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Hey Robbie,
I was wondering what Synology I should buy to replace my dead 920+. I want one that I can for sure just do HDD migration on, I mainly also use it as a plex server so having hardware transcode is nice but not sure i can just buy the 925+ and drop my drives in due to vendor locking in hard drive brands.
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If drive migration is your priority, and you want to avoid issues with Synology’s drive compatibility restrictions, do not go for the DS925+. That model enforces Synology-branded drive requirements (HAT3300/5300 etc.), and dropping in your existing third-party HDDs could result in warnings, blocked storage pool creation, or even failed migration depending on the DSM version.
Instead, consider one of the following:
• Synology DS920+ (used or new-old stock) – Still the most seamless option for direct HDD migration.
• DS923+ – Newer model with AMD CPU (no hardware transcoding), but supports full HDD migration and accepts most third-party drives. Ideal if you’re using direct-play in Plex.
• QNAP TS-464 or TS-664 – If you’re open to stepping outside Synology, these support drive mixing, Plex hardware transcoding (Intel CPU), and are far more flexible. Drive migration won’t be the same process, but they offer more long-term flexibility.
If hardware transcoding in Plex is important and you prefer Synology, then staying with the older 920+ or even DS918+ (if you find one in good condition) might be your best bet. Synology hasn’t offered Intel iGPU support in their newer models lately.
