The Synology DiskStation DS725+ is a 2-bay NAS designed for prosumers, small businesses, and users who need more performance. Here are its key specifications and notable features: Hardware: CPU: AMD Ryzen R1600 (Dual-Core, 4 Threads) with a base clock of 2.6 GHz and a turbo frequency of up to 3.1 GHz. Memory: 4 GB DDR4 ECC SODIMM (expandable up to 32 GB with 2 x 16 GB modules). The inclusion of ECC (Error-Correcting Code) memory is a significant upgrade, providing greater data integrity and system stability. Drive Bays: 2 x 3.5"/2.5" SATA HDD/SSD (hot-swappable). M.2 Slots: 2 x M.2 2280 NVMe SSD slots (for SSD cache, not for creating storage pools directly, and limited to PCIe 3.0 speeds). Maximum Raw Storage: Up to 40 TB with 2 bays. Can be expanded to 7 drives (140 TB raw storage with 20 TB drives) using a Synology DX525 expansion unit via the USB-C port. Networking: 1 x RJ-45 2.5GbE LAN Port 1 x RJ-45 1GbE LAN Port Supports Link Aggregation (for combining the 2.5GbE and 1GbE ports for higher throughput or failover) External Ports: 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps) Type-A port 1 x USB Type-C expansion port (for DX525 expansion unit) File Systems: Btrfs, EXT4 (internal drives); Btrfs, EXT4, EXT3, FAT, NTFS, HFS+, exFAT (external drives). Power Consumption: Approximately 14W (Idle) / 22W (Under Load). Noise Level: ~17.9 dB(A). Dimensions (HxWxD): 166 mm x 106 mm x 223 mm. Weight: 1.51 kg (without drives). Key Features and Improvements over previous models (like DS723+): Increased Default RAM: Ships with 4GB ECC DDR4 RAM as standard, double the 2GB found in the DS723+. This provides more headroom for demanding applications, multitasking, virtual machines, and Docker containers. Built-in 2.5GbE Port: Features a native 2.5GbE port alongside a 1GbE port, improving out-of-the-box network transfer speeds without requiring a separate PCIe network upgrade card. USB-C Expansion: The eSATA port for expansion has been replaced by a more modern USB-C port for connecting the DX525 expansion unit. Strong Software Suite (Synology DSM): Runs DiskStation Manager (DSM) 7.2+, offering a wide range of applications and services including: Synology Drive: For cross-platform file access, synchronization, and collaboration. Synology Photos: For photo management with features like facial and object recognition. Active Backup Suite: For centralized backup of devices, virtual machines, and cloud services. Surveillance Station: Supports video management and monitoring (comes with 2 free camera licenses, expandable). Virtualization Support: VMware, Citrix, Microsoft Hyper-V, Docker. Trade-offs/Considerations: No Hardware Transcoding: The DS725+ does not include hardware-accelerated multimedia transcoding. If you plan to stream high-resolution media directly from the NAS to devices that require transcoding, this might be a limitation. No 10GbE Upgrade Slot: Unlike the DS723+, the DS725+ does not include a PCIe slot for adding a 10GbE network card. This means 2.5GbE is the fastest wired network speed you can achieve. Synology Drive Compatibility Policy: While older non-Synology drives can be migrated, expanding the storage pool or starting fresh with new drives might require using Synology-branded drives. This policy has been a point of discussion for users.