How much storage fits in the Synology DiskStation DS224+?
By Devin Chua · Data checked by Owen Nakamura · Updated The Synology DiskStation DS224+ takes 2 drives, up to 48 TB raw, but usable is the number that matters: 2 × 8 TB in SHR gives 7.28 TiB, and it survives 1 drive failing. The gap from raw capacity is parity, and SHR lets you grow with mixed drive sizes.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases on Amazon.ca.
CMR NAS drives for the DS224+, by price per TB
Only families with confirmed CMR recording and a 24/7 rating, in stock on Amazon.ca and sized for the DS224+. SMR drives are deliberately kept out.
What sets the DS224+ apart
The best-selling two-bay DiskStation and enough for most homes. With two bays, RAID effectively means RAID 1: you pay half the capacity for fault tolerance, and SHR changes nothing with two equal-size drives.
Who the DS224+ is for
The DS224+'s Intel Celeron J4125 (4 cores) is the home-NAS sweet spot. Its integrated graphics hardware-transcode Plex — 4K HEVC included, through Intel Quick Sync — and it runs a stack of Docker containers without complaint; heavy virtualization is the one thing it leaves to bigger machines. With 2 GB stock and up to 6 GB, the DS224+ suits a household that wants its media server and its drives in one quiet box.
How the DS224+'s network shapes the drive choice
The DS224+ connects over 2 × 1GbE, and that ceiling decides everything below it. A gigabit link tops out near 110 MB/s, which even a single 5400 rpm NAS drive clears easily. So on the DS224+ a faster, pricier Pro drive returns no extra throughput at all: put an IronWolf or WD Red Plus in every bay and buy on CA$/TB, warranty and noise. The only reason to pay for a Pro drive on the DS224+ is its longer warranty, not speed.
A worked configuration for the DS224+
Seagate IronWolf Pro or WD Red Plus in every bay is the recommendation for the DS224+. At 2 × 8 TB in SHR, the DS224+ lands 7.28 TiB usable, gives up 8 TB to parity, and survives 1 drive failing. Step the same 2 bays of the DS224+ up to 16 TB drives and it holds roughly twice that, at the CA$/TB the live table above shows.
One rule holds on every NAS, the DS224+ included: use CMR drives, not SMR. SMR drives rewrite overlapping tracks and collapse during a RAID rebuild, dragging a repair from hours into days.
The Synology drive policy on the DS224+
unrestrictedOpen. The 2025 restriction does not apply retroactively; every NAS drive works.
The DS224+ at a glance
| Bays | 2 × 3.5-inch SATA and 2.5-inch SATA SSD |
|---|---|
| Maximum raw capacity | 48 TB 2 × 24 TB: the largest drive on Synology's list for this model. |
| Processor | Intel Celeron J4125 (4 cores) |
| Memory | 2 GB, DDR4 SO-DIMM, no ECC (2 GB soldered plus 1 slot) 6 GB official (2 GB fixed plus a 4 GB module). Larger modules run in practice but are not endorsed. |
| M.2 NVMe | none No M.2 slots |
| Network | 2 × 1GbE |
| Operating system | DSM 7.x |
| RAID types | SHR, Basic, JBOD, RAID 0, RAID 1 SHR also makes use of mixed drive sizes. |
Keep calculating
To see how much capacity is left after parity, the DS224+ capacity calculator is preset to its 2 bays and RAID types. For the DS224+, 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
What is the maximum storage in the DS224+?
2 drives, up to 48 TB raw per the manufacturer. 2 × 24 TB: the largest drive on Synology's list for this model.
How much of the DS224+ is actually usable?
In the DS224+, 2 × 8 TB in SHR yields about 7.28 TiB — that is 8 TB in drive-maker terms, with 8 TB to parity. It shows less than the label because it counts in powers of two.
Can I fit larger drives in the DS224+ later?
Yes, and with SHR it is easy: swap the DS224+'s drives for larger ones one at a time, and the gain arrives once the second-largest drive is also larger.
Can I put third-party drives in the DS224+?
Yes, without restriction. The 2025 Synology drive lock covers only the 2025 models, so the DS224+ takes any NAS drive and has always done so.
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)