Why are NAS Systems not 10GbE as Standard Right Now?

It is 2025, yet the majority of NAS systems on the market continue to ship with 1GbE or, at best, 2.5GbE networking, leaving many users questioning why 10GbE has not become a standard feature. Over the past decade, the cost of 10GbE networking equipment, including switches, NICs, and adapters, has steadily declined, and the technology has long since moved from being an enterprise-only option into mainstream availability. Home labs, creative professionals, and small businesses are increasingly working with 4K and 8K media, large VM environments, and multi-terabyte datasets, all of which can easily saturate a 1GbE or even 2.5GbE connection. Despite this shift, when browsing the portfolios of Synology, QNAP, Asustor, TerraMaster, or even newer DIY-friendly NAS brands, the entry-level and mid-tier systems remain locked at bandwidth speeds that are already dwarfed by modern SSD arrays and multi-bay RAID configurations.

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This gap between user expectations and manufacturer offerings has become more striking as affordable consumer motherboards and even some mini-PCs now integrate 5GbE or 10GbE as standard. By contrast, NAS vendors still tend to position 10GbE as a high-end add-on or restrict it to flagship models, often requiring costly proprietary NIC upgrades. For the average buyer, this creates the perception that NAS devices are lagging behind broader networking trends and are artificially constrained to maintain price tiers. The reality is more complex. The question of why 10GbE has not become universal in NAS hardware cannot be answered solely by pointing to falling market prices of controllers and switches. Instead, the explanation lies in a mix of economics, hardware design limitations, CPU lane allocations, and the fact that networking itself is evolving beyond 10GbE into alternatives like 25GbE and USB4. All of these factors together show why the integration of 10GbE into NAS devices remains more complicated than it may first appear.

Discussing the Issue / Barriers to Manufacturers

One of the most persistent barriers to universal 10GbE adoption in NAS systems is the economic reality of how these devices are positioned. Vendors like Synology, QNAP, and Asustor operate in a layered product ecosystem, where each tier is designed to push customers toward more expensive models. Entry-level devices often compete on affordability rather than raw performance, meaning that features like 10GbE are deliberately held back to differentiate mid-range and enterprise systems. The actual bill of materials (BOM) cost for including 10GbE hardware is lower than it was five years ago, but manufacturers still view it as a premium feature that justifies higher price points. By holding 10GbE in reserve for upper tiers, vendors protect their margins, avoid cannibalising sales of more profitable models, and keep upgrade paths clear for customers as their needs grow. This is not simply technical gatekeeping but a conscious market segmentation strategy.

A second, more technical challenge comes from CPU and chipset design. The processors used in affordable NAS devices are almost always low-power embedded models—Intel Celeron, Atom, or entry-level AMD Ryzen Embedded chips—which provide only a limited number of PCIe lanes. These lanes must be distributed across storage controllers, NVMe slots, expansion slots, and network interfaces. Introducing 10GbE requires not only dedicating at least two, and often four, PCIe lanes, but also ensuring that the CPU can handle the higher throughput without becoming the bottleneck. If a vendor reallocates lanes to add 10GbE, they may have to reduce the number of NVMe slots, cut down on SATA ports, or compromise expansion card bandwidth. For many manufacturers, it is simpler to leave 10GbE out of the base design than to risk producing a system that looks good on paper but struggles to deliver in practice.

Beyond lane allocation, there is also the issue of power, thermals, and board layout. 10GbE controllers typically draw more power and generate more heat than 1GbE or 2.5GbE chips. In compact NAS enclosures designed for low-noise operation, this can force more aggressive cooling solutions or tighter thermal management. For brands already working within strict acoustic and energy efficiency limits, especially in home or small office NAS devices, the integration of 10GbE becomes a balancing act between speed and stability. Higher thermal load can also reduce the overall lifespan of components or require larger enclosures, both of which erode the appeal of entry-level systems where buyers expect compact and efficient designs.

Another factor that discourages widespread 10GbE adoption is ecosystem alignment. NAS vendors are keenly aware that a large percentage of their target audience does not yet operate in 10GbE-ready environments. Even though 10GbE switches and NICs are more affordable in 2025, many households and small offices still rely on routers and switches with 1GbE or 2.5GbE uplinks. For these users, the inclusion of 10GbE would have little practical benefit, since the rest of the network infrastructure cannot support it. From the manufacturer’s perspective, bundling 10GbE into a device that will simply be throttled by the customer’s network backbone risks making the feature look pointless, or worse, “non-functional.” As such, 10GbE tends to be reserved for prosumer and enterprise segments, where it is more likely that users already have or are willing to invest in compatible infrastructure.

Finally, there is a subtle but important business factor at play: vendor ecosystems and upsell opportunities. Many NAS brands sell proprietary 10GbE upgrade cards or branded NICs, which can only be used with their systems. By omitting onboard 10GbE but providing expansion slots, vendors create an additional revenue stream while giving customers flexibility to upgrade later. This model also ensures that users who truly require 10GbE end up spending more within the brand’s ecosystem, while casual buyers stick to lower-cost systems that do not overdeliver. In this sense, the absence of 10GbE on affordable NAS units is not only about technical limitations, but also about preserving a staged upgrade model that aligns with each brand’s long-term revenue strategy.

The Solution – How Can 10GbE Be More Accessible?

The landscape for 10GbE networking hardware has improved significantly in the last few years, with controllers becoming cheaper, more efficient, and easier to integrate into consumer systems. Early 10GbE relied heavily on costly Intel or Mellanox chipsets designed primarily for enterprise servers, often priced in the hundreds of dollars per card. Today, vendors such as Realtek, Aquantia (now under Marvell), and Broadcom produce consumer-focused 10GbE controllers that are smaller, run cooler, and consume less power. These newer chipsets are also designed to integrate more smoothly with mainstream CPUs and motherboards, reducing the need for complex PCB layouts. The result has been a marked reduction in the cost of standalone NICs and USB-to-10GbE adapters, which now frequently sell for under $100, making them accessible even for home users experimenting with faster networking.

Even with this progress, manufacturers remain hesitant to make 10GbE a baseline feature across all NAS devices. Part of the reason lies in how modern NAS systems must juggle limited resources. As CPUs have shifted to PCIe Gen 4 and Gen 5, the available bandwidth has increased, but vendors are also using these lanes to expand NVMe storage pools, enable GPU acceleration, or add AI-focused co-processors for surveillance, indexing, or media analysis. In many cases, vendors see greater value in offering more M.2 slots, dual PCIe expansion options, or flexible NIC bays than in permanently dedicating space to 10GbE. This explains why hybrid designs are now common: devices shipping with 2.5GbE or 5GbE onboard, with a dedicated slot for an optional 10GbE card. Such configurations give users a faster-than-gigabit baseline, but also keep upgrade paths open for power users who truly need multi-gigabit networking.

The state of 10GbE is also being influenced by the rapid adoption of adjacent technologies. 2.5GbE has become the de facto standard in new consumer motherboards and mid-tier switches, offering a cheap and widely compatible upgrade path for everyday users who want more than 1GbE without changing their cabling. At the other end of the spectrum, higher-speed networking such as 25GbE or 40GbE is filtering down from data centres to advanced prosumer setups, while direct-connect solutions like Thunderbolt 4 and USB4 offer bandwidth well beyond 10GbE with less CPU overhead and simpler plug-and-play deployment. Software optimisation is also playing a role: modern NAS operating systems increasingly support IP over Thunderbolt or USB4, which provides a parallel path to multi-gigabit performance without the traditional reliance on Ethernet standards. As a result, 10GbE finds itself squeezed in the middle—too expensive to be a no-brainer at the entry level, but increasingly overshadowed by faster alternatives at the top end. It remains a critical sweet spot for small businesses and creative professionals, but its window of dominance is being challenged by the pace of networking innovation.

Verdict and Conclusion – Buy a 10GbE NAS Now or Wait?

The question of why 10GbE has not become a standard feature across NAS devices in 2025 does not have a single answer, but rather a convergence of factors. Manufacturers face technical challenges in CPU lane allocation, thermal management, and system design, while also making deliberate market choices to protect product segmentation and encourage upsell opportunities. At the same time, 10GbE sits in an awkward position within the networking landscape: cheaper and more efficient than ever, yet increasingly bypassed by the widespread adoption of 2.5GbE on the low end and the emergence of 25GbE, Thunderbolt, and USB4 on the high end. For now, this means that 10GbE remains reserved for higher-tier NAS systems where the hardware can genuinely sustain its throughput and where the user base is prepared to invest in compatible infrastructure. While prices will continue to fall and adoption will grow, it is unlikely that every NAS will adopt 10GbE as standard before other technologies begin to replace it as the next performance baseline.

5 affordable Turnkey 10GbE NAS Solutions (Between $499 and $699)

For years, 10GbE networking has been seen as a premium feature reserved for high-end or enterprise-grade NAS devices, often pushing total system costs well beyond the reach of home users and small businesses. However, as controller prices have dropped and demand for faster data transfers has grown, a new wave of affordable NAS solutions has started to appear with built-in 10GbE. These systems no longer require expensive proprietary upgrade cards or third-party NICs, and many sit comfortably below the $699 / £599 price point. They cover a range of use cases, from compact SSD-based NAS devices to rackmount storage appliances and versatile desktop units. Below is a selection of some of the most notable options currently available, each offering a balance of performance, connectivity, and affordability for users who want to move beyond 1GbE or 2.5GbE without breaking the bank.

UniFi UNAS Pro (7-Bay, Rackmount)

I keep coming back to two words for the UniFi UNAS Pro—fundamentals and consistency. UniFi has clearly focused on making this system a strong addition to their ecosystem, prioritizing the essential storage needs of a NAS. They’ve succeeded in this, but comparisons with long-established competitors are inevitable. While solid, reliable, and stable, the UniFi UNAS Pro will take time to be competitive on the software front. If you’re deeply invested in the UniFi ecosystem, you’ll appreciate its ease of use and integration. However, outside of a UniFi network, it may feel feature-light compared to alternatives. The pricing is competitive for a launch product at $499, and while it’s not the best NAS on the market, it’s the most user-friendly and UniFi-ready. It will likely satisfy many users’ needs. I can certainly see this being integrated into existing UniFi networks as a 2nd stage backup alongside their already existing 3rd party NAS solution, with the potential to graduating to their primary storage as Ubiquiti continue to evolve this platform above and beyond the fundamentals their have nailed down in the UNAS Pro system.

• Approx. Price: $499 / £400

• Specs: ARM Cortex-A57 quad-core CPU, 8 GB RAM, seven 2.5″/3.5″ SATA bays, 1×10GbE SFP+ and 1×1GbE.

• Why It Stands Out: Exceptional price-to-performance for pure storage needs. Lacks advanced multimedia or container apps but ideal for high-speed backups in a rackmount setup.

BUILD QUALITY - 10/10

HARDWARE - 7/10

PERFORMANCE - 7/10

PRICE - 9/10

VALUE - 8/10

8.2

PROS

Nails down the fundamentals of NAS Storage very well
Easy to use GUI and well suited in the UniFi Ecosystem/UX
Complete Offline Use is supported
Use of a UI account is NOT compulsory
Excellently deployed Snapshot Features
10GbE out-the-box
Open HDD Compatibility, but also 1st party options too
Backup and Restoration Options Nailed down perfectly
Very power efficient and CPU/, Memory utilization rarely high
Compact, Quite and well designed chassis
The LCD controls are completely \'different level\' compared to other brands in the market
Promised competitive pricing
FAST deployment (3-5mins tops)
Reactive Storage expandability and easy-to-understand storage failover options
Mobile app deployment is intuitive/fast
Feels stable, secure and reliable at all times
Performance is respectable (considering SATA Bay count and CPU) but also sustained performance is very good
Single screen dashboard is clear and intuitive
Ditto for the native file explorer

CONS

7 Bays is a bit unusual, plus feels like the existing UNVR with different firmware
Additional App installation (eg. \'Protect\') not currently supported. So no container support for 3rd party apps
Network Controls are limited
Works at it\'s best in an existing UniFi managed network, feels a little limited in \'standalone\'
Multiple storage pools not supported (nor is RAID 0)
Lack of Scheduled On/Off
Lack of redundant PSU
Only 1 10Gb port and 1x 1GbE, no USBs for expanded storage or an expansion

Asustor Flashstor 12 Gen 1 (Compact NVMe NAS)

The Asustor Flashstor Gen 2 12-Bay NAS is a robust and versatile solution for users with demanding storage needs. Its combination of high-performance hardware, extensive connectivity options, and compact design makes it a standout choice for content creators, small businesses, and enthusiasts. With dual 10GbE ports, USB 4.0 connectivity, and support for up to 12 M.2 NVMe drives, it offers exceptional speed and scalability. While the device has a few quirks, such as its mixed PCIe slot speeds and lack of M.2 heat sinks, these are manageable with proper planning and aftermarket solutions. The Flashstor Gen 2 excels in raw performance, handling intensive workflows with ease and maintaining low noise levels even under load. Its power efficiency and robust thermal management further enhance its appeal for 24/7 operation. For users prioritizing hardware capabilities and performance, the Flashstor Gen 2 delivers on its promises. While its complexity may deter less experienced users, those with the technical expertise to configure and optimize the system will find it a valuable addition to their workflow.

• Approx. Price: $750 / £600

• Specs: Intel Celeron N5105, 12×M.2 NVMe slots, single 10GbE port, compact form factor.

• Notable Traits: High-density SSD storage in a small desktop chassis. Excellent value for SSD-heavy builds.

SOFTWARE - 6/10

HARDWARE - 9/10

PERFORMANCE - 10/10

PRICE - 7/10

VALUE - 8/10

8.0

PROS

Exceptional Performance: Dual 10-Gigabit Ethernet ports and USB 4.0 connectivity deliver fast and reliable data transfer speeds, ideal for 4K editing and collaborative environments.
Extensive Storage Options: Supports up to 12 M.2 NVMe SSDs, allowing for large-scale, high-speed storage arrays.
ECC Memory Support: Includes 16GB of DDR5-4800 ECC memory (expandable to 64GB), ensuring data integrity for critical applications.
Compact Design: Small footprint makes it perfect for workspaces with limited room.
Quiet Operation: Dual-fan system keeps noise levels low, even under heavy loads.
Flexible Connectivity: Features two USB 4.0 Type-C ports and three USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports for direct storage access and peripheral integration.
Power Efficiency: Low power consumption (32.2W idle, 56W under load) makes it economical to run, even for 24/7 operation.
Thermal Management Enhancements: Dual fans and copper heat pipes efficiently dissipate heat, ensuring stable performance.
Support for Third-Party Operating Systems: Compatible with platforms like TrueNAS and Unraid for advanced customization.

CONS

Mixed PCIe Slot Speeds: Inconsistent PCIe bandwidth across M.2 slots complicates unified RAID configurations.
Lack of M.2 Heat Sinks: NVMe slots do not include heat sinks, requiring aftermarket cooling solutions for intensive workloads.
No Integrated Graphics: The AMD Ryzen V3C14 processor lacks integrated graphics, limiting hardware transcoding and multimedia capabilities.
Steep Price: The 12-bay model’s cost ($1,300–$1,400) and the six-bay version’s lack of ECC memory make them expensive compared to alternatives.

UGREEN NASync DXP4800 Plus

BOTTOM LINE – The UGREEN NASYnc DXP4800 Plus does not feel ‘finished’ yet and still needs more time in the over, but UGREEN have been very clear with me that this product is not intended for release and fulfilment till summer 2024 and improvements, optimization and product completion is still in progress. Judging the UGREEN NAS systems, when what we have is a pre-release and pre-crowdfunding sample, was always going to be tough. The DXP4800 PLUS is a very well put-together NAS solution, arriving with a fantastic launching price point (arguably even at its RRP for the hardware on offer). UGREEN has clearly made efforts here to carve out their own style, adding their own aesthetic to the traditional 4-bay server box design that plagues NAS boxes at this scale. Equally, although they are not the first brand to consider Kickstarter/Crowdfunding for launching a new product in the NAS/personal-cloud sector, this is easily one of the most confident entries I have seen yet. The fact that this system arrives on the market primarily as a crowdfunded solution (though almost certainly, if successful, will roll out at traditional retail) is definitely going to give users some pause for thought. Equally, the UGREEN NAS software, still in beta at the time of writing, although very responsive and nailing down the basics, still feels like it needs more work to compete with the bigger boys at Synology and QNAP. Hardware architecture, scalability, and performance are all pretty impressive, though the performance of the Gen 4×4 M.2 NVMe slots didn’t seem to hit the numbers I was expecting. Perhaps a question of PCIe bottlenecking internally, or a need for further tweaking and optimization as the system continues development. Bottom line, with expected software updates to roll out closer to launch and fulfillment, such as an expanded App center and mobile client, the UGREEN DXP4800 Plus is definitely a device worth keeping an eye on in the growing Turnkey and semi-DIY NAS market. As an alternative to public cloud services, this is a no-brainer and worth the entry price point. As an alternative to established Turnkey NAS Solutions, we will hold off judgment till it is publicly released.

• Approx. Price: $595 / £475

• Specs: Intel Pentium Gold 8505 (6-thread), 8 GB DDR5, 4×SATA + 2×M.2 slots, 1×10GbE and 1×2.5GbE, plus HDMI, USB-C, USB-A, and SD reader.

• Why It’s Attractive: Well-rounded design with rich connectivity and media support, undercuts most rivals on price and features.

SOFTWARE - 6/10

HARDWARE - 9/10

PERFORMANCE - 6/10

PRICE - 9/10

VALUE - 8/10

7.6

PROS

Exceptional Hardware for the Price
4 HDDs + 2x Gen 4x4 M.2 in 1 box under $400
Good Balanced CPU choice in the Pentium Gold 8505
10GbE and 2.5GbE as standard
An SD Card Slot (wielrd rare!)
10/10 Build Quality
Great Scalability
Fantastic Mobile Application (even vs Synology and QNAP etc)
Desktop/Browser GUI shows promise
Established Brand entering the NAS Market
Not too noisy (comparatively)
Very Appealing retail package+accessories

CONS

10GbE Performance was underwhelming
Crowdfunding choice is confusing
Software (still in Beta) is still far from ready 22/3/24
non-UGREEN PSU is unexpected

TerraMaster F4-424 Max / F6-424 Max

The TerraMaster F4-424 Max is a robust 4-bay NAS system that offers a powerful mix of features and flexibility for a wide range of tasks. Powered by the Intel i5-1235U CPU with 10 cores and 12 threads, the F4-424 Max excels at resource-intensive applications such as Plex media streaming, 4K hardware transcoding, and virtual machine hosting. Its dual M.2 NVMe slots running at PCIe Gen 4 speeds significantly improve storage performance, especially when used for caching, while the two 10GbE ports offer high-speed networking environments, allowing for 20Gbps throughput via link aggregation.

In terms of software, TOS 6 brings notable improvements, although it still lags behind the more polished ecosystems of Synology DSM and QNAP QTS. That said, TerraMaster’s continuous software evolution with each new version of TOS ensures that users have access to more robust tools and security features. For its price point of $899.99, the F4-424 Max is a compelling option for those seeking high-performance NAS solutions with scalability in mind. While the Pro model offers competitive performance, the Max takes it a step further with advanced networking, making it ideal for environments where speed is a priority.

• Approx. Price: $675 / £550 (F4-424 Max, during sale) – $899 / £700 (F6-424 Max, regular)

• Specs: Intel Core i5-1235U (10-core), 8 GB RAM, dual 10GbE ports, dual M.2, with 4 or 6 SATA bays depending on model.

• Why It Helps: The F4-424 Max frequently drops below the $800 mark in promotions, offering unusually strong CPU performance and dual 10GbE at a mid-range price point.

SOFTWARE - 6/10

HARDWARE - 9/10

PERFORMANCE - 9/10

PRICE - 9/10

VALUE - 8/10

8.2

PROS

Powerful Hardware: Intel i5-1235U with 10 cores and 12 threads for resource-heavy tasks.
Dual 10GbE Ports: High-speed networking capabilities with link aggregation for up to 20Gbps, ideal for large file transfers.
PCIe Gen 4 NVMe Support: Two M.2 NVMe slots offering exceptional performance for caching or additional high-speed storage.
Efficient Cooling: The large 120mm fan ensures quiet and effective cooling, making it suitable for home and office environments.
Improved TOS 6 Software: Enhancements in GUI, backup tools, and overall security bring TOS closer to its competitors.

CONS

Higher Price Tag: At $899.99, it’s more expensive than TerraMaster’s other models, which may deter budget-conscious buyers.
No PCIe Expansion: Lack of a PCIe slot limits potential for future upgrades, such as adding 10GbE cards or more M.2 drives.
Presentation: The software has improved a lot, but still feels inconsistent in places compared with alternatives from brands such as Synology and QNAP.

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 Synology DS425+ Review – Should You Buy This NAS?

The Synology DS425+ is a 4-bay NAS system launched in mid-2025 as part of the company’s continued refresh of its Plus Series product line, replacing the DS423+. It is designed to serve home power users, creative professionals, and small business environments that require a balance of reliable storage, streamlined software integration, and modest multimedia capabilities. The unit retains a familiar chassis and architecture, featuring the Intel Celeron J4125 quad-core processor (2.0 GHz base, 2.7 GHz burst) with integrated graphics support, 2GB of soldered DDR4 memory (expandable up to 6GB with an additional 4GB Synology module), and two M.2 NVMe slots intended primarily for SSD caching using Synology-verified drives.

Alongside this hardware, the DS425+ runs DSM 7.2 and includes the full suite of Synology services, such as Active Backup, Surveillance Station, Virtual Machine Manager, Synology Drive, and Hybrid RAID (SHR) support. Network connectivity is handled by a single 2.5GbE and a 1GbE port, while two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports enable external storage or UPS integration. Despite minimal hardware changes over its predecessor, the DS425+ demonstrates Synology’s continued focus on efficiency, low noise output, and energy-conscious operation—important factors for users planning to run a 24/7 NAS. However, these choices also reflect broader changes in Synology’s platform strategy that may not suit every user, especially those seeking higher flexibility or modern internal specifications.

SOFTWARE - 10/10

HARDWARE - 4/10

PERFORMANCE - 6/10

PRICE - 6/10

VALUE - 7/10

6.6

PROS

DSM 7.2 Operating System: Offers a rich suite of first-party apps including Active Backup, Surveillance Station, Synology Drive, and Hyper Backup with strong cross-platform support.
Low Noise and Power Consumption: Quiet 92mm fan setup and efficient power usage (~28W under load) make it ideal for 24/7 operation in home or office environments.
Integrated Graphics (Intel UHD 600): Supports light Plex or Jellyfin hardware transcoding for 1080p media, a rare inclusion in Synology’s 2025 lineup.
Compact and Versatile Design: Small chassis with 4 SATA bays and 2 M.2 NVMe slots for cache acceleration, supporting RAID 5/6 and SHR.
Strong Security Posture: Includes 2FA, SSL, VPN tools, and a proactive PSIRT vulnerability disclosure program for ongoing protection.
Good Thermal Management: Maintains stable drive and system temperatures (~32–35°C) even under moderate load.
Broad Software Ecosystem: Additional apps like Synology Photos, Chat, Office, and Drive make it a multi-functional NAS beyond just storage.

CONS

Strict Drive Compatibility: Requires Synology-only HDDs and SSDs for full functionality; third-party drives trigger warnings or are blocked entirely.
Outdated CPU Platform: Uses a 2019-era Intel J4125 CPU, now underpowered compared to newer Intel N-series or AMD embedded chips.
Memory Upgrade Limitations: Comes with 2GB soldered RAM, upgradeable to only 6GB total, and officially supports Synology-branded memory only.
Limited Connectivity and I/O: No PCIe, eSATA, or SD card support; only one 2.5GbE and two 5Gbps USB ports—lagging behind competitors in 2025.

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DSM Software Ecosystem and Integration

One of the most compelling reasons to consider the DS425+ is its support for Synology’s DiskStation Manager (DSM), a mature and highly integrated NAS operating system. DSM 7.2, which comes preinstalled, offers a unified and consistent user experience with a wide range of built-in applications tailored for home users, remote workers, and small office setups. Core tools like Active Backup for Business allow centralized backup of entire operating systems, folders, and virtual machines, making the DS425+ useful as a bare-metal recovery or disaster recovery node. Hyper Backup enables encrypted, versioned backups to local, remote, or cloud destinations, while tools like Snapshot Replication provide rapid rollbacks and protection against ransomware.

Synology also offers sector-specific solutions through packages like Surveillance Station and Virtual Machine Manager, the former allowing support for up to 40 cameras (with up to 800FPS at 1080p H.264), and the latter providing basic VM hosting for Linux and lightweight Windows workloads. These tools are tightly optimized for the hardware, with low overhead and accessible browser-based management. Furthermore, the DS425+ supports Synology Hybrid RAID (SHR), giving users more flexibility when mixing drive capacities and minimizing unused storage space compared to traditional RAID models.

DSM extends beyond simple storage management by including companion apps like Synology Photos, Drive, and Chat, all of which are compatible with Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. The DS425+ integrates these tools with centralized user management, group permissions, and support for LDAP and Active Directory.

For users who value reliability, Synology’s proactive security strategy—including its public security advisories, pen-testing initiatives, and in-house incident response—adds extra confidence to the long-term stability and safety of the system. In many cases, users report that the simplicity and polish of DSM is what keeps them loyal to the Synology platform, even when hardware specifications appear modest.

Strict Drive Compatibility and Locked Storage Expansion

One of the most significant limitations of the DS425+ is its strict enforcement of Synology-only drive compatibility, particularly for both 3.5″ HDDs and M.2 NVMe SSDs. As of mid-2025, this model only allows full functionality when paired with Synology-branded drives, such as the HAT5300 series for hard disks or SNV3410/3510 for SSDs.

If users attempt to install non-Synology drives—even widely used options like Seagate IronWolf or WD Red—the system will either block the drives entirely or present warnings and restrict key functionality, such as RAID rebuild, hot spare assignment, or expansion. This policy represents a significant departure from Synology’s historically broader compatibility stance and has become a source of ongoing controversy among users and reviewers alike.

From a practical standpoint, this limitation can result in higher upfront costs, reduced flexibility in sourcing drives, and long-term concerns about availability and vendor lock-in. For example, Synology’s high-capacity enterprise HDDs are often difficult to find in retail channels and may be priced at a premium compared to similar offerings from Seagate or Toshiba.

Users migrating from older Synology systems who want to reuse perfectly functional drives may find themselves unable to do so, as the new system won’t allow proper array recovery or expansion unless all drives meet the strict compatibility criteria. While this approach enables Synology to tightly optimize performance and reliability, it effectively turns the DS425+ into a semi-proprietary ecosystem where even core storage components are vendor-restricted.

This is particularly frustrating for experienced NAS users who expect to mix and match drives or who run environments where hardware recycling and drive lifecycle management are critical. The decision also impacts future-proofing: users who want to grow their arrays over time must now ensure drive stock alignment with Synology’s approved list, which may change over time or vary by region. Despite DSM’s strengths, this hard stance on compatibility significantly undermines one of the key selling points of NAS platforms—modularity—and could be a dealbreaker for value-conscious users or those with existing disk investments.

Low Noise and Power Efficiency for 24/7 Use

Another advantage of the DS425+ lies in its energy-efficient and acoustically quiet design, which makes it highly suitable for constant operation in homes, studios, or office environments where noise and heat are critical considerations. Based on extended testing, the system consumes just 28.25W under access load and drops to as low as 6.10W in HDD hibernation, making it one of the more economical NAS units in its class when measured over long-term 24/7 usage.

Even when populated with four 4TB hard drives and placed under sustained load, real-world power draw rarely exceeded 44W during high CPU utilization. This is further aided by the relatively low thermal output, with ambient casing temperatures measured around 32°C and drive bays stabilizing at just 35°C under load.

In terms of acoustic performance, the DS425+ is equipped with two 92mm fans, and noise testing shows the system remains quiet enough for close-proximity deployment. In idle mode with the fans on their lowest profile, it registers a sound level between 36 to 38 dB(A), which increases only moderately under load or at medium fan speed. Even when the system was manually set to full fan speed with high drive activity, noise output peaked at 53 dB(A)—still manageable for most non-silent workspaces. This operational profile makes the DS425+ appealing to users seeking a low-maintenance NAS that can be discreetly placed in a shared room, office, or AV rack without introducing unwanted distraction or thermal buildup.

This power and noise behavior also helps prolong component lifespan, particularly in warmer climates or enclosed cabinets, and supports use cases like 24/7 media server operation, offsite backups, or even small-scale CCTV archiving. Importantly, despite these low operating figures, the DS425+ still maintains stability and consistent throughput thanks to the efficiency of the J4125 processor and DSM’s power-aware service management. These characteristics, often underappreciated in specs alone, make it especially suitable for those who want reliable long-term uptime without high energy costs or acoustic interference.

Memory Limitations and Unorthodox Upgrade Path

The DS425+ comes with 2GB of DDR4 memory soldered directly to the motherboard, which is low by 2025 standards even for entry-level NAS devices. While it includes an additional memory slot that allows for the installation of a single 4GB module, the system officially supports a maximum of just 6GB of total RAM. This is an unusual and restrictive configuration, especially when many modern NAS devices now ship with 4GB or 8GB by default, and support 16GB or more—sometimes with dual-channel configurations for better performance. Synology’s strict validation policy also means that only their branded RAM (e.g. D4NESO-2666-4G) is fully supported, and installing third-party modules can trigger warnings in DSM or potentially void support coverage.

This memory ceiling becomes problematic when running DSM features that scale with RAM usage, such as Synology Drive, Snapshot Replication, Virtual Machine Manager, or Surveillance Station. As observed during testing, the DS425+ routinely used 27–38% of its available memory at idle, even without third-party packages installed. This is largely due to DSM’s intelligent memory caching system, which improves performance but leaves little headroom for user-defined workloads. Once additional services or multimedia indexing tasks are introduced, memory utilization climbs quickly, increasing the risk of slowdowns, swap usage, or outright service failure under peak demand.

For users who intend to deploy containers, host multiple camera feeds, or run even a small number of VMs, this limitation may lead to bottlenecks sooner than expected. It also makes the DS425+ a less viable choice for future expansion or multi-user environments. Unlike other NAS brands that allow full third-party upgrade freedom—or systems with dual RAM slots and broader capacity support—Synology’s enforced limitations here represent another example of the platform’s increasingly locked-down approach. For a system marketed to prosumers, the inability to exceed 6GB RAM comfortably is a notable technical and strategic constraint.

Integrated Graphics for Light Media Transcoding

Unlike many NAS units in this price tier, the DS425+ includes an Intel Celeron J4125 processor with integrated Intel UHD Graphics 600, which unlocks hardware-accelerated video decoding and transcoding in supported applications like Plex or Jellyfin. This makes the DS425+ one of the few Synology models in 2025 that still offers integrated GPU support out of the box, especially as newer Synology models with more recent CPUs have increasingly omitted integrated graphics. While the DS425+ is not intended to replace a dedicated media server, its GPU can significantly improve performance and efficiency for on-the-fly transcoding of formats like H.264 and H.265 (HEVC), particularly when streaming to remote clients with bandwidth constraints.

In real-world usage scenarios, this means the DS425+ can handle direct streaming and limited transcoding of 1080p content without overwhelming the CPU, provided the source formats are within the GPU’s supported codec list. During Plex testing, the DS425+ performed adequately with one or two 1080p transcodes running simultaneously, and was also able to manage basic 4K downscaling if the codec was natively supported by the hardware. For home users who have mixed devices—such as smart TVs, mobile devices, and tablets that vary in codec support—the presence of hardware transcoding offers improved flexibility without requiring as much manual conversion or format standardization of their media library.

Additionally, Synology’s native multimedia applications such as Surveillance Station and Synology Photos also benefit from GPU acceleration, helping speed up thumbnail generation, indexing, and playback, especially for high-resolution image and video collections. While raw CPU power in the DS425+ is modest by 2025 standards, the inclusion of integrated graphics helps balance out performance for lightweight graphical workloads and makes the system more viable as a general-purpose media hub. For users considering a NAS for Plex, family media streaming, or small business content previews, this capability adds meaningful value—especially since few modern Synology NAS devices still include Intel-based chips with iGPU support.

Outdated CPU Platform and Limited Performance Headroom

The DS425+ ships with the Intel Celeron J4125, a 4-core, 4-thread processor that was originally launched in late 2019. While it offers modest performance and includes integrated graphics, the J4125 is now significantly behind modern alternatives in both efficiency and raw compute power. Intel itself has discontinued the Celeron branding entirely, moving toward newer architectures like Alder Lake-N and Jasper Lake, which offer improved IPC (instructions per cycle), higher core/thread counts, and better thermal efficiency—all while retaining low power consumption. In comparison, the J4125’s aging 14nm Gemini Lake architecture struggles with heavier multitasking, especially when running services like virtual machines, surveillance workloads, or multiple Docker containers in parallel.

Synology has retained this CPU across several generations of its 2- and 4-bay Plus series models, which makes the DS425+ feel less like a generational upgrade and more like a lateral move. During performance testing, the unit handled DSM core tasks and multimedia indexing smoothly, but CPU load increased sharply under heavier tasks such as simultaneous Surveillance Station streams, Hyper Backup routines, or basic VM instances.

This limited headroom constrains the DS425+ to light-to-moderate workloads, and it can bottleneck more quickly than newer systems from other brands using more recent Intel N-series or AMD Ryzen Embedded CPUs. This is especially important as DSM continues to add new features that may increase background resource consumption over time.

Additionally, the CPU’s lack of support for modern instruction sets or features like AVX can limit compatibility with certain Docker containers or third-party applications that expect more recent hardware. While the DS425+ can serve well as a general-purpose file server or light media NAS, it’s not suited for users who anticipate growth into heavier mixed-use deployments. In a 2025 market where many similarly priced NAS units offer 6- or 8-core CPUs and PCIe Gen 3 or 4 support, the DS425+ feels constrained and unlikely to age well for users with evolving or expanding workloads.

Compact Form Factor with Versatile Storage Options

The DS425+ offers a space-efficient chassis design that houses four 3.5″/2.5″ SATA drive bays, along with two M.2 2280 NVMe SSD slots for caching. This provides a versatile platform for users who want flexible storage layouts without moving to a physically larger or more expensive rackmount or tower system.

The vertical orientation of the chassis, measuring just 166 x 199 x 223 mm, makes it easy to deploy the device in tight workspaces, shelving units, or beneath desks—ideal for small offices, home studios, or AV setups where space is at a premium. Despite its small footprint, the device retains full support for key RAID configurations including SHR, RAID 5/6/10, and JBOD, and offers hot-swappable access to the main drive bays for ease of maintenance.

The inclusion of two M.2 NVMe slots on the base of the unit allows users to improve performance through read/write caching without sacrificing primary drive bays. Although these M.2 slots are limited to Synology-verified SSDs and are not usable for storage pools, they can still offer significant boosts to random I/O performance in multi-user environments or when used with demanding workloads like Synology Drive or VM hosting. Combined with support for SSD TRIM and smart cache algorithms within DSM, the system can be tuned to optimize response times during high-access periods without introducing large amounts of memory overhead.

From a practical standpoint, this layout is beneficial for users managing multiple storage tiers, such as a mix of large-capacity HDDs for archiving and faster SSDs for active projects or virtual machines. Furthermore, the DS425+ supports volume expansion using larger capacity drives, RAID migration options (e.g. from Basic to RAID 5 or RAID 5 to RAID 6), and up to 32 internal volumes, giving users enough headroom for future scaling. These features, while standard in DSM, are fully supported in this chassis and make it easier to adapt the NAS as storage needs evolve—without the need to start from scratch or invest in a new enclosure.

Limited I/O and Underwhelming Connectivity for the Price

While the DS425+ introduces a 2.5GbE network port alongside a legacy 1GbE port, the rest of its I/O configuration is relatively limited and arguably outdated compared to competitors in its price range. The system includes just two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, both of which operate at 5Gbps rather than the more modern 10Gbps (Gen 2) speeds that are increasingly common in 2025. There is no SD card slot, no eSATA or PCIe expansion slot, and no HDMI output, all of which are features now appearing on rival NAS systems from QNAP, TerraMaster, and UGREEN—even at similar or lower price points. These omissions restrict how the device can be expanded or integrated into more complex workflows, such as direct-attached backup targets, external GPU support, or quick media ingestion.

The presence of only a single 2.5GbE port also imposes a bottleneck for users wanting to make full use of SSD caching or high-throughput RAID configurations. There is no support for link aggregation, as the 1GbE and 2.5GbE ports cannot be bonded in a meaningful way, and the system lacks support for 5GbE or 10GbE—either onboard or via expansion. In scenarios where large video files, virtual machine images, or multiple users are simultaneously accessing data, the NAS may become network-bound more quickly than other models with multi-GbE or SFP+ connectivity.

Furthermore, while DSM offers support for USB peripherals such as external drives and UPS devices, the limited port count and bandwidth mean there is little headroom for simultaneous external expansions, and the brand limits the support of USB peripherals for security reasons. For example, attaching both an external drive and a USB-connected UPS may require unplugging one to rotate in another device. This may not impact casual home users, but for power users managing workflows like video editing, offsite rotation backups, or multi-location file sync, this level of I/O flexibility feels dated. When factoring in the DS425+’s pricing, which places it near many NAS models with more expansive I/O, this minimalism can be a significant drawback.

Strong Security Framework and Proactive Vulnerability Management

The DS425+ benefits from Synology’s broader emphasis on security, offering a robust framework for data protection, secure remote access, and proactive threat mitigation. DSM includes built-in tools such as firewall rules, auto-blocking of suspicious IPs, HTTPS configuration, and native integration with Let’s Encrypt for SSL certificates. Two-factor authentication (2FA) can be enforced per user or globally, and built-in VPN server options (including OpenVPN and L2TP/IPSec) provide secure tunnels for remote workers or offsite access. For businesses or power users hosting sensitive data, the inclusion of AES-NI hardware encryption ensures efficient at-rest protection without drastically impacting system performance.

What sets Synology apart is its ongoing commitment to security research and response. The company operates a public-facing Product Security Incident Response Team (PSIRT) and regularly updates a detailed security advisory page disclosing vulnerabilities and their mitigations. Synology also participates in Pwn2Own, a white-hat hacking competition, and runs internal bug bounty programs to uncover and patch exploits before they are discovered in the wild. This culture of transparency and preemptive action is especially valuable as NAS devices become more frequently targeted by malware and ransomware threats, particularly those exposed to the internet or used in hybrid cloud workflows.

Additionally, many DSM apps include granular permission management, audit logs, and user-based access rules, giving administrators tight control over file shares, backup targets, and service access. Synology’s Hybrid Share and Cloud Sync tools support end-to-end encryption and offer options to decouple cloud storage keys from the local system, further strengthening data sovereignty. For users concerned with long-term viability and platform trust, Synology’s structured and well-documented security practices help the DS425+ stand out against competitors that may offer more hardware but less attention to software and infrastructure hardening. This makes it a viable choice for users prioritizing data safety in either personal or professional contexts.

Questionable Long-Term Value Amid Shifting Synology Strategy

Another concern with the DS425+ is its position within Synology’s evolving product strategy, which raises questions about long-term support and ecosystem focus. Synology has recently been expanding its BeeStation and BeeStation Plus lines—pre-populated, user-friendly NAS solutions that share similar hardware (in some cases, the same J4125 CPU), but are bundled with drives and offer a simplified DSM variant tailored for general consumers. These systems, while more limited in scope, are marketed as turnkey alternatives with lower pricing and fewer user-configurable components. The DS425+, by contrast, sits awkwardly between Synology’s increasingly restrictive hardware requirements and the emerging shift toward closed, fully managed platforms.

This change in trajectory creates uncertainty for prospective buyers looking for a long-term investment. If Synology continues prioritizing its proprietary hardware and software pairings, users who prefer modularity, drive freedom, or advanced customization may find themselves increasingly constrained. As already noted, the DS425+ enforces tight compatibility rules, limits memory expansion, and restricts NVMe usage to caching only. At the same time, Synology is streamlining its portfolio around devices with even stricter limitations but more mass-market appeal. This raises the possibility that traditional “Plus” models like the DS425+ may be sidelined or see fewer feature updates in future DSM releases, as Synology shifts development toward more controlled environments.

From a cost perspective, the DS425+ is priced around $519, placing it uncomfortably close to more powerful third-party NAS systems that offer better CPUs, more RAM, and greater I/O flexibility. Competing brands frequently offer 4-bay systems with modern N-series Intel processors or embedded AMD chips, 8GB+ of memory, and faster networking, often for the same or lower price. As a result, the DS425+ risks being outclassed not only by its competition, but by Synology’s own growing lineup of prepackaged solutions. Users investing in the DS425+ today may find themselves limited not just by current specs, but by an ecosystem slowly drifting away from the prosumer and enthusiast segment this model was originally meant to serve.

Synology DS425+ NAS Review – Conclusion and Verdict

The Synology DS425+ presents a mixed proposition in 2025. On one hand, it remains a competent 4-bay NAS solution for users prioritizing software integration, low power operation, and quiet, reliable 24/7 usage. Its support for DSM 7.2 and the full suite of Synology applications—ranging from Active Backup to Surveillance Station and Synology Drive—makes it a strong turnkey platform for general-purpose storage, backup, and multimedia needs. Integrated graphics give it an edge in light media streaming scenarios, and its support for M.2 NVMe caching allows for performance optimization without occupying drive bays. It’s a well-built device that continues to “just work,” particularly in home and small office setups where reliability, simplicity, and refined software matter more than raw horsepower.

However, these strengths are increasingly offset by hardware limitations and Synology’s increasingly restrictive ecosystem. The soldered 2GB of RAM, locked 6GB memory ceiling, outdated CPU, limited I/O, and especially the enforced use of Synology-only drives all hinder flexibility and long-term value. When compared to similarly priced alternatives from competing NAS vendors—many of which offer newer processors, faster ports, and full hardware freedom—the DS425+ can feel constrained and overpriced. In addition, Synology’s expanding focus on pre-populated BeeStation devices suggests a possible shift away from traditional DIY-friendly models like this one. For users who are already invested in the Synology ecosystem or who value DSM above all else, the DS425+ may still be a worthwhile buy. But for those seeking hardware scalability, third-party compatibility, or better price-to-performance, it may be worth considering other options or waiting to see how Synology’s roadmap evolves.

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AI Console for Synology Mail Plus and Synology Office – But Should You Use It?

Note -Thanks again to Daniel from Germany for all his support and assistance for this video. Visit his site HERE

Synology has introduced a new software package called AI Console, aimed at integrating third-party AI and large language model (LLM) services directly into select Synology productivity applications. The package is available on devices running DSM 7.2 or later and supports only certain x86-64 NAS models, reflecting the higher processing and memory requirements of AI workloads.

Rather than running its own local AI engine, Synology provides a centralised management tool for connecting to established AI providers, including OpenAI, Azure OpenAI, Google Gemini via AI Studio or Vertex AI, Amazon Bedrock, and Baidu AI Cloud. Once linked using the administrator’s API key, these services can be used within Synology MailPlus and Synology Office to perform tasks such as summarising long emails, generating responses, translating text, adjusting tone, and producing refined document content.

The AI Console is designed with administration and control in mind. It allows system managers to configure access on a per-package basis, selectively enabling or excluding AI features for specific users or groups. Advanced options include setting daily or per-minute token limits for each user to control consumption and manage costs, as usage charges are determined by the chosen AI provider rather than Synology itself. For privacy protection, the Console supports a de-identification process that can mask predefined categories of sensitive data before prompts are sent to an AI provider, with the original data restored after the response is received.

Administrators can monitor adoption and usage trends through transaction logs, which capture request details such as timestamps, IP addresses, API models used, and token counts, alongside admin logs that record configuration changes. While the AI Console does not add AI functionality to all DSM applications, it focuses on extending the business-oriented MailPlus and Office suite. However, this is not a move that will please all Synology owners or buyers, as some value their NAS primarily for complete local data control and may view any cloud-connected AI integration as an unnecessary or risky addition.

Why is Synology AI Console So Contentious?

The idea of adding AI functionality to a NAS is divisive because many users adopt these systems specifically to avoid reliance on cloud-based services. A key selling point of a Synology NAS has long been the ability to store, process, and back up data entirely within the user’s own premises, retaining full control over where that data resides and who can access it.

By design, the Synology AI Console connects to external AI providers through API calls, meaning that text-based content from MailPlus or Office documents is transmitted to third-party servers for processing. Even with encryption in transit and privacy safeguards such as de-identification, this external dependency conflicts with the expectations of users who purchased a NAS to minimise exposure to external networks. This tension is heightened by the fact that the AI operations do not run locally on the NAS hardware, which for some buyers undermines the appeal of integrating AI into a device marketed for self-contained operation.

Another factor making AI use contentious is the trust and compliance aspect. Many NAS deployments are in small businesses, professional environments, or home offices handling sensitive material. Sending even anonymised extracts of communications or documents to an external service raises compliance questions for organisations bound by strict data protection rules, especially in regulated industries such as healthcare, finance, or legal services.

While the AI Console provides administrative controls, auditing tools, and the option to disable AI entirely for certain users or packages, the underlying reality remains that data is leaving the local network for processing. This creates a fundamental divide between those who welcome AI for its productivity benefits and those who see any form of off-device data processing as incompatible with the core value proposition of a private NAS.

What Security Provisions Have Synology Put in Place?

Synology’s AI Console incorporates multiple layers of control to reduce the risks associated with transmitting data to third-party AI providers. API keys for connected AI services are stored locally on the NAS rather than in the cloud, and all requests are sent directly from the device to the selected AI provider. Administrators can remove these keys at any time, immediately severing the connection. The system allows AI access to be enabled or disabled at the package level, with the option to exclude specific users or groups entirely. To prevent uncontrolled consumption, administrators can set token rate limits per user, measured either per minute or per day. Transaction logs record each AI request with details such as timestamp, source IP address, user account, API model used, and token usage, while admin logs document any configuration changes. This creates a verifiable audit trail for compliance and internal review.

Key security provisions include:

• Local storage of API keys, with no cloud-based key management.

• Direct communication between the NAS and the AI provider, bypassing Synology’s own servers.

• Ability to revoke API access instantly by deleting stored keys.

• Per-package AI enable/disable controls, with user and group-level exclusions.

• Token rate limiting to control per-user API usage.

• Detailed transaction logs for all AI requests.

• Administrative logs for configuration changes.

• Optional logging of request inputs and outputs for auditing.

For added privacy, Synology offers a de-identification feature that can mask selected categories of sensitive data before they are transmitted to the AI provider, restoring the original information once the processed output is returned. This feature can identify and anonymise common identifiers such as names, email addresses, IP addresses, banking details, and various country-specific personal or business numbers. De-identification relies on a combination of AI-driven semantic analysis and predefined regular expression rules, giving administrators control over which data types are masked. It requires the installation of the Container Manager package and a minimum of 8 GB of RAM, with each enabled language model consuming roughly 1 GB of memory. Although Synology notes that de-identification cannot guarantee 100% masking, the mechanism is intended to significantly reduce the chance of exposing sensitive details during AI processing.

Synology Mail Plus and AI Console Integration

When enabled for Synology MailPlus, the AI Console provides a set of functions aimed at improving email efficiency through automated text processing. Within the MailPlus interface, users can generate short or detailed summaries of incoming emails, which can help quickly assess lengthy messages without reading them in full. The AI assistant can also draft replies based on user instructions, with options to adjust tone, length, and formality, or translate the response into a supported language. All AI processing is text-based, with attachments excluded from transmission to the AI provider. The system also supports “Help me write” prompts directly within the reply editor, allowing for quick generation of tailored responses that can be inserted and then edited before sending. Importantly, these capabilities are only available to users granted AI permissions by the administrator, and all actions are recorded in transaction logs for review.

The integration offers multiple editing refinements, including making a message more formal or casual, shortening or lengthening text, and translating to or from languages supported by the connected AI model. Users can also rephrase replies entirely or request alternative drafts. Although these capabilities are similar to features found in other email platforms that integrate AI, the implementation within MailPlus is designed to remain under the control of the NAS administrator, with optional de-identification masking personal data before it is sent to the provider. Responses are generated by the third-party AI service configured in AI Console, and processing occurs only when the user explicitly invokes an AI function, avoiding any automated sending of content without user action.

From a functional perspective, MailPlus AI integration is targeted primarily at professional or business environments that run their own Synology-hosted mail server. It can streamline response drafting, reduce time spent on routine communication, and support multilingual correspondence. However, the scope is currently limited to text-based tasks, with no AI-driven attachment analysis, advanced categorisation, sentiment detection, or automated email sorting included. The feature set also lacks customisable style profiles beyond the basic tone and length adjustments, meaning more specific brand or sector language must still be applied manually. The value for each organisation will depend on how frequently staff interact with longer, more complex emails, and whether the trade-off of involving an external AI service aligns with internal data handling policies and compliance requirements.

Synology Office and AI Console Integration

In Synology Office, AI Console integration extends across the suite’s document, spreadsheet, and presentation tools, embedding AI-assisted functions within the existing editing interface. In documents, the AI assistant can summarise entire files, rewrite selected sections, adjust tone, translate content, or improve grammar. These actions can be applied either through a right-click contextual menu or via a dedicated AI sidebar that displays results alongside the original content. Users can choose to insert AI-generated revisions directly into the file or keep them separate for manual comparison. The system maintains Office’s existing version history, meaning any AI-driven edits can be rolled back without data loss.

In spreadsheets, the integration is aimed at assisting with formula comprehension and basic data interpretation. Users can request explanations of specific formulas, generate new formulas from plain-language prompts, or run simple calculations without manually writing functions. The AI can also produce summaries of table data, although its analytical depth is limited compared to dedicated business intelligence tools. As with documents, processing is restricted to text-based content; the system does not transmit embedded images or charts to the AI provider. Administrators can control whether AI features are available in spreadsheets, allowing them to be enabled for certain user groups while remaining disabled for others.

For presentations, the AI can refine slide text, translate content, or expand bullet points into fuller sentences, making it useful for producing alternate versions of existing material. The functionality mirrors what is available in documents, with tone and length adjustments as well as grammar checks. However, it does not currently create entirely new slide decks or visual layouts from prompts. The processing workflow remains the same across all Office formats: only when a user explicitly triggers an AI action is the relevant text sent to the configured provider, and all requests are recorded in the AI Console’s transaction logs.

Overall, the Synology Office integration offers consistent AI tools across its core applications, focusing on editorial and language-based support rather than data-driven automation. While the scope is narrower than AI-enabled features in some third-party office suites, the implementation maintains administrative control and allows for selective deployment, making it adaptable to environments where privacy considerations limit the use of external services.

What Features of AI/LLM Are Not Present?

Although the Synology AI Console brings AI-assisted functions to MailPlus and Office, it does not provide the same breadth of capabilities found in some competing platforms. There is no locally hosted AI model option, meaning all processing is dependent on a live connection to a third-party provider. As a result, the system lacks offline functionality, GPU-accelerated local workloads, or support for running open-source LLMs within the NAS environment. In practical terms, this means that all AI operations involve external processing, which may not suit users who require fully on-premises data handling.

Beyond the infrastructure level, several functional gaps remain. The integration does not extend to all DSM applications, omitting areas such as File Station, Photo Station, Synology Photos, and Surveillance Station. Within MailPlus and Office, the AI features are focused on text editing and basic summarisation rather than broader automation. There is no built-in capability for sentiment analysis, advanced data analytics, automatic categorisation, or content generation from large datasets. Similarly, the AI Console does not currently allow multi-step task automation or integration with custom scripts, limiting its use to predefined actions within the supported productivity tools.

Is Synology AI Console Safe?

From a technical and administrative perspective, Synology has implemented several measures to protect data when using the AI Console. API keys are stored locally on the NAS, and requests to AI providers are sent directly from the device rather than passing through Synology-operated servers. Administrators can limit access to specific packages, exclude selected users or groups, set token usage caps, and monitor all AI interactions through detailed logs. For additional privacy, the optional de-identification feature can mask sensitive details such as personal identifiers, banking information, and IP addresses before prompts are transmitted, restoring them only after the AI provider returns a response.

However, the safety of the AI Console ultimately depends on the chosen AI provider and the user’s own policies. All processing occurs on the provider’s infrastructure, meaning data leaves the local network whenever AI features are used. Even with encryption and masking in place, this external dependency may be unacceptable in environments with strict regulatory requirements or where complete local control is mandatory. While Synology provides the tools to minimise risk and monitor usage, it is the administrator’s responsibility to select a compliant provider, configure de-identification appropriately, and ensure that AI features are only enabled where the security implications are fully understood.

Here is my video on the original reveal of AI Integration/Connection into Synology DSM when it was first shown off during the Synology Solution Exhibition back in 2023 in Taipei:

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Synology DS225+ NAS Review – Should You Buy?

The Synology DS225+ is a 2-bay desktop NAS released in 2025 as a refresh to the DS224+, aimed at home users, remote workers, and small teams needing centralized storage, backup, and multimedia functionality. It retains the Intel Celeron J4125 processor, a quad-core chip with integrated graphics, and includes 2GB of DDR4 non-ECC memory soldered to the board, with an available slot to expand the total to 6GB. Connectivity consists of both a standard 1GbE port and a 2.5GbE port, along with dual USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports for external drives or UPS devices. The chassis is compact and passively efficient, consuming less than 17 watts under load and producing under 20 dB(A) of idle noise—well-suited for environments where silence and energy efficiency matter.

The DS225+ runs DSM 7.2, Synology’s proprietary NAS operating system, and supports the full catalog of Synology applications for backup, file sharing, collaboration, and even light virtualization. Users can take advantage of tools like Active Backup, Hyper Backup, Surveillance Station, Synology Drive, and Virtual Machine Manager, with support for Btrfs and SHR offering additional flexibility. While the DS225+ delivers a solid turnkey experience for typical NAS users, its dated CPU, limited upgrade path, and increasingly restrictive drive compatibility policy raise questions about long-term value and competitiveness in the current NAS landscape. This review will examine five key advantages that justify its place in the market—and five potential drawbacks that could sway buyers toward alternatives or delay a purchase.

SOFTWARE - 10/10

HARDWARE - 5/10

PERFORMANCE - 6/10

PRICE - 7/10

VALUE - 6/10

6.8

PROS

DSM 7.2 Software Suite: Includes license-free tools like Active Backup, Snapshot Replication, Synology Drive, Photos, and Surveillance Station.
Low Power Consumption: Consumes just ~17W under load and ~6W in hibernation, making it highly efficient for 24/7 use.
Quiet Operation: Runs at just 19.6 dB(A) in idle, with a single 92mm fan and well-controlled thermals, ideal for home or office environments.
Integrated Graphics Support: The Intel J4125 includes UHD 600 graphics for light Plex or Jellyfin transcoding and improved multimedia indexing.
2.5GbE + 1GbE Ports: Offers faster-than-Gigabit networking without requiring premium models or PCIe upgrades.
Flexible RAID and File System Support: Supports Btrfs, SHR, RAID 0/1, and volume expansion with larger drives via DSM.
Compact and Lightweight Design: Small footprint (165 × 108 × 232 mm, 1.3 kg) fits neatly into tight or silent workspaces.

CONS

Strict Drive Compatibility: Officially supports only Synology-branded HDDs and SSDs, with DSM limiting or blocking unsupported drives.
Outdated CPU: Still uses a 2019-era Intel Celeron J4125, which lacks the performance headroom of newer N-series or AMD chips.
Memory Constraints: Comes with 2GB soldered RAM and supports only up to 6GB with Synology-validated modules.
No I/O Expandability: Lacks PCIe, SD card, or USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports; USB limited to 5Gbps with no front-mounted convenience port.

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Feature-Rich DSM Software and Integrated Services

One of the strongest arguments in favor of the DS225+ is its inclusion of Synology’s DiskStation Manager (DSM), widely recognized as one of the most polished NAS operating systems on the market. DSM 7.2 runs natively on the DS225+ and includes a comprehensive suite of first-party tools designed for file management, backup, synchronization, collaboration, and multimedia.

Applications such as Active Backup for Business enable full system imaging and granular backups for Windows and Linux clients, while Hyper Backup supports encrypted, versioned backups to remote Synology NAS, USB drives, or public cloud platforms. These tools are license-free and integrate tightly with DSM’s centralized control panel and task scheduler, making them practical for individuals and small teams alike.

The DS225+ also supports Snapshot Replication, allowing users to create fast, low-overhead restore points across shared folders or entire volumes. This is especially useful for protecting data against accidental deletion or ransomware threats. Multimedia services such as Synology Photos and Video Station are included, with support for AI-driven features like facial and object recognition—provided the RAM is upgraded to at least 4GB.

Additionally, users can deploy lightweight productivity services such as Synology Drive, Chat, and Office, all of which are accessible via browser or mobile apps. While the DS225+ is limited to 2 bays, it still benefits from full access to Synology’s software stack, giving users enterprise-grade functionality in a compact and relatively affordable unit.

Locked Drive Compatibility Limits Flexibility and Upgrade Options

A major drawback of the DS225+ is Synology’s increasingly rigid stance on drive compatibility, particularly with its 2025 product generation. At launch, the DS225+ only officially supports Synology-branded HDDs and SSDs, including the HAT5300 and SAT5200 series. While these drives offer solid performance and enterprise-grade validation, they are often more expensive than third-party alternatives and far less widely available in retail markets.

More critically, DSM may block or degrade functionality if users install unsupported drives—such as WD Red, Seagate IronWolf, or Toshiba N300—even if those drives meet technical requirements. This includes disabling RAID creation, expansion, and in some cases even volume initialization.

For users hoping to reuse drives from older systems or build cost-effective arrays with commodity drives, this presents a serious limitation. The policy effectively turns the DS225+ into a semi-proprietary system where basic RAID features and DSM warnings depend on purchasing Synology-approved hardware.

While it’s possible the compatibility list may expand in the future, as of July 2025, this restriction creates significant friction for DIY users or small offices managing mixed storage fleets. It also undermines the flexibility that has traditionally been one of Synology’s key advantages over more locked-down storage ecosystems. Users seeking the freedom to choose drives based on price, warranty, or local availability will find the DS225+ ecosystem increasingly restrictive.

Exceptionally Low Power Consumption and Quiet Operation

The DS225+ is particularly well-suited for 24/7 deployment in environments where power efficiency and noise are concerns, such as home offices, media rooms, or shared living spaces. In real-world usage, the system consumes just 16.98 watts during access and drops as low as 6.08 watts in HDD hibernation, making it one of the most energy-efficient 2-bay NAS systems in its class.

This low draw is aided by the efficient Intel J4125 processor and a single 92mm system fan that manages thermals without overcompensating. During testing, the DS225+ maintained component temperatures of 32°C–37°C even under sustained moderate CPU and disk activity, confirming that the chassis design and airflow are well-optimized for the thermal envelope.

In terms of acoustics, the DS225+ is also ideal for quiet setups. It produces just 19.6 dB(A) of noise at idle—barely above ambient background levels—and remains quiet even under drive access or medium fan profiles. This makes it an appealing choice for use in proximity to desks, entertainment setups, or even bedrooms, without becoming a source of distraction. The adjustable fan modes (Full-Speed, Cool, and Quiet) can be fine-tuned in DSM, allowing users to prioritize either silence or cooling based on workload and ambient conditions. For users who want a reliable NAS that can operate continuously without noticeable noise or energy penalties, the DS225+ delivers an efficient and unobtrusive experience.

Aging Intel Celeron J4125 CPU Limits Future-Proofing

The DS225+ continues to use the Intel Celeron J4125, a 4-core, 4-thread processor first launched in late 2019. While it still performs adequately for DSM tasks, light media streaming, and small office workloads, it is now well behind newer processor architectures in terms of efficiency, instruction set support, and overall responsiveness.

Competing NAS units released in 2024 and 2025 have moved on to Intel N-series, Jasper Lake, or even embedded AMD processors, many of which offer better performance-per-watt, additional cores, and support for modern instruction sets such as AVX2 and higher memory bandwidth. In contrast, the J4125’s dated 14nm Gemini Lake Refresh architecture lacks modern features and could begin to show its age sooner, especially under multitasking or when running additional DSM packages concurrently.

Although the DS225+ is not intended for heavy virtualized workloads or media encoding, the use of such an older CPU architecture restricts its growth potential. During testing, even modest activity such as Surveillance Station recording or Synology Drive sync tasks caused the CPU to reach 60–70% utilization, leaving little room for additional services. Docker and Virtual Machine Manager are supported, but their use is constrained by both CPU headroom and the device’s limited memory ceiling. For users expecting to scale their usage over the next 3–5 years, the DS225+ may struggle to keep pace as DSM continues to evolve and introduce more background services, analytics, and real-time processing demands.

Integrated Graphics for Light Transcoding and Multimedia Tasks

A notable advantage of the DS225+ is its use of the Intel Celeron J4125, a quad-core x86 processor that includes integrated Intel UHD 600 graphics. While this is not a new CPU, the presence of onboard graphics enables hardware-accelerated video decoding and transcoding, a feature that’s become less common in newer NAS systems using ARM-based or non-iGPU x86 processors. For users planning to run Plex or Jellyfin, this hardware acceleration allows the DS225+ to handle light 1080p transcoding tasks—useful when streaming to devices with limited codec support or over constrained network connections.

This capability is especially important for homes or small offices that want centralized media storage without relying on local playback compatibility. During testing, the DS225+ performed adequately when transcoding one or two 1080p streams simultaneously, especially when the source files used H.264 or H.265 formats compatible with the GPU.

Synology’s native apps like Surveillance Station and Synology Photos also benefit from integrated graphics, improving responsiveness during thumbnail generation and background indexing of photos and videos. While not intended for intensive media workflows, the DS225+ offers enough GPU performance for common multimedia use cases, making it more versatile than similarly priced NAS units that lack any form of video acceleration.

Limited Memory and Restrictive Upgrade Policy

The DS225+ ships with just 2GB of DDR4 memory, which is soldered directly to the motherboard, limiting flexibility from the outset. While it does feature a single accessible SODIMM slot to expand the total memory to 6GB (2GB onboard + 4GB additional), Synology officially supports only their own branded 4GB memory module. Using non-Synology memory will either trigger DSM warnings or void technical support eligibility. This restrictive policy contrasts with other NAS vendors that support industry-standard memory upgrades more openly. In practical terms, the 6GB ceiling is already considered low for 2025, especially as DSM continues to expand its service ecosystem and memory-hungry packages like Photos, Drive, and Surveillance Station become more prevalent.

Real-world testing shows that even at idle with no user-installed applications, DSM often consumes 28–38% of available memory due to intelligent caching. Once additional services are installed—such as indexing, media streaming, or light virtual machines—the system can begin to feel constrained, leading to slower response times or increased reliance on swap memory. For example, enabling facial recognition in Synology Photos or running simultaneous Docker containers may quickly push the system beyond its comfortable operational range. This limitation makes the DS225+ poorly suited for users who want to experiment with virtualization, host large collaborative environments, or ensure headroom for future DSM features. Even for modest multi-user environments, the soldered memory and limited upgrade capacity represent a clear technical bottleneck.

Dual LAN Ports with 2.5GbE Support for Faster Transfers

The DS225+ is equipped with two Ethernet ports—one standard 1GbE and one 2.5GbE—giving users flexibility in how they connect and scale their network performance. This is a meaningful improvement over entry-level NAS models that only offer single Gigabit connectivity, especially as more consumer routers and switches begin to support multi-gigabit speeds. When paired with a compatible switch or direct 2.5GbE connection, the DS225+ can achieve transfer speeds up to 280–290MB/s under optimal conditions, significantly reducing the time needed for backups, media streaming, or large file transfers over LAN. For those sticking to 1GbE setups, the second port still provides redundancy or the option to separate network traffic between general access and administrative tasks.

Although the DS225+ does not support link aggregation or PCIe expansion, having dual LAN ports allows for some segmentation and future-proofing in small network environments. Users can reserve the faster 2.5GbE interface for high-priority devices such as a workstation or editing PC, while the 1GbE port can be used for background syncing, IP camera feeds, or system management. The inclusion of 2.5GbE is also relevant in home lab and prosumer scenarios, where higher-speed NAS-to-NAS replication or remote backup over multi-GbE connections is becoming more common. While the benefit is conditional on the rest of the network infrastructure supporting these speeds, it’s still an advantage that many previous 2-bay NAS models from this brand do not provide.

Limited I/O Expansion and Slower USB Connectivity

While the DS225+ includes the essentials for a basic NAS setup, its external connectivity is minimal, offering just two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, each limited to 5Gbps. This is notably behind the current standard of USB 3.2 Gen 2, which offers 10Gbps, and well below newer competitors that feature USB-C, eSATA, or PCIe slots for future expansion.

The lack of a front-mounted USB port or SD card reader also reduces convenience for users who regularly transfer media from cameras or external drives. In scenarios involving backup rotation, media ingestion, or hot-swapping data from multiple USB devices, users may find themselves manually unplugging and swapping cables due to the low number and placement of ports.

This limitation becomes more pronounced as the DS225+ cannot be expanded via PCIe, ruling out the addition of 10GbE networking, additional NVMe cache, or external SAS enclosures. Even Synology’s own expansion units are unsupported on this model, meaning what you see is essentially what you’re locked into for the lifespan of the system. While the DS225+ works well within its default role, users requiring scalable connectivity for workflows like multi-tiered backup, external archives, or direct media workstations will likely find it too constrained. The inability to expand I/O makes it harder to adapt the device as your setup grows or changes, placing it at a disadvantage in a market where even entry-level NAS units are becoming more modular.

Compact Design with Full DSM Access and RAID Flexibility

Despite its small physical footprint, the DS225+ delivers the full functionality of Synology’s DSM ecosystem, enabling users to configure advanced storage, backup, and collaboration features without needing a larger or more expensive unit. Measuring just 165 mm x 108 mm x 232.2 mm and weighing 1.3 kg, the DS225+ fits easily on a shelf, under a desk, or alongside other AV equipment. This makes it especially appealing to users with limited space or those looking to maintain a minimal setup. The 2-bay form factor supports 3.5″ SATA HDDs or 2.5″ SSDs, and users can configure their storage using Basic, JBOD, RAID 0, RAID 1, or Synology Hybrid RAID (SHR) depending on redundancy and capacity needs.

The benefit here is that while the DS225+ lacks the expansion features of higher-end NAS units, it doesn’t compromise on software or configurability. DSM allows for volume expansion with larger drives, RAID migration from Basic to RAID 1, and SSD TRIM support for improving SSD longevity. Users can also benefit from Btrfs snapshots and file versioning, even on this compact system.

This flexibility allows individuals to start with a single drive and expand or rebuild as storage needs increase. The ability to pair this with external drives via USB 3.2 for backups or offloading archived content extends its functionality further. For users who want the core NAS experience without the complexity or physical scale of larger models, the DS225+ is a strong, space-efficient option.

Unclear Upgrade Path Amid Synology’s Strategic Shift

The DS225+ sits within a transitional period for Synology, during which the company has increasingly signaled a shift toward pre-populated, locked-down platforms such as the BeeStation and BeeStation Plus series. These newer lines are aimed at users seeking simplicity and cloud-like convenience, but they also reflect Synology’s broader move toward closed ecosystems with tighter control over hardware and software integration. As these preconfigured models begin to replace traditional bare-metal Plus series NAS options in Synology’s lineup, it’s unclear how much longer models like the DS225+ will remain actively supported or prioritized in DSM development.

This creates uncertainty for prospective buyers who want a long-term investment. While Synology’s current support lifecycle is generally strong, the tighter coupling between software and specific hardware could eventually result in DSM updates being optimized for newer, more restrictive platforms. For example, users of the DS225+ may find that future DSM features—such as enhanced AI functions or hybrid cloud integrations—are limited or unsupported due to the older CPU or reduced memory ceiling.

Additionally, if the company continues to prioritize its locked-drive strategy and proprietary accessories, even firmware-level changes could make legacy systems like the DS225+ feel increasingly boxed in. This isn’t an immediate concern, but for users thinking 3–5 years ahead, the direction of Synology’s portfolio suggests the DS225+ may not age as gracefully as its predecessors once did.

Synology DS225+ NAS Review – Verdict and Conclusion

The Synology DS225+ delivers a polished and well-integrated NAS experience that caters to home users and small teams looking for dependable data storage, backups, and light multimedia handling. Its compact form factor, efficient thermal and acoustic design, and access to the full DSM 7.2 ecosystem make it a compelling choice for those who prioritize low noise, low power use, and a robust software suite. The inclusion of 2.5GbE networking, integrated graphics for basic Plex or Jellyfin transcoding, and support for Btrfs, SHR, and snapshot replication ensure that it remains practical for a wide range of core NAS tasks. It’s a system that “just works,” and for many users, that is enough to justify its place on their shortlist.

However, the DS225+ is increasingly defined by its limitations as much as its strengths. The use of an aging processor, restricted memory expansion, limited I/O, and locked-down drive compatibility significantly reduce its appeal for users who expect flexibility, performance headroom, or long-term scalability. When positioned against similarly priced or even cheaper NAS solutions from competing brands—many of which offer newer CPUs, broader third-party drive support, and better external connectivity—the DS225+ risks feeling outdated straight out of the box. Synology’s evolving product strategy also casts doubt on the long-term direction for devices like this. For users who are already committed to the Synology ecosystem or need something simple and quiet for basic NAS duties, the DS225+ can still be a solid purchase. For those looking for open-ended expandability or stronger hardware per dollar, however, it’s worth comparing alternatives or waiting to see how Synology’s next generation unfolds.

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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.

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.”

Synology NAS HDDs – HAT Series (SATA)

Model	Capacity	Price (USD)	$/TB
HAT3300	2TB	$84.99	$42.50
	4TB	$99.99	$25.00
	6TB	$149.99	$25.00
HAT3310	8TB	$199.99	$25.00
	12TB	$269.99	$22.50
	12TB (2-Pack)	$539.98	$22.50
	16TB	$299.99	$18.75
HAT5300 (Enterprise, Toshiba)	12TB	$449.99	$37.50
	16TB	$579.99	$36.25
HAT5310	8TB	$299.99	$37.50
	20TB	$719.99	$36.00

Synology SAS HDDs – HAS Series

Model	Capacity	Price (USD)	$/TB
HAS5300	8TB	$299.99	$37.50
	12TB	$459.99	$38.33
	16TB	$699.99	$43.75
HAS5310	20TB	$829.99	$41.50

Synology SATA SSDs – SAT Series

Model	Capacity	Price (USD)	$/TB
SAT5210	7TB	$1,859.99	$265.71
SAT5221	480GB	$169.99	$354.15
	960GB	$299.99	$312.49
	1.92TB	$529.99	$276.04
	3.84TB	$979.99	$255.20

Synology NVMe SSDs – SNV Series

Model	Capacity	Price (USD)	$/TB
SNV3410	400GB	$139.99	$349.98
	800GB	$269.99	$337.49
SNV3510	400GB	$174.99	$437.48
	800GB	$299.99	$374.99

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.

Entry-Level NAS HDDs – Synology vs Seagate & WD

Synology Model	Capacity	Synology Price	Synology $/TB	3rd Party Equivalent	3rd Party Price	$/TB	% Difference
HAT3300	2TB	$84.99	$42.50	WD Red Plus 2TB	$79.99	$40.00	-5.9%
HAT3300	4TB	$99.99	$25.00	Seagate IronWolf 4TB	$84.99	$21.25	-15.0%
HAT3300	4TB	$99.99	$25.00	WD Red Plus 4TB	$99.99	$25.00	0.0%
HAT3300	6TB	$149.99	$25.00	Seagate IronWolf 6TB	$139.99	$23.33	-6.7%
HAT3310	8TB	$199.99	$25.00	WD Red Plus 8TB	$179.99	$22.50	-10.0%
HAT3310	12TB	$269.99	$22.50	Seagate IronWolf 12TB	$239.99	$20.00	-11.1%

Prosumer NAS HDDs – Synology vs Seagate & WD

Synology Model	Capacity	Synology Price	Synology $/TB	3rd Party Equivalent	3rd Party Price	$/TB	% Difference
HAT5300	12TB	$449.99	$37.50	IronWolf Pro 12TB	$249.99	$20.83	-44.4%
HAT5300	16TB	$579.99	$36.25	WD Red Pro 16TB	$349.99	$21.87	-39.7%
HAT5310	20TB	$719.99	$36.00	Seagate IronWolf Pro 20TB	$399.99	$20.00	-44.4%

Enterprise SAS HDDs – Synology vs Seagate Exos

Synology Model	Capacity	Synology Price	Synology $/TB	3rd Party Equivalent	3rd Party Price	$/TB	% Difference
HAS5300	8TB	$299.99	$37.50	Seagate Exos 7E10	$259.99	$32.50	-13.3%
HAS5300	16TB	$699.99	$43.75	Seagate Exos X18	$369.99	$23.12	-47.1%
HAS5310	20TB	$829.99	$41.50	Exos X20	$499.99	$25.00	-39.8%

Enterprise SATA SSDs – Synology vs Kingston

Synology Model	Capacity	Synology Price	Synology $/TB	3rd Party Equivalent	3rd Party Price	$/TB	% Difference
SAT5221	480GB	$169.99	$354.15	Kingston DC600M	$102.99	$214.56	-39.4%
SAT5221	3.84TB	$979.99	$255.21	Kingston DC600M	$522.99	$136.20	-46.6%
SAT5210	7TB	$1859.99	$265.71	Kingston DC600M (7.68TB)	$955.99	$124.48	-48.6%

NVMe SSDs – Synology vs WD Red SN700

Synology Model	Capacity	Synology Price	Synology $/TB	3rd Party Equivalent	3rd Party Price	$/TB	% Difference
SNV3410	800GB	$269.99	$337.49	WD Red SN700 1TB	$139.99	$139.99	-48.1%
SNV3510	800GB	$299.99	$374.99	WD Red SN700 1TB	$139.99	$139.99	-53.3%

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.

NAS HDDs – Capacity, Performance, Endurance & Class Comparison

Model	Capacity Range	Max Transfer Rate	Spindle Speed	Workload	MTBF	Class
Synology HAT3300	2–6TB	202 MB/s	5400/7200 RPM	180 TB/yr	1M hrs	Entry NAS
WD Red Plus	2–14TB	260 MB/s	5400/7200 RPM	180 TB/yr	1M hrs	Entry NAS
Seagate IronWolf	2–12TB	210 MB/s	5400/7200 RPM	180 TB/yr	1M hrs	Entry NAS
Synology HAT3310	8–16TB	281 MB/s	7200 RPM	180 TB/yr	1M hrs	Entry NAS
Synology HAT5300	4–20TB	281 MB/s	7200 RPM	550 TB/yr	2.5M hrs	Prosumer
IronWolf Pro	2–24TB	285 MB/s	7200 RPM	550 TB/yr	2.5M hrs	Prosumer
WD Red Pro	2–26TB	287 MB/s	7200 RPM	550 TB/yr	2.5M hrs	Prosumer
Synology HAS5300	8–20TB	281 MB/s	7200 RPM	550 TB/yr	2.5M hrs	Enterprise SAS
Seagate Exos	12–24TB	285 MB/s	7200 RPM	550 TB/yr	2.5M hrs	Enterprise SAS

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.

SATA & NVMe SSDs – Synology vs Kingston

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.

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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
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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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Best NAS You Can Buy Right Now (Mid-2025) for Under $499

As of mid-2025, the sub-$499 NAS market is more competitive than ever, with several brands offering systems that deliver strong hardware, dedicated operating systems, and multiple drive bays within a modest budget. For home users, prosumers, and small teams looking to centralize data, manage backups, or stream media locally, this price bracket now includes options that would have cost significantly more just a few years ago. From rackmount storage appliances to compact flash-based servers, there are now choices to suit a wide variety of workloads and network environments.

This article examines five out-of-the-box NAS systems that are currently available for $499 or less. While each system takes a slightly different approach—whether prioritizing raw bandwidth, containerization, virtualization support, or software simplicity—they all represent viable solutions for users seeking value without compromising core functionality.

Important Disclaimer and Notes Before You Buy

All of the NAS systems featured in this list are diskless, meaning they do not include storage media by default. Users will need to purchase compatible 3.5″ HDDs, 2.5″ SSDs, or M.2 NVMe drives separately depending on the system’s configuration. This significantly affects the total cost of ownership, particularly for all-flash systems where NVMe drives are required. Some devices also use onboard flash or eMMC storage to house the operating system, but this is not sufficient for general file storage. Buyers should also consider the cost of drives, RAID redundancy planning, and any accessories (e.g., cables or cooling enhancements) when budgeting for deployment.

Another consideration is the variation in NAS operating systems provided. While most models come with a vendor-specific OS—such as Synology DSM, TerraMaster TOS, UGOS, or Unraid—some platforms allow or even encourage the installation of third-party alternatives like TrueNAS or Unraid without voiding hardware warranties. However, in cases where the software stack is less mature or limited in features, users may need to invest more time configuring services such as Plex, Docker, or SMB sharing manually. As such, these systems are best suited to users who are comfortable managing basic network services or are willing to explore more advanced functionality over time.

UniFi UNAS Pro 7-Bay NAS

$499 – ARM Cortex-A57 – 8GB – 7x 3.5″ SATA – 1x 10GbE SFP+, 1x 1GbE – UniFi OS – BUY HERE

The UniFi UNAS Pro is a 2U rackmount NAS solution designed primarily for high-speed, large-scale data storage. It features seven hot-swappable 2.5″/3.5″ SATA drive bays and is built around a quad-core ARM Cortex-A57 processor running at 1.7GHz, paired with 8GB of onboard DDR4 memory. Unlike general-purpose NAS systems that include container support or multimedia features, this device is focused purely on network file storage. It offers robust network connectivity with both a 10GbE SFP+ port and a 1GbE RJ45 port, making it suitable for use cases where bandwidth is a priority—such as centralized backups, archival storage, or high-volume file transfers within a UniFi-managed network.

The system is managed via UniFi’s Drive app within the UniFi OS ecosystem, and supports standard RAID configurations including RAID 0, 1, 5, and 6. Power redundancy is provided via a dual-input system—an internal 200W AC/DC PSU and support for USP-RPS DC failover. There’s also a 1.3-inch front panel touchscreen for quick diagnostics and system status at the rack. While it lacks container support, virtualization, or media server capabilities, it integrates easily with other UniFi products or can operate as a standalone storage node in a mixed environment. For users who require reliable, scalable storage with 10GbE connectivity but can forego app extensibility, the UNAS Pro represents a straightforward, hardware-driven option in the sub-$500 space.

Component	Specification
CPU	Quad-Core ARM Cortex-A57 @ 1.7GHz
Memory	8GB DDR4
Drive Bays	7x 2.5″/3.5″ SATA HDD/SSD
Networking	1x 10GbE SFP+, 1x 1GbE
Power	200W internal PSU + USP-RPS redundancy
OS	UniFi OS / Drive App
Display	1.3″ touchscreen
Form Factor	2U Rackmount
Dimensions	442 x 325 x 87 mm
Weight	9.5 kg with brackets

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UGREEN NASync DXP4800 NAS

$499 – Intel N100 – 8GB – 4x 3.5″ SATA + 2x M.2 NVMe – 2x 2.5GbE – UGOS Pro – BUY HERE

The UGREEN NASync DXP4800 is a desktop 4-bay NAS that combines hybrid storage architecture with modern I/O and a maturing proprietary OS. It is powered by an Intel N100 quad-core processor from Intel’s 12th-gen Alder Lake-N series, paired with 8GB of DDR5 memory and 32GB of onboard eMMC storage for the operating system. In addition to its four SATA bays, it includes two M.2 NVMe SSD slots, enabling users to build a fast caching tier or SSD-only volumes for improved application performance. Network connectivity includes dual 2.5GbE LAN ports, and the system supports link aggregation for higher throughput or failover scenarios.

On the software side, the unit runs UGOS Pro, UGREEN’s in-house NAS operating system. It includes support for RAID 0/1/5/6/10, Docker containers, Plex, remote access, and cloud sync tools. While UGOS is less mature than systems like DSM or TrueNAS, it has improved over successive updates and includes a clean web UI for file sharing, snapshots, and media streaming. Front and rear USB 3.2 ports (including USB-C) and an SD 3.0 card reader add to its usability for media professionals. For users who prefer a GUI-based setup with broad feature support and hybrid storage flexibility, the DXP4800 offers substantial value in the under-$500 bracket—especially when discounted.

Component	Specification
CPU	Intel N100 (4 cores, up to 3.4GHz)
Memory	8GB DDR5 (upgradable to 16GB)
Drive Bays	4x SATA (3.5″/2.5″) + 2x M.2 NVMe
Networking	2x 2.5GbE LAN
Ports	1x USB-C (10Gbps), 2x USB-A, SD Card Reader
Video Output	1x HDMI (4K)
OS	UGOS Pro
Power Consumption	35.18W (access), 15.43W (hibernation)
Dimensions	257 x 178 x 178 mm (approx.)

LincStation N2 NAS

$399 – Intel N100 – 16GB – 2x 2.5″ SATA + 4x M.2 NVMe – 1x 10GbE – Unraid OS – BUY HERE

The LincStation N2 is a compact, all-SSD NAS that delivers a high-performance spec sheet at a relatively low price. Powered by an Intel N100 processor and equipped with 16GB of LPDDR5 memory, it supports a mix of two 2.5″ SATA SSDs and four M.2 2280 NVMe drives. This six-bay design—entirely SSD-based—is geared toward users who require faster IOPS, quieter operation, and lower power draw than traditional hard drive-based systems. Network connectivity is handled by a single 10GbE RJ45 port, a rare inclusion in this price bracket and especially valuable for direct workstation or multi-client environments.

The device ships with an Unraid Starter license pre-installed, giving users access to advanced features like Docker container support, virtual machines, hardware passthrough, and flexible storage management. While Unraid requires some learning curve for new users, it offers a high degree of customization and adaptability compared with fixed software stacks. The system also includes HDMI output, USB-C, USB 3.2, and multiple USB 2.0 ports, making it suitable for use as a lightweight home server or media workstation. For users prioritizing SSD storage, 10GbE, and virtualization support, the LincStation N2 delivers a capable platform that’s uncommon at this price point.

TerraMaster F4 SSD NAS

$399 – Intel N95 – 8GB – 4x M.2 NVMe – 1x 5GbE – TOS (TerraMaster OS) – BUY HERE

The TerraMaster F4 SSD is a 4-bay, all-flash NAS designed for high-speed home storage, media streaming, and photo management. It is equipped with an Intel N95 processor, an entry-level quad-core CPU from Intel’s Alder Lake-N family, and 8GB of DDR5 memory via a single SODIMM module. Storage is handled via four M.2 NVMe slots: two operating at PCIe 3.0 x2 speeds and two at PCIe 3.0 x1. These are designed for SSDs only—no support for SATA drives is provided. On the network side, the unit includes a single 5GbE port, offering a higher single-link bandwidth than systems using dual 2.5GbE, and can be directly connected to 10GbE networks at reduced speeds.

The system runs TerraMaster’s TOS operating system, which supports multimedia applications like Plex and Emby, cloud sync, photo AI tagging, user account control, and flexible backup solutions. TOS includes support for Btrfs and TRAID (TerraMaster RAID), along with remote access features and mobile apps for file synchronization and photo uploads. With three high-speed USB ports (2x Type-A and 1x Type-C), HDMI output, and low-noise fan operation (~19 dB), the F4 SSD targets users looking for a quieter, flash-based NAS for home environments. It lacks 2.5″/3.5″ bay support but offers fast SSD performance in a small form factor with minimal configuration requirements.

Synology DiskStation DS425+ NAS

$499 – Intel Celeron J4125 – 2GB – 4x 3.5″ SATA + 2x M.2 NVMe – 1x 2.5GbE, 1x 1GbE – DSM 7.x – BUY HERE

The Synology DS425+ is a 4-bay NAS designed to serve as an entry point into Synology’s DSM ecosystem, offering a balance between hardware efficiency and access to a mature, enterprise-grade operating system. It runs on the Intel Celeron J4125 processor, a quad-core chip with a base frequency of 2.0GHz and a burst frequency of 2.7GHz. The system ships with 2GB of DDR4 non-ECC memory, expandable up to 6GB, and supports both 3.5″/2.5″ SATA drives and two M.2 NVMe SSDs for caching or storage volumes. For networking, it includes one 2.5GbE port and one standard 1GbE port, giving users some flexibility depending on their switching infrastructure.

DSM (DiskStation Manager) remains one of the most advanced NAS operating systems available, offering built-in apps for file management, media streaming, surveillance, and virtualization. Synology Hybrid RAID (SHR) is supported for flexible storage management, along with Btrfs file system benefits such as snapshots and data integrity checks. The DS425+ is part of Synology’s 2025 refresh lineup, which enforces stricter compatibility with Synology-branded drives. Users should confirm drive support in advance, particularly if planning to reuse existing disks. Despite these limitations, for users seeking reliability, security features, and long-term OS support, the DS425+ remains a strong choice at the $499 price point.

The NAS market under $499 in mid-2025 presents a broad spectrum of options tailored to different storage priorities and technical requirements. Whether you’re looking for high-capacity traditional RAID storage, SSD-focused performance, or a feature-rich operating system, there are viable choices within this price bracket. The UniFi UNAS Pro stands out as a pure storage appliance with 10GbE connectivity and seven bays, suited for high-throughput archival or backup scenarios. Meanwhile, the UGREEN DXP4800 and LincStation N2 offer hybrid and full-flash storage respectively, with both systems supporting modern features like Docker, virtualization, and optional third-party OS deployment. For those focused on user-friendly software ecosystems and long-term support, Synology’s DS425+ remains a leading contender, albeit with stricter drive compatibility requirements. On the other hand, the TerraMaster F4 SSD delivers compact all-SSD storage with high-speed 5GbE networking and a growing feature set in TOS, including AI photo management and multimedia tools. All five models require user-supplied storage media and, in some cases, benefit from user familiarity with setup or configuration processes. Ultimately, the best choice depends on how much weight you place on performance, expandability, software polish, and overall system control within this tightly priced segment.

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Best NAS You Can Buy Right Now (Mid-2025) for Under $249

As personal data storage needs continue to grow in 2025, more users are seeking cost-effective alternatives to cloud services and monthly subscription platforms. Whether you’re backing up years of photos, hosting your own video library, or managing light business data locally, a dedicated NAS (Network Attached Storage) device offers greater privacy and control without recurring fees. Fortunately, the sub-$249 price point now includes a variety of surprisingly capable systems. Thanks to developments in low-power processors, DDR5 memory adoption, and more efficient operating systems, these devices can now handle everything from Plex streaming to light container workloads with relative ease. In this article, we explore five NAS solutions currently available at or below this price point, offering a balance of performance, connectivity, and storage potential for those looking to build their own storage solution on a modest budget.

Important Disclaimer and Notes Before You Buy!

Before diving into the specific NAS models, it’s important to understand the limitations and shared characteristics of devices in this price range. Most sub-$249 NAS units do not include any hard drives or SSDs, and many rely on M.2 NVMe slots or 2.5″/3.5″ SATA bays that must be populated separately. Some models ship with basic onboard storage (e.g., 32GB–64GB eMMC) sufficient only for the operating system. As such, the actual cost of getting a fully operational NAS with adequate storage for your needs may exceed the base unit price. Buyers should also be aware that these devices are best suited for home users, personal cloud use, and entry-level tasks, rather than intensive business or enterprise workloads. Additionally, several of the devices covered in this list do not come with a full-featured NAS operating system. Instead, they either rely on lightweight Linux-based platforms like CasaOS or ZimaOS, or they provide a basic UI designed for local file access and container management. While these OS options are improving in terms of user-friendliness, they may lack advanced features like comprehensive RAID management, automated snapshots, or multi-user file permission systems found in higher-end platforms like Synology DSM or TrueNAS. These NAS units are most appropriate for users with some technical confidence, or for those looking for a basic plug-and-play setup with limited customization needs.

Beelink ME Mini NAS – 6 Bay SSD NAS

$209 – Intel N150 – 12GB – No SSD (64GB eMMC Only) – 2x 2.5GbE + WiFi 6 – No OS / User Install – BUY HERE

The Beelink ME Mini is a compact NAS device aimed at users who want high-speed, SSD-based storage in a minimal footprint. Measuring just 99mm on each side, it features six M.2 2280 NVMe slots, providing up to 24TB of total capacity when fully populated. Powered by the Intel N150 processor and paired with 12GB of LPDDR5 memory, it offers a decent balance between performance and energy efficiency. Connectivity is handled via dual 2.5GbE LAN ports, WiFi 6, and Bluetooth 5.2, making it suitable for both wired and wireless environments. The unit is cooled passively and contains an integrated power supply, reducing cable clutter and making it ideal for placement in home media setups or small offices.

However, the device does not include an operating system, and users will need to install a preferred NAS OS themselves — whether that’s CasaOS, Ubuntu Server, or something container-based. There’s also no bundled storage beyond the 64GB eMMC system partition, so the overall cost will rise depending on your NVMe selections. It lacks support for traditional 3.5″ or 2.5″ SATA drives, making this NAS most suitable for users seeking a quiet, SSD-only setup with strong networking performance and flexibility for custom OS installation.

GMKTec G9 NAS – 4 Bay M.2 NAS @ The lowest Price

$185.99 – Intel N150 – 12GB – No SSD (64GB eMMC Only) – 2x 2.5GbE + WiFi 6 – Ubuntu 24.10 (Preloaded, Switchable) – BUY HERE

The GMKTec G9 offers similar internal hardware to the Beelink ME Mini, including the same Intel N150 processor and 12GB of LPDDR5 memory, but with a more rectangular chassis and fewer SSD slots — four instead of six. The system includes 64GB of onboard eMMC storage, primarily used for booting Ubuntu 24.10, with the option to dual-boot into Windows 11 if a suitable SSD is installed. Like the Beelink, it lacks traditional SATA support and focuses on high-speed NVMe storage via M.2 2280 slots, up to 4TB per drive. The unit is cooled actively and includes dual HDMI outputs, making it more appealing for those who may want to use it as a lightweight desktop or media output device in addition to a NAS.

One of the notable differences is its broader OS support and better I/O variety, including three USB 3.2 ports and a DisplayPort-capable USB-C connector. This NAS is best suited to users looking for a more configurable or multi-purpose system with better visual output options. However, as with the Beelink, users must add their own NVMe storage, and setup requires a basic understanding of system boot configuration and OS installation. Note – this one GETS HOT, so get SSD heatsinks and ensure a good active airflow wherever you deploy it!

Synology BeeStation 4TB NAS – ALL IN ONE!

$199 – Realtek RTD1619B – 1GB – 4TB SINGLE BAY – 1x 1GbE – BeeStation Manager (BSM) – BUY HERE

The Synology BeeStation 4TB is a fully integrated, single-bay NAS aimed squarely at users who want a no-setup-required solution. Unlike most NAS devices in this price range, it comes pre-configured with a 4TB internal hard drive and a sealed chassis, meaning users don’t need to source or install any storage themselves. It runs on a Realtek RTD1619B ARM-based processor, includes 1GB of DDR4 memory, and connects over a single 1GbE port. The included BeeStation Manager (BSM) OS is designed specifically for beginners, offering cloud-style file access, photo management, and mobile app integration with minimal technical effort.

This NAS is best suited to individuals or households that want a simple local backup and file-sharing solution that behaves more like a smart external hard drive than a customizable NAS. It supports basic multimedia functions, Synology mobile apps, and remote access features, but does not allow for internal expansion or RAID redundancy. The included USB-A and USB-C ports can be used for manual backups to external drives. However, because it’s a sealed single-drive unit with no RAID options, users should plan to back up to another location—either cloud or USB—to ensure data protection. Despite these limitations, its all-in-one design, 3-year warranty, and simple user experience make it one of the few truly plug-and-play NAS systems under $250.

UGREEN NASync DXP2800 NAS – The New Challenger!

$249 – Intel N100 – 8GB – No Storage (32GB eMMC) – 1x 2.5GbE – UGOS Pro – BUY HERE

The UGREEN DXP2800 is part of the company’s NASync lineup, aimed at users who want a blend of expandability and affordability. It combines the practicality of traditional HDD storage with the performance benefits of SSDs, offering two 3.5″ SATA bays alongside two M.2 NVMe SSD slots for faster caching or active data operations. At the heart of the system is an Intel N100 processor, a 12th-generation quad-core chip from Intel’s energy-efficient N-series lineup, which supports both basic virtualization and multimedia streaming. This is paired with 8GB of DDR5 memory, non-ECC but upgradable, and a 32GB eMMC used solely for the preloaded UGOS Pro operating system. Connectivity is handled through a single 2.5GbE LAN port and a mix of USB ports on both front and rear panels — including USB-C and 10Gbps-capable USB-A. UGOS Pro, while relatively new, features a clean web-based interface with container support, RAID management (0, 1, JBOD), remote file sharing, and basic multimedia services.

While it lacks the ecosystem polish of Synology DSM or QNAP QTS, it is one of the few turnkey options in this price range that supports both SSD and HDD usage in a flexible, non-proprietary layout. However, buyers should still account for the need to install their own drives and configure the storage pools manually. It’s a solid balance of raw hardware potential and modest software capability for users willing to manage their setup beyond the initial boot.

ZimaBoard 2 (832 Version) – DIY Enthusiast’s DREAM!

$199 – Intel N150 – 8GB – No Storage (32GB eMMC) – 2x 2.5GbE – ZimaOS – BUY HERE

The ZimaBoard 2 (832) is a low-profile, single-board NAS platform designed for flexibility and modularity rather than out-of-the-box convenience. Unlike traditional NAS systems with enclosures and tool-less drive bays, this unit is a bare embedded board that offers direct access to interfaces for those who want to build or customize their own setup. It is powered by the same Intel N150 quad-core processor used in other compact NAS systems, paired here with 8GB of LPDDR5x memory and 32GB of onboard eMMC storage for its pre-installed ZimaOS. This board features two powered SATA 3.0 ports, making it one of the few sub-$250 NAS options that supports HDDs natively without requiring USB-to-SATA adapters or expansion modules.

In terms of connectivity, the ZimaBoard 2 includes dual 2.5GbE LAN ports, USB 3.1, a PCIe 3.0 x4 slot, and a Mini DisplayPort output supporting 4K60 video. While the PCIe slot expands potential use cases (e.g., additional networking, storage, or accelerator cards), most users will opt to use the SATA ports for reliable storage first. The board is passively cooled with a large integrated heatsink and operates silently, but thermal performance may vary based on enclosure design and ambient temperature. It is particularly well-suited to DIY users looking to build a lightweight NAS, firewall, media server, or container host. ZimaOS includes a web-based UI and supports CasaOS and Linux-based OS alternatives, but configuration still requires basic familiarity with system setup and storage configuration. It’s not intended for users looking for plug-and-play simplicity, but rather those who want total control over their NAS hardware and software environment.

Each of the NAS options presented here offers a different balance of hardware, expandability, and ease of use, while remaining under the $249 price threshold. Users who prefer pre-configured simplicity may lean toward the Synology BeeStation, while those seeking customization and SSD-focused performance might opt for the Beelink ME Mini or GMKTec G9. The UGREEN DXP2800 provides hybrid storage flexibility with a more developed software interface, and the ZimaBoard 2 appeals to technically inclined users who want complete control over their system stack. While no single device is perfect, all five represent viable paths toward local data ownership and self-hosted media or backup solutions without breaking the bank.

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Synology DS1825+ vs DS1821+ NAS Comparison – Get It Right, FIRST TIME!

When Synology releases a new NAS in its “Plus” lineup, users often expect a blend of practical improvements, long-term support, and a reasonable upgrade path from the previous generation. The Synology DS1825+ arrives in 2025 as the official successor to the 2020/2021-released DS1821+, carrying over much of the same core design while introducing selective enhancements—and a few contentious changes. Both are 8-bay desktop NAS systems targeted at advanced home users, small businesses, and content creators who need multi-user access, flexible RAID configurations, and extensive app support. However, while the DS1821+ was praised for its broad compatibility and modular connectivity, the DS1825+ adopts a more tightly controlled hardware ecosystem. In this comparison, we break down the key differences across hardware, ports, storage capabilities, DSM software features, and drive compatibility so you can decide which model truly fits your long-term needs—without second-guessing your choice later.

Synology DS1825+ vs DS1821+ NAS Comparison – Internal Hardware

At the center of both the Synology DS1821+ and DS1825+ is the AMD Ryzen V1500B processor, a 4-core, 8-thread embedded SoC with a 64-bit architecture and a base frequency of 2.2 GHz. This chip, built on the Zen architecture, offers a balance of power efficiency and multi-threaded performance suited for environments with simultaneous multi-user file access, virtual machines, and complex RAID configurations. Synology’s decision to retain the same processor in the DS1825+ reflects confidence in its reliability and capability. However, for users hoping for a jump to Zen 2 or Zen 3-based hardware, the lack of a CPU upgrade could be a disappointment—especially considering that competing vendors have started adopting newer architectures for their mid-range systems. Still, for typical NAS tasks that do not involve on-the-fly 4K video transcoding or GPU-heavy operations, the V1500B remains a stable and effective platform with AES-NI encryption support and virtualization compatibility across VMware, Hyper-V, and Docker workloads.

Thermal and power characteristics between the two systems remain largely consistent, with both featuring dual 120mm fans and an internal 250W PSU that can handle full drive loads with expansion units attached. The DS1821+ and DS1825+ are also nearly identical in physical size and structure, though the newer model has a slightly higher idle noise level—23.8 dB(A) versus 22.2 dB(A)—due to denser internal configuration and possibly fan speed curve adjustments. From an operational standpoint, the DS1825+ is marginally more power-efficient in idle states, consuming just 18.34W during HDD hibernation compared to 26.18W in the DS1821+. These marginal differences suggest a refinement in system tuning, although not a radical redesign. Overall, while the DS1825+ doesn’t revolutionize internal hardware, its doubled memory and subtle optimizations give it the edge for users planning to push DSM with multiple services or those who prefer an upgrade-free deployment experience.

Synology DS1825+ vs DS1821+ NAS Comparison – Ports and Connections

One of the most tangible areas of differentiation between the DS1821+ and DS1825+ lies in their external connectivity. The older DS1821+ is equipped with four 1GbE RJ-45 LAN ports, a familiar configuration that supports link aggregation and network redundancy. This setup was common in Synology’s mid-range lineup during its 2020–2022 releases, offering a total aggregated bandwidth of up to 4Gbps—assuming your switch infrastructure supports it. For many small business users, this array of ports provided simple flexibility: you could dedicate individual ports for different services or bond them for faster file transfers. However, in practice, 1GbE is increasingly becoming a limiting factor for modern workloads, especially in environments with large raw video files, database access, or multiple users performing high-speed backups.

Beyond networking, the DS1825+ introduces a notable change in expansion port design. The DS1821+ includes two eSATA ports for attaching Synology DX517 expansion units, which align with legacy expansion practices. In contrast, the DS1825+ replaces these with two USB-C-based expansion ports, designed specifically for use with the newer DX525 expansion units. While this doesn’t directly affect day-to-day operations, it signals a move toward a USB-based proprietary interface for future expansion, likely with more streamlined cabling and higher throughput potential. Additionally, the DS1825+ trims down from four USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports to three, a minor trade-off that may impact users with multiple USB-connected devices such as UPS units or backup drives. Still, for most users, the improved network and expansion standards make the DS1825+ more forward-looking, even if it reduces legacy connectivity options found on the DS1821+.

Synology DS1825+ vs DS1821+ NAS Comparison – Storage

Both the DS1821+ and DS1825+ offer eight front-facing SATA drive bays, supporting 3.5″ HDDs and 2.5″ SSDs, with hot-swappable trays for easy maintenance and upgrades. On the surface, storage capacity and configuration appear nearly identical: both models can scale up to 18 total drives using two Synology expansion units and support RAID levels including SHR, RAID 5, 6, and 10. This makes either system a viable choice for users with large datasets, whether for media, surveillance, or business-critical file hosting. However, subtle distinctions in how storage can be configured and expanded in each model make a significant difference over time.

Storage Feature	Synology DS1821+	Synology DS1825+
Drive Bays	8 × 3.5″/2.5″ SATA (hot-swappable)	8 × 3.5″/2.5″ SATA (hot-swappable)
Max Drive Bays (with Expansion)	18 (via 2 × DX517)	18 (via 2 × DX525)
M.2 NVMe Slots	2 × M.2 2280 (cache only, 3rd-party SSDs allowed)	2 × M.2 2280 (cache or storage pools, Synology-only SSDs)
Max Single Volume Size	108 TB	200 TB (requires 32 GB RAM)
Max Internal Volumes	64	32
Supported RAID Types	SHR, JBOD, RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10	SHR, JBOD, RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10
Third-Party HDD/SSD Support	Fully supported (with warnings)	Blocked at install/init if not verified
Storage Pool Creation with Unverified Drives	Allowed	Blocked
Storage Pool Expansion (Unverified Drives)	Supported	Blocked
RAID Recovery with Unverified Drives	Supported	Blocked
Hot Spare (Unverified Drives)	Supported	Blocked
Storage Manager Behavior (Unverified Drives)	Warnings shown, but system fully functional	Persistent alerts, some functions disabled

The DS1825+ supports storage pools using its two internal M.2 NVMe slots, something the DS1821+ does not. On the older model, those slots are limited strictly to SSD caching, and even then, Synology allowed users to use third-party NVMe drives for read/write acceleration. In the DS1825+, Synology enables users to form full storage pools using M.2 SSDs—but only if those SSDs are from Synology’s own SNV3400 or SNV3410 series. This adds flexibility in theory, especially for users interested in all-flash configurations or high-speed tiers, but restricts user choice in practice. The DS1821+ offers more freedom in selecting SSDs and hard drives, with only non-blocking warning messages when using unverified models, while the DS1825+ actively blocks storage pool creation and system initialization with unlisted drives.

This tightening of compatibility extends into pool expansion, RAID rebuilds, and even hot spare assignments. In the DS1821+, users could freely mix third-party drives and expand pools over time using available or similarly specced HDDs—even those not on the official compatibility list. The DS1825+ takes a stricter approach: attempts to initialize DSM with unverified HDDs will fail, and pool expansion or RAID recovery with unsupported drives is outright blocked. While existing volumes from older NAS systems can still be migrated and booted, they will trigger persistent compatibility warnings in DSM, often with degraded system health indicators. This shift may offer Synology more control over performance validation and support consistency, but it limits flexibility for users relying on diverse or existing storage media—making the DS1821+ a better option for those with a mix-and-match approach, and the DS1825+ more suitable for fully standardized Synology deployments.

Synology DS1825+ vs DS1821+ NAS Comparison – DSM Capabilities

Both the DS1821+ and DS1825+ are powered by Synology’s DiskStation Manager (DSM) 7.2 operating system, offering access to a rich suite of applications for file management, backup, surveillance, virtualization, and cloud syncing. Core tools such as Synology Drive and Synology Photos provide a private cloud alternative to services like Google Drive or Dropbox, while packages like Hyper Backup and Active Backup for Business enable full-system and client-based data protection strategies. These services run similarly on both systems, but hardware differences can influence practical performance. For example, the DS1825+ ships with 8 GB of ECC memory by default, making it more responsive when running multiple DSM apps in parallel—such as Snapshot Replication combined with Virtual Machine Manager and Drive Client Sync. In contrast, the DS1821+ ships with 4 GB of memory, which may require an upgrade before achieving similar multitasking fluidity, especially in environments with more than a few simultaneous users.

DSM Feature / Capability	Synology DS1821+	Synology DS1825+
DSM Version	DSM 7.2+	DSM 7.2+
Max Internal Volumes	64	32 ▼ Reduced
Max Single Volume Size	108 TB	200 TB (requires 32 GB RAM) ▲ Increased
Snapshot Replication	256 per shared folder / 4,096 total system snapshots	256 per shared folder / 4,096 total system snapshots
Virtual Machine Manager (VMM)	Up to 8 VM / Virtual DSM instances	Up to 8 VM / Virtual DSM instances
Surveillance Station	Up to 40 cameras / 4K / 1,200 FPS (H.265)	Up to 40 cameras / 4K / 1,200 FPS (H.265)
Synology Drive Users	Up to 110 users ▲ Higher	Up to 100 users ▼ Lower
Synology Office Users	Up to 110 concurrent users ▲ Higher	Up to 100 concurrent users ▼ Lower
Hybrid Share Folder Support	10	10
High Availability Support	Yes	Yes
RAID Recovery (with unverified drives)	Supported	Blocked
Hot Spare / Expansion (unverified drives)	Supported	Blocked
Storage Manager (Unverified Drives)	Warnings only, system fully functional	Persistent alerts, functions blocked
M.2 NVMe Storage Pools	Not supported	Supported (Synology NVMe SSDs only)
M.2 NVMe Caching with 3rd-party SSDs	Supported	Blocked
Protocols Supported	SMB1/2/3, NFSv3/v4, FTP, WebDAV, Rsync, iSCSI, HTTP/HTTPS, LDAP	SMB1/2/3, NFSv3/v4, FTP, WebDAV, Rsync, iSCSI, HTTP/HTTPS, LDAP

Differences emerge in how each system handles volume structure and scaling. The DS1821+ supports up to 64 internal volumes, giving it an advantage in deployments where users need to segregate workloads—for instance, separating surveillance footage, shared team folders, user home directories, and VM storage into distinct volumes for quota management and performance tuning. This flexibility makes the DS1821+ better suited for educational institutions or small business IT teams who manage multiple user groups and need clear storage separation. The DS1825+, on the other hand, limits internal volumes to 32 but increases the maximum single-volume size to 200 TB (with 32 GB RAM installed). This makes it better aligned with large, contiguous workloads like uncompressed 4K video editing archives, security footage retention for legal compliance, or massive CAD/CAM datasets—all of which benefit more from fewer, larger volumes than from numerous smaller ones.

Service limits within DSM also subtly differentiate the two models. The DS1821+ is rated for up to 110 concurrent users in Synology Drive and Office, whereas the DS1825+ recommends a slightly lower threshold of 100 users. While the difference is marginal, it may reflect the DS1825+’s tighter memory tuning or more restrictive compatibility model, which now relies on verified Synology storage media for optimal performance. For example, in environments running Synology Office with real-time collaborative editing—paired with Drive, MailPlus, and external file sharing through WebDAV—the DS1821+ might offer more flexibility when loaded with third-party high-performance SSDs for caching. The DS1825+, restricted to Synology’s own SNV3400/3410 NVMe drives, demands tighter ecosystem compliance, which could affect responsiveness if storage performance becomes a bottleneck. Nonetheless, both models offer full support for advanced DSM modules like Synology High Availability, SAN Manager, and Hybrid Share, ensuring that users deploying in mission-critical environments still have access to the high-availability and hybrid cloud features that define Synology’s enterprise-ready platform.

Synology DS1825+ vs DS1821+ NAS Comparison – Conclusion

Choosing between the Synology DS1825+ and DS1821+ comes down to whether you prioritize modern hardware refinements or broader long-term flexibility. The DS1825+ introduces subtle but meaningful upgrades: faster 2.5GbE connectivity, double the base memory, and NVMe storage pool support—features that clearly position it as the more forward-thinking choice for users committed to staying within the Synology ecosystem. However, these improvements come with tighter restrictions, most notably in its rigid drive compatibility policy. DSM cannot be installed unless only Synology-verified drives are used, and the system actively blocks unverified drives from being used in storage pools, RAID rebuilds, or even hot spare configurations. In contrast, the DS1821+ offers more freedom—supporting a wider range of HDDs and SSDs, allowing RAID recovery and expansion with non-Synology drives, and presenting a cleaner, less obstructive DSM experience when migrating from older hardware. While it may lack the newer model’s out-of-the-box performance gains, its open-ended architecture gives users—especially those with legacy drives or mixed environments—more breathing room. For users building a NAS from scratch and willing to adopt Synology’s closed hardware ecosystem, the DS1825+ is a capable and streamlined solution. But for those looking to extend the life of existing hardware or retain control over their storage media choices, the DS1821+ remains the more versatile and user-friendly option.

Aspect	Synology DS1821+	Synology DS1825+
Pros	– Full support for 3rd-party drives (HDDs & SSDs)	– Higher default RAM (8 GB ECC pre-installed)
	– Supports RAID recovery, expansion, and hot spares with unverified drives	– 2.5GbE networking (faster out-of-the-box performance)
	– More flexible for DIY and legacy system migrations	– NVMe storage pool support (Synology SSDs only)
	– Supports more internal volumes (up to 64)	– USB-C expansion ports with newer DX525 units
	– Better choice for mixed-brand or cost-conscious deployments	– Improved volume scaling (up to 200TB per volume with RAM upgrade)
Cons	– Older network setup (1GbE x4, slower unless aggregated)	– Strict drive compatibility enforcement (Synology-only drives required)
	– No NVMe storage pool support	– Blocks DSM install with unverified drives
	– Lower default memory (4 GB, upgrade likely needed for advanced workloads)	– Fewer internal volumes supported (32 max)
		– Persistent system warnings when migrating existing arrays with non-Synology drives
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This description contains links to Amazon. These links will take you to some of the products mentioned in today's content. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Visit the NASCompares Deal Finder to find the best place to buy this device in your region, based on Service, Support and Reputation - Just Search for your NAS Drive in the Box Below

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If you like this service, please consider supporting us. We use affiliate links on the blog allowing NAScompares information and advice service to be free of charge to you.Anything you purchase on the day you click on our links will generate a small commission which isused to run the website. Here is a link for Amazon and B&H.You can also get me a Ko-fi or old school Paypal. Thanks!To find out more about how to support this advice service check HEREIf you need to fix or configure a NAS, check Fiver Have you thought about helping others with your knowledge? Find Instructions Here  

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If Not Synology? Which Other NAS Brand Should You Choose?

It’s an odd question, but with Synology arguably making some rather higher business and enterprise decisions in recent years, there have been increasing queries about who would fill the void if they moved onwards and upwards. As Synology holds such a powerful position in the NAS market, their absence would certainly lead to quite the battle of strength from other players. The obvious answer would be QNAP, a brand that has a similar history to Synology (over two decades in the business, Taiwan-based, in-house OS, numerous 1st-party tools, home and business solutions, etc.), but in 2025, the reality is nowhere near as clear-cut. Younger established brands that have jockeyed for 3rd position, such as Asustor and Terramaster, have been challenged by several startups (ZimaCube and Zimaboard 2, Orico’s Cyberdata Vault, to name just two) entering the fray, as well as established brands like UGREEN, which are expanding their business into the NAS sector. If Synology, for whatever reason, ceased to occupy this important user class of private turnkey server ownership, who would be best placed to occupy it?

How, Where and Why Has Synology Changed?

Synology’s rapid change in business stance to be more enterprise/hyperscale-focused comes at the same time as their frequency of more entry-level, small business, prosumer, and enthusiast solutions has dropped. The regularity of smaller 2-Bay and 4-Bay solutions has noticeably decreased, and the hardware they feature has changed to accommodate more business-type use. This by no means suggests that the brand is making moves to exit these user groups (indeed, support of DSM and the latest revision DSM 7.2.2 extends to all existing users up to many systems released in the late 2010s). However, there has been plenty of user outcry from existing users and potential customers on the architecture of both DSM and the recent releases that exacerbate users to move away from the brand and spend their allocated budgets elsewhere. Synology still comfortably sits ahead of its competitors in terms of software, features, and the UX of their platform, but many changes in policy and support mentioned below have started this trend:

• Changes in 3rd-party HDD compatibility on systems above the 8-Bay scale, prioritizing their own 1st-party labeled HDDs and SSDs, as well as reducing the presentation and compatibility listings on their site significantly.
• Changes in the choice of internal hardware featured in their systems to be more focused on business file processes and less on multimedia use.
• Comparatively smaller increases in base hardware between refreshes of individual series (e.g., J4125 and V1500B CPUs in 2024 launch devices, despite first appearing in 2019/2020).
• Considerable increased focus on software enhancements over hardware (not a bad thing, but an undeniable fact).
• Increased proprietary hardware support over 3rd-party (e.g., Synology-only Memory modules, custom 10GbE adapters like the E10G22-T1, Synology-only M.2 SSDs for Pool Use).
• An increasing number of cloud subscription services getting newer features, while local services remain secure and stable but static.
• New product focus shifting towards newer larger-scale solutions like the evolving GridStation series, Active Protect subscription system, and C2 innovations.
• The predicted elimination of the J entry-level series in favor of the pre-populated and software-streamlined BeeStation.

All of the above are small factors in themselves, but add them all up, and you see small but important stepping stones toward a gear shift in Synology’s target demographic. So, if Synology were to intentionally or inadvertently begin to move outside of these user groups of home, small business, and enthusiast, who stands to fill this space and grow?

QNAP vs Synology?

As mentioned earlier, QNAP stands to be the most likely contender to fill this space. With over 20 years of history, a larger range of hardware solutions than Synology, and software that does pretty much everything Synology’s does, they have been consistent competitors. However, inconsistencies in user experience, conflicting UIs, and a tendency to try to do “too much” have resulted in their losing ground to Synology in terms of software. Add to this the negative brand impact of security incidents in 2020-2022, which tarnished their reputation around security and safety, requiring serious improvement. To the brand’s credit, they have made considerable internal culture changes on this subject, adding bounty programs, tightening system defaults, increasing pen testing, introducing several system security scanning tools, disabling things like SSH and admin super user accounts as standard, and more.

Value Series	Best All Rounder	Prosumer NAS
TS-233 2-Bay NAS	TS-464 4-Bay NAS	TVS-h874 8-Bay NAS
$189 on Amazon (Check Here)	$549 on Amazon (Check Here)	$2499 on Amazon (Check Here)

In terms of hardware, they have mostly stuck to what works, refreshing existing product families at the same rate of 2.5-3 years for desktop small-medium scale, and 3-5 years for larger scale. They have also introduced significantly more recent CPUs from both Intel and AMD, as well as 2.5GbE as standard on their solutions at the same price point as 1GbE. If it weren’t for the damaging brand harm caused by the Deadbolt/QSnatch/Qlocker ransomware attacks, I think Synology would have been significantly challenged by QNAP in the last 2-3 years across all fronts. However, the setback to QNAP’s reputation reduced this growth potential significantly, and in the last two years, we have seen an increasing number of new names pop up in NAS that have also harmed QNAP’s appeal to users in terms of hardware value, the thing they could always be relied upon to beat Synology on. QNAP would still stand to become the ‘top dog’ in the event of a Synology exit (Synexit?) from the low-to-medium tiers of NAS storage, but many new players have entered the field, such as…

UGREEN vs QNAP?

Largely known for their power adapters and PC accessories, a year ago UGREEN had practically no real presence in the world of NAS. They had a smaller scale and more entry-level range of solutions that were limited to the East, but aside from that, they were complete outsiders. Fast forward to now, and following a successful and well-marketed Kickstarter campaign that raised millions of dollars, they are now a provider of genuinely impressive turnkey NAS solutions—the NASync series. The key word there is “turnkey”, as in they are providing both the hardware and the software. They could have just rolled out their hardware and made it OS-free (i.e., “Here’s a ready-built server, now go install UnRAID or TrueNAS”), but instead, they opted to produce and include an impressively responsive NAS OS in UGOS. Genuinely challenging the feature set of the likes of Asustor and Terramaster, as well as the design of Synology and the hardware level of QNAP, UGREEN has made a rapidly growing name for itself in the small-to-medium NAS sector.

Value Series	Best All Rounder	Prosumer NAS
DXP2800 2-Bay NAS	DXP4800 PLUS 4-Bay NAS	DXP8800 PLUS 8-Bay NAS
$399 on Amazon (Check Here)	$699 on Amazon (Check Here)	$1499 on Amazon (Check Here)

They definitely lack the range of solutions that those other brands offer, with only 6 solutions currently available (the DXP2800, DXP4800/PLUS, DXP6680, DXP8800, and DXP480T), and no rackmount solutions yet, but it’s a solid start. Equally, their software, although fluid and responsive in nailing down the NAS fundamentals, lacks many of the more impressive AAA+ solutions that are offered by the bigger brands. Lastly, although they raised a considerable sum during the crowdfunding, they do not have the global support, offices, or availability of their long-running NAS competitors—with solutions only being available in two regions, the US and Germany. All of these factors add up to a brand that is poised to make even bigger splashes in the years to come but is perhaps not quite ready to replace the big dog, Synology, just yet!

ASUSTOR vs Synology?

Always the bridesmaid, but never the bride, Asustor is a brand that has been around in the world of NAS in one shape or form for quite a few years. They are one of the mainstream Taiwanese brands in NAS that has always ‘been there’, but it is only in the last 4-5 years that they have been making sizable moves to take on both Synology and QNAP. One of the main ways in which they pursued this is by developing numerous features in both hardware and software that are available from their competitors individually. So features such as M.2 NVMe-focused storage systems, BTRFS support, WORM locking, 2.5GbE/5GbE support, HDMI output via a dedicated GUI, and more are features available on Synology and QNAP to some extent, but only Asustor rolls them under one brand umbrella. So, how poised are they to fill a void if Synology moved out of this space?

Well, from a hardware standpoint, Asustor is in a very good position. Them being Taiwan-based will certainly soothe concerns that have grown around Chinese companies and data storage solutions. Equally, their hardware has evolved rapidly in their last two generations to feature some genuinely unique solutions that are either specific to the platform or priced at a level that makes them genuinely competitive against DIY and BYO solutions. Systems such as the Flashstor series, Lockerstor series, and even value offerings like the Drivestor are surprisingly well equipped. They are not quite on the same level of hardware as QNAP (who have a significantly more diverse hardware portfolio), but they are fleshing it out very well.

Value Series	Best All Rounder	Prosumer NAS
Nimbustor Gen 2 2-Bay NAS	Flashstor Gen 1 12-Bay NAS	Lockerstor Gen 3 8/10-Bay NAS
$369 on Amazon (Check Here)	$449-749 on Amazon (Check Here)	$1999 on Amazon (Check Here)

However, it is the software of Asustor (ADM) that is unfortunately where the brand is a little more timid. They have a NAS OS, numerous client tools for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android—and they nail down the bulk of the application fundamentals for storage management, multi-site backup handling, multimedia playback, containers, and more. But the platform lacks a few of the more AAA/desirable services, such as AI-powered photo recognition, a 1st-party VM tool, ZFS support, and ultimately is a little more reliant on 3rd-party applications to fill the gaps. They have recently countered this by officially detailing that they support users who buy Asustor hardware to go ahead and install 3rd-party NAS software like TrueNAS or UnRAID without it harming your warranty—so they know they are not leading the pack in terms of their own ADM NAS software but do make noticeable user concessions. With new hardware on the horizon in the Lockerstor Gen3 and Flashstor Gen2 (both of which see a significant bump in hardware profiles), we might see some impressive moves from Asustor in 2025. I just think they still have some ways to go before they can fill any potential void that Synology might leave.

TERRAMASTER vs Synology?

Terramaster has been jockeying for the NAS 3rd place spot with Asustor for well over a decade at this point, and much like their opponent, they have been good at integrating individual features from both QNAP and Synology into their own NAS hardware and TOS platform, but to a larger degree than Asustor. For example, their OS provides largely everything that Asustor ADM does (including TrueNAS/UnRAID support without voiding your warranty) but adds to this with an AI photo recognition platform, their own VM tool, and an impressive Isolation Mode that can sever the system at the click of a button from remote access, 3rd-party PHP, and any external requests (necessitating a restart to disable). However, as this brand is a Chinese brand, there will always be question marks raised by users about how this system compares with Taiwanese-based systems. This is a little unfair, given that Terramaster, Asustor, and QNAP were all successfully hit by the same ransomware attack (Deadbolt) a few years back, so there was plenty of ‘vulnerability’ to spread around!

In terms of hardware, Terramaster has been making some impressive and aggressive strides in this area—with the recent launch of their 3-part F4-424 Intel NAS series (Standard, Pro, and MAX), the release of two 8-bay M.2 NVMe 10GbE equipped systems (the F8 PLUS and F8 SSD PLUS), and new desktop and rackmounts hot on their heels. They have also scaled up the design to better improve cooling, efficiency, and just general visual appeal.

Value Series	Best All Rounder	Prosumer NAS
F2-424 2-Bay NAS	F4-424 Max 4-Bay NAS	T9-500 Pro 9-Bay NAS
$369 on Amazon (Check Here)	$819 on Amazon (Check Here)	$1499 on Amazon (Check Here)

However, much like Asustor, their software is just not able to challenge the standard that Synology has set. For buyers looking for smooth and easy utilization like Synology, Terramaster’s TOS has the danger of feeling a little clunky. Their latest release, TOS6, brings new features, software standards, and design to the mix, but it lacks the range of mobile applications, desktop client tools, and consistent UX/presentation that Synology seems to do so well. Terramaster is a fantastic value-for-money choice, and I would argue they have significantly scaled up the level of hardware and software utility they provide year on year. But they still have a way to go before they can hit the same notes as Synology DSM yet.

WD / Netgear vs Synology?

This is a pretty short one! The answer is no! Both WD and Netgear have regularly reduced their hardware ranges and the frequency of software updates these last few years, and although there are a decent range of business file server systems still being released, the general home/enthusiast/prosumer level of hardware is pretty poor and uninteresting compared to everyone else on this list so far. I cannot help but get the feeling that, aside from some basic backup NAS systems that are still listed at the majority of retailers, the bulk of their range has been in circulation for 5-6 years now without any refresh in sight. For basic target file/folder storage, these systems still provide some limited modern NAS utility, but overall, they are a fairly weak alternative to Synology’s offerings in 2025.

A UniFi NAS?

With increased mentions and leaks online towards a potential NAS in the works from UniFi, this could be a very credible alternative to Synology in terms of software UX and presentation. UniFi, and its incredibly user-friendly UX featured on their Switch, Router, NVR, and Dream Machine combination systems, is where UniFi shines. No doubt any UniFi NAS solution would need to similarly blend into their ecosystem to the same degree. That said, if they were to launch a system, all their experience in the fields of network management, router security, and surveillance systems might not necessarily translate into a similar pedigree in network-attached storage. It’s hard to discuss how or if UniFi could fill any market space that a potential Synology absence would create, as they do not have any systems out in the market to make an informed decision. This is for the “To Be Continued…” pile!

Drobo vs Synology?

No…just…no. See Video Below:

IceWhale / ZimaCube

This is a very interesting one. 2023 and 2024 saw several companies arrive in the turnkey NAS space via the crowdfunding route (we already discussed UGREEN as the biggest example), wanting to break into the market. However, IceWhale benefits from having already launched two previous successfully fulfilled campaigns and is just completing their third one with the ZimaCube NAS system. Arriving with the lightweight containerized platform Zima OS (a modified version of their existing Casa OS), this new series is pretty impressive for its scale and price point at launch. Add to that the significantly unique design, impressive use of 10GbE and Thunderbolt over IP, and a 6x HDD / 4x NVMe system in a compact case, and you can see why they have made a fairly significant splash for a brand that is comparatively unheard of compared to Synology, QNAP, etc.

However, as robust as their range of solutions is (ZimaBoard, ZimaBlade, and ZimaCube), the software is still very rudimentary compared to the bulk of other browser GUI and more “operating system”-stylized UX. There are virtually no client applications, except for their own system search and connection client tools. An eventual successor to Synology, if they moved upwards toward bigger and more business-oriented solutions, would need to hit the software functionality and user experience exceedingly early and exceedingly well.

Mini PC Brands – Lincplus, Aoostar, etc.

This is an odd one. There have been a large number of solutions appearing on sites such as AliExpress that arrive as “OS-Free” services, allowing a user to get a pre-built NAS hardware solution (i.e., no need to build one yourself, which takes longer and requires a degree of technical understanding). The end user can then choose to install popular and well-established solutions like TrueNAS, UnRAID, OpenMediaVault, and more.

Value Option	Best All Rounder	SSD Focused NAS
Aoostar WTR Pro 4-Bay NAS	Minsiforum MS-01 3/6-Bay NAS	Lincplus Lincstation N1 6-Bay NAS
$399-799 on Amazon (Check Here)	$399 on Amazon (Check Here)	$399 on Amazon (Check Here)

This serves as an impressively economical solution and has significantly grown in popularity in 2023/2024, but these 3rd-party software platforms lack a lot of the ease of use and quality of life client tools for modern devices that Synology features. Indeed, despite efforts like UnRAID 7 making its day-to-day use much easier, and TrueNAS working with HexOS for a more user-friendly output, these still pale in comparison to DSM and will also require a greater degree of technical user input in the long term to maintain stability, versus Synology’s rather more “it takes care of itself” design.

Synology vs EVERYONE ELSE – Conclusion and Verdict

If Synology were to leave the home/enthusiast/prosumer/small business tier very soon, I do think QNAP would stand to reoccupy this ground. However, give it 2-3 years, and I do think players like Terramaster, Asustor, and yes—even UGREEN—are poised to give QNAP some serious consumer competition. No doubt Synology is still keeping an eye on their competition (big and small) and would not willingly or easily give up this sector without a fight. However, there is no denying that the turnkey NAS industry is no longer the 2-3 horse race it was just five years ago!

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Synology (Finally) Reveals Managed PoE 10GbE Switches – The PS Series

At Computex 2025, Synology formally unveiled its new PS Series of PoE switches—marking the company’s first venture into dedicated network switching hardware. Designed specifically for surveillance environments, these switches are not meant to replace general-purpose managed switches, but rather to complement Synology’s Surveillance Station ecosystem. The lineup includes three models: the high-capacity PS2600+, the compact PS1000+, and the entry-level PS500. Each model is tailored for powering PoE cameras and streamlining IP surveillance setups, with features like centralized control through Surveillance Station and fanless operation. While this launch addresses a long-standing gap in Synology’s ecosystem, it is clear that these devices are intended for a niche surveillance role rather than enterprise-wide or enthusiast-grade switching solutions.

Why is a Synology Switch so Highly Demanded? And Why is This Not Quite What Everyone Wanted?

For years, users of Synology’s NAS and surveillance solutions have speculated about the company expanding into networking hardware, particularly switches. Given Synology’s existing ecosystem of NAS units, cameras, routers, and software like Surveillance Station and SRM, a managed PoE switch seemed like the logical next step to unify its offerings under a single, tightly integrated platform. Many envisioned a Synology switch that could serve not just surveillance but also general-purpose networking, VLAN management, and broader SMB/enterprise deployments—effectively competing with established names like Ubiquiti, Netgear, or QNAP.

However, the PS Series unveiled at Computex 2025 diverges from that expectation. The PS2600+ and PS1000+ are exclusively intended for use with Synology’s Surveillance Station, lacking broader Layer 3 management tools outside of this context. Meanwhile, the PS500 is a basic, unmanaged unit aimed more at simple deployments than network optimization. There are no bundled camera licenses, limited software extensibility, and no SRM integration. As a result, while these switches will likely appeal to users looking for a seamless Synology surveillance setup, they fall short of the more versatile, all-encompassing switch that many long-time Synology users were hoping for.

Synology PS2600+ 26 Port L2+ Managed PoE Switch

The PS2600+ is the flagship switch in Synology’s new lineup, featuring 24 PoE+ ports and 2 additional 10GbE SFP+ uplink ports. Designed for rackmount or desktop use, the PS2600+ is completely fanless, making it suitable for noise-sensitive environments. It delivers a total PoE power budget of 185W, allowing it to power multiple IP cameras, particularly in larger surveillance setups. It is fully managed and integrates directly with Synology’s Surveillance Station for centralized control, including power management, port diagnostics, and network topology mapping.

In terms of network performance, the PS2600+ offers a switching bandwidth of 88 Gbps and a forwarding rate of 65.47 Mpps. It supports Layer 2+ features, including inter-VLAN routing and DHCP server capabilities, allowing it to segment and route traffic in more complex surveillance deployments. However, its software integration is limited exclusively to Surveillance Station, and it lacks any compatibility with Synology’s SRM (Router OS) or general-purpose network management tools. It is best suited for installations where the switch, NAS, and cameras are all part of a single, unified Synology surveillance environment.

Synology PS500 5 Port Unmanaged PoE Switch

The PS500 is the most basic model in Synology’s PS Series and is designed primarily for entry-level surveillance setups. It offers a total of five ports, four of which support PoE+ for powering IP cameras or other devices. Unlike the other models, the PS500 is completely unmanaged—there is no software-based configuration, no VLAN support, and no integration with Surveillance Station CMS. It is intended for plug-and-play functionality, making it suitable for simple installations where centralized management is not required.

Despite its simplicity, the PS500 still delivers up to 60W of total PoE power and supports jumbo frames up to 9000 bytes. It is passively cooled and uses an external power supply, emphasizing its role as a compact, low-maintenance switch for desktop or wall-mounted deployments. While it doesn’t offer the flexibility or control of the PS2600+ or PS1000+, it fills a gap for users seeking a straightforward power delivery solution for small-scale IP camera installations.

Synology PS1000+ 10 Port L2+ Managed PoE Switch

The PS1000+ serves as the mid-range offering in Synology’s PS Series, targeting smaller surveillance deployments that still benefit from centralized management. It includes 8 PoE+ RJ45 ports and 2 standard 1GbE SFP ports for uplink or fiber connectivity. Like the PS2600+, this model is fanless and supports both rackmount and desktop installations. It offers a total PoE power budget of 65W, which is sufficient for a modest number of IP cameras or access points in home or SMB setups.

From a network performance standpoint, the PS1000+ provides 20 Gbps of switching bandwidth and a forwarding rate of 14.88 Mpps. It also supports VLANs, static routing, and DHCP services, and is managed entirely through Synology’s Surveillance Station interface. Its role is clearly focused—bridging NAS units and IP cameras under one platform, without offering broader Layer 3 functionality or third-party network integration. For users with Synology NAS-based NVR setups and fewer cameras, the PS1000+ provides a compact, low-noise, managed switch option.

Synology PS Series Switches, Conclusion and Verdict

Synology’s entry into the network switch market with the PS Series marks a significant, though narrowly focused, expansion of its surveillance ecosystem. These switches are clearly designed with Surveillance Station users in mind, offering streamlined power and network management for PoE camera deployments. While the PS2600+ and PS1000+ provide useful managed features for larger and mid-sized surveillance environments, and the PS500 delivers a simple plug-and-play option, none of these models address general networking needs outside of Synology’s surveillance scope. For those seeking a unified Synology environment for NVR deployments, these switches may be a welcome addition—but broader adoption will likely remain limited until Synology delivers more versatile, multi-role networking solutions.

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Synology Launches RS2825RP+ RackStation NAS for Business Deployments

As Synology continue its large-scale refresh of its solution portfolio, it is finally time to start talking about rackmount solutions! Although many were waiting on the RS1225+, it looks like the brand wants to ‘go big’ with the Synology RS2825RP+ 16 Bay, expandable 10GbE equipped and 25G Ready server solution. Arriving in the PLUS series, and therefore subject to the recent hardline storage media verification changes made by the brand for the 2025 series and onwards, the RS2825RP+ is clearly a very, very different solution and therefore perhaps reaching a target audience who are more receptive to it (maybe). Synology have a phenomenal history when it comes to their rackmount series – for many years it was just the rackstation series – but eventually we saw the UC, SA, FS and XS arrives.. which in turn is now rolling towards the enterprise challengers such as the Active Protect DP devices, the Gridstation (GS) devices and even a long desired and promised NVMe Flash series (the PAS range). So, PLUS series devices like the RS2825RP+ are occupying an increasingly squeezed area of the portfolio where buyers want comparatively affordable, scalable and capable storage. The changes by the brand on drive media support and verification do undercut this somewhat, so with that in mind, what has this new 3U Rackmount got to offer you in 2025 that makes it deserved your money and your data?

The Synology RS2825RP+ is equipped with an AMD Ryzen V1780B processor, offering a quad-core architecture with base and boost clocks of 3.35 GHz and 3.6 GHz, respectively. Designed for enterprise-grade workloads, the system includes 8 GB of ECC DDR4 memory in a single module configuration, which can be expanded up to 32 GB via two available slots. The rackmount chassis conforms to a 3U form factor and houses 16 front-accessible drive bays, supporting both 3.5” and 2.5” SATA formats. Networking capabilities include dual 1GbE ports and a single 10GbE port for high-speed data transfer, with a PCIe Gen3 slot offering further upgrade flexibility for additional NICs or storage controllers. According to Synology’s internal benchmarks, the unit delivers up to 3,519 MB/s sequential read and 1,790 MB/s write performance, which is suitable for multi-user environments requiring fast data access and sharing.

Engineered for sustained operation in business-critical environments, the RS2825RP+ incorporates three hot-swappable fans for effective airflow and dual redundant power supplies to mitigate downtime during hardware failures. The hot-swappable drive trays support online volume management, allowing for drive replacement or expansion without system shutdown. The power input is adaptable across 100–240V AC ranges, ensuring compatibility with global power standards. The system is further enhanced by a dedicated hardware encryption engine, allowing encrypted data processing without heavily impacting performance, making it practical for organizations handling sensitive or regulated data.

On the software side, the RS2825RP+ runs Synology’s DiskStation Manager (DSM), which supports a wide suite of data protection, business productivity, and infrastructure management applications. Included without additional licensing are tools such as Synology High Availability, which enables failover between identical units to ensure service continuity, and Snapshot Replication, which offers near-instantaneous recovery points for shared folders and LUNs. Hyper Backup extends protection to remote servers and public clouds with features like deduplication, data integrity verification, and multi-versioned backup scheduling. For IT environments reliant on virtualization, DSM integrates natively with VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, Citrix, and OpenStack, with support for VMware VAAI and Windows ODX to offload and streamline storage operations.

Beyond infrastructure, DSM also serves as a collaboration platform. Synology Drive allows for real-time file synchronization across Windows, macOS, Linux, and mobile platforms, with granular permissions for enterprise-grade file governance. Users can collaborate using Synology Office, which provides a shared workspace for documents, spreadsheets, and presentations with unlimited versioning and cross-format compatibility. Communication features such as Synology Chat and Calendar are included, supporting encrypted messaging and team scheduling. Hybrid Share, an optional feature, combines on-premise access speed with cloud-based scalability, enabling multi-site deployments to efficiently manage shared files with a single global namespace.

The RS2825RP+ supports a maximum of 28 drives when paired with the RX1225RP expansion unit, enabling up to 560 TB of raw storage using currently available 20 TB drives. Storage flexibility is provided through support for Btrfs on internal volumes and a range of file systems on external devices. Multiple RAID configurations are available, including Synology Hybrid RAID, Basic, JBOD, and traditional RAID levels 0 through 10. SSD caching is supported via both SATA and M.2 NVMe SSDs, the latter requiring optional expansion cards. Volume sizes up to 200 TB are supported, although configurations exceeding 108 TB require the system to be upgraded to 32 GB of RAM, ensuring memory availability for managing large metadata and file tables.

A key constraint with the RS2825RP+ is Synology’s enforcement of verified drive compatibility. At the time of release, the system only allows initialization and full access to features when Synology-branded drives or those listed on its official compatibility list are installed. This closed ecosystem policy may limit adoption among users seeking to repurpose third-party or existing storage media. The restriction also affects advanced features such as SSD caching, drive health monitoring, and hybrid volume configurations, which are tied to Synology’s drive firmware and integration layers. The Synology RS2825RP+ offers a balanced mix of compute power, storage expandability, and data protection features suitable for centralized IT infrastructure in small to medium-sized businesses. Its high-speed throughput, enterprise-grade software suite, and support for virtualization and surveillance make it versatile for multiple deployment scenarios. However, organizations considering this model should weigh the implications of Synology’s drive compatibility enforcement against their existing hardware procurement policies.

Synology RS2825RP+ vs RS2821RP+ – A Significant Upgrade?

he RS2825RP+ is expected to replace the older RS2821RP+ in Synology’s 16-bay rackmount NAS lineup, and while both systems share the same 3U chassis size, drive bay count, and expansion support up to 28 bays, they diverge significantly in internal hardware. The newer model features a faster AMD Ryzen V1780B CPU with a higher base clock of 3.35 GHz (vs 2.2 GHz in the V1500B), along with 8 GB of ECC DDR4 memory pre-installed—double that of the RS2821RP+. The RS2825RP+ also includes a 10GbE port by default, something absent from the RS2821RP+, which instead comes with four 1GbE ports. While both models support PCIe expansion, the RS2825RP+ uses a newer generation processor with improved encryption offloading and virtualization potential, better suited to modern business applications with higher throughput demands.

However, the RS2821RP+ offers greater flexibility in terms of supported drive media. Although Synology recommends its own branded drives for this unit, it does not enforce the same strict hardware lock-in seen on the RS2825RP+. Users of the RS2821RP+ can utilize a broader range of 2.5” and 3.5” SATA HDDs and SSDs, including many from third-party vendors, without encountering initialization blocks or feature restrictions. This openness makes the RS2821RP+ a more attractive option for businesses with existing storage investments or those who prioritize long-term cost control and vendor neutrality. By contrast, the RS2825RP+ requires verified drives at launch, which restricts hardware reusability and may increase TCO for those transitioning from legacy systems.

When Will the Synology RS2825RP+ Be Released and the Price?

Ultimately, the RS2825RP+ represents a forward step in terms of raw performance and integrated networking capabilities, aligning with Synology’s broader push toward all-in-one systems with deeper integration and control. But that progress comes at the cost of flexibility, particularly in storage media compatibility. The RS2821RP+ may remain relevant for users seeking broader hardware compatibility, even as the RS2825RP+ replaces it in the official portfolio. Buyers will need to weigh the advantages of newer hardware against the limitations introduced by Synology’s tighter ecosystem approach.

All shared information online and inadvertent slips on the RS2825RP+ appear to indicate that the RS2825RP+ will arrive at a similar price point to it’s predecessor at around $3000-3499, and launching earlier in the eastern regions, but eventually rolling out globally in June.

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Synology DS425+ NAS Revealed

The Synology DS425+ arrives as part of the company’s 2025 refresh of its popular DiskStation NAS lineup, positioned as a 4-bay solution for prosumers, content creators, and small business users who demand reliable private cloud functionality, media handling, and data protection tools—all in a desktop-friendly chassis. Succeeding the widely adopted DS423+, the DS425+ builds upon the same Intel Celeron J4125 architecture but introduces upgraded network connectivity and improved support for SSD caching, aiming to enhance performance across daily operations like file synchronization, multimedia streaming, collaborative document editing, and surveillance management. Running the latest version of DiskStation Manager (DSM), the DS425+ leverages Synology’s full ecosystem of services, including Synology Drive, Active Backup Suite, Surveillance Station, and Synology Photos. With this release, Synology is also doubling down on its strict hardware compatibility enforcement, limiting drive support to Synology-verified models only—a shift that may influence buyers with preexisting storage investments. Even so, the DS425+ offers a compact yet powerful platform for centralized storage, hybrid cloud collaboration, and secure file access from anywhere.

Synology DS425+ Hardware Specifications

At the heart of the Synology DS425+ is the same Intel Celeron J4125 processor seen in the DS423+—a quad-core, Gemini Lake-based chip with a base clock of 2.0 GHz and a burst frequency of 2.7 GHz. While this CPU has proven competent for basic NAS operations like SMB file serving, lightweight multimedia indexing, and DSM’s collaborative apps, its inclusion in a 2025 NAS release feels increasingly outdated. The J4125 first launched in 2019, and although its low power consumption and integrated hardware encryption engine remain attractive for entry-tier devices, it’s now noticeably behind in areas like video transcoding, AI-assisted tasks, and virtualization performance. For example, when running more demanding DSM features such as Surveillance Station with high-resolution streams, or multiple simultaneous file indexing operations via Synology Photos and Drive, this processor can quickly become a limiting factor, especially in multi-user environments.

Memory configuration hasn’t changed either, with the DS425+ shipping with 2 GB of DDR4 non-ECC RAM soldered to the board and a single expansion slot allowing upgrades to a maximum of 6 GB. This is a practical ceiling for general use—enough to handle several DSM packages like Synology Office, Drive, or Hyper Backup simultaneously—but it’s insufficient for users looking to run dockerized apps, virtual DSM instances, or advanced services such as Synology MailPlus in a more scalable manner. The non-ECC nature of the RAM also weakens the case for this NAS as a long-term professional solution, especially when handling sensitive or mission-critical workloads.

Networking is where the DS425+ makes a partial step forward, but not without caveats. It features a single 2.5GbE LAN port alongside a 1GbE port—an improvement over the dual 1GbE design of the DS423+—but a closer look reveals an intentional limitation. Unlike many other brands that now offer dual 2.5GbE ports for link aggregation or seamless failover at full speed, Synology’s decision to pair a 2.5GbE with a 1GbE appears less about cost or chipset restrictions and more about product segmentation. This asymmetric port setup discourages buyers from choosing the DS425+ over higher-tier units like the DS925+, which offers more symmetrical bandwidth and better expansion paths. From a hardware standpoint, there is no compelling technical reason this device couldn’t have included dual 2.5GbE—especially given its target audience of small business and prosumer users with growing data needs.

Storage connectivity fares better. The DS425+ supports four hot-swappable 3.5″/2.5″ SATA drives and adds two M.2 2280 NVMe SSD slots for cache acceleration—valuable for improving read/write IOPS, especially in workloads like media library scanning in Synology Photos or large document syncing in Synology Drive. These M.2 slots do not consume the main drive bays, preserving all four bays for primary storage—a practical advantage for users looking to maintain high capacity while improving responsiveness. However, it’s important to note that, per Synology’s 2025 compatibility policy, only Synology-branded SSDs (such as the SNV3400 series) can be used for either cache or storage pool creation, cutting out a wide array of affordable third-party options.

In terms of design, the DS425+ remains compact and energy-efficient, measuring 166 × 199 × 223 mm and weighing 2.18 kg. It uses two 92mm fans for active cooling, and power usage is modest—28.3W under load and just 8.45W in disk hibernation. Two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports are available for external drive backups or peripheral support, and the unit is shipped with two RJ-45 cables, a power supply, and a 3-year warranty (extendable to 5 years in some regions). But while the physical build quality is solid, many of the internal hardware choices feel driven more by Synology’s desire to maintain product hierarchy than by a desire to fully meet evolving user needs in this segment.

Synology DS425+ vs DS423+ NAS – Much of an Upgrade?

On paper, the DS425+ and DS423+ appear remarkably similar—so much so that many users might question whether the DS425+ is a true generational upgrade. Both models use the same Intel Celeron J4125 quad-core processor, support up to 6 GB of non-ECC DDR4 memory, and house four 3.5″/2.5″ SATA bays alongside dual M.2 NVMe SSD slots. The physical dimensions, weight, fan configuration, and even the power draw figures are virtually identical. For many core use cases—such as basic file storage, Synology Drive collaboration, and multimedia backups via Hyper Backup—the user experience will feel nearly the same. This makes the DS425+ look more like a platform refresh than a reinvention.

However, the key differences lie in network connectivity and platform intent. The DS423+ features dual 1GbE ports with support for link aggregation or failover, while the DS425+ trades this for a mix of one 2.5GbE and one 1GbE port. While this technically increases the potential maximum throughput to 2.5Gbps, this hybrid setup seems designed to offer “just enough” improvement to distinguish the DS425+ without cannibalizing interest in higher-tier systems like the DS925+. For users with modern 2.5GbE switches, the DS425+ will offer a slightly snappier file access and faster backups—particularly when working with large media libraries or high-frequency synchronization tasks in Synology Photos or Drive. But those with symmetrical link aggregation setups may find the port layout frustratingly limiting.

Another critical shift is in Synology’s approach to drive compatibility. The DS423+—like most NAS units in the 2020–2023 era—offered relatively open support for third-party HDDs and SSDs, including Seagate IronWolf, WD Red, and enterprise-class models. Users would receive warnings when using non-verified drives, but DSM remained fully functional. In contrast, the DS425+ adopts the same restrictive policy seen in all 2025 Synology NAS systems, outright blocking DSM installation and pool creation with unverified hard drives or NVMe SSDs.

This has broad implications for cost-conscious users or those migrating from older Synology NAS units, as they may find that previously functional media is now flagged and unusable. Even within Synology’s own ecosystem, only select SKUs (e.g., HAT3300, HAT5300, SAT5200, SNV3400) are accepted without persistent alerts or functionality restrictions. While this change may support long-term system stability and vendor accountability, it narrows the appeal of the DS425+ as a flexible, user-driven NAS appliance.

Ultimately, the DS425+ is one of the smallest refresh/upgrades over the DS423+, largely just in its added 2.5GbE port. But for users already operating a DS423+, the performance incentives to upgrade are limited—unless specific use cases demand faster network throughput or tighter integration with Synology’s enterprise-leaning ecosystem. For first-time buyers, the DS425+ makes more sense if you are already choosing only the media the brand recommends and want a relatively low-noise, compact NAS with good multi-user potential, cloud tools, and basic virtualization support.

Synology DS425+ NAS – Software and Services

The DS425+ runs Synology DiskStation Manager (DSM), one of the most polished NAS operating systems available today, offering a blend of enterprise-level tools and consumer-friendly accessibility. Users can configure the device as a centralized file server, hybrid cloud gateway, backup vault, media hub, or private collaboration platform—all from within an intuitive web-based interface.

The system supports the Btrfs file system, enabling advanced data protection features such as file self-healing, quota management, and snapshot replication. With support for up to 256 system-wide snapshots and 128 per shared folder, users can roll back accidental deletions or ransomware-damaged data in seconds. Synology’s Hybrid Share also allows users to extend storage capacity to the cloud with on-demand file streaming and local caching, balancing scalability with local performance.

Collaboration is another strong point of the DSM ecosystem. Synology Drive provides a private alternative to Google Drive or Dropbox, enabling real-time file synchronization across devices and platforms, with versioning, sharing permissions, and browser-based access. Integrated with Synology Office, users can collaborate on documents, spreadsheets, and presentations with password protection and revision tracking.

These tools perform well even with modest hardware like the DS425+, and are ideal for distributed teams or remote workers. For communication, Synology Chat brings secure instant messaging with support for encrypted channels and message retention policies, while Synology MailPlus offers a fully-fledged private email server with support for up to 20 users (5 licenses included). These services transform the DS425+ from a simple storage box into a multi-role productivity appliance.

Synology also continues to invest in security and monitoring, with DSM 7.2+ adding features like Adaptive Multi-Factor Authentication (AMFA), which intelligently triggers additional login requirements based on user behavior and access patterns. Admins can leverage Active Insight, Synology’s cloud-based fleet monitoring system, to detect threats and performance anomalies across multiple NAS units, and even enforce policy-based snapshot creation during suspicious activity. For those managing backups, Synology’s Active Backup Suite covers Windows, Linux, VMware, Hyper-V, and Microsoft 365/Google Workspace, while Hyper Backup supports encrypted, deduplicated, multi-destination backups to local disks, other NAS units, or Synology’s C2 Storage cloud. Surveillance Station also comes bundled with two free IP camera licenses, and can support up to 40 H.265 1080p streams simultaneously—ideal for small-scale CCTV installations that want private, license-free storage.

Synology DS425+ NAS – Price and Release Date

The Synology DS425+ is scheduled to launch globally in June 2025, following an earlier rollout across Eastern markets beginning in the second half of May 2025. Based on its positioning and minimal hardware changes from the DS423+, it is expected to arrive with a similar MSRP in the range of $449 to $499 USD. This pricing places it firmly in the upper-middle segment of Synology’s 4-bay lineup, targeting users who need more performance and features than entry-level models offer, but without the broader expansion and higher price tags of units like the DS923+ or DS925+. However, with the inclusion of the new restrictive drive compatibility policy, buyers will need to factor in the additional cost of Synology-verified HDDs or SSDs, which could notably increase the total cost of ownership compared to similarly priced NAS systems that support a wider range of drives.

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Synology at Computex 2025 – New NAS, Flash, and Surveillance Solutions Unveiled

At Computex 2025, Synology unveiled an extensive range of new hardware and storage solutions across both consumer and enterprise tiers. From compact desktop NAS to high-performance rackmount flash storage systems, the 2025 product line spans diverse use cases in home multimedia, business backups, AI-powered surveillance, and parallel active storage infrastructure. However, a significant underlying theme across this year’s announcements is Synology’s strict enforcement of Synology-verified storage media across both the Plus series and enterprise-class devices.

This ongoing shift in policy has raised concerns within the NAS community—especially among users who rely on third-party drives for flexibility and cost-effectiveness. Messaging around this storage validation system remains inconsistent, with key technical and strategic details still unclear. Nonetheless, this year’s lineup confirms Synology’s intent to consolidate hardware and media under its own ecosystem, even while expanding its presence into flash-first infrastructure and turnkey surveillance platforms.

PAS7700 – Flagship NVMe Enterprise Rackmount Storage

The PAS7700 marks Synology’s formal entry into high-performance all-NVMe storage for the enterprise sector. It is the most powerful product in the new Parallel Active Storage (PAS) series, designed with a dual-controller architecture and full end-to-end U.3 NVMe support. Each controller in the PAS7700 is powered by an AMD EPYC processor, supports up to 1TB of DDR4 ECC memory, and is capable of sustaining 30GB/s sequential throughput with over 2 million 4K random read IOPS. This architecture supports true active-active failover, high concurrency, and data consistency across large virtualized workloads or AI/ML pipelines.

Networking options include up to 4x 100GbE and 12x 25GbE ports (via optional NICs), and expansion is achieved using the PAX224, a 24-bay U.3 NVMe expansion chassis connected via HD-SAS 12Gb/s dual-link architecture. The PAS7700’s chassis is built to scale up to 216 NVMe drives for a maximum raw capacity exceeding 1.6PB, though real-world capacity will depend on drive model, RAID configuration, and overhead.

One of the more contentious elements is that, like all of Synology’s 2025 enterprise lineup, the PAS7700 mandates the use of Synology-verified U.3 NVMe SSDs. The drives shown on the show floor included 8TB Synology-branded U.3 SSDs, though Synology did not confirm their OEM origin, controller model, or endurance ratings beyond stating that they were optimized for sustained IOPS workloads. This storage lock-in policy has drawn criticism from users seeking flexibility in enterprise deployments.

PAS7700 Specifications

PAS3600 – Hybrid Flash Storage for Cost-Efficient Deployment

Positioned as the mid-range sibling to the PAS7700, the PAS3600 provides a more accessible entry into the Parallel Active Storage series by utilizing SATA drives rather than U.3 NVMe. Designed for hybrid flash deployment, the PAS3600 features dual controllers, each running an Intel Xeon processor and supporting up to 256GB of ECC DDR4 memory per controller. While it doesn’t match the raw performance of the PAS7700, it still delivers substantial throughput and redundancy suitable for enterprise virtual machine hosting, storage tiering, and backup environments.

Network connectivity includes support for up to 4x 25GbE and 8x 10GbE ports via optional NICs, with the system capable of scaling out using the PAX212, a 12-bay SATA flash expansion chassis. These expansion units also use 12Gb/s HD-SAS, and maintain redundant power supplies and dual data interconnects to ensure performance stability and non-disruptive scaling. Like the rest of Synology’s 2025 enterprise systems, the PAS3600 enforces the use of Synology-verified SATA SSDs, understandable in this sector of the industry and in line with this kind fo product.

PAS3600 Specifications

DVA7400 – AI-Powered Surveillance Rackmount System

The DVA7400 represents the most powerful surveillance solution Synology has introduced to date. It is the first in the DVA (Deep Video Analytics) lineup to be available in a rackmount form factor, making it suitable for larger, centralized surveillance deployments. The unit leverages an AMD Ryzen processor in combination with a dedicated GPU, enabling support for up to 100 camera streams and 40 simultaneous AI video analysis tasks, such as motion detection, facial recognition, and people counting.

In terms of connectivity, the DVA7400 includes dual 10GbE ports to ensure adequate bandwidth for high-resolution video ingestion and management. Additionally, it features a separate remote management interface, streamlining system oversight in enterprise environments. Internally, the system includes a dedicated AI processor with 190+ TFLOPS FP8 performance and 16GB of VRAM, allowing for real-time video indexing and recognition tasks.

As with most Synology surveillance systems, the DVA7400 includes a limited number of camera licenses by default. However, users deploying Synology-branded cameras benefit from license-free operation. Support for ONVIF-compliant third-party cameras is included but requires standard Synology Surveillance Station licenses. While the hardware is a significant leap forward, the system’s drive compatibility remains subject questionable, as the brand does not currently have an inhouse branded surveillance optimized HDD (eg comparable to WD Purple or Seagate Skyhawk – designed for much heavier WRITE over READ).

DVA7400 Specifications

FS200T – Compact All-Flash NAS for Quiet Environments

The FS200T, formerly expected as the DS625Slim, is now reclassified under the FlashStation series. This compact 6-bay NAS is designed for SSD-only deployments using 2.5″ SATA drives, and is aimed at users needing high-speed, low-noise storage in home studios or small office environments. Internally, it is powered by the Intel Celeron J4125, a quad-core processor that, while dated, includes integrated graphics. It is paired with 4GB of DDR4 memory, which is not ECC and may limit enterprise use.

Network connectivity includes 1x 2.5GbE and 1x 1GbE RJ-45 ports, a configuration that presents a noticeable bottleneck when combined with a 6-SSD RAID setup. No PCIe or expansion options are available. Despite the performance limitations imposed by its dated processor and limited bandwidth, the FS200T’s small form factor and flash-focused design make it a viable solution for read-heavy tasks or quiet operation environments where rotational noise from HDDs is undesirable.

FS200T Specifications

DS725+ – Dual-Bay Plus Series NAS with Expansion Support

The DS725+ is Synology’s latest 2-bay entry in the 2025 Plus series, offering modest upgrades over its predecessor, the DS723+. It features a 2-core, 4-thread AMD Ryzen R1600 processor, 4GB of ECC DDR4 memory (expandable), and includes two Ethernet ports: one 2.5GbE and one 1GbE. Unlike the previous model, the option for PCIe 10GbE upgrade has been removed, marking a notable downgrade in scalability.

Despite its small size, the DS725+ supports expansion up to 7 total drives using the Synology DX525 USB-C expansion unit, allowing users to migrate to larger RAID arrays over time. Internally, it includes two M.2 NVMe slots that can be used for either SSD caching or storage pools, enhancing read/write performance if properly configured. However, NVMe performance may still be limited by the relatively modest CPU and system architecture.

As with all 2025+ series units, this model enforces strict use of Synology-verified drives for optimal compatibility. This includes both the internal SATA bays and NVMe SSDs, aligning with Synology’s broader shift to a closed hardware ecosystem—an approach that continues to draw mixed reactions from the NAS community.

DS725+ Specifications

DS425+ – 4-Bay Multimedia NAS with Modest Refresh

The DS425+ is the 2025 refresh of the DS423+, aimed at SOHO and multimedia users seeking a 4-bay system with enhanced network throughput and M.2 NVMe support. Internally, the DS425+ continues to use the Intel Celeron J4125, a quad-core processor with integrated graphics, and comes with 4GB of DDR4 non-ECC memory. This model includes two Ethernet ports—1x 2.5GbE and 1x 1GbE—a somewhat disappointing choice that limits link aggregation potential and overall throughput compared to systems offering dual 2.5GbE.

The DS425+ includes two M.2 NVMe slots, usable for either SSD caching or as part of a storage pool. However, given the CPU and system bus limitations of the J4125, real-world NVMe performance may be constrained. There are no PCIe upgrade slots, meaning no pathway to 10GbE or further expansion beyond USB and the DX525 expansion unit.

Crucially, as part of the 2025 Plus series, the DS425+ requires Synology-verified drives for compatibility—both for its SATA and NVMe bays. This has led to pushback from users accustomed to broader drive support, especially in the mid-range where cost-effectiveness and flexibility are often more important than validation.

DS425+ Specifications

DS1525+ – 5-Bay All-Purpose NAS with Enhanced CPU and Expansion

The DS1525+ sits in the middle of Synology’s Plus series, offering a blend of scalability, multimedia handling, and business backup functionality. It upgrades the CPU from the DS1522+ by moving from the AMD Ryzen R1600 (2C/4T) to the AMD Ryzen V1500B, a 4-core, 8-thread processor that previously powered the DS1621+ and DS1821+. The system comes pre-installed with 8GB of DDR4 ECC memory, double that of its predecessor.

The DS1525+ includes two 2.5GbE RJ-45 network ports and supports the Synology Network Upgrade Module, which provides a pathway to 10GbE networking via a compact add-in module. This model also retains two M.2 NVMe slots for SSD caching or storage pool creation. It supports expansion to 15 total drives when connected to two DX525 expansion units, making it suitable for growing media libraries or multi-user project environments.

However, it still falls under Synology’s 2025 policy requiring Synology-verified storage media, both for the five primary SATA bays and the M.2 NVMe slots. This requirement continues to stir user debate, particularly in the mid-range segment, where third-party storage flexibility has historically been an expectation.

DS1525+ Specifications

DS1825+ – 8-Bay High-Capacity NAS for Power Users and SMBs

The DS1825+ serves as the high-capacity flagship in the 2025 Plus series, aimed at power users and small to medium businesses that require extensive storage and moderate processing capabilities. Like the DS1525+, it is powered by the AMD Ryzen V1500B (4 cores, 8 threads) and includes 8GB of ECC DDR4 memory by default. The unit offers two 2.5GbE RJ-45 ports, replacing the four 1GbE ports found in its predecessor, the DS1821+.

Storage can be expanded up to 18 total drives by connecting two DX525 expansion units via USB-C. The DS1825+ also includes two M.2 NVMe slots, supporting both SSD caching and dedicated NVMe storage pools. Unlike the DS1525+, it retains a standard PCIe slot, supporting full-sized 10GbE and higher NICs—with Synology now offering 25GbE and 50GbE upgrade cards, expanding its relevance in virtualization and high-bandwidth media workflows.

However, as with all devices in the 2025 Plus series, the DS1825+ enforces Synology’s drive verification system. Only Synology-verified SATA drives and NVMe SSDs are supported for optimal operation, and unsupported drives may be flagged or disabled in future DSM updates—a policy that continues to concern experienced users building mixed-brand NAS environments.

DS1825+ Specifications

DX525 – 5-Bay Expansion Unit for DS and Plus Series

The DX525 is Synology’s latest 5-bay expansion unit, designed for use with a wide range of their 2025 DS and Plus series NAS models. It connects via USB-C rather than the older eSATA standard, supporting newer devices such as the DS725+, DS425+, DS1525+, DS1825+, DS925+, and others.

It provides a seamless way to expand storage without migrating to a larger system or creating a new volume, and is fully integrated into DSM’s Storage Manager for volume extension and RAID expansion.

The DX525 supports both 3.5″ and 2.5″ SATA drives, with hot-swappable trays for quick replacement. While no network or processing capability exists on the unit itself (it’s entirely dependent on the host NAS), it can be used for extending existing RAID volumes or creating new independent volumes. This makes it useful for both capacity growth and tiered storage strategies.

DX525 Specifications

SNV5420 – Enterprise NVMe SSD for Sustained Caching Workloads

The SNV5400 is Synology’s newest high-performance M.2 NVMe SSD for caching and sustained-write workloads, positioned above the earlier SNV3400 series. Targeted at SMBs and enterprise deployments requiring high-speed caching, the SNV5400 delivers up to 660,000 random read IOPS and 120,000 random write IOPS, with a rated endurance of 2,900 TBW. It features end-to-end data protection and power loss protection, ensuring data integrity during unexpected shutdowns—essential for cache-tier applications in critical environments.

Unlike previous Synology NVMe SSDs, the SNV5400 also supports in-system firmware upgrades, reducing maintenance downtime during drive management or lifecycle refresh. It is available in at least one confirmed variant, though broader capacity options have not yet been fully disclosed. The controller used is reportedly the IG5636 FAA, believed to be a Gen4 NVMe controller, but Synology has not publicly confirmed full hardware details or OEM sourcing. In addition to the SNV5400 enterprise drive, Synology showed off a new high-performance M.2 NVMe SSD at Computex 2025 that appears to target heavier workloads than the SNV3400. It reportedly uses the IG5636 FAA controller, which supports PCIe Gen4, suggesting significantly higher throughput than their current Gen3 offerings. However, Synology did not publicly confirm specs such as endurance, capacity range, or the NAND type used.