Synology’s Pricey SSD Line

credits: Synology

Synology has officially launched its own line of SSDs targeted at photographers and creatives who rely on NAS systems for their work, and the prices are raising some eyebrows. A 1.6TB NVMe SSD, for example, will set you back $535, even though similar drives from other brands cost closer to $100. While this premium pricing might have been easier to swallow in the past, it now comes with a catch: Synology’s newest NAS models, starting with the 25 Plus series, require these branded drives for full functionality.

The company claims this shift is all about reliability and stability. According to Synology, using only its officially validated drives reduces the risk of failures and compatibility issues, and ensures you get access to every feature in its software. Older NAS units and the budget-friendly J and Value series can still use third-party drives, but it’s hard not to wonder if that might change down the road too. For creatives who depend on fast, stable storage, especially those working with large files and demanding workflows, these limitations could start to feel pretty restrictive.

What makes this even more frustrating is that Synology’s flagship SSD still uses PCIe 3.0 instead of the faster 4.0 or 5.0 standards, and it tops out at a fairly modest 1.6TB. For higher capacities, users can turn to Synology’s own hard drives, which at least are ‘‘more reasonably priced’’, $300 for a 16TB 3.5” HDD, for example. In the end, Synology’s bet seems to be that creatives will pay extra for peace of mind and seamless performance.

You can see full details on Synology’s website here