Synology starts selling overpriced 1.6 TB SSDs for $535 — self-branded, archaic PCIe 3.0 SSDs the only option to meet 'certified' criteria
Posted by arahman81@reddit | hardware | View on Reddit | 84 comments
narwi@reddit
Synology seems to think it is EMC.
ThaRippa@reddit
EMC is dead. Dell bought em. Synology think they’re PureStorage.
narwi@reddit
Dell did indeed buy them but anybody who ever bought a storage from them knows what I am talking about. And really, its the wrong way to go for storage companies, period.
ThaRippa@reddit
It’s more like Synology are a good looking girl in her early 30s who has a few hundred followers on some social media site and now thinks she’s too good to put up with work or bills or any man who isn’t Ryan Gosling or whatever.
Girl you were just fine doing what you did. Now you’re neither getting the rich guys nor are you keeping your fans or friends!
That’s an analogy I can get behind. Because the reality is: FOSS and the RasPi movement has made running a NAS cheap and easy. Ugreen and others will make it a race to the bottom. The time of big margins in the consumer market is over. Being the biggest name could have meant the biggest margin in that segment. Now they’ll have nothing in a few years.
narwi@reddit
Times of high margins in storage space are over.
ThaRippa@reddit
Not in the corporate world where you can sell „support“ for tenthousands of dollars per year. Hence why Synology would like to be in that market.
BatteryPoweredFriend@reddit
More like Synology are trying to cosplay as NetApp.
CoconutMochi@reddit
are they just being greedy or is there some feature set that justifies the price somehow?
Strazdas1@reddit
the "Feature set" is that you have to buy them to have certified drives with their NAS software. Its a walled garden.
Proglamer@reddit
Yep, CrApple's greatest contribution to the world
Strazdas1@reddit
to be fair, walled garden is hardly apples invention, they just exploited the tactic on a grand scale.
Proglamer@reddit
Sure, and Ford didn't invent the car ;)
Strazdas1@reddit
Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot invented the car.
narwi@reddit
the same as needing cicso sfp-s at 10x price - the only feature is the profit.
red286@reddit
Yes to both, but the "feature set" part is only because they've intentionally locked out features for non-certified (read: non-Synology-branded) drives.
There is no added functionality from the drives themselves. Synology is not a drive manufacturer, these are just rebranded drives, probably Micron or Kioxia or something along those lines.
notam00se@reddit
Just hoping they have enough whales/customers that feel locked in and decide to stay with them, Broadcom/VMware style, even if a huge number of customers flee.
Zenith251@reddit
Wooo, yet more reasons to not buy any Synology products, and to recommend against them any time a person inquires about NAS's.
brentsg@reddit
The reasons are piling up. I thought one of my 8 bay units was dead this week and I was already scouting for what's next on this end.. because it won't be Synology.
Zenith251@reddit
Some people seem dead-set against DIY solutions. I recommend DIY. It doesn't have to be cheaper, or more expensive, faster, or slower than store-bought solutions.
What DIY does, aside from give the user more customization, is it helps educate the user as to how the technology and software works. And for those who want EZ software, UNRAID is still available for purchase.
My NAS ended up as an AM4 system running Truenas. Ryzen Pro 4650GE (ebay), a $120 ASRock B550 board, 32GB ECC RAM, and 3x 14TB WD Red CMR drives. And a couple of small NVME drives for boot/apps. FYI, seemingly all ASRock AM4 boards support ECC.
TrueNAS works fine with onboard SATA controllers now, so you don't need to buy an HBA unless you want a shitton of drives, or intend on using SAS drives.
References like this are handy. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-cw7A2MDHPvA-oB3OKXivdUo9BbTcsss1Rzy3J4hRyA/edit?gid=2112472504#gid=2112472504
GodOfPlutonium@reddit
The problem is what would you recommend if you need a nas product (build your own is not an option). qnap?? they have network vulnerabilities galore, which is kinda a problem for a device with "Network" being the literal first part of its name.
cheese61292@reddit
Asustor and Ugreen have had some very good systems that work well out of the box. Both are generally better priced than Synology or Qnap contemporaries.
XCVGVCX@reddit
Wasn't Ugreen also "software vulnerabilities galore", or am I thinking of a different newcomer to the space?
cheese61292@reddit
Not that I've seen, but I could be proven wrong. I do know they don't lock down your OS and don't void the warranty if you change it. So unless 12th gen Intel gets a major security breach they should be fairly bulletproof for your normal home user.
GodOfPlutonium@reddit
interesting. I know the ugreen thing is new, but this is the first time im hearing anything positive about asus in the nas space
Kougar@reddit
ASUS owns them, but they're a subsidiary, not directly part of ASUS itself which is probably why. ASUSTOR's all-flash M.2 boxes are pretty nice.
cheese61292@reddit
They had a recent-ish refresh (late '23 if my memory is correct) that really made their products viable. You do want to stick to their newer Intel 12th gen based systems as I've only seen negatives on the Realtek solutions.
Asus biggest flaw before was the lack of cohesion between software and hardware. Theyve mostly fixed that by going with proven parts (12th gen Intel) and using a mature backend with their skin on top. You can also load your own OS onto them without any workarounds needed.
Asus does need to grow that business as the software isn't as mature as Synology. It lacks in a few critical areas but if you're somewhat familiar with the NAS space you can probably find a workaround to suit your needs.
an_angry_Moose@reddit
You seem pretty knowledgeable on this, I’ve long considered making a home NAS, but it seemed like only Synology offered a good OS for uploading all of your photos/videos/etc from all of your home’s devices. I reckon any brand can store Plex server media.
Has this changed? Do other brands now have NAS units that are user friendly enough for my wife to use without being a “computer” person?
cheese61292@reddit
That I can't really answer well for you. Like I said before, Synology still has the best off the shelf interface, but others are catching up. Others also have some odd limits like Asus not having an iOS app. So you can't really do automatic backups from an iPhone.
I would suggest taking a look at TrueNAS, OpenMediaVault, HexOS, and UNRAID to see if any might be a better DIY solution for you. All of them have pros and cons with slightly different goals, but they give you total freedom over your system configuration.
an_angry_Moose@reddit
Very cool, thank you I’ll keep exploring. Someone else mentioned Zimaspace too.
tnt0@reddit
Check Unifi Nas Pro
zeronic@reddit
QNAP's software is dogshit but most other consumer NAS units(terramaster, asustor, ugreen, etc) all have ways to run alternative OS(their OS are usually on flash drives or USB DOMs in which you can change the boot order/remove them.) So if you're looking for an almost turnkey solution they're pretty decent if you can't be assed to build your own.
mdnpascual@reddit
I member buying a QNAP NAS and immediately within the week, got ransomware'd where none of my other devices or NAS got affected. Read an article a little bit that it's their shitty software.
It's now behind a separate managed router where only whitelisted IPs can access it. Can't use the file remoting feature, but it is what it is.
GodOfPlutonium@reddit
in this case im not the one administing it either, or else id just build my own and run linux with whatever services I need
Pugs-r-cool@reddit
Maybe a Ubiquti UNAS Pro? It's also plug n play, it's better value than synology products, and Ubiquiti hopefully won't do something as anti consumer as synology has.
SmileyBMM@reddit
Isn't TrueNAS pretty good for enterprise use?
Tumleren@reddit
It is, but it's also quite a bit more involved than your typical off the shelf NAS
goldbloodedinthe404@reddit
HexOS should make it way easier.
Time-Maintenance2165@reddit
Should doesn't matter until they have 6 months to a year or that actually bring true.
Sopel97@reddit
you should not be exposing ANY NAS to the internet
Jesburger@reddit
I've been using qnap for 15 years over 50 NAS of varying models and never ever has a network vulnerability issue.
GodOfPlutonium@reddit
that you havent noticed. Qnaps have had many RCE vulnerablitiies that lets someone execute code without you manually running it.
Jesburger@reddit
Yet no one has
spacewarrior11@reddit
bro are you stupid?
narwi@reddit
"find somebody who sells you freenas with support".
Aemond-The-Kinslayer@reddit
https://shop.zimaspace.com/collections/diy-nas-media-server-bt-client/products/zimacube-personal-cloud
Zima OS plus Zima hardware is, I think, the best combo of DIY and Pre-built approaches, in the sense, that you can literally install anything else like TrueNAS or OMV, or just install ZimaOS which is as user-friendly as Synology used to be without any bloat. It's also X86 rather than Arm, and there is a PRO version too with beefier options.
https://www.zimaspace.com/blog/discover-zimaos-the-future-of-personal-cloud-solutions.html
I've been using it on a custom hardware, but honestly, their hardware is quite well priced for what they offer.
red286@reddit
I've always recommended QNAP over Synology, but everyone I know who owns a Synology thinks I'm insane for recommending QNAP.
nortca@reddit
I would like to inquire about NAS
AC1colossus@reddit
Ridiculous and sad. Looking forward to seeing these get reverse engineered for the poor customers who believed in this company.
Successful_Ad_8219@reddit
Why is it ridiculous and why is it sad? What is being lost if you don't buy their certified disks? Some feature?
like_a_pharaoh@reddit
"What's being lost, forcing customers to pay over $500 for a drive that's slow and low-capacity by any modern standard instead of letting them bring whatever SSD they want? Surely a company would NEVER do a 'certification' process that's actually about locking you into overpriced branded hardware."
AC1colossus@reddit
They kneecapped their own product unless you buy their overpriced second rate drives, which offer no additional value. In fact, they are not al drives with a sticker and a bit of authorization software.
NightFuryToni@reddit
Severely crippled, in some cases basic functions.
https://youtu.be/aKS1lSaXJN8
FranciumGoesBoom@reddit
there has been a script to add your own drives to the synology certified hd db list since the update came out.
https://github.com/007revad/Synology_HDD_db
burnish-flatland@reddit
How many DSM updates before they start verifying signature on this file?
FollowingFeisty5321@reddit
I remember how excited I was the first time I bought a NAS from them back in 2016, watching them make zero improvements to hardware or software ever since was excruciating. The all-NVMe model I wanted to upgrade to... never happened, still can't even use NVMe as storage drives officially. The models I would have bought instead took many years to materialize as non-upgrades. Just an absolutely disappointing company.
reticulate@reddit
The released-in-2025 425+ is still using a Celeron J4125 which is honestly wild at this point. Margins must be enormous.
AreYouOKAni@reddit
The thing is, it is not that bad of a chip if all you need is a storage box. There are better solutions, but if the price was really low - fuck it, I'd take it.
But if all I need is a storage box, I am not buying a Synology NAS.
BioshockEnthusiast@reddit
The price is definitely low, just not for you ;)
AreYouOKAni@reddit
I don't think they've made many improvements since 2006, to be completely honest.
JJ3qnkpK@reddit
It's very weird to think that there are very few improvements from my DS216j. It hasn't changed much at all since I got it.
I guess that's a pro in some ways, but even the hardware selection is still similar in specifications.
kuddlesworth9419@reddit
Synololgy went down hill pretty fast.
REV2939@reddit
I don't know whats going on with Taiwanese brands lately. They are making some pretty bad choices. Asus, Synology, MSI making some very poor anti-consumer product decisions and its not slowing down. I wonder if they all hired the same consultants.
Rencrack@reddit
Anti consumer doesn't mean bad choices
funkybside@reddit
Company has gone suicidal.
1leggeddog@reddit
did some techbro venture capitalist idiot buy Synology recently ???
WinterCharm@reddit
I guess the old synology I have with no drive restrictions is the last synology I'll ever buy. My next enclosure better be an NVME enclosure with 10GbE
TemuPacemaker@reddit
I get it's a stupid money grab but, I mean... just ignore it?
itsbondjamesbond1@reddit
The problem is that they are the ONLY approved ssds for new Synology, if you get any other you lose many features with the NAS
wickedplayer494@reddit
I guess the sooner people point their money at UGREEN and Ubiquiti's NAS devices, the better.
narwi@reddit
You can't be seriously point people at Ubiquity and their pricing models. Next up you will be paying for both having access to your files per device an also paying for network access on your local net, if trends continue.
sysKin@reddit
Official endurance of less than 2000 writes (<2000 times capacity) is about two-thirds of comparable drives such as Micron 5400 or Intel D3-S4510.
calcium@reddit
Only benefit that I see them offering would be capacitors onboard that allow for the drive to dump all the data to disk before it powers off in the event of a power failure. Though I don't know if those are really necessary because who's in their right mind is running a NAS that's not on a UPS? I guess it's certainly a checkbox for enterprise users, but this isn't meant for most people.
Pricing seems like it's aimed at enterprise users who are happy to pay for service/support, as it's certainly not aimed at home/small business users. People here are screaming and teeth gnashing but the pricing isn't as insane as it looks. Synology has a knack for using old but reliable hardware and then charging a premium for it. Just realize that we're not the targeted market segment as they're looking more at enterprise customers who might be on a budget.
AreYouOKAni@reddit
Eh. It is on the low end of aight, but still aight. Perfectly in line with Synology overall company policy as of late - the bare fucking minimum, but ridiculously overpriced.
red286@reddit
Super weird since 1.6TB is typically a write-intensive capacity (1.92TB is the read-intensive).
Creative-Expert8086@reddit
Still cheaper than apple will charge your for MacBook and iPhone storage.
red286@reddit
"But Apple is a bigger scam" isn't really worth mentioning these days.
SignalButterscotch73@reddit
Ooft!
That's a class subtitle, and the article isn't AI slop (unless ai has gotten much better) great to see a good article from Tom's, I've pretty much stopped visiting their site over the past few years because of the plummeting quality.
So glad I talked myself out of buying a Synology NAS (I plan on DIY'ing one from the remnants of previous builds if I can get hold of a dirt cheap AM4 mobo for the 2600 I have lying around)
EasyRhino75@reddit
Tom's can occassionallyoccasionallylity shade.
privaterbok@reddit
The did the similar thing with their ram whitelist, turns out a very low tier unbranded memory module.
NFPAExaminer@reddit
So which outdated Samsung sled did they rebadge?
Pathetic.
0x2B375@reddit
Looks like SK Hynix components from markings visible in the stock image.
F9-0021@reddit
This is why you build your own NAS. Corporations are gonna corporation.
dj_antares@reddit
Looks identical to Cosair MP600
https://www.legitreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Corsair-MP600-Core-1TB-NVMe-SSD-PCB.jpg
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