QNAP TS-233: compatible drives
By Devin Chua · Data checked by Owen Nakamura · Updated For the QNAP TS-233 fit CMR NAS drives like WD Red Pro or Seagate IronWolf Pro across all 2 bays. QNAP locks no drive brand on the TS-233; its compatibility list is guidance, not a gate. At 2 × 8 TB the TS-233 keeps 7.28 TiB usable in RAID 1, about CA$1,144 in drives. Since its ARM Cortex-A55 (4 cores, 2.0 GHz) serves files and backups quietly but does not hardware-transcode Plex or run real virtual machines, buy the TS-233's drives on price and quietness, not speed.
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Want to know whether the TS-233 fits your actual storage plan? Open the NAS Builder with this model weighted.
What fits the TS-233
| Drive type | Status | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 3.5-inch SATA hard drive (CMR) | Fits | QNAP publishes no per-drive size limit; its compatibility list shows tested sizes. |
| 2.5-inch SATA SSD | Fits | The bays take 2.5-inch drives. |
| SAS drive | Does not fit | The bays are SATA; a SAS drive needs a SAS controller. |
| SMR hard drive | Avoid in RAID | Works alone, but can stall a rebuild for days. Check the model number against the maker's CMR/SMR list. |
| M.2 SATA SSD (for example WD Red SA500 …R0B) | Does not fit | Not a bay drive, and there is no M.2 slot. |
| M.2 NVMe SSD | No slot | The TS-233 has no internal M.2 slot. |
How we decide what is compatible
A part reaches our shortlist for the TS-233 only when it meets QNAP’s published specifications for its form factor, interface, size and memory type, and, where QNAP requires its own compatibility list (as Synology does for M.2 NVMe), when it is on that list. Parts that fit physically but are not on a required list are shown separately and labelled. Parts that depend on a detail QNAP does not publish are labelled “fit not confirmed”. Anything that does not fit is left out. Our methodology explains each step.
Sources for the TS-233: www.qnap.com (read 2026-10-05).
Current offers: the drives, memory and NVMe that pass these rules, with Amazon.ca prices, are on the best drives for the TS-233 page and its memory and NVMe pages.
The QNAP drive policy on the TS-233
unrestrictedOpen. QNAP locks no drives.
The TS-233 at a glance
| Bays | 2 × 3.5-inch SATA and 2.5-inch SATA SSD |
|---|---|
| Processor | ARM Cortex-A55 (4 cores, 2.0 GHz) |
| Memory | 2 GB, 2 GB, soldered Soldered, not upgradeable |
| M.2 NVMe | none No M.2 slots |
| Network | 1 × 1GbE |
| Operating system | QTS 5.2 |
| RAID types | Single, JBOD, RAID 0, RAID 1 |
Keep calculating
To see how much capacity is left after parity, the TS-233 capacity calculator is preset to its 2 bays and RAID types. For the TS-233, the wider basics of choosing a drive are in the buying guides, and CMR versus SMR explains why SMR drives do not belong in a RAID array. Wondering what the TS-233 can actually do: Plex, Immich, Docker, VMs? See what the TS-233 can run.
Frequently asked questions
Can I put third-party drives in the TS-233?
Yes. QNAP locks no drive brand on the TS-233; its compatibility list is guidance, not a gate.
Which drives fit the TS-233?
The TS-233 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 1 × 1GbE, even a basic 5400 rpm drive saturates the TS-233's link.
How much capacity is usable in the TS-233?
In the TS-233, 2 × 8 TB in RAID 1 gives about 7.28 TiB usable and survives 1 drive failing; the balance is parity.
Can the TS-233 run Plex with hardware transcoding?
Only in software. The TS-233's ARM Cortex-A55 (4 cores, 2.0 GHz) has no Quick Sync, so Plex transcodes on the CPU: enough for direct play, not for heavy 4K transcoding.
Is a Pro drive worth it in the TS-233?
Not for speed. The TS-233's 1 × 1GbE caps throughput near 110 MB/s, which the cheapest NAS drive already reaches, so a Pro drive only buys the longer warranty and higher workload rating.
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)