Best M.2 NVMe for the Synology DiskStation DS1525+
By Devin Chua · Data checked by Owen Nakamura · Updated The Synology DiskStation DS1525+ has 2 M.2 slots. The catch most guides miss: for NVMe, Synology still requires a drive from its own list (SNV3400 or SNV5400), and the DSM 7.3 relaxation did not change that — it covered hard drives and SATA SSDs only. So on the DS1525+, a Samsung 990 will not do. Whether a cache pays off depends on the 2 × 2.5GbE, expandable to 10GbE with the E10G22-T1-Mini link and on whether you re-read the same data — for a media library streamed once, it does not.
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M.2 NVMe for the DS1525+, live from Amazon.ca
What sets the DS1525+ apart
Five bays is the interesting number: only from five drives does SHR-2 with double fault tolerance become economical without giving up more than a third of the capacity. Unlike the DS925+, the DS1525+ takes a 10-gigabit card.
Cache or a fast pool on the DS1525+?
The DS1525+'s 2 M.2 slots (2 × m.2 nvme. for both cache and storage pool synology still requires a listed nvme drive.) can serve as a read cache or, depending on the OS, as their own fast storage pool. A cache only speeds up data you read more than once: on the DS1525+, a media library streamed through once gains nothing, while repeated project files, photo libraries or container images show the difference immediately. Weigh that against its 2 × 2.5GbE, expandable to 10GbE with the E10G22-T1-Mini link, which is often the real limit.
On the DS1525+ an NVMe storage pool is possible, but only with Synology's own SNV3400 or SNV5400 — the DSM 7.3 relaxation did not reach M.2, so this is the one place the DS1525+ still enforces a drive list. Budget for that when you plan a cache.
The Synology drive policy on the DS1525+
with a caveatPartly open, like the DS925+. Since DSM 7.3 (8 October 2025) third-party hard drives and SATA SSDs are unrestricted again; only M.2 NVMe stays tied to the Synology list.
The DS1525+ at a glance
| Bays | 5 × 3.5-inch SATA and 2.5-inch SATA SSD |
|---|---|
| Maximum raw capacity | 120 TB 5 × 24 TB, per the manufacturer |
| Processor | AMD Ryzen V1500B (4 cores, 8 threads) |
| Memory | 8 GB, DDR4 ECC SO-DIMM (2 slots) 32 GB official, ECC |
| M.2 NVMe | 2 slots 2 × M.2 NVMe. For both cache and storage pool Synology still requires a listed NVMe drive. |
| Network | 2 × 2.5GbE, expandable to 10GbE with the E10G22-T1-Mini |
| Operating system | DSM 7.3 or newer |
| RAID types | SHR, SHR-2, Basic, JBOD, RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 6, RAID 10 SHR also makes use of mixed drive sizes. |
Keep calculating
To see how much capacity is left after parity, the DS1525+ capacity calculator is preset to its 5 bays and RAID types. For the DS1525+, the wider basics of choosing a drive are in the buying guides, where we also explain why CMR rather than SMR is mandatory in any RAID array.
Frequently asked questions
How many M.2 slots does the DS1525+ have?
2. 2 × M.2 NVMe. For both cache and storage pool Synology still requires a listed NVMe drive.
Is an NVMe cache worth it in the DS1525+?
Only if you re-read the same data on the DS1525+: project files, photos, container images. A media library streamed once gains nothing, and with 2 × 2.5GbE, expandable to 10GbE with the E10G22-T1-Mini the link is often the limit before the drive is.
Can I put any NVMe in the DS1525+?
No. On the DS1525+, Synology still requires an SNV3400 or SNV5400 for both cache and an NVMe pool — the DSM 7.3 drive-policy relaxation of 8 October 2025 covered hard drives and SATA SSDs, not M.2.
Can I put third-party drives in the DS1525+?
Yes. Since DSM 7.3 (8 October 2025) the DS1525+ accepts third-party hard drives and 2.5-inch SATA SSDs again — Seagate IronWolf, WD Red Plus and the like install and pool normally. Only M.2 NVMe still needs a drive from Synology's list.
Devin Chua works out which drives, RAM and NVMe cache fit which NAS model at nasdrives.ca, and what the RAID choice means for usable capacity, checked against what is in stock on Amazon.ca.
Data checked by Owen Nakamura, Technical editor (data checking)