Picking The Right Drive for Your Synology

Types of Drives for Synology NAS

There are two primary categories of drives compatible with Synology NAS: HDDs and SSDs. Each has its pros and cons depending on your needs.

1. Hard Disk Drives (HDDs)

HDDs are the most common and cost-effective solution for NAS. They offer large capacities at relatively lower prices. Here's what you should consider:

• Workload Rating: For NAS use, you want drives with a higher workload rating (measured in TB/year). Standard consumer drives are rated for light workloads, while NAS drives can handle workloads upwards of 180 TB/year or more.
• Reliability and Lifespan: NAS-specific HDDs are built to handle constant read/write operations and include features like vibration protection and enhanced durability.
• RPM (Rotational Speed): HDDs typically come in 5400 RPM or 7200 RPM variants. While 7200 RPM drives offer faster read/write speeds, 5400 RPM drives are quieter, cooler, and more energy-efficient, making them suitable for most home NAS systems.

Recommended NAS HDDs:

• Seagate IronWolf: Specifically designed for NAS systems, IronWolf drives offer a balance of performance and reliability, with built-in error recovery and vibration resistance.
• Western Digital (WD) Red Plus/Pro: These drives are optimized for NAS usage, with models supporting up to 16 bays and enhanced endurance for heavy workloads.
• Toshiba N300: Another great choice for high-capacity NAS systems, the N300 is designed for 24/7 operation with high workload ratings.

2. Solid-State Drives (SSDs)

SSDs offer superior performance compared to HDDs. They have no moving parts, so they're faster, quieter, and more energy-efficient, but they are more expensive on a per-gigabyte basis.

There are two main scenarios where you might consider using SSDs:

• SSD Cache: In many Synology NAS systems, you can install SSDs to act as a cache for frequently accessed data. This accelerates performance, particularly for reading large files or handling multiple users accessing the NAS simultaneously.
• All-SSD Setup: If you require maximum performance, such as in video editing, virtualization, or heavy database usage, an all-SSD array is ideal. These setups are significantly faster but come at a higher cost.

Recommended NAS SSDs:

• Synology SAT5200 SSD: Synology's own SSDs are optimized for their NAS systems and provide exceptional performance and endurance for enterprise and high-performance NAS environments.
• Samsung 870 EVO: One of the most reliable consumer-grade SSDs, the 870 EVO offers fast speeds and durability, making it a solid choice for NAS cache or as part of an SSD array.
• Seagate IronWolf SSD: Built for NAS environments, these SSDs offer endurance and reliability, ideal for use in multi-user or heavy workload scenarios.