Synology DS725+ overview
Exactly two weeks after the APAC release of the new five- and eight-bay models, Synology is releasing three more updated devices today.
Luka Manestar
Luka Manestar
Luka Manestar
The Synology DS725+ is a capable 2-bay NAS solution that can adapt to growing storage demands
Starting with the popular DS725+, this 2-bay model (expandable up to 7 bays with the new DX525 expansion unit) closely complements its larger 4-bay version, the DS925+. With this revision, it has almost become identical to the aforementioned model.
While the exterior of the device remains unchanged from the previous generation, except for a few changes at the back, the internal components have only seen minor updates.
This compact yet powerful NAS will undoubtedly offer various usage options for the end user while providing both internal and external expansions to enhance its versatility.
: Specifications
The 7-series dual-bay model has always been regarded as a device for customers seeking the best that Synology NAS has to offer while minimizing power consumption and delivering maximum performance in a small and compact enclosure.
As mentioned earlier, there isn't much that has changed since the last 2023 model, the DS723+, but several hardware upgrades are a welcome addition compared to its predecessor.
Luka Manestar
Starting with this model, unlike the DS925+, the CPU remains unchanged. The AMD R1600 2-core still powers the machine. However, the weakest element of its specification, the RAM, has received an upgrade. The DS725+ now comes with 4GB of RAM (expandable up to 32GB).
Like the previous edition, it includes two NVMe slots on the bottom for caching and/or a usable storage pool (with selected drives). On the back, there are several modifications or upgrades.
Consistent with other X25 devices, the DS725+ has replaced one of its 1GbE ports with a 2.5GbE port, though not both, as seen in the 4-bay versions. The eSATA expansion port has been swapped out for USB-C across all models to support the new DX525 5-bay expansion model.
The DS725+ still maintains a single USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 port on the front for connecting external devices. An upgrade would be beneficial if a customer wants to connect both a local backup disk and UPS communication to the NAS itself. Keep in mind that Synology does not officially support USB hubs, so if a similar setup is needed, it would be advisable to consider a different model altogether.
: Synology and 3rd party drive support
Based on the official information that was announced on April 16th, the following changes are in effect.
Düsseldorf – April 16, 2025 – Following the success of the High-Performance series, the company is now increasingly relying on Synology’s own storage media for the Plus series models, which will be released starting in 2025. Users will thus benefit from higher performance, increased reliability, and more efficient support. “With our proprietary hard drive solution, we have already seen significant benefits for our customers in a variety of deployment scenarios,” said Chad Chiang, Managing Director of Synology GmbH and Synology UK. “By expanding our integrated ecosystem to the Plus series, we aim to provide all users—from home users to small businesses—with the highest levels of security and performance, while also offering significantly more efficient support.”
For users, this means that starting with the Plus series models released in 2025, only Synology’s own hard drives and third-party hard drives certified according to Synology’s specifications will be compatible and offer the full range of functions and support.
There will be no changes for Plus models released up to and including 2024 (excluding the XS Plus series and rack models). Furthermore, migrating hard drives from the existing Synology NAS to a new Plus model will continue to be possible without restrictions. The use of compatible and unlisted hard drives will be subject to certain restrictions in the future, such as pool creation and support for issues and failures caused by the use of incompatible storage media. Volume-wide deduplication, lifespan analysis, and automatic hard drive firmware updates will only be available for Synology hard drives in the future. Tight integration of Synology NAS systems and hard drives reduces compatibility issues and increases system reliability and performance. At the same time, firmware updates and security patches can be deployed more efficiently, ensuring a high level of data security and more efficient support for Synology customers.
This means that on day one of the release, no official 3rd-party drive will be supported unless they have passed the certification. How the certification of 3rd-party drives will go remains to be seen, but we can see that Synology drives will not be, in fact, exclusive.
Looking at the actual supported Synology drives for the DS725+, all 3.5", 2.5", and a complete list of NVMe models are supported. On top of this, with the aforementioned changes to the policy, drives that are being migrated from an earlier model will also work, but potentially in a limited feature capacity.
Another note to point out is that this new policy is affecting the HDD lineup of drives, not SSDs. Meaning that while 3rd party SSDs will be unverified they will still be usable.
Given that the model launches today in the APAC region, we'll soon receive firsthand, solid insights on its compatibility both immediately and over time.
The up-to-date 2025 policy is also explained in more detail in the Synology KB article on the following link.
Synology Inc.
Blackvoid will certainly get this device in for testing as soon as possible, so be sure to visit back for a full review soon.
