Synology DiskStation DS925+: compatible drives
By Devin Chua · Data checked by Owen Nakamura · Updated For the Synology DiskStation DS925+ fit CMR NAS drives like WD Red Pro or Seagate IronWolf Pro across all 4 bays up to 96 TB raw. Since DSM 7.3 (8 October 2025) the DS925+ accepts third-party hard drives and 2.5-inch SATA SSDs for new storage pools; only M.2 NVMe still has to come from Synology's list. At 4 × 8 TB the DS925+ keeps 21.83 TiB usable in SHR, about CA$2,288 in drives. 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, an ordinary CMR drive already saturates the DS925+'s link.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases on Amazon.ca.
Want to know whether the DS925+ fits your actual storage plan? Open the NAS Builder with this model weighted.
What fits the DS925+
| Drive type | Status | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 3.5-inch SATA hard drive (CMR) | Fits | Synology 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 the M.2 slots take NVMe only. |
| M.2 NVMe SSD | Listed drives only | The DS925+'s 2 M.2 slots take 2280 NVMe drives, and Synology's compatibility list for it names only its own SNV3400, SNV3410 and SNV5420 drives, which Synology requires for both cache and storage pools. The DSM 7.3 change of 8 October 2025 covered hard drives and 2.5-inch SATA SSDs, not M.2. |
How we decide what is compatible
A part reaches our shortlist for the DS925+ only when it meets Synology’s published specifications for its form factor, interface, size and memory type, and, where Synology 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 Synology does not publish are labelled “fit not confirmed”. Anything that does not fit is left out. Our methodology explains each step.
Sources for the DS925+: www.synology.com (read 2026-10-05); www.synology.com (read 2026-10-05); www.synology.com (read 2026-10-05); kb.synology.com (read 2026-10-05); www.synology.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 DS925+ page and its memory and NVMe pages.
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, and CMR versus SMR explains why SMR drives do not belong in a RAID array. Wondering what the DS925+ can actually do: Plex, Immich, Docker, VMs? See what the DS925+ can run.
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 for new storage pools; only M.2 NVMe still has to come 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)