Best SSD for the Synology DiskStation DS1525+
By Devin Chua · Data checked by Owen Nakamura · Updated The 5 bays of the Synology DiskStation DS1525+ take 2.5-inch SATA SSDs as well as hard drives, but over 2 × 2.5GbE, expandable to 10GbE with the E10G22-T1-Mini it rarely pays: even 10-gigabit is fed by a four-drive array, and per TB an SSD costs several times more. An all-SSD DS1525+ makes sense for silence in a living space, or for the many small parallel reads of virtual-machine storage — not for a file-and-backup NAS.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases on Amazon.ca.
SATA SSDs 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.
When SSDs make sense in the DS1525+
A SATA SSD reads about 550 MB/s, a good NAS drive 200 to 280 — but the DS1525+'s 2 × 2.5GbE, expandable to 10GbE with the E10G22-T1-Mini only carries part of that anyway, and per terabyte the SSD costs several times more. For file storage, backups and media on the DS1525+, hard drives are the sensible choice by every measure.
Two cases flip it. Silence: if the DS1525+ lives in a living room or bedroom, an all-SSD build is the only thing that truly quiets it. And many small parallel reads — virtual- machine storage, a busy photo database — where the SSD's access times, not its data rate, are what you are buying. On a capable box like the DS1525+, that VM-storage case is a real one.
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
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.
Which drives fit the DS1525+?
The DS1525+ takes any 3.5-inch SATA and 2.5-inch SATA SSD drive; use a CMR NAS family rated for 24/7 duty such as IronWolf, WD Red Plus or Toshiba N300. On its 2 × 2.5GbE, expandable to 10GbE with the E10G22-T1-Mini, a 7200 rpm Pro drive is worth the premium in the DS1525+.
How much capacity is usable in the DS1525+?
In the DS1525+, 5 × 8 TB in SHR gives about 29.10 TiB usable and survives 1 drive failing; the balance is parity.
Can the DS1525+ run Plex with hardware transcoding?
No hardware transcode. The DS1525+'s AMD Ryzen V1500B (4 cores, 8 threads) has no integrated GPU, so Plex must transcode in software — fine for direct play and one light stream, not for multiple 4K streams. For hardware transcoding at this level, an Intel-based NAS with Quick Sync is the better choice.
Is a Pro drive worth it in the DS1525+?
Yes. The DS1525+'s 2 × 2.5GbE, expandable to 10GbE with the E10G22-T1-Mini can carry the extra throughput of a 7200 rpm Pro drive, and in a 5-bay array that speed is real, not theoretical.
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)