Four-bay upgrade decision
DS920+ to DS925+ is not a simple five-year performance refresh. The DS920+ remains attractive to some media owners because of its Intel J4125 platform, while the DS925+ moves to a Ryzen V1500B platform, 2.5GbE networking, ECC memory and the newer DX525 expansion ecosystem. The better choice depends on whether your bottleneck is media conversion, network throughput, memory, support horizon or capacity planning.
Quick answer
Upgrade for network, ECC and platform longevity; do not assume every media workload gets better
DS925+ is the stronger current storage platform when you need dual 2.5GbE, 32 GB ECC memory capacity, current production support and DX525 expansion. A working DS920+ can remain rational for owners whose four bays, dual 1GbE and Intel media behavior already meet their needs. Measure the constraint before migrating.
Current Amazon listings
Previous-generation Synology models and current upgrade destinations
A listing is not evidence that a discontinued NAS is still officially supported, and marketplace price alone does not make an older model a good buy.
Technical decision
The upgrade case is strongest when two or more constraints have accumulated
A single annoyance such as 1GbE can sometimes be solved by changing workflow or separating compute from storage. The case for DS925+ becomes stronger when network speed, memory pressure, expansion planning, hardware age and support horizon all point in the same direction.
Interactive ownership tool
DS920+ vs DS925+ Upgrade Decision Tool
Use this as a planning aid, not as a replacement for Synology's live support database. Product status and DSM availability can change, so recheck the exact model before a purchase, migration or major DSM upgrade.
Ownership checklist
Four checks before keeping, buying or replacing an older Synology
Check support separately from availability
Discontinued does not automatically mean unsupported. Compare Product Availability, DSM Update status and Technical Support as separate fields.
Verify the exact DSM path
Use the Download Center and current release notes for the exact model. Do not infer DSM 7.4 support from a similar model number.
Upgrade for a real bottleneck
Bay pressure, network speed, memory, hardware condition and workload requirements are stronger reasons to replace a NAS than age alone.
Protect data before migration
Keep an independent verified backup before drive swaps, migrations, DSM upgrades or retiring an older DiskStation.
The platform change is bigger than the model number suggests
DS920+ uses Intel Celeron J4125 with 4 GB DDR4 and an official 8 GB ceiling; DS925+ uses AMD Ryzen V1500B with 4 GB ECC and an official 32 GB ceiling. That change favors memory-heavy services, multi-user storage and longer-lived package stacks on DS925+, while the older Intel architecture remains relevant to owners who specifically value its media-oriented hardware path.
Treat CPU architecture as a workload question, not a winner badge. File serving, backup, snapshots and many containers respond differently from real-time media conversion. A DS920+ that is idle most of the day is not made obsolete simply because DS925+ has a different processor family.
Dual 2.5GbE is the most visible everyday upgrade
DS920+ has two 1GbE interfaces, whereas DS925+ provides two 2.5GbE ports. For workstations with multi-gig switches and fast storage, that difference can shorten large transfers and backups without requiring an add-in network card. The gain depends on the client path, switch, cabling and disk workload being able to sustain the higher rate.
If every client is still 1GbE or Wi-Fi-limited, replacing DS920+ for 2.5GbE alone may deliver little immediate benefit. Map the slowest link from NAS to client before assigning value to the faster ports.
Memory changes the container and service ceiling
DS925+ combines ECC memory with a much higher official ceiling than DS920+. That matters when Synology Photos indexing, Drive, backup jobs, databases and containers overlap. More memory does not make every task faster, but it gives the system more room to avoid swapping and to keep multiple services resident.
An owner using DS920+ mainly for SMB shares and light backups may never touch its official memory ceiling. Conversely, an owner who keeps trimming containers to fit the chassis is seeing a real upgrade signal rather than a cosmetic specification difference.
Expansion moves from DX517 to DX525
DS920+ belongs to the DX517 generation, while DS925+ uses Synology’s newer DX525 expansion unit. This matters most to owners who already own expansion hardware or expect to grow beyond four internal bays. An existing DX517 has sunk value that can make keeping DS920+ cheaper than starting over.
Expansion planning also affects migration timing. If a capacity increase is coming soon, compare the cost of larger drives, an existing expansion unit and a new chassis together instead of treating the NAS enclosure as an isolated purchase.
M.2 strategy should follow current compatibility rules
Both generations have M.2 slots, but supported cache and storage-pool uses have evolved with DSM and Synology’s compatible-SSD policies. Advice from the DS920+ launch era can therefore be wrong for a 2026 deployment. Verify the exact model and DSM behavior before buying NVMe drives.
Do not assume a fast consumer NVMe model is automatically a supported storage-pool device. M.2 compatibility is a separate decision from SATA HDD flexibility and should be checked against Synology’s current list.
Plex is the reason some DS920+ owners hesitate
DS920+ has an Intel platform that remains attractive to media-server owners, while DS925+ prioritizes a Ryzen storage platform without the same Intel Quick Sync path. The practical question is how much of your library Direct Plays and which sessions actually require conversion. A direct-play-heavy household may care more about network speed and storage than server-side transcoding.
Test your most difficult codec, bitrate and subtitle combinations before migrating. If media conversion is the only reason to keep DS920+, another architecture is to retain the NAS for storage or upgrade storage separately while using a mini PC for Plex or Jellyfin compute.
Support status favors the current model but does not abandon DS920+
Synology currently lists DS920+ as discontinued with Full DSM updates and Limited technical support. DS925+ is a current model with Full DSM updates and Full technical support. That gap affects repair expectations and support horizon more than it affects whether DS920+ boots DSM today.
Owners should distinguish software maintenance from manufacturing status. Continued DSM support buys planning time, but older hardware should have stronger backup and replacement plans because support limitations and parts availability can become more important than operating-system compatibility.
Drive investment can dominate the enclosure decision
Four large NAS drives can cost more than either chassis. If an upgrade coincides with a capacity refresh, compare total system cost including drives, backup target and any expansion unit. If your current drives remain healthy and appropriately sized, migrating only to gain a new enclosure may not be the highest-value move.
A safe migration plan preserves at least one independent backup throughout the process. Do not let the convenience of drive migration remove the only good copy of irreplaceable data.
Power, noise and physical footprint are secondary but real
Both are compact desktop four-bay systems, so this is not a rack-versus-desktop decision. Noise depends heavily on the drives installed, while power consumption depends on disk count, workload and sleep behavior. If the NAS sits in a living space, drive acoustics can matter more than a small chassis-generation difference.
Measure the problem you actually experience. A quieter drive set or better placement may improve household usability more than replacing a functioning enclosure.
A used DS920+ purchase needs a different threshold than keeping one
Existing owners already absorbed the purchase cost and know the history of their unit. A new buyer faces unknown fan hours, power-supply history, tray condition and seller quality. That makes the price threshold for buying DS920+ in 2026 much stricter than the threshold for continuing to use one you already trust.
Compare used DS920+ against DS425+, DS925+ and other current choices after adding memory, accessories and return risk. Scarcity can push an old favorite above a rational value.
Who should stay on DS920+
Stay when four bays are enough, 1GbE is not hurting your workflow, memory pressure is low, media behavior is valuable to you and backups are healthy. Full DSM update status means you can make this choice deliberately rather than treating replacement as an emergency.
A planned review date is useful. Revisit the decision when DSM support changes, hardware health worsens or the next storage expansion forces major spending.
Who should move to DS925+
Move when 2.5GbE will be used immediately, ECC and 32 GB memory headroom solve real service needs, the current expansion ecosystem matters, or you want a fresh support and hardware lifecycle. Those are structural advantages rather than benchmark trivia.
If none of those changes affects your workload, keep the DS920+ and spend the budget where the bottleneck actually is. A newer NAS is valuable when it removes a constraint, not merely because it is newer.
Questions people ask
DS920+ vs DS925+ upgrade questions
Is DS925+ faster than DS920+?
For storage and service workloads, DS925+ brings a newer Ryzen platform, much more memory headroom and dual 2.5GbE. Media transcoding is a separate question because DS920+ uses Intel J4125; test the exact Plex/Jellyfin workload rather than assuming one metric decides everything.
Does DS920+ still get DSM updates?
Synology currently lists DS920+ with Full DSM update status even though the product is discontinued. Technical support is listed as Limited.
Does DS920+ support DSM 7.4?
Yes. Synology’s current DSM release information includes the DS920+ generation on the DSM 7.4 path. Always read the exact release note before upgrading.
Does DS925+ have 2.5GbE?
Yes. DS925+ provides two 2.5GbE RJ-45 ports, a major networking change from DS920+ dual 1GbE.
Can DS920+ use DX525?
Treat expansion-unit compatibility as model-specific. DS920+ belongs to the DX517 generation, while DS925+ uses DX525. Verify Synology’s current compatibility documentation before purchasing an expansion unit.
Should Plex users upgrade DS920+ to DS925+?
Not automatically. Review Direct Play, transcoding, subtitle behavior and whether a separate mini PC would be a better compute upgrade while keeping the NAS as storage.
How much RAM can DS925+ use?
Synology specifies up to 32 GB DDR4 ECC for DS925+, compared with the DS920+ official 8 GB ceiling.
Is a used DS920+ still worth buying?
Only at a meaningful discount to current four-bay alternatives and with a good return policy, documented condition and a reason to prefer the older Intel platform.
Can I migrate drives from DS920+ to DS925+?
Migration depends on DSM, storage-pool state, drive compatibility and Synology’s migration rules. Maintain an independent backup and use the current migration documentation rather than assuming every disk set can be moved directly.
Which is better for a new buyer?
For most new storage-focused buyers, DS925+ offers the stronger support horizon, network interfaces and memory platform. DS920+ is mainly compelling when its Intel media characteristics or used-market price solve a specific need.
Official references and methodology
Verify the exact model, DSM build, package versions and support state
The comparison uses Synology hardware documentation and current Product Support Status / DSM release information for both systems. It avoids assigning fixed Plex transcode counts because codec, subtitle and client behavior can materially change media results.
- DS920+ official datasheet
- DS925+ product specifications
- Synology Product Support Status
- DSM 7.4 release notes
As an Amazon Associate, Cloudzat may earn from qualifying purchases. Prices, availability, Product Support Status, DSM builds and compatibility can change. Verify the exact model in Synology's current Product Support Status and Download Center before purchasing used hardware, replacing a NAS or changing a production system.