAS for external processing, restoring it upon return.

While these controls demonstrate a well-considered security approach, the AI Console remains divisive. Because all AI requests are processed externally rather than on-device, the system sends portions of MailPlus and Office text content to third-party cloud providers for analysis and response generation.

Even with encryption and masking in place, this design conflicts with the expectations of users who adopt a NAS precisely to maintain full local control over data.

Moreover, the Console currently supports only text-based functions and does not provide local inference, on-device LLM hosting, or GPU-accelerated processing, which limits its appeal to professional or privacy-conscious users. For most home and small-business owners, the AI Console is an optional enhancement rather than a compelling reason to upgrade.

It may benefit organisations already running MailPlus or Office in a collaborative environment, but its dependence on external AI infrastructure means its inclusion in DSM 7.3 is unlikely to justify a system-wide update on its own.

A Pre-emptive Warning about DSM 7.3 and Synology RS / Rackstation and NVR / DVA Surveillance Systems

While DSM 7.3 restores third-party hard drive flexibility on the 2025 DiskStation Plus range, this policy change does not extend to RackStation (RS) or DVA/NVR systems. These models continue to enforce Synology’s restricted compatibility framework, requiring officially verified HAT, HAS, or SAT series drives for full SMART monitoring, health data reporting, and warranty-backed operation. Unverified drives may still function but typically appear with degraded status indicators, limited temperature or lifespan data, and persistent “incompatible” warnings within Storage Manager.

This limitation remains particularly relevant to surveillance deployments, as Synology has yet to certify common NVR-grade drives such as Seagate IronWolf, Seagate SkyHawk, or WD Purple series models. At the time of writing, only one 2025-generation RackStation has been released under this policy, but Synology is expected to expand the line-up significantly into Q1 2026, with new models such as the DVA7400, DVA3000, and additional 4- and 8-bay RS systems all expected to ship with DSM 7.3 pre-installed and to follow the same verified-drive enforcement. As such, administrators planning future rackmount or surveillance deployments should confirm drive support in advance, as Synology shows no signs of relaxing its enterprise compatibility standards for these product tiers.

Should You Upgrade to DSM 7.3? VERDICT

For most existing Synology users, DSM 7.3 stands as a careful, incremental evolution of the platform rather than a major overhaul. It introduces refinements in data protection, encryption handling, and administrative control while restoring a more open stance on third-party hard drive use under the new HCL 5.0 policy. These adjustments address several long-standing user concerns, particularly on the 2025 Plus series, where Synology has finally reintroduced full flexibility for HDD and SSD compatibility. However, outside of that reversal, DSM 7.3’s core updates—such as minor kernel improvements, user interface refinements, and system efficiency tweaks—represent evolutionary stability rather than innovation. The release also marks Synology’s first attempt to integrate AI-based administrative tools and multi-tier storage, but both features remain optional, niche in scope, and better suited to advanced users or multi-NAS deployments. For those running stable DSM 7.2 environments, the upgrade is beneficial but not essential, as few of the new capabilities materially alter day-to-day operations.

That said, DSM 7.3 remains a worthwhile step forward for users who want to align their systems with Synology’s next-generation framework before DSM 8’s eventual release. Owners of newer 2025 models such as the DS925+, DS1525+, or RS2825RP+ will likely find the update unavoidable, as it forms the baseline for upcoming package releases and extended security support. Administrators managing large data environments may also appreciate the improved directory integration, enhanced file versioning, and native exFAT support included in this release. Still, those relying on older Plus or XS-class devices for media, backup, or general storage tasks may prefer to wait for a few minor revisions before upgrading, allowing early adopters to expose any unforeseen issues. DSM 7.3 is polished and well-structured, but it feels transitional—a bridge between legacy DSM 7.2 deployments and the more modern, AI-aware infrastructure Synology is preparing for DSM 8. Unless you specifically require its new storage policies, tiering capabilities, or AI integration, remaining on DSM 7.2 remains a stable, low-risk option for the foreseeable future.

Which Systems Support the DSM 7.3 Upgrade? (Updated List)

The DSM 7.3 (version 7.3-81180) update is available as a manual download for an extensive range of Synology NAS systems, spanning the Plus, XS, SA, FS, HD, Value, and J series. Rollout continues in stages, meaning some users will not yet receive an automatic update notification. Once installed, DSM 7.3 cannot be downgraded to a previous version, and for many older models, it will be the final feature-bearing update, with future maintenance limited to security and stability patches.

The complete set of DSM 7.3 installation files, as listed in Synology’s October 2025 release, confirms support for virtually all NAS models released between 2016 and 2025. Key model families include:

DiskStation desktop systems:
DS1019+, DS116, DS118, DS119j, DS120j, DS124, DS1517+, DS1517, DS1520+, DS1522+, DS1525+, DS1618+, DS1621+, DS1621xs+, DS1817+, DS1817, DS1819+, DS1821+, DS1823xs+, DS1825+, DS216+, DS216, DS216+II, DS216j, DS216play, DS218+, DS218, DS218j, DS218play, DS220+, DS220j, DS223, DS223j, DS224+, DS225+, DS2419+, DS2419+II, DS2422+, DS3018xs, DS3617xs, DS3617xsII, DS3622xs+, DS416, DS416j, DS416play, DS416slim, DS418, DS418j, DS418play, DS419slim, DS420+, DS420j, DS423+, DS423, DS425+, DS620slim, DS716+, DS716+II, DS718+, DS720+, DS723+, DS725+, DS916+, DS918+, DS920+, DS923+, DS925+.

RackStation and enterprise systems:
RS1219+, RS1221+, RS1221RP+, RS1619xs+, RS18016xs+, RS18017xs+, RS217, RS2416+, RS2416RP+, RS2418+, RS2418RP+, RS2421+, RS2421RP+, RS2423+, RS2423RP+, RS2818RP+, RS2821RP+, RS2825RP+, RS3617RPxs, RS3617xs+, RS3617xs, RS3618xs, RS3621RPxs, RS3621xs+, RS4017xs+, RS4021xs+, RS422+, RS816, RS818+, RS818RP+, RS819, RS820+, RS820RP+.

Data-centre and performance platforms:
FS1018, FS2017, FS2500, FS3017, FS3400, FS3410, FS3600, FS6400, HD6500, SA3200D, SA3400, SA3400D, SA3410, SA3600, SA3610, SA6400.

Video analytics and surveillance models:
DVA1622, DVA3219, DVA3221.

Virtual DSM package:
VirtualDSM 7.3-81180.

This dataset confirms that DSM 7.3 has been compiled for almost every currently supported platform, with file sizes ranging from roughly 300 MB for entry-level systems (such as the DS120j and RS217) up to 430 MB for enterprise and FlashStation devices. Users operating 2025-generation systems such as the DS225+, DS425+, DS725+, DS925+, DS1525+, DS1825+, RS2825RP+, and SA3410 will receive DSM 7.3 pre-installed or as part of first-release firmware. For older devices dating back to 2016–2018, DSM 7.3 will act as the final major update before DSM 8 arrives in 2026.

Which Synology NAS will See DSM 7.3 as their LAST Major Synology Update?

The DSM 7.3 (version 7.3-81180) update is available for a wide range of Synology NAS models, though rollout is staged and certain older systems will remain on DSM 7.2 or earlier. It is important to note that DSM 7.3 will be the final major upgrade for many devices, after which they will continue to receive only security and maintenance patches. Users should also be aware that once installed, DSM 7.3 cannot be downgraded.

Models eligible for DSM 7.3 upgrade:
FS Series: FS3017, FS2017, FS1018
XS Series: RS18016xs+, RS4017xs+, RS3617xs+, RS3617xs, RS3617RPxs, RS18017xs+, DS3617xs, DS3617xsII, DS3018xs
Plus Series: RS2416RP+, RS2416+, DS916+, DS716+II, DS716+, DS216+II, DS216+, DS1817+, DS1517+, RS2818RP+, RS2418RP+, RS2418+, RS818RP+, RS818+, DS1618+, DS918+, DS718+, DS218+, RS1219+
Value Series: DS116, DS216, DS216play, DS416, DS416play, DS1517, DS1817, DS418play, RS217, RS816
J Series: DS216j, DS416j, DS416slim, DS419slim, DS418j, DS218j, DS119j

For these devices, DSM 7.3 represents the end of the feature update cycle, effectively marking the transition point toward DSM 8, which will accompany newer 2026 and later hardware. Users operating 2025-series NAS systems that are produced by Synology in 2026 (the DS225+, DS425+, DS725+, DS925+, DS1525+, DS1825+, and RS2825RP+) will receive DSM 7.3 by default and will likely be among the first to transition to DSM 8 once available.

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Is the Synology DS925+, DS1825+, DS1525+, etc NAS OK to Buy Now?

As this change in unverified hard drive support policy by Synology seems to be rolled out in the DSM 7.3 update, that means that currently if you buy and deply a Synology x25 generation NAS, you will still be subject to the restricted HDD deployment status of DSM right now (i.e cannot initialize, cannot RAID build, Rebuild, hot spare, etc unless using a Synology labelled drive or one that eventually might arrive on the compatibility list). So, if you buy the new Synology DS925+, DS1825+ or DS1525+ – unless you were already going to buy Synology hard drive and SSD media, you won’t be able to do very much out the box! So, if you are only considering a Synology NAS right now IF it can be used with 3rd party and/or unverified storage media – DO NOT BUY until the DSM 7.3 update rolls out! You will just be wasting some of your 3 year included warranty whilst you wait!

HOWEVER –If/When you do wish to purchase a Synology NAS, please do use the links below in order to purchase your NAS. Doing so results in a small commission coming to me and Ed here at NASCompares, and it allows us to keep doing what we do here, and is the most frictionless and zero-cost way for you to support our articles, reviews, videos, guides, support systems and more.

Synology DS925+ NAS	Synology DS1525+ NAS	Synology DS1825+ NAS
Check Amazon in Your Region for the Synology DS925+ NAS	Amazon in Your Region for the Synology DS1525+ NAS @ $799	Amazon in Your Region for the Synology DS1825+ NAS @ $1149
heck B&H for the Synology DS925+ NAS	B&H for the Synology DS1525+ NAS @ $1149.99	B&H for the Synology DS1825+ NAS @ $1149.99

 

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Below are further videos from over the course of the last 6+ months that cover the evolution of Synology and this controversial hard drive support policy.

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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.

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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

 

The Synology Hard Drive and SSD Support Change in DSM 7.3 Explained – What You Can/Cannot Do

With the release of DSM 7.3, Synology has formally introduced its latest and most detailed round of storage compatibility policies to date, outlining exactly which hard drives and solid-state drives are supported across its growing NAS product ecosystem. These updates arrive after several years of gradual tightening in Synology’s hardware validation process, which began in 2021 with the introduction of the HAT5300 and HAT3300 drives and became fully enforced in the 2024–2025 generation of devices. Under DSM 7.2, many of these newer systems—in particular the Plus series—were restricted to using Synology-branded drives only, effectively preventing users from creating storage pools with unverified third-party disks. This limitation led to considerable backlash from the community and power users who had relied on flexible drive choices for mixed or repurposed storage builds.

DSM 7.3 introduces a new structure to this policy, known internally as the HCL 5.0 framework, which partially relaxes those restrictions for 2025 model-year DiskStation Plus and J series NAS systems. It reinstates the ability to use non-listed hard drives and SATA SSDs for pool creation, while maintaining a degree of verification for higher-end systems such as the XS, SA, FS, and HD series. The update is significant because it rebalances Synology’s approach to drive validation, aligning reliability goals with user flexibility. In addition, DSM 7.3’s drive-handling system now displays clearer notifications within Storage Manager, differentiating between listed, unlisted, and incompatible drives, helping users understand the operational impact of their hardware choices before deploying them into active volumes or caches.

For professionals managing larger deployments, DSM 7.3 also provides expanded transparency on what Synology considers “verified reliability,” listing the precise categories of tests that certified drives undergo—thermal stress, power cycle endurance, and abnormal shutdown simulation—before being added to the official compatibility list. These details are especially relevant for IT administrators planning storage upgrades or migrations, as the new compatibility tables make it clear which drive types can be used in different Synology product families. This article breaks down the logic behind these changes, explains how Synology’s updated system reacts to various drive types, and clarifies which NAS lines now support third-party drives under DSM 7.3.

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Why Synology Has Changed Hard Drive and SSD Support in DSM 7.3?

When the Synology 2025 PLUS series launched in spring 2025, Synology’s decision to restrict many newer NAS models to officially approved Synology-branded drives marked a major turning point in the company’s storage policy, triggering widespread criticism across its user base. Systems like the DS923+ and DS1522+ suddenly required drives from Synology’s HAT or SAT ranges for creating new storage pools, leaving long-time users frustrated that they could no longer use trusted third-party disks from vendors such as Seagate or Western Digital. Synology’s explanation at the time centered on reliability: they claimed a growing number of support incidents were linked to unverified drives with unstable firmware, inconsistent temperature readings, or poor power recovery behavior. The aim was to unify performance standards across the portfolio and ensure that every supported configuration met enterprise-grade validation tests already used in their FS and SA lines. However, as the backlash grew throughout 2024 and early 2025, it became clear that many customers—especially small businesses and home users—felt alienated by this rigid policy. Some migrated to alternative NAS ecosystems, while others publicly voiced concerns about the long-term openness of Synology’s platform. In response, Synology developed a new compatibility framework known as HCL 5.0, introduced in DSM 7.3, to strike a balance between reliability and flexibility. This new approach reinstates the ability to use unlisted hard drives and 2.5-inch SATA SSDs for storage pool creation on 2025 DiskStation Plus, Value, and J series models, provided the drives are not explicitly marked as incompatible. Meanwhile, enterprise systems such as the FS, SA, XS, and HD ranges continue to enforce strict compatibility for mission-critical stability. Synology described this as a pragmatic evolution of its policy, aligning with customer expectations while continuing to collaborate with major drive manufacturers to validate additional models under its new testing program. The result is a hybrid policy that protects Synology’s enterprise reliability standards but restores much of the flexibility and user confidence that defined the brand’s earlier systems.

What Happens When a User Installs a Hard Drive That Is Not on the Compatibility List but Is Not on the Incompatibility List Either?

Under DSM 7.3, Synology has overhauled how its NAS systems handle drives that are not officially listed in the compatibility database but are also not explicitly marked as incompatible. This new policy, part of the HCL 5.0 framework, restores the flexibility that was largely lost with DSM 7.2. For users of 2025 DiskStation Plus models, including systems such as the DS1525+, DS925+, and DS725+, these drives are now treated as fully functional and supported for installation, storage pool creation, and volume management. When a non-listed HDD or SATA SSD is installed in these units, DSM 7.3 accepts it without generating warnings, restrictions, or “unverified” messages. The drive behaves identically to a fully approved model, and users can create new RAID arrays, expand existing volumes, and use all standard DSM features such as snapshots, encryption, and Hyper Backup. This marks a significant shift from DSM 7.2, which blocked pool creation entirely if the installed drive was not verified by Synology.

The only distinction that remains is on the support side rather than the user interface. While DSM 7.3 operates normally with these drives, Synology’s technical support team may limit assistance for issues proven to be caused by non-listed hardware. This distinction allows experienced users to use mixed or legacy drives at their discretion while maintaining a clear boundary of responsibility. From a practical standpoint, performance, drive telemetry, and reliability monitoring remain fully available, including S.M.A.R.T. analysis, temperature reporting, and bad sector scanning. Storage pools built with these drives are indistinguishable from those using Synology-validated models, which means users can freely upgrade or migrate without worrying about feature loss.

The only exceptions to this open policy involve M.2 NVMe drives and systems outside the Plus, Value, or J series. NVMe SSDs used for caching or storage pools still require official validation because they endure heavier sustained write loads and generate more heat under continuous NAS workloads. As a result, only listed M.2 models can be used for new cache or pool creation, though previously configured drives can still be migrated. Meanwhile, enterprise-oriented NAS lines such as the RS, FS, SA, and XS series continue to operate under stricter compatibility rules, where only officially listed drives can be used for new storage pool creation. In these systems, non-listed drives can sometimes be recognized for migration, but cannot participate in new arrays or cache volumes.

For most users, this means that DSM 7.3 on the 2025 Plus series finally restores the traditional Synology experience: the ability to use virtually any NAS-grade hard drive or 2.5-inch SSD without restriction. It also removes the previous generation’s unnecessary barriers that alienated long-term customers. Synology has positioned this change as a response to community feedback, reaffirming that flexibility can coexist with reliability. The HCL 5.0 framework is now the baseline for all new consumer and prosumer systems, signaling Synology’s partial return to an open and more user-friendly storage policy.

How Is Hard Drive Compatibility in DSM 7.3 on the Rackstation/RS and NVR/DVA Surveillance NAS Systems?

While the original restrictions are expected (though not wholy welcome) for enterprise-grade units, DSM 7.3 also applies similar limitations to rackmount Plus (RS+) and DVA/NVR models, which has generated frustration among users expecting parity with desktop Plus series devices. Systems such as the RS2423RP+, RS422+, and DVA1622 remain governed by a more conservative policy, where only drives on the compatibility list can be used for new pool creation, and unlisted HDDs are accepted only for migration. In contrast to the new, flexible policy introduced for 2025 DiskStation Plus models, these rackmount and surveillance systems do not yet benefit from the same relaxed rules. This distinction is particularly disappointing given that many surveillance-optimized HDDs—such as Seagate’s SkyHawk or IronWolf ranges—have not yet been verified by Synology for DVA or NVR units, leaving buyers with fewer officially supported choices despite these drives being purpose-built for similar workloads.

The DVA and NVR product lines further complicate matters because their operating environments rely heavily on consistent write performance and power management behavior. Synology’s internal reasoning is that drive validation for continuous surveillance recording requires more predictable I/O latency and lower error recovery times than typical NAS workloads. However, the practical impact is a reduced range of compatible disks, even when many third-party NAS or CCTV-specific drives are known to perform reliably under similar conditions. Until Synology expands its verification program to include these models, administrators deploying rackmount Plus or DVA systems must continue to rely exclusively on officially listed drives or accept limited migration-only functionality.

These restrictions highlight an ongoing inconsistency in Synology’s product ecosystem. DSM 7.3 offers broad flexibility and open drive use on desktop Plus series systems but maintains enterprise-grade rigidity across rackmount Plus and surveillance-focused models. For now, this gap means that users deploying DSM 7.3 on RS or DVA systems cannot benefit from the same simplified, user-friendly drive policy available to standard DiskStation Plus NAS units.

How Is Hard Drive Compatibility in DSM 7.3 on the FS, HD, SA, UC, XS+, XS, and DP Series?

In DSM 7.3, Synology continues to apply the most stringent validation rules across its enterprise and datacenter-class NAS platforms, which include the FS, HD, SA, UC, XS+, XS, RS, and DP series. These systems are built for environments where sustained uptime, predictable throughput, and long-term data integrity are non-negotiable. As a result, they rely entirely on Synology’s Enterprise Compatibility Framework, which only permits the use of drives that have been formally validated and listed on the official compatibility database. These listed drives undergo intensive reliability testing, including extended read/write stress cycles, multi-node redundancy simulations, and controlled recovery from power or network failures. DSM 7.3 enforces this framework to guarantee consistent behavior across RAID arrays and to ensure that firmware-level optimizations, such as error recovery timing and caching algorithms, work as designed with Synology’s proprietary storage stack.

For users of these enterprise models, drives fall into three possible states: listed, not listed, and incompatible. Listed drives are fully supported for installation, storage pool creation, caching, and migration. Drives that are not listed may still appear in Storage Manager but are limited to migration-only use, meaning they can be mounted if they come from an existing Synology system but cannot be initialized for new volumes or RAID groups. This allows data recovery or transition from legacy setups without granting full functionality. Meanwhile, drives on the incompatibility list are blocked entirely and cannot be used in any capacity. These restrictions are designed to prevent firmware mismatches or mechanical inconsistencies that could undermine array stability. In practice, this means that enterprise and rackmount models remain tied to the official drive ecosystem, often limited to Synology’s own HAT or HAS series drives or verified OEM equivalents.

In these product classes, DSM 7.3 also maintains a strict policy for cache and SSD usage. M.2 NVMe drives can only be used for caching or storage pools if they appear on the official compatibility list. Unlisted M.2 drives are detected by the system but cannot be assigned to any cache operation, even for testing purposes. Similarly, 2.5-inch SATA or SAS SSDs that are not verified cannot participate in new array creation, even though they may mount for migration. This conservative approach reflects Synology’s focus on maintaining data integrity over flexibility in its upper-tier systems, where downtime or data corruption can carry substantial business costs. DSM communicates these restrictions clearly during setup: any attempt to use an unsupported drive for new pool creation will trigger a warning explaining that the operation cannot proceed due to compatibility enforcement.

What are the benefits of Buying Synology-branded Hard Drives and SSDs?

In parallel with the policy adjustments introduced in DSM 7.3, Synology has also begun expanding a series of benefits and incentives aimed at customers who purchase Synology NAS systems together with Synology-branded storage media. These initiatives are part of the company’s ongoing effort to strengthen its vertically integrated ecosystem, ensuring optimal performance and reliability when all components come from the same source. In selected markets, buyers who purchase Synology HAT, HAS, or SAT series drives on the same invoice as their NAS hardware now receive extended warranty coverage of up to five years, administered directly through authorized distributors and resellers. In addition, Synology has introduced an Express Replacement program, allowing for immediate drive swaps during the warranty period without waiting for the defective unit to be shipped and inspected, effectively mirroring the convenience of a premium RMA service. These benefits are available at no extra cost when drives are purchased through approved channels. The initiative is designed to make Synology’s validated ecosystem more appealing to businesses seeking predictable lifecycle management and faster recovery in the event of hardware failure, while also providing an incentive for users to standardize on Synology-branded components rather than mixing third-party storage.

Head over to Blackvoid HERE to read Luka’s great write-up on DSM 7.3 below:

DSM 7.3 and Hard Drive / SSD Support Conclusion

DSM 7.3 might well represent the most comprehensive and transparent storage compatibility framework Synology has released to date (after years of obviscation and unclear messaging), but it also reinforces a clear divide between its consumer and enterprise platforms. The introduction of the HCL 5.0 policy marks a pragmatic shift from the heavily restricted DSM 7.1/7.2 model, restoring the flexibility that long-time users had relied on for more than a decade. On the 2025 DiskStation Plus series, users can once again install and operate any third-party NAS-grade HDD or SATA SSD without limitation, bringing back the open and adaptable system design that helped define Synology’s reputation. This balance between openness and validation shows the company’s recognition of user feedback and its effort to rebuild trust after widespread criticism of its earlier drive-locking policy. By maintaining full functionality for unlisted drives while still reserving strict validation for high-end hardware, DSM 7.3 offers a compromise that keeps consumer-grade systems practical and professional-grade systems predictable. Not ideal, but better than what was already in place.

However, DSM 7.3 also underlines the growing separation between Synology’s desktop Plus models and its rackmount Plus, DVA, and enterprise systems. While home and small-business users benefit from restored flexibility, administrators working with rackmount or surveillance solutions remain tied to tightly controlled drive lists. The continued exclusion of common NAS and NVR-grade drives—such as Seagate IronWolf and SkyHawk or WD Purple series—from the verified list limits adoption and drives up deployment costs, particularly for surveillance users who require high-capacity, continuous-write storage. Until Synology expands its validation program or aligns its rackmount Plus systems with the same drive-handling rules as its desktop equivalents, this divide will remain a sticking point. DSM 7.3 is therefore both a meaningful correction and a reminder that Synology’s storage policy continues to evolve in response to user pressure. It moves the platform back toward flexibility without abandoning its enterprise reliability philosophy, but the differences between product tiers are now more visible than ever.

Want to Support What We Do? Use the Links Below to Buy your NAS and/or HDD and SSD Media. Clicking these links will result in a small commission for anything you purchase, heading to me and Eddie @NASCompares and allows us to keep doing this! It’s just us two here and between this and ads, it’s the most passive way to keep us sailing! Thanks

Synology NAS and Media on Amazon – HERE Synology Products on B&H – HERE Seagate Ironwolf Media on Amazon – HERE WD Red Media on Amazon – HERE Seagate Products on B&H – HERE WD Products on B&H – HERE

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Synology (FINALLY) Gives In to 3rd Party HDD Support in 2025 PLUS Series NAS

7/10/25 – Updated with information supplied by Synology on how verifications and product ranges will support different HDD/SSD in DSM 7.3

Of all the stories of 2025, very few had the level of impact on the NAS industry that the Hard Drive support policy change by Synology did. Arguably THE name in the world of turnkey NAS, Synology enjoyed a fairly spotless reputation up until recent years, but when their gradual first-party support stance took a very drastic acceleration in April 2025 with a complete lockout of HDDs from Seagate and WD for their 2025 generation of hardware, the industry responded very, very unfavourably (Ed – understatement of the YEAR). Over the months that followed, even some of the biggest tech platforms and consumer rights focused media outlets on the internet made damning statements about the brand’s actions, previously very Synology-friendly outlets either criticised the move or simply ceased covering Synology, and even typically heavily supportive Synology-associated platforms such as the Synology subreddit and yes even here at NASCompares were keen to highlight every inconsistent turn of this story. After six months of heavy fire, undoubtedly poor sales of the 7–8 released Synology 2025 generation hardware launches in that time (eg DS925+, DS1825+, DS425+, etc), repeated missteps by the brand in user engagement (such as disabling comments on videos, contradictory press statements and baffling justifications around hardware)… now… NOW the brand has announced that you will once again be able to use Seagate and WD Hard Drives on the Synology 2025 generation of devices – and importantly, this time without the level of shouted alerts and warnings. So, let’s discuss when this WD and Seagate Hard Drive media support is coming back, what are the limits, is this too little too late and whether all this was ever worth it for Synology.

When and How Will Third-Party Hard Drive Support Return to the 2025 Synology NAS?

Synology has detailed that third-party hard drive support will return to 2025 devices alongside the rollout of DSM 7.3, the next major update to the Synology software platform. Unlike previous statements earlier this year, this U-turn now means that Seagate and WD drives will not only be usable again but also with a significant reduction (possibly even complete removal – still awaiting exact testing of DSM 7.3 ourselves) from the constant “unverified drive” and “at risk” warnings that plagued users. This represents a return to the compatibility model users were familiar with before 2025. Exact rollout dates of the DSM 7.3 update are still pending (likely Q4 2025 or early Q1 2026), but this will mark the point where Synology’s 2025 NAS systems no longer block unsupported drives at installation. Until that update arrives and users proceed with it’s installation, Synology 2025 systems will of course still not allow unconfirmed media to initialise DSM. Likewise, it remains unclear how the update will interact with users who have already employed community scripts to bypass restrictions – whether these fixes will still be needed, or whether DSM 7.3 will overwrite them entirely.

Another important detail is how far this reinstated compatibility extends. According to Synology’s new position in the DSM 7.3 rollout, users will again be able to initialise DSM, create storage pools, volumes, run disk checks, expand pools, perform RAID repairs and create hot spare disks – essentially restoring the same functionality that was lost earlier this year. Crucially, the obtrusive warning messages that previously accompanied unsupported drives will be removed, which means the user experience should be indistinguishable from older Synology generations. Synology has stated that testing of specific Seagate and WD drives was still “ongoing” in the last 6 months, but this appears largely academic now, since DSM 7.3 will no longer enforce the same restrictions. Which brings into question the validity of those claims. In practice though, this means users can once again choose from the wider drive market, without fear of blocked features or disruptive alerts. It is still not 100% clear on what the position regarding M.2 NVMe SSDs and Storage Pool use will be, as well as if this is going to be completely brand wide – or just affecting the PLUS series new and old that are eligible for the DSM 7.3 update.

The Alerts and ‘Warnings’ that users have gotten used to up tll now (i.e pre DSM 7.3 roll out):

To confirm, the current 2025 systems that primarily this Synology U-turn on Hard Drive compatibility in DSM would affect are:

• Synology DS925+
• Synology DS1525+
• Synology DS725+
• Synology DS1825+
• Synology DS425+
• Synology DS225+
• Synology RS2825RP+

Previous PLUS series devices did not arrive with the exceedingly strict ‘no verified = no initialization’ rule that the above system’s had, so although these will benefit in DSM 7.3 with lessened warnings that they currently had, it is not the deal breaker proposition that it is/was in the x25 series.

However, let’s return to the point. Was ALL of this chaos by Synology worth it? Was there actually a coherent strategy in place here? Let’s discuss the damage that the last 6 months have caused.

What Happens When a User Installs a Hard Drive That Is Not on the Compatibility List but Is Not on the Incompatibility List Either?

Under DSM 7.3, Synology has overhauled how its NAS systems handle drives that are not officially listed in the compatibility database but are also not explicitly marked as incompatible. This new policy, part of the HCL 5.0 framework, restores the flexibility that was largely lost with DSM 7.2. For users of 2025 DiskStation Plus models, including systems such as the DS1525+, DS925+, and DS725+, these drives are now treated as fully functional and supported for installation, storage pool creation, and volume management. When a non-listed HDD or SATA SSD is installed in these units, DSM 7.3 accepts it without generating warnings, restrictions, or “unverified” messages. The drive behaves identically to a fully approved model, and users can create new RAID arrays, expand existing volumes, and use all standard DSM features such as snapshots, encryption, and Hyper Backup. This marks a significant shift from DSM 7.2, which blocked pool creation entirely if the installed drive was not verified by Synology.

The only distinction that remains is on the support side rather than the user interface. While DSM 7.3 operates normally with these drives, Synology’s technical support team may limit assistance for issues proven to be caused by non-listed hardware. This distinction allows experienced users to use mixed or legacy drives at their discretion while maintaining a clear boundary of responsibility. From a practical standpoint, performance, drive telemetry, and reliability monitoring remain fully available, including S.M.A.R.T. analysis, temperature reporting, and bad sector scanning. Storage pools built with these drives are indistinguishable from those using Synology-validated models, which means users can freely upgrade or migrate without worrying about feature loss.

The only exceptions to this open policy involve M.2 NVMe drives and systems outside the Plus, Value, or J series. NVMe SSDs used for caching or storage pools still require official validation because they endure heavier sustained write loads and generate more heat under continuous NAS workloads. As a result, only listed M.2 models can be used for new cache or pool creation, though previously configured drives can still be migrated. Meanwhile, enterprise-oriented NAS lines such as the RS, FS, SA, and XS series continue to operate under stricter compatibility rules, where only officially listed drives can be used for new storage pool creation. In these systems, non-listed drives can sometimes be recognized for migration, but cannot participate in new arrays or cache volumes.

For most users, this means that DSM 7.3 on the 2025 Plus series finally restores the traditional Synology experience: the ability to use virtually any NAS-grade hard drive or 2.5-inch SSD without restriction. It also removes the previous generation’s unnecessary barriers that alienated long-term customers. Synology has positioned this change as a response to community feedback, reaffirming that flexibility can coexist with reliability. The HCL 5.0 framework is now the baseline for all new consumer and prosumer systems, signaling Synology’s partial return to an open and more user-friendly storage policy.

How Is Hard Drive Compatibility in DSM 7.3 on the Rackstation/RS and NVR/DVA Surveillance NAS Systems?

While the original restrictions are expected (though not wholy welcome) for enterprise-grade units, DSM 7.3 also applies similar limitations to rackmount Plus (RS+) and DVA/NVR models, which has generated frustration among users expecting parity with desktop Plus series devices. Systems such as the RS2423RP+, RS422+, and DVA1622 remain governed by a more conservative policy, where only drives on the compatibility list can be used for new pool creation, and unlisted HDDs are accepted only for migration. In contrast to the new, flexible policy introduced for 2025 DiskStation Plus models, these rackmount and surveillance systems do not yet benefit from the same relaxed rules. This distinction is particularly disappointing given that many surveillance-optimized HDDs—such as Seagate’s SkyHawk or IronWolf ranges—have not yet been verified by Synology for DVA or NVR units, leaving buyers with fewer officially supported choices despite these drives being purpose-built for similar workloads.

The DVA and NVR product lines further complicate matters because their operating environments rely heavily on consistent write performance and power management behavior. Synology’s internal reasoning is that drive validation for continuous surveillance recording requires more predictable I/O latency and lower error recovery times than typical NAS workloads. However, the practical impact is a reduced range of compatible disks, even when many third-party NAS or CCTV-specific drives are known to perform reliably under similar conditions. Until Synology expands its verification program to include these models, administrators deploying rackmount Plus or DVA systems must continue to rely exclusively on officially listed drives or accept limited migration-only functionality.

These restrictions highlight an ongoing inconsistency in Synology’s product ecosystem. DSM 7.3 offers broad flexibility and open drive use on desktop Plus series systems but maintains enterprise-grade rigidity across rackmount Plus and surveillance-focused models. For now, this gap means that users deploying DSM 7.3 on RS or DVA systems cannot benefit from the same simplified, user-friendly drive policy available to standard DiskStation Plus NAS units.

How Is Hard Drive Compatibility in DSM 7.3 on the FS, HD, SA, UC, XS+, XS, and DP Series?

In DSM 7.3, Synology continues to apply the most stringent validation rules across its enterprise and datacenter-class NAS platforms, which include the FS, HD, SA, UC, XS+, XS, RS, and DP series. These systems are built for environments where sustained uptime, predictable throughput, and long-term data integrity are non-negotiable. As a result, they rely entirely on Synology’s Enterprise Compatibility Framework, which only permits the use of drives that have been formally validated and listed on the official compatibility database. These listed drives undergo intensive reliability testing, including extended read/write stress cycles, multi-node redundancy simulations, and controlled recovery from power or network failures. DSM 7.3 enforces this framework to guarantee consistent behavior across RAID arrays and to ensure that firmware-level optimizations, such as error recovery timing and caching algorithms, work as designed with Synology’s proprietary storage stack.

For users of these enterprise models, drives fall into three possible states: listed, not listed, and incompatible. Listed drives are fully supported for installation, storage pool creation, caching, and migration. Drives that are not listed may still appear in Storage Manager but are limited to migration-only use, meaning they can be mounted if they come from an existing Synology system but cannot be initialized for new volumes or RAID groups. This allows data recovery or transition from legacy setups without granting full functionality. Meanwhile, drives on the incompatibility list are blocked entirely and cannot be used in any capacity. These restrictions are designed to prevent firmware mismatches or mechanical inconsistencies that could undermine array stability. In practice, this means that enterprise and rackmount models remain tied to the official drive ecosystem, often limited to Synology’s own HAT or HAS series drives or verified OEM equivalents.

In these product classes, DSM 7.3 also maintains a strict policy for cache and SSD usage. M.2 NVMe drives can only be used for caching or storage pools if they appear on the official compatibility list. Unlisted M.2 drives are detected by the system but cannot be assigned to any cache operation, even for testing purposes. Similarly, 2.5-inch SATA or SAS SSDs that are not verified cannot participate in new array creation, even though they may mount for migration. This conservative approach reflects Synology’s focus on maintaining data integrity over flexibility in its upper-tier systems, where downtime or data corruption can carry substantial business costs. DSM communicates these restrictions clearly during setup: any attempt to use an unsupported drive for new pool creation will trigger a warning explaining that the operation cannot proceed due to compatibility enforcement.

What are the benefits of Buying Synology-branded Hard Drives and SSDs?

In parallel with the policy adjustments introduced in DSM 7.3, Synology has also begun expanding a series of benefits and incentives aimed at customers who purchase Synology NAS systems together with Synology-branded storage media. These initiatives are part of the company’s ongoing effort to strengthen its vertically integrated ecosystem, ensuring optimal performance and reliability when all components come from the same source. In selected markets, buyers who purchase Synology HAT, HAS, or SAT series drives on the same invoice as their NAS hardware now receive extended warranty coverage of up to five years, administered directly through authorized distributors and resellers. In addition, Synology has introduced an Express Replacement program, allowing for immediate drive swaps during the warranty period without waiting for the defective unit to be shipped and inspected, effectively mirroring the convenience of a premium RMA service. These benefits are available at no extra cost when drives are purchased through approved channels. The initiative is designed to make Synology’s validated ecosystem more appealing to businesses seeking predictable lifecycle management and faster recovery in the event of hardware failure, while also providing an incentive for users to standardize on Synology-branded components rather than mixing third-party storage.

Head over to Blackvoid HERE to read Luka’s great write-up on DSM 7.3 below:

Is it Too Little, Too Late? Is the Damage to the Synology Brand Already Done?

It’s a valid point. As mentioned in the intro, Synology has been a brand that, short of a few knocks along the way, has had a sterling reputation. Although their hardware has often been a little underwhelming, the software and services have been largely A1. But the move by Synology in restricting the use of drives from brands such as Seagate and WD burned A LOT of bridges. One cannot imagine that Western Digital or Seagate Technology were especially pleased by the rebuke either. The backlash was immediate and huge. Numerous sources I have spoken to in Europe and the U.S regarding Synology PLUS series sales (even for the 2023/22/21 ranges) confirmed the same sentiment: “Synology Diskstation sales were at a fraction of the previous year.” How much these support changes impacted enterprise solutions is unconfirmed, but given the number of sys-admins who quietly admitted to changing their buying plans, and sales teams who admitted recommending other vendors when Synology quotes became less competitive, the damage over the last 6 months has been palpable.

However, what about the next six months? Or the next 12 or 24? The timing of Synology’s disastrous hard drive support policy flip-flop could hardly have been worse. Alongside tech buyers (home and business) having tighter budgets due to rising costs, international trade tariffs being debated, new players entering the NAS industry, and rising expectations of what a system should do, Synology could not have chosen a worse moment for an unpopular policy. Many users who saw the way the policy was rolled out interpreted it as “the writing on the wall” and changed their stance on the brand. Some already jumped ship to alternative vendors, and others opted for older Synology hardware from pre-2025 ranges to avoid the lockout. For those buyers, the fact that the restrictions are now being removed will feel like a bitter twist – they could have had the newer hardware with the same freedom if they had simply waited a little longer.

How much of this shift can be attributed to public and media backlash is hard to quantify, but the scale of the U-turn speaks for itself. This is not the first time Synology has reversed course under pressure. Back in 2021/22, when DSM 7.0 introduced the earliest versions of its compatibility enforcement with red critical warnings, the outcry forced a retreat in DSM 7.1 to amber warnings instead (read here). History has now repeated itself on a much bigger stage. The difference is that this time, months of poor reviews, negative coverage, and lost sales will remain part of the public record, and Synology will struggle to erase that damage.

Much like QNAP and its long-running association with Deadbolt ransomware attacks, Synology may find that users do not easily forget this saga. For months, the internet has been awash with angry comments, critical reviews, and valid frustration at the brand’s direction. Even with DSM 7.3 restoring full drive freedom, the stigma of this six-month debacle will linger. Some users will never return. Others will approach Synology with renewed caution, mindful that the company could change course again in the future. The reaction from existing and potential Synology PLUS series NAS users was loud enough that I felt compelled to make two videos SPECIFICALLY because users were DM’ing and commenting about why I/NASCompares was continuing in our coverage of this brand:

Is the Synology DS925+, DS1825+, DS1525+, etc NAS OK to Buy Now?

As this change in unverified hard drive support policy by Synology seems to be rolled out in the DSM 7.3 update, that means that currently if you buy and deply a Synology x25 generation NAS, you will still be subject to the restricted HDD deployment status of DSM right now (i.e cannot initialize, cannot RAID build, Rebuild, hot spare, etc unless using a Synology labelled drive or one that eventually might arrive on the compatibility list). So, if you buy the new Synology DS925+, DS1825+ or DS1525+ – unless you were already going to buy Synology hard drive and SSD media, you won’t be able to do very much out the box! So, if you are only considering a Synology NAS right now IF it can be used with 3rd party and/or unverified storage media – DO NOT BUY until the DSM 7.3 update rolls out! You will just be wasting some of your 3 year included warranty whilst you wait!

HOWEVER –If/When you do wish to purchase a Synology NAS, please do use the links below in order to purchase your NAS. Doing so results in a small commission coming to me and Ed here at NASCompares, and it allows us to keep doing what we do here, and is the most frictionless and zero-cost way for you to support our articles, reviews, videos, guides, support systems and more.

Synology DS925+ NAS	Synology DS1525+ NAS	Synology DS1825+ NAS
Check Amazon in Your Region for the Synology DS925+ NAS	Amazon in Your Region for the Synology DS1525+ NAS @ $799	Amazon in Your Region for the Synology DS1825+ NAS @ $1149
heck B&H for the Synology DS925+ NAS	B&H for the Synology DS1525+ NAS @ $1149.99	B&H for the Synology DS1825+ NAS @ $1149.99

 

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Below are further videos from over the course of the last 6+ months that cover the evolution of Synology and this controversial hard drive support policy.

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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.

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Prime Big Deal Day Bargains on Synology, QNAP, UGREEN, Terramaster, Seagate and More to Watch

That’s right, it’s that time once again—Amazon Prime Big Deal Day 2025 has arrived. The biggest e-retail giant in the world is rolling out its annual mega sale, and for those of us with a Prime subscription quietly siphoning cash every month, now’s the time to get something back. Whether you’re a home user looking to back up your devices or a business admin in need of robust storage solutions, Prime Day has consistently proven to be a great opportunity to upgrade your setup without breaking the bank. Unlike Black Friday—which tends to sprawl out across weeks and multiple platforms—Prime Day is a more concentrated event. That means the window to make a decision is often brief, and the best deals can vanish in hours, sometimes even minutes. So if you’re eyeing that NAS you’ve been meaning to buy or hoping to expand your RAID array with some fresh HDDs or SSDs, now’s the time to act fast. Today, we’re rounding up as many of the best Amazon Prime Day deals on NAS and storage tech as we can find. That includes offers on popular brands like Synology, QNAP, WD, Seagate, Terramaster, and others. Alongside the real-time deals that we (me and Eddie—yes, still working double shifts!) track throughout the event, we’ve also put together a list of recommended hardware to watch for. Many of these devices pop up on lightning deals with limited stock, so having a shortlist in mind can really help.

Important Note – Every year, we run these Prime Day and Black Friday deal pages the same way: by personally curating the offers we believe are genuinely worth it. If it’s not something we’d buy ourselves, we won’t include it. You can also contribute and share any bargains you come across using the community deal-sharing tool below. We do this for a couple of reasons. First, to help people make smarter decisions with their tech purchases. Second, because every time someone clicks a deal link and makes a purchase, we receive a small commission from Amazon—no extra cost to you. That affiliate income directly supports the site and allows us to keep producing NAS guides, reviews, and how-to content every single day. So, whether you’re looking to finally set up your first Plex server, expand your surveillance system, or just secure a better backup routine—there’s a good chance something will be on offer during Prime Day 2025. And if you’re unsure what’s right for your setup, don’t forget you can always use our Free Advice service for tailored recommendations.

Let’s dive into the deals!

In a hurry? Go directly to the official Prime Day deals list pages here:

• Amazon U.S Prime Day Deals Page HERE
• Amazon UK Prime Day Deals Page HERE
• Amazon Germany Prime Day Deals Page HERE

NOTE – This page will be updated hourly, starting October 7th 2025. Stay Tuned!

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UGREEN DXP4800 PLUS NAS – 20% Price Drop – HERE

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Seagate 24TB USB External Backup Drive – 21% OFF, NOW $259.99

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Synology DS124 1-Bay NAS (4 Core, 1GB). 22% OFF, Now $139.99 

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Lexar 8TB NM790 S4x4 8TB SSD – 32% OFF, NOW $499.88

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AOOSTAR 4Bay Ryzen7 5825U NAS – 15% OFF HERE

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GL.iNet GL-BE3600 (Slate 7) Travel Router – 29% OFF, Now $120.99

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WD Blue SN5000 4TB SSD (29% OFF), NOW £194.73 / $199

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UGREEN NAS UPS, 120W – was £99 NOW $84.99 (15% OFF)

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TERRAMASTER F2-425 2025 NAS – 20% PRICE DROP

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Yxk Zero1 2-Bay NAS (4 Core, 2GB, 2.5G), 33% OFF – Now $99

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GMKtec Mini PC NAS (New Version) now 23% OFF, Now $229

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QNAP TS-233 2-Bay NAS, Now 15% OFF (Now £152.15) HERE

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GL.iNet GL-XE3000 (Puli AX) 5G SIM/LTE Router – 22% OFF, NOW $369.99

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Western Digital 14TB Elements USB  Drive – (39% off) NOW $169.99)

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UGREEN 20-25% OFF NAS Devices During Amazon Prime Day Deals

UGREEN continues to make alot of noise in the world of NAS, and during the Prime Big Deals Day event, they are reducing the price of all their NAS range (starting from the cost effective DH4300 and all the way upto the beefy DXP8800 PLUS) by upto 25%. You can find out more on their main page here, alternatively, each of the devices on offer is listed below:

AMAZON PAGE – UGREEN PAGE	AMAZON PAGE – UGREEN PAGE	AMAZON PAGE – UGREEN PAGE
AMAZON PAGE – UGREEN PAGE	AMAZON PAGE – UGREEN PAGE	AMAZON PAGE – UGREEN PAGE

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UPTO 30% off Terrmaster NAS and DAS During Prime Big Deals Day

Terramaster will be running deals of upto 30% across their latest 2024/2025 range of solutions from Prime Members. You can visit the page by clicking below or clicking HERE (Remember, offers do not start till October 7th)

F4 SSD NAS 4-Bay	F4-424 Max NAS 4-Bay	F8 SSD Plus NAS 8-Bay

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Gl.iNet upto 30% OFF Mobile Routers and KVM Devices

Pretty much the community darling when it comes to mobile router technology, Gl.inet has published several promotions around their mobile router devices, as well as their recent KVM devices (not the comet pro though!). Although alot of devices are on offer at the moment, the standout promotions include the recently lightweight Flint 3 WiFi 7 router, the Slate 7 Mobile WiFi 7 router, and the BEAST that is the PuliAX Mobile and multi-deployment SIM Router. See below:

Click Product to Head to Amazon for the Prime Day Deal:

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Terramaster F8 SSD PLUS, i3 CPU 8x M.2 10GbE NAS Now $639.99

 

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————–  Useful Links  —————

US Amazon – Amazon USA Prime Day Official Page – Amazon UK Prime Day Official Page

Amazon Warehouse (20% Off Everything on Prime Day)

USA – UK – Germany

Still unsure of what you need – use the Free Advice Section here on NASCompares.

 

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
[contact-form-7]
Join Inner Circle

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

 

The Synology Solution 2025/2026 Event – What Was There?

At Synology’s UK Solutions Exhibition 2025, the company marked its 25th anniversary with a detailed look at how it intends to position itself for the next phase of enterprise and private-cloud data management. The event covered a wide spectrum of topics, ranging from backup and storage architecture to surveillance, productivity platforms, and AI governance, with several new products and services scheduled for release in late 2025 and early 2026. Alongside technical presentations and case studies, Synology also addressed contentious issues such as its ongoing hard drive support policy and the balance between on-premises control and cloud services. This article brings together the key takeaways, product roadmaps, and policy updates from the event, supplemented with insights gathered through direct conversations with Synology staff across multiple sessions.

The TL;DR – Here is what’s NEW/Coming Soon

• Synology DVA7400 12 Bay Rackmount (GFX Card, etc)
• Synology DVA3000 4-Bay (seemed like somewhere between the DVA3221 and DVA1622
• Semantic Video Search in Surveillance Station
• Dynamic Mosaic and Smoke Detection in Surveillance Station
• Updates on info for the PAS and GS Systems (eg Cluster Manager)
• More info and lite usage demo of the managed switches
• Same cameras shown from Computex event, but also a “Synology SD Card” (?!?)that is managed in Surveillance Station
• Active Protect tweaks and improved comms with ABB
• Synology Chat Plus and Meets (Video Conferencing software)
• Synology NAS with GFX/GPU Card that can host local LLM
• Synology Tiering

Before We Go Any Further – We STILL Have to Discuss Synology Hard Drive Compatibility!

Synology’s hard drive support policy was a recurring topic throughout the event and in direct conversations with staff. The subject was formally addressed in the opening session, where the company framed its approach as a strategic decision to validate and support selected drives for reliability and lifecycle assurance. In a later Q&A with a large Synology customer, the policy came up again, though the exchange felt somewhat staged. Away from the stage, I spoke with almost a dozen Synology team members on and off the record. The consistent message was that verification of Seagate and Western Digital drives is still in progress, but I also received conflicting off-the-record remarks about how validation and support could be expanded in the future. A follow-up article and video from me on this subject will be published soon to explore the matter further.

“As workloads scale and data becomes even more critical. We’ve made the strategic decision to fully validate and support scenario drives in our solution.
This means that we take an end to end responsibility for performance, reliability and long-term availability by managing both hardware and the software stack.
We intend to show you that we can deliver deeper integration, such as real-time health monitoring, predictive risk analysis and seamless firmware updates, all designed to reduce risk and maximise uptime.

This change is not about limiting choice, it’s about accountability. When you deploy a Synology solution, you can be confident that we stand behind every component and that you’ll receive a system optimised for performance and reliability over its entire lifestyle. And for our partners, this also means fewer unknowns of deployment and support, greater predictability and stronger value for your customers. Together, we can focus less on troubleshooting and more on helping businesses innovate, securely.”

The official position is that tighter control of hardware compatibility will improve integration features like predictive monitoring and firmware management, while reducing deployment risks. However, Synology repeatedly stressed that the policy is not yet final, with feedback from customers and partners still under review. From my discussions, the messaging suggests that although Synology’s stance is rooted in system accountability, the practical implications for users—particularly regarding Seagate and WD models such as IronWolf and Red or surveillance-focused drives like SkyHawk and Purple—remain unsettled. The lack of clarity points to an ongoing process where official announcements may evolve, but for now customers are being told the policy is about creating a more reliable platform rather than restricting options.

Introduction to Synology – 25 Years On

The opening session of Synology’s UK Solutions Exhibition marked the company’s 25th anniversary with a review of its history, current reach, and overall strategy. Synology reported that it has 14 million installations worldwide, is protecting around 25 million entities and servers, and manages more than 2 million accounts. Case examples were used to illustrate different applications, including the Imperial War Museum’s video archive workflows, Toyota’s use of scalable backup and disaster recovery, and surveillance and crowd management deployments using Synology cameras and DVA units. The presentation also provided background on the company’s origins in 2000 and the development of DSM as its Linux-based operating system. DSM was described as having grown from a small-business storage platform into a wider environment that spans file management, surveillance, backup, cloud services, and productivity, positioned between consumer-focused devices and enterprise systems.

The session also focused on the conditions in which these systems now operate. Trends highlighted included increasing architectural complexity from hybrid and cloud deployments, stricter compliance and regulatory requirements, persistent security threats, and ongoing budget constraints. Synology framed its approach around four design principles: integrating hardware and software into a single platform, embedding security features from the outset, simplifying management to reduce reliance on specialist expertise, and ensuring predictable long-term costs rather than shifting expenses over time. A notable point was the company’s drive compatibility and accountability policy. Synology stated that it will validate and support specific hard drives and SSDs to provide real-time monitoring, firmware updates, and lifecycle assurances. However, the company also acknowledged that it is still assessing customer and partner feedback on the subject of drive and SSD verification, indicating that its position may continue to evolve. The presentation ended with an invitation to engage with Synology staff during the event and a transition to the next session on data protection.

New / in-progress / future items mentioned:

• Synology’s drive compatibility and accountability policy, with integrated monitoring, firmware management, and lifecycle support.

• Synology confirmed it is still assessing customer and partner feedback on hard drive and SSD verification, leaving open the possibility of adjustments.

Synology and Data Storage Now/Future

Active Protect and the DP series was once again a heavy presence at this event and was more formally presented as Synology’s hardware-plus-software backup appliance family, structured around three guarantees: isolation, visibility, and auditability. It combines technologies such as high-rate deduplication (up to 80%), btrfs checksums with self-healing, immutability at the primary backup layer tied to retention policies, VM-based backup verification and sandboxing, and software-driven offline air-gap replication. These measures are positioned as protection against common and combined attack chains, including phishing, stolen credentials, ransomware, insider threats, and zero-day exploits. Large-scale management is enabled through clustering (tested with over 2,500 nodes and 150,000 endpoints), protection plans, and failover between backup servers to avoid single points of failure. Audit logs can be forwarded to external SIEMs and long-term retention is supported via Synology’s Secure Scalable Storage with WORM. Case studies included a Japanese bank with six appliances across DR sites, a Taiwanese logistics company consolidating over ten devices, and Toyota, which migrated away from tape to Active Protect in 2025, citing reduced costs and improved resilience.

The presentation framed the wider context as one where 70% of organisations have experienced data loss or attacks and 88% of those were unable to recover. The strategy was outlined as layered: employee education, least-privilege delegated administration, and backup as the final line of defence. Technical implementation details highlighted cloning instead of full copying, policy-driven immutability, VM-based verification, and software-controlled air-gap mechanisms as ways to achieve isolation and restore confidence. Visibility was addressed through centralized portals, cluster management, and protection plan broadcasting across sites, while auditability was achieved through extensive telemetry, monitoring, and immutable log storage. The brand also noted that it is working to further improve connectivity between Active Protect appliances and Active Backup for Business-equipped devices, aiming to strengthen multi-site operations and incremental migration paths. Deployment was described as end-to-end through Synology appliances, with hot spares and replacement hardware options to maintain recovery point objectives. The solution was positioned as an integrated alternative to mixed third-party systems, with the trade-off being a reliance on Synology’s single-vendor model for both hardware and software.

New / in-progress / future items mentioned:

• Active Protect appliance family: integrated hardware-plus-software backup solution with isolation, visibility, and auditability features.

• Protection plans and clustering: centralized policies for managing thousands of endpoints and enabling cross-site disaster recovery.

• Software-based air-gap replication: offline replication without tape media, controlled through software and network port management.

• VM-based backup verification and sandboxing: integrated hypervisor for validating and testing backups.

• Planned improvements to connectivity between Active Protect and Active Backup devices to strengthen multi-site operations and integration.

Robust, Scalable and Fast Storage Now and the Future

This session focused on Synology’s enterprise storage portfolio and its positioning across security, efficiency, scalability, and performance requirements. The company reported that it currently manages around 350 exabytes across roughly 260,000 businesses and highlighted product families for flash, hybrid, and high-capacity storage. Security was presented as a three-stage process (protect, detect, recover), incorporating measures such as multi-factor sign-in, encryption, immutable snapshots, Active Insight monitoring, and replication. This was also where we saw a reference (2nd time this year) to the multi-site storage tiering service ‘Synology Tiering’ – catchy name, right? Sadly, this does not appear to be a deployment model that can be done inside a single system (ala QNAP QTier).

Efficiency claims included up to 5:1 data reduction, thin provisioning, automated tiering, and hybrid cloud integration with C2 and Hybrid Share. Hybrid Share adoption was noted at over 1,400 enterprises and 3,500 sites, with features such as edge caching and global file locking to support multi-site collaboration. The GS series (notably GS3400) was introduced as a scale-out solution for unstructured data, supporting up to 48 nodes, 11.5 PB per cluster, SMB and S3 protocols, and managed centrally with the GridStation Manager software and its dedicated Cluster Manager GUI.

At the performance end, Synology presented the PAS series, including the PAS 7700 all-NVMe U.3 rackmount system and a 12-bay SATA SSD version. PAS systems run on new Parallel Active Manager software and feature active-active dual controllers, RAID TP (triple parity), rate bitmap rebuilds, and cache protection. Demonstrations covered VDI boot storms, large-scale SQL databases, and EDA simulations, with claims of sub-millisecond latency and throughput in the tens of gigabytes per second. Security measures include network isolation, VLANs, and self-encrypting drives. The GS and PAS series were described as extending Synology’s ecosystem from large-scale archival storage to ultra-low-latency mission-critical workloads, all linked through C2 cloud services, Active Insight monitoring, and policy-driven automation. The company also indicated that further improvements are underway to enhance connectivity between Active Protect appliances and Active Backup devices, enabling more integrated multi-site operations.

The demonstrations of the PAS 7700 system were used to illustrate performance under realistic enterprise workloads. In one scenario, a virtual desktop infrastructure with 1,000 desktops was booted simultaneously to highlight predictable behavior during “boot storm” events. A second demonstration focused on SQL database operations, where over 1,000 concurrent users generated mixed read/write activity, reportedly sustaining more than one million IOPS at approximately one millisecond latency. The third example involved an electronic design automation (EDA) simulation handling around 1,300 jobsets, used to demonstrate the system’s ability to maintain consistent throughput and ultra-low latency under computationally intensive conditions. These scenarios were intended to show how the all-NVMe architecture and active-active controller design could deliver stable, high-performance output across diverse mission-critical environments.

New / in-progress / future items mentioned:

• GS series (GridStation): scale-out storage, GS3400 unit, up to 48-node clusters and 11.5 PB per cluster, managed by GridStation Manager with Cluster Manager GUI.

• PAS series: new enterprise rackmount systems, including the PAS 7700 all-NVMe U.3 48-bay system and a 12-bay SATA SSD version, with active-active controllers.

• Parallel Active Manager software: new management layer for PAS systems.

• Planned improvements to connectivity between Active Protect and Active Backup devices for enhanced multi-site integration.

Synology Surveillance Station, New DVA3000, DVA7400, Synology SD Card, Switches and More

This section outlined Synology’s surveillance strategy, built on two platforms: the on-premises Surveillance Station VMS and the new cloud-based Synology C2 Cloud VSaaS. Both are designed to scale across large environments, with CMS central management tested at around 3,000 hosts and 30,000 cameras, and real-world deployments exceeding these figures. Features include open APIs for third-party integration, drag-and-drop monitoring, E-maps, and bulk provisioning tools for rapid deployment.

AI capabilities are available on-camera and on-appliance, with functions such as people/vehicle detection, face recognition, license plate recognition, dynamic mosaic (privacy blurring), and smoke detection. An upcoming semantic video search will enable natural-language style queries across historical footage, and is cited as one reason for higher-capacity DVA models.

New hardware introduced includes the DVA3000 (4-bay, 40 cameras, 6 AI tasks) and the DVA7400 (12-bay rackmount, up to 100 cameras, 40 AI tasks, with a GPU included), both expected in early 2026. Additional components include three PoE switches and an industrial-grade microSD card designed for continuous edge recording and health monitoring, though final specifications such as SD card class remain unconfirmed.

C2 Cloud was described as a cloud-managed surveillance option requiring no local NAS or NVR, with built-in AI analytics, centralized access via browser or mobile, and failover to local peer-to-peer streaming when internet is down. The on-premises and cloud platforms are intended to remain separate at launch, though hybrid interoperability is planned in later updates to unify workflows. Security is built into both models, including encryption, MFA, granular access roles, privacy controls, and a product security incident response team supported by a bug bounty program.

Customer examples ranged from schools and stadiums to large government deployments, highlighting scalability, API-based third-party integration, and operational improvements such as automated crowd counting and smoke detection. Licensing continues to follow Synology’s low-overhead approach for on-prem setups, with cloud plans bundling AI features directly. The roadmap places new cameras in Q4 2025 and the DVA models in early 2026, with hybrid operation features to follow.

When asked directly about the status of hard drive compatibility in the new surveillance systems, including whether support would be limited to Synology-branded HDDs or extend to commonly used models such as WD Purple and Seagate SkyHawk, Synology was unable to provide a clear confirmation. The company indicated that final details on drive verification and supported models for these upcoming surveillance platforms remain under review.

New / in-progress / future items mentioned:

• DVA3000: 4-bay surveillance appliance, 40 camera feeds, 6 AI operations, expected early 2026.

• DVA7400: 12-bay rackmount model with GPU, up to 100 cameras and 40 AI tasks, expected early 2026.

• Upcoming semantic video search: natural-language video query functionality.

• Three new PoE switches for simplified deployment and management.

• Industrial microSD card with edge recording and health reporting (specifications still unconfirmed).

• Synology C2 Cloud(cloud VSaaS): cloud-managed surveillance platform, launching with AI features included.

• Planned hybrid interoperability between Surveillance Station (on-prem) and C2 Cloud (cloud) in future updates.

Synology and AI – New GPU-Equipped Local AI NAS in Development and More Optional AI Integration in Synology NAS

This session focused on Synology’s Office Suite, which is positioned as a private-cloud productivity and communication platform designed to offer enterprises 100% data ownership, on-premises deployment, and long-term cost control. Core services include Drive and Office for file storage and real-time collaboration, Mail Plus for enterprise email, and the upcoming Chat & Meet for messaging and video conferencing. A new AI Console was also introduced, intended to manage and audit AI usage within the suite. The platform targets organizations concerned about rising cloud subscription costs—especially with Microsoft’s announced October 2025 price increases—data sovereignty, and security risks introduced by unsanctioned use of generative AI. Adoption figures cited include over 600,000 businesses and 80 million users.

Synology Drive and Office were presented as tools for structured file management and collaborative editing of documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. Features include file requests, configurable link sharing, audit logs, watermarking, and remote wiping. A case study from Yonsei University Medical Center highlighted the replacement of a Windows-based file system with Synology Drive, enabling centralized permission management, endpoint oversight, and synchronization across 15,000 employee devices. Mail Plus adds enterprise-grade email features, such as domain sharing for multi-site deployments, active-active clustering for high availability, delegated role management, auditing, and moderation workflows. Together, these services are designed to offer core collaboration and communication functions while preserving organizational control of data and infrastructure.

The roadmap extends the suite with Chat & Meet, an on-premises platform for real-time messaging and video conferencing. It is designed to support over 10,000 simultaneous chat users and 7,000 video participants, integrating channels, group messaging, and video sessions into a single interface. Administrative tools include permission management and migration utilities to ease transitions from existing platforms. Parallel to this, Synology is introducing the AI Console, which addresses risks such as content injection, jailbreaks, and data leakage by providing de-identification, provider management, permission settings, and auditing. The console will also support on-prem GPU-backed AI models for tasks such as semantic search, OCR, and speech-to-text, and is planned to integrate with OpenAI-compatible and self-hosted LLMs via MSCP.

The overarching message is that Synology is extending its productivity ecosystem to address enterprise concerns about cost, security, and compliance while enabling new collaboration and AI capabilities. The suite’s design emphasizes continuity through high-availability clustering, role-based administration, and unified consoles for policy enforcement and auditing. With the AI Console, Synology seeks to embed governance into AI usage, allowing enterprises to adopt advanced tools without exposing sensitive data to uncontrolled environments. Looking forward, further integration of GPU-enabled AI features and the addition of Chat & Meet mark key developments in Synology’s private-cloud strategy, aimed at providing alternatives to mainstream SaaS ecosystems while maintaining operational control.

New / in-progress / future items mentioned:

• Chat & Meet: on-premises messaging and video conferencing platform, supporting large-scale deployments.

• AI Console: centralized AI governance with de-identification, provider management, permissions, and auditing.

• Planned GPU-backed AI models: semantic search, OCR, image recognition, and speech-to-text.

• Integration with third-party and on-prem AI servers: OpenAI-compatible and self-hosted models via MSCP.

 

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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

 

Plusieurs d’entre vous nous ont récemment alerté au sujet d’un commentaire publié sous une vidéo YouTube. Celui-ci, signé par Synology Europe (en réalité plutôt Synology Allemagne), a suscité beaucoup de réactions puisqu’il évoque l’avenir de la compatibilité des disques durs tiers avec les NAS de la marque. Cependant, certains ont cru (à tort) que Synology faisait machine arrière. Ce n’est pas le cas…

Changement de politique initié par Synology

Comme nous l’avions déjà expliqué, Synology a inversé sa logique de compatibilité. Désormais, ce n’est plus uniquement l’entreprise qui teste et valide les disques (HDD et SSD) pour ses NAS. En effet, cela représente un énorme travail, aussi bien en temps qu’en coûts financiers. D’autant plus que les fabricants de disques modifient régulièrement leurs firmwares, ou changent certains composants matériels, sans toujours communiquer sur les impacts potentiels pour les NAS.

Pour réduire cette charge, le constructeur taïwanais a mis en place un cahier des charges très strict à destination des fabricants de disques. Ces derniers doivent désormais certifier eux-mêmes leurs produits afin de garantir leur compatibilité avec les nouveaux modèles, comme la gamme DSx25+. On peut raisonnablement supposer que d’autres engagements sont exigés et que Synology procèdera ensuite à certains contrôles complémentaires. Depuis le début, Synology nous a toujours affirmé être en discussion avec plusieurs fabricants, mais sans donner plus de détails.

Le commentaire de Synology

Sous la vidéo YouTube en question, on peut lire ce commentaire (en allemand) :

« Wir wissen, dass sich viele User mehr Flexibilität bei den HDDs wünschen. Derzeit führen wir Gespräche mit Herstellern, damit in Zukunft auch wieder Drittanbieter-Festplatten offiziell unterstützt werden. Das ist aber ein Prozess, der nicht von heute auf morgen abgeschlossen ist. »

Et voici une traduction faite avec DeepL :

« Nous savons que de nombreux utilisateurs souhaitent davantage de flexibilité en matière de disques durs. Nous sommes actuellement en pourparlers avec les fabricants afin que les disques durs tiers soient à nouveau officiellement pris en charge à l’avenir. Mais il s’agit d’un processus qui ne se fera pas du jour au lendemain. »

Ce commentaire confirme donc que Synology est bien toujours en discussion avec les constructeurs de disques pour rouvrir la compatibilité. Toutefois, rien n’indique un quelconque rétropédalage de la part Synology comme nous avons pu le lire…

La réponse de Synology France

Afin d’éviter toute interprétation hasardeuse, nous avons contacté directement Synology France. Ivan Lebowski (Sales Team Leader) nous a confirmé :

« La situation n’a pas vraiment changé. Nous sommes en discussion avec les fabricants de disques afin qu’ils puissent certifier leurs disques sur nos NAS. »

En clair, Synology confirme les discussions, mais ne s’avance pas davantage. Pas de calendrier, pas d’annonce officielle, seulement une confirmation que le processus est en cours.

Is there a good reason for Synology to change the support of “Unverified Drives” in DSM?

Synology has long been regarded as one of the most user-friendly and reliable NAS brands in the market, balancing intuitive software with a wide hardware range that appeals to both home and business users. However, in recent years the company has taken an increasingly controversial path by enforcing strict compatibility requirements for hard drives and SSDs. Beginning with DSM 7 and escalating into the 2025 generation of devices, Synology now only certifies and supports its own branded storage media, effectively locking out many widely used alternatives from Seagate, Western Digital, and Toshiba. While Synology positions this move as a way to ensure system stability and consistency, the decision has sparked significant backlash among users who feel restricted in their options and burdened by higher costs. As competitors expand their ecosystems with more openness and flexibility, this proprietary approach risks damaging Synology’s reputation, raising questions about whether the company has prioritized profit margins over user choice.

What is the MAIN PROBLEM(s) with this decision by Synology?

The most immediate problem with Synology’s hard drive policy is the loss of flexibility that once made their systems so appealing. For years, customers could select from a wide range of industry-standard drives from Seagate, Western Digital, or Toshiba, tailoring storage to their budget, performance requirements, or regional availability. This freedom not only allowed users to balance cost and capacity, but also gave small businesses and home enthusiasts the ability to reuse existing drives, upgrade incrementally, or take advantage of promotions from different vendors. By restricting DSM compatibility to Synology-labelled drives, that flexibility is gone. For many users outside major markets, Synology’s drives are harder to source, priced higher than the competition, or limited in available capacities. What once felt like an open platform now increasingly resembles a closed ecosystem, where users must accept the vendor’s terms even if it means compromising on affordability or performance.

Another dimension of the problem lies in how Synology has communicated these changes, which many see as evasive or disingenuous. Officially, the company justifies the restriction as a move toward greater reliability and predictable system performance. The argument is that by narrowing the range of drives tested and supported, Synology can optimize DSM to work seamlessly with drives that have firmware tailored for its environment. In practice, though, the same underlying hardware often originates from Seagate or Toshiba, with only minor firmware adjustments and new branding. This creates a perception that Synology is overstating the technical benefits while quietly using the policy to secure higher margins. For long-time users, the contrast is stark: older models happily ran third-party drives with few issues, which makes the sudden insistence on “certification” seem less like an engineering requirement and more like a business maneuver. The result has been a significant erosion of trust between the company and its community.

The wider impact of this strategy has also been felt across the storage industry. Resellers have reported declining sales of Synology’s Plus series devices as customers explore alternatives such as QNAP, TrueNAS, or newer entrants like UGREEN and UniFi. For Synology, this shift is particularly damaging because its reputation has historically rested on attracting less technical buyers who value simplicity and reliability over DIY solutions. Now, even these entry-level and mid-range users are questioning whether they should commit to an ecosystem that limits their choice of drives and increases their costs. At the same time, hard drive manufacturers like Seagate and Western Digital are also affected, as Synology’s decision reduces the number of channels through which their products reach end customers. The ripple effect is therefore twofold: Synology risks alienating its base of loyal customers, while storage vendors lose a once-reliable partner, creating tension that could ultimately push more buyers toward competing NAS brands.

How Can Synology Solve This (if they want to)?

One path forward for Synology would be to adopt a hybrid compatibility model, where its own branded drives remain the recommended or default choice but third-party alternatives are still officially supported. This compromise has been proven by other vendors such as UniFi and QNAP, who sell their own labelled drives while maintaining compatibility lists for major manufacturers like Seagate, Western Digital, and Toshiba. By following this model, Synology could continue promoting the reliability benefits of its branded hardware without alienating customers who prefer flexibility. In practice, this would preserve a sense of choice for users while ensuring Synology can still highlight its “optimized” solutions as the safer, supported route.

 

 

Finally, Synology could address the availability and pricing concerns around its own branded drives. In many regions, these drives are either difficult to source or significantly more expensive than equivalent Seagate or Western Digital models. Improving distribution channels, ensuring consistent stock, and narrowing the price gap would make the transition more palatable to users who are willing to adopt Synology’s ecosystem but feel penalized by limited access. By focusing on accessibility and fairness rather than exclusivity, Synology could rebuild goodwill while still driving revenue from its hardware strategy. Taken together, these steps would not fully reverse the controversy but would demonstrate responsiveness and provide a clearer path to balancing stability, customer choice, and profitability.

Is there a way to FORCE a Synology NAS to accept unverified Hard Drives and SSDs in DSM?

For users unwilling to accept Synology’s restrictive stance on storage media, the community has developed reliable workarounds that re-enable full functionality for third-party hard drives and SSDs. The most widely adopted method involves injecting a script into the NAS system that bypasses DSM’s compatibility database, allowing otherwise unsupported drives to be used for installation, storage pools, caching, and expansion. Synology’s 2025 Plus-series models, such as the DS925+, block DSM installation if only unverified drives are present and issue constant warnings in Storage Manager. To overcome this, users first employ a Telnet-based flag during initial setup that tricks DSM into accepting the installation, followed by a more permanent fix applied through SSH. At the heart of this solution is Dave Russell’s (007revad) GitHub project Synology_HDD_db, which modifies DSM’s internal drive compatibility files. Once downloaded and executed via SSH, the script detects the NAS model, DSM version, and connected drives, then patches the system to treat them as officially supported.

The process is reversible, non-destructive, and works across multiple DSM versions, including DSM 7.2 and later. Additional features allow removal of persistent warning banners, full use of NVMe drives as storage volumes, and optional disabling of intrusive monitoring services like WDDA. To ensure ongoing stability, users can also configure a scheduled task in DSM’s Task Scheduler that re-applies the script at every boot, guaranteeing compatibility survives updates, reboots, or new drive insertions. While the script is robust and actively maintained, there are clear disclaimers: using it involves modifying system files, may void official Synology support, and should only be attempted by users confident with SSH and terminal commands who have reliable data backups. Nonetheless, for advanced users, system integrators, and enthusiasts, this community-driven solution has become the de facto method of restoring the freedom to use affordable and widely available third-party drives in modern Synology NAS systems.

Example of a 30TB Seagate HDD visible and functioning inside a Synology DS925+

Note – You can follow my guide on how to use this script modification (as well as outlining the pros and cons) HERE on the blog, or watch the video below:

The Future of Synology in the eyes of new and old buyers?

Synology’s decision to enforce exclusive support for its own branded hard drives and SSDs marks one of the most controversial shifts in the company’s history, transforming how both long-time customers and potential buyers view the brand. For over a decade, Synology’s appeal rested on a combination of intuitive software, solid hardware, and flexibility in allowing users to choose their own storage media from trusted vendors like Seagate, Toshiba, and Western Digital. By removing that choice in the 2025 generation, Synology has fundamentally altered the value proposition of its systems, making them appear less like open storage platforms and more like tightly controlled appliances. While the company justifies the policy by citing stability, predictability, and reduced support overhead, many users interpret it as a profit-driven attempt to push proprietary drives into the market, especially since these are often rebranded versions of third-party disks with modified firmware and higher price tags.

The backlash has been considerable, with resellers and community forums reporting falling interest in Synology’s Plus-series devices, particularly among home and small business users who previously embraced them for affordability and ease of expansion. Competing NAS providers such as QNAP, TrueNAS, UGREEN, and UniFi have been quick to capitalize on the discontent, positioning themselves as more open alternatives that maintain compatibility with industry-standard drives. At the same time, the growth of unofficial solutions like Dave Russell’s compatibility script demonstrates how determined users are to regain control over their hardware, even at the risk of voiding warranty or stepping outside official support. This dynamic reflects a widening gap between Synology’s official direction and the needs of its customer base, many of whom would prefer to accept a disclaimer about using unverified drives rather than being forced into a closed ecosystem.

Ultimately, Synology now stands at a crossroads that will define its reputation in the storage industry for years to come. If it continues to double down on a closed, proprietary model, the company may secure short-term revenue through drive sales but risks long-term damage to its image and market share. On the other hand, reintroducing a more flexible, transparent approach—such as allowing user consent for unsupported drives or improving global pricing and availability of its own disks—could restore trust and preserve its standing as the NAS brand of choice for both novices and professionals. The availability of community workarounds ensures that frustrated users are not entirely locked out of their systems, but the very existence of these tools highlights how far Synology has drifted from its once customer-first ethos. The next few years will be crucial, as the company either adjusts course and strikes a balance between profitability and user freedom, or risks ceding ground to rivals who are eager to embrace the openness Synology has chosen to leave behind.

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Terramaster D4 SSD USB4 Enclosure Review

The Terramaster D4 SSD is a four-bay all-flash storage enclosure designed for high-speed external data handling over USB4 connectivity, offering bandwidth of up to 40Gbps. It accommodates four PCIe NVMe M.2 2280 SSDs, allowing a maximum raw capacity of 32TB when fitted with 8TB drives, with larger capacities possible pending future verification. Aimed at professional workflows such as media creation, high-resolution video production, and post-production editing, it is also marketed for gaming environments where low-latency loading and direct game installation are desired. The enclosure does not feature built-in RAID capabilities, instead operating in single-drive mode and relying on the host computer or third-party software for RAID management when required. Measuring 138 x 60 x 140 mm and weighing 392grams, it offers a compact footprint suitable for desktop or mobile editing setups. With active cooling via dual smart fans, wide voltage power input for flexible deployment, and compatibility across USB4, Thunderbolt 3/4/5, and USB 3.x interfaces, the D4 SSD is designed to integrate seamlessly with both Mac and Windows systems, including use as a Mac OS boot drive or as direct expansion for NAS devices with supported ports.

Terramaster D4 SSD Review – Quick Conclusion

The Terramaster D4 SSD is a compact four-bay USB4 NVMe enclosure that delivers high transfer speeds through dedicated PCIe Gen4 x1 lane allocation per drive, managed by the ASMedia ASM2464PDX controller for consistent scaling across single or multiple SSD configurations. While it lacks built-in hardware RAID, this simplifies design, reduces power draw, and allows users to manage RAID through their host system or software tools, offering flexibility for performance or redundancy needs. In testing, it sustained multi-gigabyte throughput under prolonged load without thermal throttling, aided by its dual smart-fan cooling system and low-noise operation, making it suitable for studios and mobile production environments. Its wide voltage input range supports power from standard laptop and mini-PC adapters, and cross-platform compatibility extends to Thunderbolt 3/4/5 and USB 3.x systems, with support for multiple file systems across macOS, Windows, and Linux. Best suited for professionals in media production, post-processing, and high-resolution video editing, the D4 SSD offers a strong balance of speed, efficiency, and portability, though buyers should account for the cost of high-capacity NVMe drives and may wish to add heatsinks for heavy workloads.

Terramaster D4 SSD NAS
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Terramaster D4 SSD Review -Design and Storage

The Terramaster D4 SSD adopts a compact and minimalist design that prioritises space efficiency while accommodating high-performance M.2 NVMe storage. The chassis is constructed with a combination of metal and reinforced plastic to balance durability with weight reduction, making it practical for desktop setups or mobile editing stations. Measuring 138mm in height, 60mm in width, and 140mm in depth, it has a footprint smaller than many portable RAID enclosures yet houses four internal M.2 2280 slots. Ventilation is a key part of the design, with perforations along the chassis and an internal airflow path from the bottom intake to the top exhaust. This airflow design is paired with a smart dual-fan system to keep temperatures stable under sustained workloads. The minimalist exterior is free of unnecessary styling, focusing instead on functionality and discrete operation in professional environments.

Internally, the storage layout is based entirely on NVMe architecture, with each of the four bays supporting PCIe Gen4 x1 bandwidth allocation. This ensures each SSD has dedicated lane access to maintain predictable throughput, rather than sharing limited controller bandwidth as seen in some lower-cost enclosures. The D4 SSD supports up to 8TB per drive, giving a maximum raw capacity of 32TB, though higher capacities may be supported as larger consumer and enterprise NVMe drives are verified. This design choice prioritises performance consistency and reduces the risk of bottlenecks, particularly when drives are accessed simultaneously for large file transfers or multi-stream media editing.

The enclosure is not equipped with a hardware RAID controller, meaning all drives operate in independent single-disk mode by default. Users wishing to configure RAID 0, 1, or other levels must do so using their operating system’s built-in storage management tools or third-party RAID software. This approach reduces internal complexity, lowers power draw, and avoids thermal buildup from additional processing hardware, but shifts configuration responsibility to the user. For some workflows, particularly those involving high-performance NVMe SSDs, host-managed RAID can still deliver substantial speed gains without affecting compatibility.

For cooling, the D4 SSD uses an active design with two 50mm temperature-controlled fans. These are managed by four onboard temperature sensors, adjusting fan speeds based on workload and heat generation. The airflow design is optimised to pass directly over the NVMe modules and the mainboard’s heat-generating components. While the unit does not include NVMe heatsinks by default, there is space to install aftermarket options if desired. Terramaster’s decision not to bundle heatsinks reflects a balance between cost and compatibility, as different SSDs have varying thermal needs, and some users may prefer specific heatsink designs.

From a noise and usability standpoint, the D4 SSD is intended to operate unobtrusively in environments such as home offices, studios, and editing suites. In standby mode with SSDs installed, the noise level is measured at 19dB(A), making it quieter than many desktop PCs and suitable for near-silent workspaces. Combined with its small physical footprint, this makes it a storage device that can be positioned close to the user without being a distraction, even under full load during extended transfers or media rendering sessions.

Terramaster D4 SSD Review – Internal Hardware

Inside the Terramaster D4 SSD, the hardware is built around a dedicated USB4 bridge controller, the ASMedia ASM2464PDX, which is designed to maintain high throughput across multiple NVMe drives without the lane bottleneck issues found in some lower-cost enclosures. Each M.2 slot is wired for PCIe Gen4 x1 bandwidth, providing up to 2,000MB/s potential per drive, which is then aggregated and managed through the USB4 interface.

This design ensures predictable scaling in both single-drive and multi-drive use, with performance closely tied to the host system’s RAID or file management configuration. The PCB is perforated in multiple areas to enhance passive airflow in conjunction with the active cooling fans, helping to maintain SSD performance during sustained workloads such as large file transfers or continuous video editing.

The storage slots themselves support PCIe NVMe M.2 2280 SSDs, making the D4 SSD compatible with a wide range of consumer and professional-grade drives. While the official capacity limit is listed as 8TB per drive, the enclosure is not restricted by proprietary firmware, allowing for potential support of larger modules as they become available. The absence of hardware RAID keeps internal processing simple, reducing latency and power draw, while allowing the enclosure to work equally well in macOS, Windows, and certain NAS expansion scenarios where the RAID logic is handled externally. Additionally, the enclosure supports multiple file systems including NTFS, APFS, exFAT, FAT32, and EXT4, depending on the host environment.

Power delivery to the enclosure is handled through a 24W external adapter, with a wide input voltage range of 12V to 20V for compatibility with common laptop and mini-PC power supplies. This not only makes it more versatile for travel or integration into mobile production setups but also reduces the need for proprietary adapters.

The included USB4 Type-C cable is 0.8m in length and rated for up to 80Gbps, significantly higher than the device’s 40Gbps requirement, ensuring minimal signal degradation over time. Thermal and power management are monitored by four internal sensors, which regulate the fan speeds to balance cooling and noise.

Terramaster D4 SSD Review – Connectivity

The Terramaster D4 SSD keeps its external connectivity simple, focusing on delivering the highest possible throughput over a single interface. The primary connection is a USB4 Type-C port located on the rear of the unit, providing up to 40Gbps of bandwidth when used with a compatible host device. This interface also ensures backward compatibility with Thunderbolt 3, Thunderbolt 4, Thunderbolt 5, and USB 3.x standards, although maximum speeds will vary depending on the protocol supported by the connected system. This approach makes the D4 SSD suitable for a wide range of setups, from modern Mac computers and high-end Windows workstations to certain NAS devices that offer USB4 or Thunderbolt connectivity for expansion.

The unit does not draw power from the USB4 connection, which is essential given the requirements of running four NVMe drives under load. This separation ensures stable power delivery regardless of the workload, preventing thermal throttling or performance drops caused by insufficient bus power.

The only other physical interface elements are the cooling ventilation openings, the power button, and status indicators. The ventilation is positioned to support the enclosure’s top-to-bottom airflow, with exhaust positioned to avoid heat recirculation. The power button is recessed to prevent accidental shutdowns, and the indicator lights provide a quick visual status of drive activity. While the D4 SSD avoids additional ports such as USB hubs or SD card readers, this streamlined design prioritises stability and speed for storage operations, aligning with its role as a dedicated high-bandwidth storage enclosure rather than a multifunction docking station.

Terramaster D4 SSD Review – Performance and Tests

In practical testing, the Terramaster D4 SSD demonstrated performance levels consistent with the capabilities of its USB4 interface and internal PCIe lane allocation. When fitted with a single PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD and connected to a compatible Windows host system, sequential transfer rates reached around 1,480MB/s for reads and 1,140MB/s for writes in CrystalDiskMark, with mixed 70/30 read/write workloads averaging 1,286MB/s.

AJA System Test results with a repeated 1GB file showed roughly 1,400MB/s read and 1,300MB/s write, while ATTO Disk Benchmark recorded peaks of 1.57GB/s read and up to 1.5GB/s write.

These results represent roughly three-quarters of the theoretical maximum per-lane Gen4 x1 performance, with minor variations attributable to SSD model and host configuration.

With four SSDs installed and configured in RAID 0 via Windows Disk Management, throughput scaled significantly.

In AJA testing, read speeds reached 2,500MB/s and writes 2,300MB/s. CrystalDiskMark produced 2,047MB/s reads and 1,927MB/s writes in sequential tests, with mixed workloads at around 1,799MB/s.

ATTO testing peaked at approximately 2.93GB/s read and 2.66GB/s write. These figures are below the absolute maximum possible for USB4 but remain strong for a host-managed RAID array without dedicated hardware acceleration.

The results indicate that with a more capable RAID implementation, sustained speeds above 3GB/s would be achievable, making the D4 SSD suitable for high-bandwidth applications such as multi-stream 4K or 6K video editing. Thermal performance was another key testing area given the high-speed NVMe drives involved. Under sustained load with all four SSDs active, the enclosure’s dual-fan cooling system maintained stable operating temperatures without noticeable thermal throttling. Noise output, even at maximum fan speed, remained low enough for close-proximity use in an editing suite or home office. The absence of included NVMe heatsinks did not lead to significant overheating in tests, though installing aftermarket heatsinks could be beneficial for prolonged heavy workloads or in warmer environments.

Power consumption measurements showed efficient operation relative to its performance. With all drives in hibernation, draw was close to 1W; in standby, it was 3–4W; and at full load, the system used only 5–6W. This efficiency, combined with the wide voltage input support, makes the D4 SSD practical for mobile production setups and continuous desktop use without significant power overhead. Compatibility was confirmed across both macOS and Windows systems, with macOS tests achieving up to 3,257MB/s reads and 3,192MB/s writes using four Samsung 990 PRO 4TB SSDs in RAID 0 on a Mac mini with an Apple M4 chip.

Terramaster D4 SSD Review – Verdict and Conclusion

The Terramaster D4 SSD positions itself as a compact, high-speed, and flexible all-flash enclosure for users who require consistent bandwidth and expandable capacity over USB4. Its PCIe Gen4 x1 lane allocation per drive, paired with the ASMedia ASM2464PDX controller, ensures that performance scales predictably from single-drive use to fully populated configurations without the bottlenecks common in lower-end enclosures that multiplex lanes. While the absence of built-in hardware RAID will be seen as a limitation for users wanting an all-in-one solution, the decision to leave RAID management to the host system helps keep the enclosure’s design simpler, power consumption lower, and thermal output under better control. This host-managed approach also allows greater flexibility in choosing software RAID solutions optimised for specific workflows, whether for performance (RAID 0), redundancy (RAID 1), or other advanced configurations. Combined with its small footprint, professional-grade cooling, and wide voltage input range, the D4 SSD fits naturally into both fixed and mobile setups where reliable sustained throughput is essential.

From a value and application standpoint, the D4 SSD’s test results put it among the faster multi-bay USB4 NVMe enclosures currently available, especially given its ability to sustain multi-gigabyte transfers under prolonged load without thermal throttling. It is particularly well-suited to professionals in media production, post-processing, and high-resolution video editing who need large, portable, and quiet storage capable of handling multiple uncompressed video streams in real time. The unit’s quiet operation, even when all drives are active, makes it practical for use in audio-sensitive environments, and its compatibility with Thunderbolt 3, 4, and 5 as well as USB 3.x protocols expands its usability across a wide variety of systems. Potential buyers should, however, factor in the additional cost of populating all four slots with high-capacity NVMe SSDs and consider adding aftermarket heatsinks for continuous heavy workloads, as none are included. For those who already operate in environments where RAID is managed externally or within the operating system, the D4 SSD represents a balanced combination of speed, efficiency, and build quality that should appeal to both Windows and macOS professionals seeking long-term, high-performance storage expansion.

Terramaster D4 SSD NAS
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PROs of the Terramaster D4 SSD

CONs of the Terramaster D4 SSD

High-speed USB4 interface with up to 40Gbps bandwidth, delivering strong multi-bay NVMe performance.   Dedicated PCIe Gen4 x1 lane allocation per slot ensures predictable scaling without lane-sharing bottlenecks. Compact and lightweight chassis with active cooling and low noise output, suitable for quiet work environments. Cross-platform compatibility with Thunderbolt 3/4/5 and USB 3.x, supporting multiple file systems for macOS, Windows, and Linux use. Low power consumption, even under full load, making it efficient for continuous operation.

No built-in hardware RAID functionality, requiring RAID to be managed by the host system or third-party software. No included NVMe heatsinks, which may be needed for sustained heavy workloads. Performance dependent on host system capabilities and RAID configuration, limiting maximum speeds in some setups.

 

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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.

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Terramaster D1 SSD Review – Performance Made Sustainable?

The TerraMaster D1 SSD Plus is a compact, single-bay M.2 NVMe enclosure designed to deliver high-speed direct-attached storage over USB4, with a focus on professional workloads that demand both speed and stability. Aimed at users working with large, high-resolution files such as 4K and higher video editing projects, RAW photo archives, and heavy multimedia workflows, it supports transfer rates of up to 3,853MB/s read and 3,707MB/s write when paired with a compatible PCIe Gen 4×4 SSD. This performance level allows a 3GB file to transfer in around one second under optimal conditions, significantly reducing waiting times in post-production processes. The enclosure is compatible with a broad range of connection standards, including Thunderbolt 5/4/3 and USB4/3.2/3.1/3.0, making it adaptable to both modern and legacy system configurations. Measuring 112.5 × 60 × 33 mm and weighing 246g, it features a fully enclosed aluminium alloy body with passive cooling, designed to keep temperatures stable during sustained workloads without introducing fan noise. Additional onboard safeguards provide short-circuit, voltage surge, and electrostatic discharge protection, while its unibody construction aims to withstand continuous use in demanding environments. With no pre-installed SSD, the D1 SSD Plus supports M.2 2280 NVMe drives up to 8TB, giving users the flexibility to choose their own storage based on performance or capacity priorities.

Terramaster D1 SSD Review – Quick Conclusion

The TerraMaster D1 SSD Plus is a compact, bus-powered USB4 enclosure built for sustained high-speed storage with a focus on stability, thermal efficiency, and cross-platform compatibility. Using the ASMedia ASM2464PDX controller with a PCIe Gen 4×4 lane configuration, it can fully exploit 40Gbps bandwidth when paired with a suitable SSD, maintaining 3,000MB/s+ read and 2,500MB/s+ write speeds without throttling during prolonged workloads. Its fully aluminium passive cooling design keeps drive temperatures around 44–45°C under heavy use while remaining completely silent, making it suitable for both desktop and field use. Supporting capacities up to 8TB, multiple file systems, and connection standards including Thunderbolt 5/4/3 and USB 3.x, it integrates easily into macOS and Windows workflows. However, the short 0.3m USB4 cable can limit positioning flexibility, and performance is heavily dependent on choosing a PCIe Gen 4×4 SSD, with no official compatibility list provided. Overall, it offers strong build quality, sustained performance, and portability, making it a capable option for professionals and power users seeking reliable high-speed external NVMe storage.

Terramaster D1 SSD NAS
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Terramaster D1 SSD Review – Design and Storage

The D1 SSD Plus adopts a minimalist, industrial-style design built entirely from aluminium alloy, providing both structural durability and efficient passive heat dissipation. Its solid unibody construction not only makes the device more resistant to daily wear but also allows for a larger heat-spreading surface compared to typical plastic or hybrid enclosures. Measuring just over 11 cm in length, it remains small enough for mobile use while retaining the thermal mass needed to handle sustained high-speed transfers without performance throttling. The matte finish helps reduce the appearance of fingerprints and scratches, making it better suited to frequent handling in professional environments.

Internally, the unit supports a single M.2 2280 PCIe NVMe SSD, accommodating capacities of up to 8TB in a single slot. The choice to limit support to NVMe, rather than SATA-based M.2 drives, ensures the interface is not a bottleneck to the USB4 connection. The enclosure uses a PCIe Gen 4×4 lane allocation, meaning that while it can achieve impressive transfer speeds, installing a Gen 3 drive will limit throughput to roughly half the rated maximum. This makes SSD selection critical for users seeking top performance, especially in workflows involving large sequential file transfers or high-speed scratch disk usage.

The passive cooling system is one of the more notable aspects of the D1 SSD Plus’s design. Instead of an active fan, the aluminium chassis itself acts as a heatsink, with thermal pads positioned to draw heat away from the SSD and controller. During testing with repeated large file transfers, drive temperatures peaked at around 44–45°C, and the enclosure exterior measured approximately 41–42°C, remaining well below thermal throttling thresholds. This approach eliminates moving parts, improving reliability and making the device completely silent, a benefit for audio-sensitive production environments.

From a portability perspective, the D1 SSD Plus is supplied with a compact 0.3m USB4 Type-C cable and a soft carry bag for transport. The short cable supports 40Gbps data rates and up to 240W power delivery, though its length may be restrictive for certain setups, such as when connecting to desktop systems positioned under a desk. Weighing just 246grams without a drive, it is light enough to be carried daily yet solid enough to feel substantial in use.

In terms of safety and operational protection, TerraMaster has included components to guard against short circuits, power surges, and electrostatic discharge. These measures, combined with the robust chassis, aim to keep the enclosure operational even in less controlled environments such as on-location shoots or travel-based editing sessions. For storage expansion scenarios, it can act as either a primary drive for active projects or a fast external repository for completed work, depending on the installed SSD’s performance and endurance characteristics.

Terramaster D1 SSD Review – Internal Design

Inside the D1 SSD Plus, the primary component enabling its performance is the ASMedia ASM2464PDX controller. This USB4-to-PCIe bridge is widely used in high-speed external enclosures, offering stable throughput and supporting PCIe Gen 4×4 lane allocation to the installed SSD. TerraMaster is unusually transparent in publicly listing the controller model and lane configuration, information that many manufacturers omit. This clarity helps users understand the real-world performance limits and the importance of pairing the enclosure with a compatible SSD to reach the quoted speeds.

The M.2 slot supports the 2280 form factor exclusively and is physically keyed for NVMe drives, preventing the installation of incompatible SATA models. Internally, thermal pads are pre-positioned to ensure consistent contact between the SSD and the aluminium housing, which doubles as a heatsink. This direct contact method maximises heat transfer efficiency, enabling the enclosure to sustain high-speed operation without thermal throttling. The lack of an active fan reduces power draw and potential mechanical failure points, aligning the product with professional needs for quiet and reliable operation.

The enclosure draws power entirely from its USB4 connection, operating at 5V and consuming up to 7.5W during active read/write workloads. In idle or hibernation mode, this drops to around 5.5W. The absence of a dedicated power supply simplifies setup and enhances portability, though it also means that connection stability is dependent on the host device’s USB port quality and adherence to USB4 or Thunderbolt specifications. This bus-powered approach makes the D1 SSD Plus practical for mobile workstations, ultrabooks, and modern desktops without spare power connections.

Terramaster D1 SSD Review – Connection and Bandwidth

The D1 SSD Plus features a single USB Type-C port located at the rear of the enclosure, serving as its sole data and power interface. This port supports USB4 at 40Gbps, ensuring maximum compatibility with modern high-speed standards while maintaining backward support for Thunderbolt 5/4/3 and USB 3.x generations. This allows the enclosure to integrate into a range of environments, from the latest Apple Silicon systems to older Windows workstations. However, TerraMaster notes that certain Thunderbolt 3-equipped Windows PCs may lack complete USB4 protocol support, which can prevent the device from being recognised unless connected to a different port.

The included 0.3m USB4 cable is rated for the full 40Gbps bandwidth and supports up to 240W of power delivery, even though the enclosure itself draws only a fraction of that power. Its short length makes it well-suited for portable laptop-based workflows but less ideal for desktop systems that require longer reach. Users seeking more flexibility may need to source a third-party cable with equivalent specifications to maintain the enclosure’s full performance potential.

Given the high-speed nature of USB4, signal integrity is critical. The D1 SSD Plus uses a reinforced internal connector to reduce wear and maintain a stable connection over repeated cable insertions. Combined with the aluminium body’s shielding properties, this helps minimise data errors and interference, which is particularly relevant when transferring large multimedia files or working directly from the drive in editing software.

Terramaster D1 SSD Review – Tests

In synthetic benchmarks, the D1 SSD Plus achieved results close to its advertised maximums when paired with a high-quality PCIe Gen 4×4 SSD. Using an AJA 1GB test file loop, sustained read speeds were observed between 3,000 and 3,100MB/s, with writes maintaining 2,550 to 2,600MB/s.

Peak measurements during testing reached 3.55GB/s for reads and 2.8GB/s for writes, confirming that the enclosure can deliver high throughput consistently without early throttling. Mixed workload tests, such as a 70/30 read/write access pattern, still sustained around 2,500MB/s, indicating balanced performance even under varied data operations.

CrystalDiskMark results mirrored the AJA findings, with sequential read speeds consistently exceeding 3,000MB/s and writes holding near 2,600MB/s in repeated trials. These figures place the D1 SSD Plus among the faster single-bay USB4 enclosures currently available, particularly in its ability to sustain speeds over prolonged activity. The stability here is largely attributed to the passive aluminium cooling, which prevented temperature-induced drops in transfer rates that are common in less thermally capable designs.

Real-world file transfers also reflected strong performance. A 100GB mixed-content dataset consisting of video clips, high-resolution images, PDFs, and documents transferred in 63 seconds, averaging 1.58GB/s over the duration. While this figure is lower than synthetic benchmark peaks, it remains well above the speeds of typical USB 3.2 enclosures, providing tangible time savings for users moving large batches of files. The ability to maintain high sustained write speeds is particularly beneficial for workflows such as direct-to-disk recording or continuous large dataset backups.

Temperature monitoring during performance testing showed the installed SSD peaking at 44–45°C after over five minutes of sustained large file writes, with the enclosure’s exterior registering around 41–42°C. These results suggest that the cooling system is sufficient to handle extended workloads without user intervention, making the D1 SSD Plus a viable option for scenarios where the drive may be used heavily for prolonged periods, such as editing directly from the external storage.

Terramaster D1 SSD Review – Verdict and Conclusion

The TerraMaster D1 SSD Plus positions itself as a high-speed, bus-powered USB4 enclosure that places equal emphasis on sustained performance, heat management, and compatibility across multiple connection standards. Its integration of the ASMedia ASM2464PDX controller with a PCIe Gen 4×4 lane configuration ensures that it can fully utilise the available 40Gbps bandwidth when paired with a suitable SSD, avoiding the thermal throttling that can undermine performance in less capable enclosures. TerraMaster’s decision to openly publish controller details, lane allocation, and maximum tested speeds gives technically minded buyers more confidence in what the enclosure can achieve, and helps explain why it maintained stability during repeated multi-gigabyte transfer tests in your review. The combination of a compact footprint, aluminium passive cooling, and complete silence during operation makes it suitable not only for static desktop setups but also for field work, where portability and reliability matter. With support for capacities up to 8TB and a choice of file systems including NTFS, exFAT, APFS, and EXT4, it can be easily integrated into both macOS and Windows workflows without major reconfiguration.

There are, however, practical considerations for prospective buyers. The included 0.3m USB4 cable, while capable of full 40Gbps data rates and 240W power delivery, is short enough to be inconvenient for tower PC users or multi-device workstations, and replacing it with a certified high-speed cable may be necessary in such environments. Furthermore, although the enclosure can accept any PCIe NVMe M.2 2280 SSD, achieving top-tier performance depends on selecting a PCIe Gen 4×4 drive, as using Gen 3 or slower-lane SSDs can halve the potential throughput. Your review also highlighted that while TerraMaster frequently notes the importance of Gen 4 drives, they do not provide detailed compatibility charts or recommend specific models, which could help less experienced buyers avoid suboptimal results. In practice, the D1 SSD Plus delivers a combination of sustained speed, thermal efficiency, and solid build quality that positions it as a strong choice for video editors, media professionals, and advanced home users who require portable storage without sacrificing reliability or performance.

Terramaster D1 SSD NAS
Amazon in Your Region for the Terramaster D1 SSD @ $109	B&H for the Terramaster D1 SSD USB4 Drive @ $109.99

 

PROs of the Terramaster D1 SSD

CONs of the Terramaster D1 SSD

High Sustained Performance – Maintains 3,000MB/s+ read speeds and 2,500MB/s+ write speeds under extended workloads without thermal throttling. Transparent Technical Specs – Clearly states controller model, lane allocation, and maximum tested speeds, aiding informed SSD selection. Robust Passive Cooling – Fully aluminium chassis with integrated heatsink keeps SSD temperatures around 44–45°C under load. Broad Compatibility – Works with USB4, Thunderbolt 5/4/3, and USB 3.x systems across macOS and Windows. Portable and Silent – Compact (112.5 × 60 × 33 mm), fanless design makes it easy to carry and noise-free during operation. Flexible SSD Choice – Supports PCIe NVMe M.2 2280 drives up to 8TB with multiple file system formats (NTFS, exFAT, APFS, EXT4).

Short Supplied Cable – 0.3m USB4 cable may be impractical for certain desktop or fixed workstation setups. Performance Depends on SSD Selection – Using Gen 3 or slower-lane SSDs can reduce speeds by up to half. No Drive Compatibility List – Lacks detailed recommended SSD model chart to guide optimal performance choices.

 

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La mise à jour KB5063878 de Windows 11 provoque des pannes de SSD lors d’écritures massives de données sur certains modèles de supports de stockage.

L’article La dernière mise à jour de Windows 11 peut tuer votre SSD est apparu en premier sur Tom’s Hardware.

Should You Buy the Terramaster F4 SSD NAS?

The TerraMaster F4 SSD is a 4-bay all-flash NAS aimed at home and prosumer users who want compact, quiet, and high-speed network storage based on SSD technology. Priced at $399, it represents the third entry in TerraMaster’s SSD-focused lineup, positioned below the larger 8-bay F8 SSD and the i5-powered F8 SSD Plus. This model is designed to deliver a balance between affordability and performance, featuring the Intel N95 quad-core processor, 8GB of DDR5 memory (upgradeable to 32GB), and four M.2 NVMe SSD slots across mixed-speed PCIe lanes. While its architecture targets lower power consumption and silent operation (rated at 19 dB in standby), it also integrates a 5GbE network port, USB 3.2 connectivity, and a toolless design to ease deployment. Designed for both turnkey usage with TerraMaster’s TOS 6 OS or as a flexible bare-metal option for TrueNAS or UnRAID, the F4 SSD sits at a crossroads between convenience and configurability—providing users with both preconfigured software and open-ended potential for third-party operating systems.

Terramaster F4 SSD NAS Review – Quick Conclusion

The TerraMaster F4 SSD delivers a compelling package for users seeking an affordable, compact, and all-flash NAS solution with a strong blend of performance and usability. Its toolless, space-saving design makes installation easy, while the inclusion of four M.2 NVMe slots—two at PCIe 3.0 x2 and two at x1—offers fast storage potential, albeit with some asymmetry that could affect RAID performance in certain configurations. Powered by the efficient Intel N95 CPU and 8GB of DDR5 memory, the system supports multimedia streaming, Docker containers, virtual machines, and AI-powered photo indexing, all handled by the continually improving TOS 6 operating system. Key strengths include the 5GbE networking for faster data access, support for mixed-capacity SSDs via TRAID, and very low noise and power consumption, making it ideal for home environments. However, limitations such as the single network port with no redundancy, lack of ECC memory support, and the presence of mixed-speed NVMe slots may be off-putting to power users or small businesses seeking higher resilience and uniform throughput. Still, at $399, the F4 SSD offers a well-rounded balance of speed, features, and ease of use for home users, prosumers, and content creators who want SSD-level performance without the complexity or cost of higher-end systems.

Terramaster F4 SSD NAS
Amazon in Your Region for the Terramaster F4 SSD NAS @ $399	B&H for the Terramaster F4 SSD NAS @ $399.99

 

Terramaster F4 SSD NAS Review – Design and Storage

The TerraMaster F4 SSD adopts a compact, minimalist design that is clearly optimized for silent, flash-only operation. Measuring just 138mm x 60mm x 140mm and weighing 0.6 kg, it is one of the smallest 4-bay NAS chassis on the market, aided by its exclusive use of M.2 NVMe SSDs instead of traditional 3.5-inch hard drives. This all-flash design allows the chassis to maintain a reduced footprint while still offering significant internal capacity—up to 32TB using four 8TB drives. The unit features a clean, industrial aesthetic with smooth surfaces and subtle branding, aligning with TerraMaster’s recent design choices in their SSD NAS series. Importantly, the internal layout supports top-to-bottom convection airflow, with side ventilation and smart fan controls designed to balance cooling and acoustics.

Installation is clearly a design priority here. The F4 SSD uses a toolless construction held together by a single thumbscrew, allowing the user to remove the outer casing in seconds. Internally, SSDs are inserted via a pull-out drawer mechanism with dedicated mounting trays, and there’s ample clearance around each M.2 slot for installing large passive heatsinks.

Notably, the SSD slots are laid out in such a way that their orientation lines up directly with the two 50mm rear fans. These fans are positioned to channel airflow across both the SSDs and the large passive heatsink mounted over the Intel N95 CPU, ensuring that even under sustained workloads the thermals remain controlled without relying on noisy active cooling systems.

The internal storage configuration is somewhat mixed in terms of interface speed. Of the four M.2 slots, two operate over PCIe 3.0 x2 lanes, and two are limited to PCIe 3.0 x1. This introduces a disparity in potential transfer speeds—approximately 1.6GB/s per drive for the faster pair, and around 700-900MB/s for the slower ones.

While this approach is a practical trade-off due to CPU lane limitations, it may pose bottlenecks in RAID scenarios where all four drives are used in a single pool. However, for users willing to configure their SSDs into two independent volumes, or who rely on TerraMaster’s TRAID system with mixed-capacity drives, the system can still make efficient use of available bandwidth.

The F4 SSD supports a range of RAID configurations including TRAID, TRAID+, RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, and 10, as well as JBOD and single-drive modes. TRAID, TerraMaster’s hybrid RAID system, is especially notable here as it supports storage expansion using drives of different sizes—an advantage for users who plan to incrementally upgrade their SSDs over time. This flexibility is rare in entry-level NAS units, and helps avoid the traditional pitfalls of having to replace all drives at once in standard RAID arrays. The software layer automatically calculates parity and adjusts volume size without requiring complete data migration or reconfiguration.

From a practical perspective, the move to SSD-only architecture enables faster access times, reduced power usage, and significantly lower noise. TerraMaster reports a typical power draw of just 32W under full load with four SSDs, around 11-13W with all 4 SSD in a ‘read state’ with the CPU at sub 5%, and only 8W in complete hibernation. The fan noise sits below 19dB during idle operation, placing it among the quietest NAS units available. For environments such as living rooms or bedrooms where noise sensitivity is key, this silent thermal design makes the F4 SSD particularly well-suited for home multimedia centers and always-on photo backup servers.

Terramaster F4 SSD NAS Review – Internal Hardware

At the heart of the TerraMaster F4 SSD is the Intel N95 processor, a quad-core, four-thread CPU based on the Alder Lake-N architecture. Clocked at a base frequency of 1.7GHz with a boost up to 3.4GHz, it offers efficient processing power with a low 15W TDP, which contributes to the unit’s low thermal output and power consumption. While not designed for heavy computational workloads, the N95 supports Intel Quick Sync for hardware-accelerated video transcoding and includes integrated UHD graphics capable of handling 4K@60Hz decoding.

This makes the F4 SSD suitable for multimedia servers like Plex or Jellyfin, which are supported out of the box by TerraMaster’s TOS operating system. The CPU also provides nine PCIe Gen3 lanes for connecting NVMe drives, network interfaces, and USB ports—something that TerraMaster appears to have carefully balanced across components.

The system is equipped with 8GB of DDR5 memory pre-installed in a single SODIMM slot, with support for up to 32GB. The memory is non-ECC, which is expected for this price bracket and CPU class, though some users may view this as a drawback in data-critical environments. DDR5 support is a notable inclusion, offering higher bandwidth and lower power consumption than DDR4.

Because there is only a single memory slot, upgrades require replacing the pre-installed module entirely, but access is straightforward thanks to the removable chassis design. Combined with the N95 CPU and SSD storage, the memory allows for lightweight virtualization, Docker container deployment, and simultaneous access by multiple users—within the limitations of the CPU’s architecture.

Internally, the F4 SSD supports four M.2 2280 NVMe drives: two connected via PCIe 3.0 x2, and two via PCIe 3.0 x1. This setup is a direct consequence of the limited PCIe lane count on the N95 CPU, and reflects a compromise between cost and performance. While this layout means that users may encounter performance bottlenecks if building a single RAID array across all four slots, TerraMaster’s OS allows for flexible configuration, including the creation of separate volumes. The system also includes a substantial heatsink on the CPU and aligns airflow directly over both the CPU and storage bays. Together, these components form a power-efficient, quiet, and competent NAS platform optimized for SSD workloads.

Terramaster F4 SSD NAS Review – Ports and Connections

The TerraMaster F4 SSD is equipped with a practical selection of ports that reflect its mid-tier positioning. The standout feature is a single RJ-45 5GbE Ethernet port, offering five times the bandwidth of standard Gigabit connections and double that of 2.5GbE. This enables significantly faster file transfers when paired with compatible switches or direct-to-PC connections, making it a viable solution for photo and video editing over the network. However, the inclusion of only one network port—without redundancy or support for link aggregation—limits failover options and prevents more advanced networking setups, a drawback that may be felt in business or multi-user deployments. Users seeking dual LAN ports for redundancy or trunking will need to resort to USB-to-Ethernet adapters, which are supported via the system’s high-speed USB 3.2 ports.

In addition to its network interface, the F4 SSD features three USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports rated at 10Gbps each—two Type-A and one Type-C. These ports support a variety of functions, including attaching external storage for backups, connecting USB-based 2.5GbE/5GbE adapters, or even interfacing with uninterruptible power supplies (UPS). This level of connectivity is somewhat uncommon in compact SSD NAS systems and adds useful flexibility, particularly for users operating the unit as a personal cloud or remote access point. Notably absent, however, are legacy USB 2.0 ports or additional network expansion slots (such as PCIe or SFP+), which would have extended the F4 SSD’s upgradeability for more advanced users.

On the display side, the NAS includes a single HDMI 2.0b port, allowing for direct output of its graphical interface or multimedia playback, though this feature is seldom used in headless NAS operation. Still, its presence supports limited desktop use cases or direct-attached displays for VM consoles and Docker GUIs. Internally, the Intel N95 CPU provides up to three display outputs, but only one is exposed in this system. The absence of a VGA port, PCIe expansion slots, or front-facing ports keeps the design clean but does reduce options for advanced customization. Ultimately, the F4 SSD provides just enough I/O for mainstream home or small office use, while intentionally leaving out more enterprise-grade connectivity.

Terramaster F4 SSD NAS Review – TOS Software and Services

The TerraMaster F4 SSD ships with TOS 6, the company’s latest revision of its NAS operating system. TOS 6 has matured significantly compared to earlier versions, now offering a more stable and responsive interface with support for modern NAS functionality. The OS features a multi-window desktop-like environment accessible via browser, along with mobile and desktop clients for streamlined access.

The interface, though less polished than Synology’s DSM, has seen improvements in usability, with clearer organization of applications, settings, and user tools. Key system features include centralized backup, file indexing, user/group controls, and integrated snapshot functionality for shared folders and iSCSI volumes. For home users and prosumers, these updates represent a notable step forward, especially when paired with the low latency benefits of SSD storage.

Among TOS 6’s more prominent features is TRAID (TerraMaster RAID), a hybrid RAID system designed to offer flexible storage expansion and mixed-capacity drive support. Similar in principle to Synology’s SHR, TRAID allows users to start with a small number of SSDs and expand later with larger ones without reconfiguring the entire array.

This flexibility is especially useful in all-flash systems where high-capacity SSDs can be cost-prohibitive to install all at once. In addition to TRAID and TRAID+, the system also supports traditional RAID levels (0, 1, 5, 6, 10), JBOD, and single-drive configurations. Volume expansion, RAID migration, SSD TRIM, and S.M.A.R.T. monitoring are supported natively, along with scheduled snapshots and USB-based backups.

TOS 6 includes a growing suite of first- and third-party applications that address multimedia, surveillance, and cloud connectivity. The F4 SSD supports Plex Media Server, Jellyfin, Emby, and TerraMaster’s own Multimedia Server for DLNA/UPnP streaming. Users can also deploy Docker containers, virtual machines, and network services such as iSCSI, FTP, WebDAV, and VPN servers.

Multimedia support is further bolstered by hardware-accelerated 4K video decoding via the Intel UHD iGPU, making the NAS suitable as a home media hub. AI photo indexing is also integrated into Terra Photos, allowing automated categorization of people, pets, and scenes. For mobile users, the TNAS app offers automatic photo/video uploads and remote file access, enhancing backup automation and content management.

Enterprise and security features are present but modest. TOS 6 includes AES-encrypted folders, SSL certificate import, two-factor authentication, and alerting via email or desktop notifications. Integration with AD domains and LDAP clients is supported, but ECC memory is not, reflecting the system’s home and small-office focus. Additional cloud integration is provided via CloudSync, which supports Google Drive, OneDrive, Amazon S3, Dropbox, Baidu, and Alibaba Cloud.

For users requiring simple hybrid-cloud backups or syncing across multiple platforms, this unified interface is functional and sufficient. While TOS lacks the enterprise depth of some competing NAS platforms, its overall range of applications and services is now competitive for most home or light professional needs.

Terramaster F4 SSD NAS Review – Verdict and Conclusion

The TerraMaster F4 SSD presents itself as a well-considered entry into the compact, all-flash NAS segment, balancing low noise, energy efficiency, and competitive performance at a sub-$400 price point. With its fanless NVMe-based design, Intel N95 quad-core processor, and DDR5 memory, it meets the essential needs of home and small office users looking for a reliable and responsive storage solution. The inclusion of TerraMaster’s increasingly capable TOS 6 operating system, featuring AI-driven photo management, centralized backup, and Docker/VM support, makes it more than just a network storage device—it becomes a lightweight but versatile data center for the home. Its TRAID support allows for mixed SSD deployments with easy expansion, which is particularly attractive to users upgrading gradually or working within budget constraints. The thoughtful internal layout and cooling also ensure performance remains consistent even under sustained load, without sacrificing the near-silent operation.

However, the F4 SSD is not without caveats. The use of a single 5GbE port, without redundancy or aggregation, may deter users requiring network failover or higher throughput for simultaneous operations. Additionally, although the PCIe lane allocation strategy maximizes the N95’s limited bandwidth, the asymmetry between Gen3 x2 and x1 slots could bottleneck RAID performance depending on how volumes are configured. When compared to the larger F8 SSD or DIY options with dual 10GbE or ECC support, the F4 SSD may feel limiting to power users or business environments with stricter reliability requirements. That said, for the vast majority of home users, content creators, and prosumers looking for an all-in-one, high-speed NAS that blends well into living spaces, the F4 SSD delivers a solid and accessible solution. Its price-to-performance ratio, combined with the simplicity of deployment and maturing software ecosystem, makes it a compelling option in the growing market of SSD NAS devices.

Terramaster F4 SSD NAS
Amazon in Your Region for the Terramaster F4 SSD NAS @ $399	B&H for the Terramaster F4 SSD NAS @ $399.99

 

PROs of the Terramaster F4 SSD

CONs of the Terramaster F4 SSD

Compact, toolless chassis with easy-access thumb screw and SSD installation All-flash NVMe architecture with support for four M.2 2280 SSDs 5GbE network port enables high-speed local and remote transfers TRAID and TRAID+ allow mixed-capacity SSDs and seamless storage expansion TOS 6 OS includes Plex, Jellyfin, Docker, VM support, and AI photo indexing Quiet operation (19 dB) and low power usage (32W under load) Priced competitively at $399 for a turnkey SSD NAS

Single 5GbE port with no failover or link aggregation Two of the four SSD slots are limited to PCIe Gen3 x1, creating potential RAID bottlenecks Non-ECC DDR5 memory may not meet strict data integrity requirements

 

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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

 

Use Whatever Hard Drives or SSDs on Your Synology NAS (2025 Guide)

Note – there is a YouTube tutorial version of this guide HERE on the NASCompares YouTube Channel

Synology’s 2025 generation of NAS systems, such as the DS925+ and other Plus series models, introduced a more restrictive approach to drive compatibility. Unlike previous generations, these devices enforce a compatibility check that blocks or limits functionality when non-Synology hard drives or SSDs are used. As a result, users are unable to install DSM, create storage pools, or configure caching volumes using unverified drives. Even drives that work in earlier Synology models are now flagged as unsupported, resulting in persistent alerts or outright refusal to function. This guide provides a complete walkthrough for users who want to bypass those restrictions and enable full usage of third-party SATA and NVMe drives, including for pools, volumes, hot spares, and cache. It includes step-by-step instructions on how to install DSM with only unverified drives, how to remove system warnings, and how to automate the process for future updates or drive additions. The solutions here rely on trusted scripts developed by the Synology community and require minimal system modification, allowing users to regain control over their own hardware.

Special Thanks to Dave Russell

The ability to bypass Synology’s restrictive drive compatibility checks would not be possible without the extensive work of Dave Russell, widely known in the Synology community as 007revad. His GitHub project, Synology_HDD_db, is the basis for all the procedures outlined in this guide. The script he developed modifies DSM’s internal compatibility database, enabling full functionality for otherwise unsupported HDDs, SSDs, and NVMe drives. Dave has not only written and maintained this complex script, but also ensured that it works across different NAS models and DSM versions, including DSM 7.2 and newer. He continues to improve the tool in response to Synology firmware changes, regularly providing updates and extended options such as M.2 volume support and WDDA disablement. Users are strongly encouraged to consult the official GitHub repository, follow the provided documentation, and, where possible, support his ongoing work HERE, which remains freely available to the broader NAS community.

MASSIVE Disclaimer

Modifying your Synology NAS to allow the use of unverified drives is not officially supported by Synology. By applying the changes described in this guide, you will be altering system files and bypassing built-in compatibility checks within DSM. While these changes are reversible and have been widely tested, doing so may void your Synology warranty or affect your ability to receive technical support from the manufacturer, even in cases unrelated to storage. Additionally, although the script-based method described here is non-destructive and has proven safe for many users, there is always a minimal risk of issues following DSM updates or hardware changes. You should not proceed unless you have full backups of your data and are comfortable with SSH and terminal operations. This guide is intended for advanced users, system integrators, or home NAS enthusiasts who understand the risks and accept responsibility for operating outside of official Synology support channels.

---

How to Set Up a Synology NAS with No Drives Installed to Allow DSM Installation

Synology’s 2025 and later Plus-series NAS systems will not allow DSM installation if only unverified drives are present. However, it is possible to bypass this limitation and install DSM without using any Synology-branded or officially supported drives. The method involves enabling Telnet access and overriding the drive compatibility check during the DSM installation process.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

• Physically set up your NAS

  • Connect the NAS to your local network using Ethernet.

  • Ensure the device is powered on, even if no drives are installed or only unverified drives are present.

• Attempt initial DSM setup

  • Use Synology Assistant or go to http://find.synology.com to locate your NAS.

  • Proceed through the DSM installation wizard. You will likely encounter an error indicating that the inserted drive(s) are unsupported.

• Enable Telnet access

  • In a browser, navigate to:
    http://<NAS-IP>:5000/webman/start_telnet.cgi
    Replace <NAS-IP> with the actual IP address of your NAS.

• Connect via Telnet

  • Open a Telnet client like PuTTY.

  • Enter your NAS IP address and connect via Telnet.

  • When prompted, use:

    • Username: root

    • Password: 101-0101 (default for this Telnet interface)

• Bypass installation check

  • Enter the following command into the Telnet window:

    while true; do touch /tmp/installable_check_pass; sleep 1; done


  • This creates a temporary flag that bypasses the system’s compatibility verification loop.

• Return to the DSM install page

  • Refresh the browser window where you began the DSM setup.

  • DSM will now allow installation to proceed, even on unverified drives.

• Finish DSM setup

  • Complete the DSM installation.

  • Create your admin user account when prompted.

  • You can now access the full DSM interface.

Once DSM is installed, you can proceed to apply the permanent drive compatibility fixes, create storage pools, and remove warning banners—all covered in the next section.

---

 

How to Allow Unverified HDDs or SSDs to Be Used for Storage Pools, Volumes, and Caching (and Remove Warnings)

Once DSM is installed, unverified drives will still be blocked from creating storage pools, volumes, or caches. Even if the system boots, Storage Manager will display warnings or greyed-out options. To unlock full functionality, you must apply a community-developed script that updates DSM’s internal drive compatibility database. This section outlines how to download, apply, and validate that change.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

• Enable SSH on your NAS
  • In DSM, go to Control Panel > Terminal & SNMP > Terminal.
  • Enable SSH service and click Apply.

• Prepare SSH access
  • Use PuTTY (or your preferred SSH client) to connect to your NAS.
  • Log in using your DSM administrator username and password (not root at this stage).
• Create working directory
  • Once connected, elevate to root:

    sudo -i
    

  • Create the required folder:

    mkdir -m775 /opt
    cd /opt
    

• Download the required scripts
  • Run the following commands to download the latest versions directly from Dave Russell’s GitHub:

    curl -O "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/007revad/Synology_HDD_db/refs/heads/main/syno_hdd_db.sh"
    curl -O "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/007revad/Synology_HDD_db/refs/heads/main/syno_hdd_vendor_ids.txt"
    chmod 750 /opt/syno_hdd_db.sh
    

• Run the script
  • Execute the script to patch the drive database:

    /opt/syno_hdd_db.sh
    

  • The script will detect your NAS model, DSM version, and connected drives. It will then add those drives to the compatibility database and back up the original files.

• Check Storage Manager
  • Return to DSM’s Storage Manager.
  • If changes are not immediately visible, reboot your NAS.
  • You should now be able to create storage pools, volumes, and SSD caches with unverified drives, without warning messages.
• Optional: Disable compatibility warnings completely
  • To stop future drive alerts from DSM, you may also want to run:

    /usr/syno/bin/synosetkeyvalue /etc.defaults/synoinfo.conf support_disk_compatibility no
    

At this point, all third-party drives currently installed in the system will be fully usable and recognized as supported. The next section explains how to add additional unverified drives later and have them automatically accepted.

---

 

What to Do When Adding New HDDs or SSDs Later for Expansion, Replacement, or Hot Spares

After your initial setup and database modification, any newly added unverified drives will still appear as unsupported in DSM until they are explicitly added to the modified compatibility database. This section outlines how to safely introduce new drives for RAID expansion, hot spare assignment, or disk replacement without encountering blockages or warning messages.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

• Physically install the new drive(s)
  • Power down your NAS if required (for systems that don’t support hot-swapping).
  • Insert the new unverified HDDs or SSDs into available bays.
  • Power the NAS back on and log in to DSM.
• Check Storage Manager
  • Go to Storage Manager > HDD/SSD.
  • Newly added drives will appear but will be marked as “Not supported” or “Unverified.”
  • They will not be usable for volume expansion or as hot spares until added to the compatibility list.
• Reconnect via SSH
  • Use PuTTY or your SSH client to log into DSM with your admin credentials.
  • Elevate to root access:

    sudo -i
    

• Navigate to the working directory
  • Assuming you previously created /opt and stored the script there:

    cd /opt
    

• Run the update script again
  • This re-applies the database patch and includes newly inserted drives:

    ./syno_hdd_db.sh

1. Verify drive status
   • Go back to Storage Manager.
   • Refresh the page or reboot the NAS if needed.
   • The newly added drives should now appear as compatible and can be used for expansion, drive replacement, or assigned as hot spares.

This process can be repeated anytime new unverified drives are introduced. However, to avoid having to manually re-run the script every time, the next section covers how to set up a scheduled task that automates this during every system boot.

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How to Set Up a Scheduled Task to Re-Apply the Fix on Every Reboot

Synology DSM updates or certain system operations can overwrite or reset the internal compatibility database, especially after version upgrades or service restarts. To ensure that unverified drives remain recognized and fully functional even after a reboot, you can configure a scheduled task that automatically re-applies the compatibility script at every startup.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

• Log in to DSM and open Task Scheduler
  • Go to Control Panel > Task Scheduler.
  • Click Create > Triggered Task > User-defined script.
• Configure the general settings
  • Task Name: Name it something descriptive like Drive Compatibility Patch.
  • User: Select root from the dropdown (this is essential for full system access).
  • Event: Select Boot-up so the script runs every time the NAS starts.
  • Leave Enabled checked.

• Set the script action
  • Click on the Task Settings tab.
  • In the User-defined script box, enter the following command:

    mkdir -m775 /opt
    cd /opt || (echo "Failed to CD to /opt"; exit 1)
    curl -O "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/007revad/Synology_HDD_db/refs/heads/main/syno_hdd_db.sh"
    curl -O "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/007revad/Synology_HDD_db/refs/heads/main/syno_hdd_vendor_ids.txt"
    chmod 750 /opt/syno_hdd_db.sh
    /opt/syno_hdd_db.sh -e
    

  • This ensures the script is always downloaded fresh and applied with the -e flag for compatibility with scheduled tasks and email output (if enabled).
• Optional email notifications
  • Still under Task Settings, you can enable email alerts to be notified if the script fails or terminates abnormally.
• Save and test
  • Click OK to save the task.
  • You can manually run the task to confirm it executes correctly.
  • Reboot the NAS to ensure the script is applied at boot and unverified drives remain fully usable.

This scheduled task ensures long-term reliability and reduces the need for manual intervention whenever DSM is restarted, updated, or new drives are introduced.

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Synology’s decision to restrict drive compatibility in its 2025 and later NAS models has complicated matters for users who prefer flexibility in their storage choices. However, through a combination of Telnet access, SSH scripting, and community-built tools like Dave Russell’s syno_hdd_db.sh, it is entirely possible to restore full drive functionality—even when using completely unverified SATA or NVMe devices. By following the steps outlined in this guide, users can install DSM on unverified drives, create storage pools, use SSDs for caching, and expand or modify their RAID configurations without limitations. Setting up an automated scheduled task further ensures these capabilities persist through reboots and DSM updates. While Synology may eventually broaden official support, this method provides a reliable and reversible way to maintain full control over your hardware today.

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Should You Buy the Synology DS925+ NAS?

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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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.

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Synology Hard Drives and SSD Comparison with Seagate/WD/Toshiba and More – Deal Breaker?

In recent years, Synology has steadily moved toward a more vertically integrated hardware ecosystem, and the arrival of the 2025 generation of NAS systems marks a significant escalation in that approach. With a much stricter verification process for compatible storage media—covering both hard drives and SSDs—Synology now appears to heavily prioritize its own branded storage. This shift has sparked widespread debate across the NAS community, particularly as many long-time users of Seagate IronWolf, WD Red, and Toshiba NAS drives find themselves increasingly locked out of certain key features like RAID expansion, hot spare assignment, and recovery operations unless using “verified” drives. What’s more, while some of Synology’s media are rebranded and firmware-modified versions of familiar drives from Seagate and Toshiba, the pricing and compatibility limitations often leave users puzzled—and frustrated.

Want to Support What We Do? Use the Links Below to Buy your NAS and/or HDD and SSD Media. Clicking these links will result in a small commission for anything you purchase, heading to me and Eddie @NASCompares and allows us to keep doing this! It’s just us two here and between this and ads, it’s the most passive way to keep us sailing! Thanks

Synology NAS and Media on Amazon – HERE Synology Products on B&H – HERE Seagate Ironwolf Media on Amazon – HERE WD Red Media on Amazon – HERE Seagate Products on B&H – HERE WD Products on B&H – HERE

In response to growing user concern, we conducted a comparison of Synology’s drive lineup against the current offerings from Seagate, WD, and Kingston—analyzing each in terms of price per terabyte, real-world performance, durability specifications, and availability. Drawing from direct benchmarking, manufacturer datasheets, and controlled NAS testing environments, this article aims to answer a key question: is Synology’s branded media actually worth the premium? While some users may welcome the simplicity of a one-brand ecosystem, others are understandably wary of higher costs, limited SKU availability, and the potential long-term implications of vendor lock-in. Let’s break down what Synology drives really offer—and where they fall short—compared to the tried and tested alternatives on the market.

Synology Hard Drives and SSDs – What Drives Are There to Buy?

Synology’s storage media catalog is divided across value, prosumer, enterprise SATA, and SAS hard drives, alongside both SATA and NVMe SSDs. While these drives carry the Synology name and firmware, they are not designed or manufactured in-house. Instead, Synology rebrands OEM hardware from established vendors: Toshiba for the enterprise SATA and SAS drives, Seagate for the value-tier NAS HDDs, and Phison-based platforms for SSDs. The internal firmware is customized by Synology to integrate tightly with DSM, and in some cases, to restrict compatibility to only their branded drives within the latest 2025 NAS systems.

The naming scheme makes it easier to distinguish between drive classes:

• HAT for SATA NAS hard drives

• HAS for SAS enterprise drives

• SAT for SATA SSDs

• SNV for NVMe SSDs

This segmentation aims to help users align their hardware with expected durability (e.g. workload in TB/year), power loss protection, and RAID integration. However, it’s worth noting that several of these drives are virtually identical to third-party counterparts—particularly in the HAT3300 and HAT3310 lines, which closely mirror Seagate IronWolf models down to mechanical structure and spec. Despite this, third-party versions of those drives remain incompatible with key RAID features on the latest Synology systems unless they are officially “verified.”

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Synology NAS HDDs – HAT Series (SATA)

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Synology SAS HDDs – HAS Series

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Synology SATA SSDs – SAT Series

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Synology NVMe SSDs – SNV Series

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While Synology’s branding suggests ecosystem cohesion, it’s essential to recognize that their drive firmware is not engineered for general-purpose systems. These drives are optimized—and in some cases restricted—for Synology NAS environments. However, performance benchmarks show that Synology drives often perform equivalently or slightly below their third-party counterparts in synthetic and real-world tests. Moreover, price comparisons reveal a 5–15% markup on average in the value tier, and significantly higher deltas—often exceeding 30–40%—in the enterprise-class and SSD segments. Combined with regional supply inconsistencies and limited SKU availability, the value proposition of Synology-branded drives remains hotly debated, especially when identical hardware from Seagate or Toshiba can be purchased for less—if only the 2025 NAS series would support them natively.

Synology Hard Drives and SSDs vs Seagate, WD, etc – Price per TB and Value

When it comes to entry-level NAS hard drives, the price differences between Synology’s HAT3300 and HAT3310 series and their third-party equivalents—such as Seagate IronWolf and WD Red Plus—are generally modest. In most cases, the cost per terabyte (TB) stays within a 0% to 15% margin, with Synology’s versions sitting slightly higher. For casual or home users who just want a drive that “just works” out of the box and benefits from firmware-level integration with DSM, that small premium might feel justifiable.

But the story changes dramatically as we move into prosumer and enterprise territory. Drives like the Synology HAT5300 and HAS5300 series can cost 40%–50% more than Seagate IronWolf Pro, WD Red Pro, or Seagate Exos alternatives—despite sharing the same mechanical internals in many cases. These aren’t just marginal differences; when you’re building a multi-drive RAID array with 12TB or 16TB drives, that pricing gap quickly snowballs into hundreds or even thousands of dollars extra. And this is particularly frustrating when, for example, Synology’s 12TB HAT5300 (built on Toshiba hardware) costs nearly double what a comparable IronWolf Pro sells for, despite similar endurance ratings and warranty terms.

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Entry-Level NAS HDDs – Synology vs Seagate & WD

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Prosumer NAS HDDs – Synology vs Seagate & WD

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Enterprise SAS HDDs – Synology vs Seagate Exos

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Enterprise SATA SSDs – Synology vs Kingston

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NVMe SSDs – Synology vs WD Red SN700

In short, while Synology’s drives are built on reputable platforms and do offer advantages like verified DSM integration and predictable firmware behavior, the value proposition becomes questionable—especially in higher capacities and enterprise deployments. For many users, especially SMBs and home power users deploying multi-drive setups, that extra 40–50% markup can be hard to justify. When the mechanical hardware is near-identical and the only major differentiator is firmware control, it’s no wonder many are pushing back against this pricing structure.)

SYNOLOGY DSM Storage Manager Benchmarks (1st and 3rd Party Drive Media)

Zoom in to see the results. IMPORTANT that you keep in mind that these SSDs and HDDs are different capacities and therefore direct comparison and correlation between their performance is not fair – I include these because I think it is important to compare the general gist of using Synology HDD media in a system and then alternatives, but measured with Synology’s in-system tools. Larger capacities mostly tend to yeald better results in any brand of drive (not a ‘do-or-die’ rule, but generally true).

SYNOLOGY HAT3300 HDD	Seagate Ironwolf HDD
SYNOLOGY HAT5300 HDD	Seagate EXOS HDD
SYNOLOGY SAT5200 SSD	Kingston DC600 SATA SSD
SYNOLOGY M.2 NVMe SSD	TeamGroup T-Create Gen3 M.2 SSD

Synology Hard Drives and SSDs vs Seagate, WD, etc – Performance

IMPORTANT – In the process of upscaling the test result images (as there is a lot crammed in, so I have included the slightly blurred ones here) but I and will replace these with upscaled versions as soon as possible.

When it comes to performance, Synology’s hard drives and SSDs generally stay within expected ranges for their class—but with some caveats. Most of their HDDs mirror the performance of the OEM drives they’re based on, particularly in the HAT3300 and HAT3310 lines, which perform nearly identically to WD Red Plus and Seagate IronWolf models. You’re looking at familiar specs here: 5400–7200 RPM spin speeds, ~200–280MB/s sequential transfer rates, and ~180TB/yr workload ratings. That’s no surprise, considering these are essentially Seagate or Toshiba drives with Synology firmware and branding. Where things start to scale up, like in the HAT5300 and HAS5300 series, the specs remain on par with their higher-end third-party equivalents. These drives offer 550TB/year workloads, 7200 RPM motors, and MTBF figures around 2.5 million hours—just like IronWolf Pro, WD Red Pro, or Seagate Exos. But Synology currently tops out at 20TB in both SATA and SAS drives, while the competition is already pushing 22TB, 24TB, and even 26TB models. So, if you’re planning a high-capacity build, Synology might already be limiting your options on sheer scale alone.

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NAS HDDs – Capacity, Performance, Endurance & Class Comparison

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Performance parity continues with Synology’s SATA SSDs. The SAT5221 and SAT5210 series are very close in spec to Kingston’s DC600M drives, offering similar read/write speeds, IOPS performance, and endurance levels. The SAT5210 even pushes into ultra-DWPD territory, boasting up to 10,000 TBW and higher daily write thresholds, which is competitive in the enterprise space. If you need high write endurance and steady power loss protection, these drives tick the right boxes.

The gap, however, opens up in the NVMe tier. Synology’s SNV3400 and SNV3500 drives fall short compared to third-party NVMe SSDs like the WD Red SN700. While Synology focuses on endurance, PLP (power loss protection), and integration with DSM caching features, the performance ceiling on these drives is noticeably lower—both in terms of sequential throughput and IOPS. Capacities also top out at 800GB, while others offer 1TB and beyond with faster read/write performance. So if you’re after speed or larger NVMe caching pools, Synology’s current options may feel behind the curve.

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SATA & NVMe SSDs – Synology vs Kingston

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In short, Synology’s drives generally deliver solid, reliable performance that matches their third-party foundations—but the benefits of full DSM compatibility come with a trade-off. While the SATA range holds its ground, the NVMe lineup is due for an update if Synology wants to stay competitive against higher-capacity, higher-speed SSDs now widely available elsewhere. If performance is your main concern, particularly for NVMe caching or flash-heavy tasks, third-party options may be a better fit unless full integration is a must-have.

Synology Hard Drives and SSDs Guide – The Good and the Bad

In reviewing Synology’s lineup of hard drives and SSDs, it’s clear that the hardware itself is solid—built on trusted OEM foundations and tuned to work seamlessly within DSM environments. From a compatibility and reliability standpoint, these drives do offer advantages, particularly for users who want an integrated, no-hassle deployment. That said, these benefits come with notable trade-offs. In many cases, Synology’s drives are mechanically identical to models from Seagate, Toshiba, or Phison, yet priced significantly higher—especially in the enterprise and NVMe tiers. While some of that premium may be justified by firmware-level integration, PLP, or simplified support paths, the cost disparity is hard to ignore for experienced users already comfortable with third-party hardware.

Ultimately, the decision to adopt Synology-branded drives will depend on your priorities. If you’re building a system where out-of-the-box compatibility, long-term support, and unified ecosystem control are paramount, Synology’s media may be a safe bet—albeit at a higher packaged price. But if your focus is on maximizing performance per dollar, scaling capacity, or customizing your setup beyond Synology’s verified list, third-party alternatives remain the more flexible and cost-effective choice. Until Synology expands their verified media list and adjusts regional pricing or availability, many users will continue to see these drives not as a value-add, but as an imposed requirement.

Want to Support What We Do? Use the Links Below to Buy your NAS and/or HDD and SSD Media. Clicking these links will result in a small commission for anything you purchase, heading to me and Eddie @NASCompares and allows us to keep doing this! It’s just us two here and between this and ads, it’s the most passive way to keep us sailing! Thanks

Synology NAS and Media on Amazon – HERE Synology Products on B&H – HERE Seagate Ironwolf Media on Amazon – HERE WD Red Media on Amazon – HERE Seagate Products on B&H – HERE WD Products on B&H – 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.

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The Synology DS925+ versus QNAP TS-464 – Buy NEW or Buy QNAP?

Every so often in the NAS market, a new model arrives that challenges not just its predecessors but also its closest competitors. With the 2025 release of the Synology DS925+, buyers now face an interesting dilemma: go with Synology’s latest compact powerhouse, or choose QNAP’s TS-464—a device that has already proven itself since its release in 2022/2023 and offers a wide array of features at a competitive price. The DS925+ brings notable upgrades to CPU architecture, system memory scalability, and integration within Synology’s tightly controlled ecosystem. Meanwhile, the TS-464 has spent years benefiting from firmware maturity, PCIe expandability, and a more open hardware approach that appeals to power users and tinkerers alike. But which device is ultimately the better buy in 2025? Should you embrace Synology’s ecosystem with its newer, high-performance release, or does QNAP’s more versatile and budget-friendly offering still hold strong in the face of newer competition? Let’s dive into the details to help you decide which NAS deserves your next investment.

Synology DS925+ vs QNAP TS-464 – Hardware Specifications

When placing the 2025 Synology DS925+ alongside the 2022/2023 QNAP TS-464, one might expect the newer model to clearly dominate in every area. But hardware comparisons in the NAS market are rarely so simple. While both units are aimed at tech-savvy home users and small businesses looking for reliable, always-on storage solutions, their approaches to hardware—and the user needs they prioritize—are noticeably different. The DS925+ emphasizes streamlined performance, reduced noise, and integration within Synology’s tightly managed ecosystem. The QNAP TS-464, meanwhile, leans into raw hardware flexibility, DIY expandability, and a more open feature set for power users. Below is a detailed hardware breakdown of both NAS devices, showing where each shines and where compromises were made.

The DS925+ delivers a refined hardware experience out of the box, with its newer AMD Embedded Ryzen V1500B 4 Core/ 8 thread processor, dual 2.5GbE ports for faster LAN connectivity, and modern I/O including USB-C. It features two M.2 NVMe slots (for cache only, unless you use the Synology SNV3400 drives from Synology), dual memory slots supporting up to 32GB of ECC DDR4 RAM, and a compact metal chassis designed for quiet, efficient operation. It also runs cooler and quieter than many of its rivals, making it an ideal fit for environments where noise levels matter—such as living rooms, home studios, or small offices. This makes the DS925+ a “plug-and-play” NAS with premium internal components and minimal need for user intervention.

By contrast, the QNAP TS-464 takes a more modular, expandable approach. Powered by the Intel Celeron N5105/N5095 CPU (a quad-core processor with integrated graphics, but only 4 threads), it offers HDMI 2.0 output, two M.2 PCIe Gen3 x1 slots (which can be used for either caching or storage pools), and a PCIe Gen3 x2 slot for optional 10GbE or more M.2s, USB expansion, or even GPU cards. QNAP also includes dual 2.5GbE ports, putting it on par with the DS925+ in terms of network speed, but it edges ahead in overall hardware adaptability. Want multimedia output via HDMI? QNAP has it. Want to add NVMe storage pools or real-time transcoding? QNAP supports that too. That said, the TS-464 is based on a slightly older CPU architecture, lacks ECC memory support, and typically generates more fan noise under load. Additionally, its OS and ecosystem are broader in scope but often require more manual setup. Ultimately, the DS925+ is purpose-built for those who prioritize a quiet, polished, and simplified experience with modern performance. The TS-464, on the other hand, remains an excellent choice for users who prefer control, multimedia support, and greater hardware flexibility. Choosing between them largely depends on whether you value Synology’s stability and turnkey design, or QNAP’s freedom and potential.

AMD V1500B vs Intel N5105 – CPU Specifications (Synology DS925+ vs QNAP TS-464)

In any NAS system, the processor plays a pivotal role in determining the scope of functionality—whether it’s managing multiple concurrent users, running virtual machines, powering AI-driven applications, or simply handling encrypted transfers and background tasks efficiently. The Synology DS925+ and the QNAP TS-464 take noticeably different approaches in this regard. The DS925+ features the AMD Ryzen Embedded V1500B, a server-grade SoC designed for sustained multi-threaded workloads. The TS-464, on the other hand, runs on the Intel Celeron N5105, a more consumer-oriented chip that prioritizes integrated multimedia support and power efficiency. While both CPUs are quad-core, their architecture, instruction set, and target use cases diverge sharply—affecting not only raw processing, but also the capabilities unlocked within DSM and QTS/QuTS, respectively.

In terms of raw specs, the V1500B offers 4 cores and 8 threads with a base clock of 2.2GHz and support for ECC memory—a key advantage for mission-critical environments. This CPU is built for multitasking and thrives in scenarios involving virtual machines, container services, and intensive file indexing or backup operations. As a result, the DS925+ supports up to 8 concurrent virtual machines, 8 virtual DSM instances, and higher thresholds for connected users across Synology apps. It is better suited to offices or power users who rely on services like Synology Office, Drive, or Surveillance Station running in tandem. The system handles up to 150 Synology Chat users, 80 Office users, and 80 Drive users, offering excellent multitasking performance with low overhead.

The QNAP TS-464’s Intel N5105 is a 10nm Jasper Lake processor, also quad-core but without hyper-threading and with a slightly lower base clock (2.0GHz). However, it includes integrated Intel UHD Graphics, giving it one key advantage the DS925+ lacks: hardware-accelerated video transcoding via QNAP’s own QuMagie, Video Station, and especially Plex Media Server with support for on-the-fly 1080p and 4K decoding when paired with proper client-side licensing. This makes the TS-464 ideal for multimedia-heavy environments. Beyond media, the N5105 powers QTS and QuTS hero with access to QNAP’s broader and often more modular ecosystem. This includes Hybrid Backup Sync (HBS 3) for unified backup and disaster recovery, QuDedup for deduplicated snapshot replication, QVR Elite and QVR Pro for professional-grade surveillance (supporting multiple IP camera licenses natively), and AI Core features like face recognition and event detection when paired with the QuMagie or QVR Human apps. The TS-464 also supports Virtualization Station, enabling users to run lightweight Linux or Windows VMs with direct passthrough access to USB or PCIe devices, and Container Station, which offers both Docker and LXC container compatibility with GPU passthrough for NPU-based AI inference workloads. Thanks to the included PCIe Gen 3 x2 slot, the system supports optional upgrades like 10GbE NICs, QM2 expansion cards (for M.2 SSD or additional 2.5GbE/10GbE ports), or even Wi-Fi 6 cards, something entirely absent in the DS925+. Additionally, QNAP allows direct output to an external display via HDMI 2.0, enabling standalone use of HD Station apps like Chrome, LibreOffice, Kodi, and even Linux desktop environments — a feature highly prized in HTPC and security NVR deployments. Users can leverage Linux Station to run full Ubuntu VMs locally, or install Ubuntu Core through the App Center for custom development or edge AI inference scenarios.

Taken together, the TS-464 may not support the same high virtual machine/user count as the DS925+, but it compensates with a broader set of integrated appliances catering to power users, home labs, edge AI, and media-heavy deployments. It’s a more “tinker-friendly” platform, favoring flexibility and breadth over centralized system control and vertical integration. If you need an appliance that works across entertainment, security, and hybrid cloud workflows, with room for add-on functionality via hardware or apps, the TS-464 is hard to beat for the price. That said, the Synology DS925+ ultimately offers greater headroom for enterprise workflows, heavier VM usage, and large-scale hybrid deployments. It sacrifices media transcoding and graphical acceleration, but gains a server-class CPU that ensures consistent performance under heavier load conditions. Meanwhile, the TS-464 excels in edge-case versatility, offering more multimedia flexibility and richer expansion potential via PCIe. If your priorities lie in business-class performance, ECC memory support, and robust multi-user capacity, the DS925+ is the clear winner. But for media streaming, home lab tinkering, and a wider hardware feature set, the TS-464 remains a very compelling alternative.

Synology DS925+ vs QNAP TS-464 – Software Specifications

When it comes to NAS platforms, hardware is only half the story—what truly determines a system’s long-term value is the strength, maturity, and flexibility of its software. Synology’s DSM (DiskStation Manager) and QNAP’s QTS/QuTS Hero are two of the most advanced NAS operating systems available today, offering extensive suites of services for backup, virtualization, hybrid cloud, media streaming, and AI-assisted surveillance. But while both OS platforms cover similar ground, their design philosophies, application depth, and supported workloads differ substantially. The Synology DS925+ and QNAP TS-464, though comparable in price and both aimed at prosumers and SMBs, unlock very different software experiences depending on the deployment goals—be it centralized IT infrastructure, media-rich home labs, or container-based edge computing.

With the DS925+, Synology leans into its strength in unified management and vertical integration. DSM 7.2 is optimized for reliability, simplicity, and scalability within Synology’s ecosystem. The DS925+ supports up to 8 virtual machines and 8 Virtual DSM instances through Virtual Machine Manager, offers extensive group and user quotas, and enables full integration with Synology’s cloud services (such as Synology C2 Backup, C2 Identity, and Hybrid Share). Its higher hardware ceiling allows for more active users: 150 on Synology Chat, 80 on Synology Drive and Office, and up to 8 simultaneous VPN connections. Backup capabilities are similarly robust, with a higher threshold of shared folder sync tasks and superior support for incremental snapshot replication. Surveillance Station on the DS925+ supports up to 40 IP cameras and benefits from reduced CPU overhead during continuous recording, even while handling concurrent backup or media indexing operations. DSM’s elegant UI, consistent updates, and tightly integrated packages make it ideal for organizations that value centralized IT administration and long-term platform stability.

On the other hand, the QNAP TS-464 running QTS 5 or QuTS Hero offers a more open and modular software ecosystem. While the Intel N5105 CPU imposes lower multitasking ceilings than the V1500B, QNAP compensates with a broader set of feature-specific applications and customization paths. The TS-464 supports virtualization through Virtualization Station (for VMs) and Container Station (for Docker + LXC), and unlike the DS925+, can output video directly via HDMI 2.0—allowing the NAS to act as a standalone Linux desktop, NVR, or HTPC via HybridDesk Station. QNAP also differentiates itself with Hybrid Backup Sync (HBS3), which enables multi-destination sync, deduplicated backup via QuDedup, and real-time disaster recovery tools not found in DSM. QVR Pro and QVR Elite offer an expansive surveillance suite with optional AI-powered analytics (e.g., face recognition, people counting) when paired with compatible QNAP AI apps. The inclusion of ZFS with QuTS Hero (an optional OS for the TS-464) enables inline compression, self-healing file systems, and block-level snapshots, which can be critical for data integrity in business scenarios.

QNAP also encourages expansion through its App Center, which includes over 150+ native and third-party apps, from Node.js and GitLab to Home Assistant, Ubuntu Station, and even Mattermost for self-hosted chat. While the system supports fewer concurrent users and VMs than the DS925+, its strength lies in feature breadth and system-level flexibility. Add-ons like 10GbE NICs, QM2 SSD accelerators, or Wi-Fi 6 cards via PCIe further extend its versatility, especially for hybrid edge workloads or multi-role deployments that evolve over time. In short, the Synology DS925+ is designed for administrative simplicity and long-term scaling, excelling in consistent performance across multi-user deployments with deep DSM integration. The QNAP TS-464, meanwhile, is a powerful sandbox for customization, offering greater freedom, multimedia functionality, and third-party integration—at the cost of some operational polish and software limits. Choosing between them depends on whether your priorities lie in predictable enterprise-grade execution or a more adaptable, feature-dense platform.

Synology DS925+ vs QNAP TS-464 – Hard Drive and SSD Compatibility

In 2025, Synology has taken its most aggressive step yet toward locking down hardware compatibility, and nowhere is this more evident than in the DS925+. Following years of gradual restrictions—starting with warnings for unverified drives and progressing to default white-listing only Synology-branded media—the DS925+ now represents a firm line in the sand. At the time of writing, this system will not allow DSM initialization if it detects hard drives or SSDs that are not officially listed on Synology’s compatibility list. This list includes exclusively Synology HAT5300/HAT3310 HDDs and SAT5200 SSDs, with no third-party Seagate, WD, Toshiba, Samsung, or Kingston media currently supported. Regardless of drive quality or performance, unsupported models will be outright blocked during system setup. While Synology claims this guarantees optimal reliability and performance within DSM 7.2, the move drastically reduces flexibility for users and integrators alike.

In stark contrast, the QNAP TS-464 embraces an open compatibility philosophy. It supports virtually all major consumer and enterprise drives—from Seagate IronWolf and Exos, to WD Red, Red Plus, and Ultrastar, as well as Toshiba N300/X300 and Samsung/Kingston SSDs—up to 24TB per drive (or higher as of late 2025). QNAP also maintains a regularly updated compatibility list, but crucially, this list is advisory rather than mandatory. Users can install any 3.5″ or 2.5″ SATA HDD/SSD, and as long as it meets the physical and electrical standards, the TS-464 will initialize without issue. This means integrators, home users, or small businesses can reuse existing drives or select from the most cost-effective options in their region—something that’s increasingly difficult to do on newer Synology units. Moreover, QNAP allows mixing and matching of drive brands and capacities within the same storage pool (especially under QuTS hero’s ZFS environment), giving users granular control over redundancy, performance tuning, and cache layering with non-proprietary M.2 NVMe SSDs. This openness also applies to QNAP expansion units, many of which continue to work even with completely mixed-brand storage configurations—something Synology’s newer expansion policies have started to restrict.

For users in regions where Synology-branded media is expensive, hard to find, or simply not justified for non-critical applications, this policy shift on the DS925+ can be a deal-breaker. It positions the system closer to an appliance model, where Synology controls not only the hardware and software, but the storage medium itself. While that vertical integration may improve long-term reliability for some enterprise users, it’s difficult to reconcile with the broader DIY NAS community that values choice and modularity. Ultimately, this creates a philosophical divide: QNAP remains open, modular, and adaptable, trusting users to make informed decisions about their storage media. Synology, in contrast, is consolidating control, with the DS925+ exemplifying a move toward a closed ecosystem—potentially alienating users who previously praised DSM for its balance of simplicity and flexibility. Prospective buyers need to weigh not just performance and features, but how tightly they want to be tied to a single vendor’s hardware roadmap.

Synology DS925+ vs QNAP TS-464 NAS – Which Should You Buy?

The Synology DS925+ is a 2025 refresh designed with clear intent: push performance, tighten control, and streamline the out-of-box experience. In contrast, the QNAP TS-464—released in late 2022—is a Swiss Army knife of NAS flexibility, packed with customization options, open compatibility, and enough horsepower to meet the needs of both power users and small business deployments. Choosing between them ultimately comes down to what kind of NAS experience you’re after: a controlled, polished, and tightly integrated environment, or an open, adaptable, and hardware-friendly platform. On raw performance, the DS925+ has the edge. Its quad-core, 8-thread AMD V1500B CPU delivers higher throughput for multitasking, virtual machines, and heavier concurrent services, and DSM’s user/service thresholds are notably higher as a result. Add in dual 2.5GbE ports by default, and it’s clearly a step ahead of the DS923+ predecessor 1GbE-only base configuration, and you are looking at a healthy upgrade in several ways in this refresh. However, QNAP claws back ground with its PCIe Gen3 x2 slot, allowing 10GbE upgrades, Wi-Fi cards, and even GPU acceleration in select use cases—something Synology removed entirely from the DS925+. In QNAP’s favor is also its support for real-time hardware transcoding, HDMI 2.0 video output, and direct-attached monitor access—making it a better fit for media-centric environments where local playback, Plex, or Kodi usage matters.

Synology DS925+ NAS		QNAP TS-464 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 QNAP TS-464 NAS	Check B&H for the QNAP TS-464 NAS

But perhaps the most significant dividing line is drive compatibility. The DS925+ will only initialize DSM with Synology-validated drives—locking out nearly all third-party HDDs and SSDs unless explicitly approved. This hardline stance means limited flexibility for users wanting to build using existing drives or regional market alternatives. Meanwhile, the TS-464 supports virtually all consumer and enterprise drives, from Seagate to Toshiba to Kingston, giving users total control over their storage budget and deployment roadmap. This open-ecosystem approach extends to M.2 NVMe usage too, where QNAP allows storage pool creation, caching, and tiering with off-the-shelf modules, while Synology restricts pool creation to only their branded NVMes. If you’re an IT administrator, content creator, or SMB looking for a polished, performance-forward NAS and you’re fully on board with Synology’s ecosystem—including its branded drives—then the DS925+ offers a streamlined, high-ceiling experience with excellent multitasking potential and cleaner UI/UX polish under DSM 7.2. But if you’re someone who values flexibility, upgrade paths, media support, or simply wants to control your storage choices without vendor lock-in, the QNAP TS-464 is an incredibly compelling alternative—offering strong performance for its price, an open architecture, and a deeper toolbox under QTS/QuTS Hero.

NAS Solutions	NAS Solutions
+ Better Software (In almost every respect!) + Much Better Global Support Presence + More business desirable + Larger Range of solutions – Compatibility restrictions on HDD and Upgrades More and more – Underwhelming hardware (comparatively)	+ Better Hardware for Price + Wider Variety of Solutions and Hardware Profiles + Supports ZFS and/or EXT4 (with ZFS platform now available on latest Intel Celeron Systems) + Wide accessory range and compatibility – Software can often feel inconsistent – Hit by Security Issues if the past
Check Amazon By Clicking Below:	Check Amazon By Clicking Below:

The Synology DS925+ is the better plug-and-play NAS for prosumers and SMBs who want a high-performance, low-maintenance experience—provided they’re comfortable buying into Synology’s tightly controlled ecosystem of software and storage hardware. On the other hand, the QNAP TS-464 remains the better choice for users who value flexibility, hardware freedom, and scalability—especially if media features, drive compatibility, or future upgrades are part of the plan. Ultimately, the DS925+ is the sharper tool, but the TS-464 is the more versatile one.

 

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