How do you choose RAM for your Synology NAS?

To find out which RAM you want for your Synology NAS, we'll ask the following questions:

1. Is the RAM of your NAS replaceable?
2. What kind of memory is currently in your NAS?
3. Which type of RAM do you need?
4. Do you want to expand or replace the memory?
5. Do you want to upgrade the RAM officially or unofficially?

Before you replace or upgrade the RAM, you first need to know which type of RAM, how much RAM, and how many memory slots your NAS has. The table below lists this information for all upgradeable Synology DiskStations from 2017 and later. Do you have an older NAS? You can find this on the Synology website. You can also find out how much RAM your NAS has in gigabytes via the DiskStation manager of your NAS. Go to the Synology Control Panel and click the Info Center.

Tip: in the last column 'Synology RAM', you can see which type of RAM you officially need for an upgrade.

In the second column of the table above you can see which type of RAM you need. Choose the type of RAM, which starts with 'DDR':

• DDR3 RAM: oldest and slowest standard, only works with a DDR3 memory slot.
• DDR3L RAM: faster and more energy-efficient than DDR3, works with DDR3 and DDR3L slots.
• DDR4 RAM: latest and fastest standard, only works with a DDR4 memory slot.

Check which DIMM type you need in the third column. Almost every Synology DiskStation uses the small SO-DIMM modules. With expensive NAS models for business, you use the larger DIMM modules.

If the RAM of your NAS is malfunctioning, we recommend that you replace it with exactly the same Synology RAM module. This way, you can be sure it'll work as before, and that you keep your warranty. Is your RAM still working properly, but want it to be a bit faster? Place a RAM module with more gigabytes in your NAS or expand the memory with a second RAM module. To make sure it works optimally, the second should be the same as the first. Or buy two new identical RAM modules.

If you want to upgrade the RAM of your NAS, you have two options:

• Officially. An official upgrade means replacing the RAM with a module of the same brand. Synology, in this case. You can be sure \ the memory works perfectly with your NAS. Your warranty is also still valid for the official channels. In the last column of the table, you can see which Synology RAM you need.
• Unofficially. Upgrading unofficially means using a different brand of RAM than Synology. You'll lose part of the warranty, which means that you have to pay for any possible repairs yourself. Unofficial RAM is often cheaper, but it's deductible so we don't recommend it.

If you have a high-end or business Synology device such as a Rackmount NAS (RS) or FlashStation (FS), you won't find your model in this article. Check the manual of your NAS or the Compatibility List from Synology instead.