Backup Advice

[Enquiries]

As a motion GFX artist, I have a 2014 Lacie 5Big as my main RAID storage. It's 20TB total, with 16TB RAID5 (12TB total after RAID) across 4 drives, and the 5th drive being a hot swappable Time Machine backup and RAID backup slot. The 16TB RAID I backup critical data to an 8TB drive, less critical work I backup to a 4TB drive, and I have another 8TB Time Machine backup of my workstation (M1 Max MacBook Pro). I also have a DS118 which I use for syncing google drive for client delivery and Plex.

As it's 11 years old, I was thinking it's time to update my main storage, and use the old Lacie as a RAID backup. I thought a NAS as I now run a mobile workstation rather than a desktop workstation like I did from 2013 to 2022.

As I've enjoyed the DS118, I always imagined I'd get a 5 or 6 bay Synology NAS once they were updated, but the latest releases have taken so long, and been poorly received, there may be much better options now.

Any advice appreciated.

[ed]

Thanks for getting in touch, and I really appreciate the detailed rundown of your setup. That Lacie 5Big has done a solid job over the years, but after 11 years in service, you’re right to start planning its replacement — especially with your move to a mobile workstation setup.

You mentioned leaning toward Synology, especially based on your positive experience with the DS118. Until recently, the natural upgrade path would have been something like the DS1522+, but Synology has just launched the DS1525+ and DS1825+. While these new models bring some nice hardware updates — like the AMD Ryzen R1600 CPU, 8GB ECC RAM (upgradable to 32GB), NVMe SSD caching, and 2.5GbE networking — there’s one major catch that’s important to flag.

Unlike earlier models, the DS1525+ and DS1825+ now enforce full drive lockdown. That means you can only use Synology’s own branded hard drives (HAT3300 or HAT5300 series), and if you try to install DSM with non-Synology drives, the system will refuse to proceed. This isn’t just about warning pop-ups anymore — DSM won’t install at all. So if you’re planning to reuse existing drives or want flexibility in sourcing more affordable third-party options, these new models will unfortunately block that entirely.

If DSM is a must-have and you’re happy to invest in Synology drives, they’re still solid choices with excellent software and great backup tools — ideal for Time Machine, Plex (with direct play), and general creative workflows. But if you want more freedom with your hardware, it might be worth looking at alternatives.

QNAP offers a few good options around your budget, like the TS-664 or TS-673A. They support third-party drives without issue, have similar performance potential, and offer flexible expansion and caching features. The software isn’t quite as user-friendly as DSM, but it’s powerful and well-supported, especially for solo professionals.