Synology DS925+ NAS Unboxing & Hands-On Preview
We just got our hands on the Synology DiskStation DS925+—a compact 4-bay NAS that promises enterprise-grade performance in a desktop-friendly form. From unboxing to our first impressions, here’s everything you need to know before you buy.
Synology DS925+ : An Expandable 4-Bay NAS
The DiskStation DS925+ is a compact yet powerful 4-bay NAS built for professionals, creative teams, and growing businesses. Powered by a quad-core AMD Ryzen V1500B processor and 4GB ECC memory (expandable to 32GB), the DS925+ delivers up to 565 MB/s write and 522 MB/s read speeds—a significant leap over its predecessor.
With dual 2.5GbE ports supporting link aggregation and two M.2 NVMe SSD slots for caching or high-speed storage pools, the DS925+ is engineered for demanding workloads like virtualization, media editing, and hybrid cloud backup. It supports up to 180TB of raw capacity when paired with the optional DX525 expansion unit, making it ideal for scalable deployments.
The DS925+ runs on DiskStation Manager (DSM), Synology’s intuitive OS that powers advanced features like:
- Synology Drive: Private cloud file syncing and sharing
- Active Backup Suite: Centralized backup for endpoints, VMs, and cloud apps
- Surveillance Station: Scalable IP camera management with smart analytics
Whether you’re building a secure private cloud, managing high-resolution media, or protecting business-critical data, the DS925+ offers a future-ready platform with enterprise-grade performance in a desktop-friendly form factor.
Recommended : Synology DS925+ NAS & DX525 Expansion Unit Revealed
Retail & Online Availability
The DS925+ and DX525 expansion unit are available starting 23 April 2025, through Synology’s network of partners and resellers worldwide. Here are some online purchase options as well:
Please note that Synology is enforcing a new drive compatibility policy, which limits the DS925+ and DX525 to specific HDD models, and only Synology Enterprise SSD models.
Unboxing the Synology DS925+
Most people usually purchase Synology NAS systems and populate them with hard disk drives from Seagate or Western Digital. However, Synology is implementing a new NAS drive compatibility policy with the DS925+.
That essentially makes it much easier to purchase the DS925+ NAS bundled with compatible Synology hard disk drives, which is what Synology sent us.
Recommended : 4TB Synology Plus HAT3300-4T NAS HDD Review – Worth It?
Inside the DS925+ box, you will find these items everything you need to get started.
- Synology DiskStation DS925+ NAS system
- 100W Synology power adapter, and power cord
- Accessory pack containing screws, and two drive tray keys
- Two Cat 5e RJ-45 LAN cables
The bundled drives are individually-packed in cardboard boxes, and protected against shock and static by foam inserts and an anti-static bag.
Synology DS925+ NAS Hands-On
As a more premium product, the DS925+ features a sleek matte black finish, which is quite a contrast to the glossy white DS223j you see on the left.
On the front, the power button sits at the bottom right, just below a USB 3.2 Gen 1 port. Along the right edge are status LED lights for each drive and the system itself.
Both sides feature Synology logo cut-outs—not just for branding, but to help with airflow. Cooling is handled primarily by two large 92mm fans at the rear. Around the back, you’ll also find:
- Dual 2.5GbE LAN ports with link aggregation support for up to 5Gbpsm
- a reset button,
- a second USB 3.2 Gen 1 port,
- a 12V DC power input,
- a USB-C port for connecting the optional 5-bay DS525 expansion unit,
- and a Kensington lock slot for added security
But there’s more underneath. Flip the unit over and you’ll find two M.2 NVMe SSD bays with perforated covers for passive cooling. These can be used for SSD caching or to create a high-speed storage pool.
Also on the underside: the MAC address and serial number label, and a service panel for Synology technicians to access the motherboard.
To remove a drive tray, just lift the latch and slide it out. With all four trays removed, you get a clear view of the SATA connectors and the rear cooling fans.
Tucked away on the right are two SODIMM slots, supporting up to 32GB of DDR4 ECC memory. The DS925+ ships with 4GB of memory pre-installed.
The tool-less drive trays make swapping drives easy–unlike the DS223j. And yes, Synology includes two keys to lock the trays, helping prevent theft or accidental removal by curious little hands.
Recommended : 2025 Synology NAS Drive Compatibility Policy Explained
Synology DS925+ NAS Specifications
The Synology DS925+ replaces the existing DS923+, and here is a comparison of their key specifications:
| Specifications | DS923+ | DS925+ |
| CPU | AMD Ryzen R1600 2 cores, 4 threads 2.6 GHz, up to 3.1 GHz 25 W TDP |
AMD Ryzen V1500B 4 cores, 8 threads 2.2GHz 16 W TDP |
| Memory | 4 GB DDR4 ECC SODIMM pre-installed 2 x SODIMM slots, expandable to 32 GB |
|
| M.2 NVMe Slots | 2 | 2 |
| M.2 NVMe Usage | Support for SSD cache or storage pool | |
| Drive Bays | 4 | 4 |
| Drive Compatibility | 3.5-inch SATA HDD 2.5-inch SATA SSD |
|
| Hot Swappable | Yes | |
| Internal File System | Btrfs / EXT4 | Btrfs / EXT4 |
| RAID Support | Hybrid RAID, Basic, JBOD, RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 6, RAID 10 |
|
| Storage Expansion | DS517 (5 bays) | DS525 (5 bays) |
| Networking | 2 x 1GbE | 2 x 2.5GbE |
| Networking Expansion | NA | E10G22-T1-Mini 10GbE module |
| Front Ports | 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 | 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 |
| Rear Ports | 2 x RJ-45 LAN 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 |
2 x RJ-45 LAN 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 |
| Expansion Port | eSATA | USB-C |
| Internal Fan | 92 mm x 2 | 92 mm x 2 |
| Noise Level | 22.9 dB(A) | 20.5 dB(A) |
| Thermal Output (HDD Access) |
121.09 BTU/hour | 129.27 BTU/hour |
| Thermal Output (HDD Hibernate) |
39.28 BTU/hour | 42.05 BTU/hour |
| Power Consumption (HDD Access) |
35.51 W | 37.91 W |
| Power Consumption (HDD Hibernate) |
11.52 W | 12.33 W |
| Power Supply | 100 W power adaptor | |
| Power Input | 100 V to 240 V DC power input 50/60 Hz, single phase |
|
| Operating Temperature | 0°C to 40°C (32°F to 104°F) | |
| Storage Temperature | -20°C to 60°C (-5°F to 140°F) | |
| Size | 166 mm high 199 mm wide 223 mm deep |
|
| Weight | 2.24 kg | 2.26 kg |
| Warranty | 3 Year Hardware Warranty | |
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