Synology DS925+ NAS Leaked (AGAIN)

The Synology DS925+ NAS is (STILL) Coming..and Soon

It is fast becoming the worst-kept secret in the world of network-attached storage, but Synology’s continued plans to launch refreshes of a number of their popular desktop devices received another public outing this weekend, when keen users on Reddit spotted the official pages for the Synology DS925+ and DX525 on Amazon.co.uk, listing hardware specifications, pricing, release dates, and general background info. Although the appearance of the DS925+ isn’t exactly surprising—given the large info drop semi-officially revealed at an official event by a user on Chiphell—it is nonetheless surprising to see these two official Synology products seemingly added by Synology themselves for Amazon distribution, yet with absolutely zero mention on the traditional Synology platforms (Synology Products, Synology Downloads, Synology Download Registry, etc). Nonetheless, this appearance has confirmed numerous details about the DS925+ hardware specifications, for good and for bad, so I wanted to go through the further confirmed specifications and what they mean.

Synology DS925+ NAS Confirmed Hardware Specifications

As previously alluded to last month in the previous leak, the Synology DS925+ will arrive with the already integrated CPU from AMD that featured on previous SMB releases—the V1500B. This is a quad-core CPU that allows for more cores, more threads (i.e. more vCPUs) than the R1600 in the DS923+, as well as a lower TDP—though also a lower total clock speed available at first. It arrives with 4GB of ECC memory that can be scaled up to 32GB via two SODIMM DDR4 slots. DS925+ includes 2 × 2.5GbE, a very welcome if somewhat overdue upgrade on this product series from Synology. The SSD compatibility for storage pools and the speed allocated to each slot is still TBC. The expansion capabilities of the DS925+ have changed from the long-running eSATA support and DX517 of older Synology devices and now lean towards popular USB-C, and this is what triggered the new DX525 expansion box. We are still awaiting confirmation of the confirmed speed of this USB-C port, as well as its broader compatibility for other things (given the larger variety of USB-C options available in the market compared with eSATA), but slides shown at the Synology partner event last month seemingly indicated that this will NOT be USB 3.2 Gen 2 10Gbps.

Probably the biggest and most controversial change here in the newer generation box is the removal of the mini PCIe upgrade slot that featured on the DS923+. The new DS925+ completely lacks this ability to scale up to 10GbE later down the line, which is probably going to upset a lot of users. PCIe modules they have sold (which would greatly explain, perhaps, the motivation for removing this feature), it is still something of a blow that this new generation device has removed a particularly appealing network upgrade path option. The motivation for this could be theoretically for multiple reasons, such as:

• Synology might well have deemed the two-times 2.5GbE network connectivity on the DS925+ sufficient for the four drives of SATA storage that it features, as well as ensuring that the system does not overlap other devices higher in the product portfolio food chain too much.
• The PCIe line distribution of this CPU and the chipset used on this board might result in limitations to the distribution of those lanes and therefore made the upgrade difficult to implement.
• The USB-C port for expansions may support a 10GbE upgrade module down the line that Synology intend on rolling out—a bit of a long shot though, as currently USB-C to 10GbE is only afforded to TB3/TB4/USB4 connectivity and would commit a great deal of internal lane distribution to that port to accommodate this potential upgrade.
• As previously alluded to, perhaps user integration of this upgrade slot on previous DS923+ devices was too low to justify accommodating this feature in the newest iteration.

Any of those reasons, or others, might well be why Synology decided to rescind this feature on this device. Nevertheless, it is something of a bitter pill that this device will not be featuring the ability to scale up out of the potential 5GbE bonded network connection that it arrives with and likely serves as a slight bottleneck to more high-performance hard drives in the SATA bays, as well as a significant cap on using SATA SSDs or M.2 NVMes in storage pools via the provided slots.

The AMD Ryzen R1600 and V1500B are both embedded CPUs used across Synology’s NAS lineup, but they serve distinct roles depending on the target user and workload. The R1600 is a dual-core, four-thread processor with higher clock speeds (2.6GHz base / 3.1GHz boost), making it ideal for environments that prioritize single-threaded performance—such as general file sharing, light server tasks, and basic backup operations. It has a TDP of 25W and is commonly found in more entry-level to mid-range Synology NAS models like the DS723+ and DS923+. By contrast, the V1500B is a quad-core, eight-thread CPU running at a lower base clock of 2.2GHz, but it delivers greater efficiency and significantly better multi-threading performance—essential for virtual machines, Docker containers, multiple user sessions, and parallel workflows. Its lower TDP of 16W also makes it a more efficient option for always-on deployments in business settings.

CPU Comparison: AMD Ryzen Embedded V1500B vs R1600

What makes the V1500B particularly notable in the DS925+ is that this CPU was previously reserved for Synology’s larger SMB and enterprise-tier systems, such as the DS1621+, DS1821+, and DS2422+. By introducing it into a prosumer-class 4-bay NAS, Synology is clearly continuing its long-standing trend of moving mature hardware platforms down into lower product tiers over time, as the cost of components becomes more accessible and manufacturing scales improve. This strategy enables Synology to offer higher-tier performance at mid-tier price points, effectively refreshing their product range while maintaining price consistency. For users who prioritize multi-tasking, virtualized workloads, or long-term scalability, the arrival of the V1500B in the DS925+ marks a significant shift in capability for this tier of NAS.

Want to Understand How Synology NAS Product Refreshes Work, as well as Why Synology Chooses Certain Hardware? Read my article below:

Synology DS925+ NAS HDD and SSD Compatibility?

Unfortunately, there is no mention of Synology’s position on third-party hard drive and SSD compatibility on the new DS925+ confirmed yet. Realistically, basing it on the predecessor and other Synology Plus Series devices, at the very least, we’re going to see a repeat of the priority towards Synology’s own series of hard drives and SSDs, with a handful of third-party drives from Seagate, Western Digital, and Toshiba added to the support list. This has now become the status quo with the majority of Synology Plus Series and above devices, and if this device rolls out with that, I’m not going to say that it’s perfect, but at the very least it does still leave a narrow window open for users to use third-party hard drives without the system spitting alerts or amber warnings at you during setup.

As the system is being listed on the Amazon pages without drives included, that at the very least removes the concern of many that Synology may have been proceeding down the pre-populated system route, or being more rigid on the lock-in of the drives you can use on the system. Nevertheless, there is still the matter of the M.2 NVMe slots and whether this system will continue with the policy of third-party drives only being supported for use as caching, whereas Synology’s own M.2 NVMe drives support both caching and storage pools. It will most certainly continue with this position.

Synology DS925+ NAS Price and Release Date?

As originally predicted last month, the pricing of the DS925+ will be largely the same as that of the DS923+, as Synology is always keen to maintain the pricing at each tier of its portfolio year on year—even if sometimes that can result in the hardware being a little more lean despite the cost of components going up. I kind of respect how long Synology has been able to maintain the same price for their prosumer 4-bay device, right? All the way back since 2015, it has always arrived at that similar £550 price. Keep in mind that the price listed on the early leaked Amazon.co.uk page includes VAT, whereas pricing listed in other countries like the U.S. will likely not include tax.

With regards to the intended release date and availability of the DS925+, the Amazon leak page appears to indicate the 7th of May. Now, whether this has always been the plan by the brand when refreshing all of its currently existing product line, or it is a launch date that has been changed rapidly in light of discussions surrounding tariffs and stock travelling around the world, is yet to be confirmed. Nevertheless, that seems like a fairly reasonable launch date in light of the information—originally appearing online with the product page added to Amazon on April 8th—and the slow but steady gear Synology goes through when making a product live across traditional online retailers. You can use the links below to monitor the availability and price of the Synology DS925+ on Amazon, as it will redirect to your own region via the link. Anything purchased via these links will result in a small commission to me (Robbie) and Eddie at NASCompares, which really helps us keep doing what we do.

Synology DS923+ vs DS925+ NAS – Buy Now or Wait?

When comparing the Synology DS923+ and DS925+, the differences are subtle but important depending on your priorities. Both NAS units share the same price point, run Synology’s DSM software with identical features, and include the same baseline 4GB DDR4 ECC memory (expandable up to 32GB). They also both lack integrated graphics, feature four SATA drive bays, and offer two M.2 NVMe Gen 3 slots for SSD caching. However, the DS925+ gains an edge in raw parallel processing power, featuring a quad-core, eight-thread AMD V1500B CPU, which translates to more virtual CPUs (vCPUs) for virtual machines and containerized applications. It also benefits from dual 2.5GbE ports, enabling up to 5GbE performance with Link Aggregation or SMB Multichannel, compared to the 2x 1GbE ports on the DS923+, which top out at 2GbE combined. Additionally, the DS925+ offers a faster expansion interface via USB-C (6Gbps) versus the older eSATA (5Gbps) on the DS923+.

That said, the DS923+ still holds certain advantages. Its AMD R1600 CPU features a higher clock speed, which may offer better single-threaded performance in lighter tasks or low-concurrency applications. Crucially, the DS923+ supports an optional 10GbE upgrade via its mini PCIe slot, a feature completely removed in the DS925+, which could be a deal-breaker for users planning to grow into a higher-speed networking environment. So, should users buy the DS923+ now or wait for the DS925+? If 10GbE upgradeability or faster per-core performance is important for your workload, the DS923+ is still a strong option. However, if you’re prioritizing multi-threaded performance, better default network speeds, and a more modern expansion standard, the DS925+ is the more forward-looking choice—particularly for virtualization and container-heavy environments. Ultimately, both devices serve the same class of user, but choosing the right one depends on whether your focus is scalability or efficiency out of the box.

📧 SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER 🔔

🔒 Join Inner Circle

This description contains links to Amazon. These links will take you to some of the products mentioned in today's content. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Visit the NASCompares Deal Finder to find the best place to buy this device in your region, based on Service, Support and Reputation - Just Search for your NAS Drive in the Box Below

Need Advice on Data Storage from an Expert?

Finally, for free advice about your setup, just leave a message in the comments below here at NASCompares.com and we will get back to you. Need Help? Where possible (and where appropriate) please provide as much information about your requirements, as then I can arrange the best answer and solution to your needs. Do not worry about your e-mail address being required, it will NOT be used in a mailing list and will NOT be used in any way other than to respond to your enquiry. TRY CHAT Terms and Conditions   Alternatively, why not ask me on the ASK NASCompares forum, by clicking the button below. This is a community hub that serves as a place that I can answer your question, chew the fat, share new release information and even get corrections posted. I will always get around to answering ALL queries, but as a one-man operation, I cannot promise speed! So by sharing your query in the ASK NASCompares section below, you can get a better range of solutions and suggestions, alongside my own.

☕ WE LOVE COFFEE ☕