Synology DiskStation DS1525+: compatible drives
By Devin Chua · Data checked by Owen Nakamura · Updated For the Synology DiskStation DS1525+ fit CMR NAS drives like Seagate IronWolf Pro or WD Red Plus across all 5 bays up to 120 TB raw. Since DSM 7.3 (8 October 2025) the DS1525+ accepts these third-party drives again; only M.2 NVMe stays tied to Synology's list. At 5 × 8 TB the DS1525+ keeps 29.10 TiB usable in SHR. Since its AMD Ryzen V1500B (4 cores, 8 threads) has no integrated GPU, so it cannot hardware-transcode video; it is built for Synology's apps, containers and real virtual machines, faster 7200 rpm drives genuinely earn their keep in the DS1525+.
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CMR NAS drives for the DS1525+
Only families with confirmed CMR recording and a 24/7 rating, in stock on Amazon.ca and sized for the DS1525+. SMR drives are deliberately kept out.
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.
Who the DS1525+ is for
The DS1525+ runs the AMD Ryzen V1500B (4 cores, 8 threads), and Plex users need one fact first: these embedded Ryzens carry no integrated GPU, so the DS1525+ cannot hardware-transcode video. It is built for a different job — Synology's app suite, Docker and genuine virtual machines, backed by 8 to 32 GB of ECC memory. Choose the DS1525+ as a dependable ECC all-rounder; for hardware transcoding in this price band, an Intel-based UGREEN or QNAP is the better tool.
How the DS1525+'s network shapes the drive choice
The DS1525+ ships with 2 × 2.5GbE, expandable to 10GbE with the E10G22-T1-Mini, and that rewrites the maths. Ten gigabit is about 1,100 MB/s; a single drive gives 150 to 280 MB/s and a 5-drive array three to four times that, so you close much of the gap without ever quite saturating the link. On the DS1525+, for the first time, a 7200 rpm Pro drive earns its price — and the NVMe cache earns its slot by keeping hot data off the spinning disks.
A worked configuration for the DS1525+
Seagate IronWolf Pro or WD Red Plus in every bay is the recommendation for the DS1525+. At 5 × 8 TB in SHR, the DS1525+ lands 29.10 TiB usable, gives up 8 TB to parity, and survives 1 drive failing. Step the same 5 bays of the DS1525+ up to 16 TB drives and it holds roughly twice that, at the CA$/TB the live table above shows.
SHR or RAID 6 in the DS1525+?
With 5 bays the DS1525+ gives a real choice. In SHR it keeps 29.10 TiB of the 5 × 8 TB and survives one failure; RAID 6 spends one more drive for two. The trade tips with large drives: after a failure the DS1525+ must read every surviving drive in full to rebuild, which on 20 TB drives runs the better part of a day under peak load. So from 16 TB per drive up, RAID 6 is the calmer choice in the DS1525+, and SHR-2 gives the same protection while still using mixed drive sizes.
One rule holds on every NAS, the DS1525+ 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 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)