ASK NC

Is it true that if I buy the above nas I need to use synology branded drives?

No, it is not true. Only new XS series rackmounts require symbology HDDs.Here is the latest compatibility listhttps://www.synology.com/en-global/compatibility?search_by=products&model=DS1621xs%2B&category=hdds_no_ssd_trim&filter_brand=Western%20Digital&p=1I hope this helps.