Best SSD for the Synology DiskStation DS925+
By Devin Chua · Data checked by Owen Nakamura · Updated The 4 bays of the Synology DiskStation DS925+ take 2.5-inch SATA SSDs as well as hard drives, but over 2 × 2.5GbE it rarely pays: the network caps throughput long before the drive does, and SSDs cost a multiple per TB. An all-SSD DS925+ 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.
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SATA SSDs for the DS925+, live from Amazon.ca
What sets the DS925+ apart
The model the whole drive debate revolves around. Since DSM 7.3 you can fit ordinary NAS drives again, and with SHR the DS925+ makes good use of mixed drive sizes. Do not overlook: unlike the DS923+ it has no slot for a 10-gigabit card, but it ships with two 2.5-gigabit ports.
When SSDs make sense in the DS925+
A SATA SSD reads about 550 MB/s, a good NAS drive 200 to 280 — but the DS925+'s 2 × 2.5GbE only carries part of that anyway, and per terabyte the SSD costs several times more. For file storage, backups and media on the DS925+, hard drives are the sensible choice by every measure.
Two cases flip it. Silence: if the DS925+ 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 DS925+, that VM-storage case is a real one.
The Synology drive policy on the DS925+
with a caveatPartly open, and this is the key news. On 16 April 2025 Synology announced that the 2025 Plus models would only create a storage pool with listed drives. With DSM 7.3 (version 7.3-81180, released 8 October 2025) Synology reversed that lock for hard drives and 2.5-inch SATA SSDs: Seagate IronWolf and WD Red Plus now install, initialize, pool and monitor normally. Only M.2 NVMe still requires a listed drive.
The DS925+ at a glance
| Bays | 4 × 3.5-inch SATA and 2.5-inch SATA SSD |
|---|---|
| Maximum raw capacity | 96 TB 4 × 24 TB, per the manufacturer |
| Processor | AMD Ryzen V1500B (4 cores, 8 threads) |
| Memory | 4 GB, DDR4 ECC SO-DIMM (2 slots) 32 GB official, ECC |
| M.2 NVMe | 2 slots 2 × M.2 NVMe. Note: for BOTH an NVMe cache and an NVMe storage pool, Synology still requires a drive from its own compatibility list. That is the remaining lock. |
| Network | 2 × 2.5GbE |
| 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 DS925+ capacity calculator is preset to its 4 bays and RAID types. For the DS925+, 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 DS925+?
Yes. Since DSM 7.3 (8 October 2025) the DS925+ 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 DS925+?
The DS925+ 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, a standard CMR drive is already fast enough for the DS925+.
How much capacity is usable in the DS925+?
In the DS925+, 4 × 8 TB in SHR gives about 21.83 TiB usable and survives 1 drive failing; the balance is parity.
Can the DS925+ run Plex with hardware transcoding?
No hardware transcode. The DS925+'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 DS925+?
Marginal. The DS925+'s 2 × 2.5GbE sits right where a standard CMR drive already saturates the link, so a Pro drive mainly buys warranty, not speed.
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)