Upgrading your network attached storage (NAS) device with a carefully selected solid state drive (SSD) unlocks substantial performance and reliability improvements. But with so many options on the market boasting an alphabet soup of specs, selecting the right model for your needs deserves careful evaluation.
In this definitive guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know to pick out the perfect SSD for your NAS…
What to Look for in a NAS SSD
While SSDs deliver major benefits like faster access times, vastly improved durability, and lower power draw compared to traditional spinning hard disk drives (HDDs), not all solid state storage solutions are created equal.
Several key factors determine whether a given SSD excels in the unique 24/7 operating environment intrinsic to modern NAS appliances:
Endurance
Continuously writing data inevitably wears out flash memory cells over time. Endurance ratings stated in terabytes written (TBW) indicate SSD lifespan under heavy write workloads.
Sustained Performance
Peak headline speeds often rely on cache tricks. Pay more attention to “after cache”specs that reveal true long-term transfer capabilities.
Power Loss Protection
Sudden power disruption can corrupt file systems and important data. Capacitors or tantalum polymers provide backup power to complete in-flight reads/writes.
Management & Monitoring
Advanced SSDs give actionable insights into remaining lifespan, drive health factors like temperature and bad block counts, and performance.
Warranty
Lengthy 3, 5, or even 10-year coverage suggests confidence in prolonged reliable operation. Just be sure to register your SSD promptly.
With a grasp on what makes enterprise and NAS-oriented SSDs tick, let’s explore highly recommended models that balance performance, endurance, and value…
Best Overall: Seagate IronWolf 510
$279.99 for 1TB Model
If you prioritize rock-solid reliability over affordability, Seagate’s flagship IronWolf 510 NVMe SSD warrants consideration as the drives are specifically engineered for multi-user NAS environments running 24/7 under demanding workloads.
Combining blazing fast sequential throughput topping out around 3.5/3.2GB/s read/write with class-leading endurance ratings of 1.8PBW for the 1TB capacity, the IronWolf 510 series is built to last.
Seagate confidently stands behind these drives as well with an industry-first five-year warranty, further cementing best-in-class long term viability. The inclusion of a heat sink also allows sustained performance without throttling.
Key Specifications:
- Sequential Reads: 3,500MB/s
- Sequential Writes: 3,000MB/s
- Random Reads: 715,000 IOPS
- Random Writes: 700,000 IOPS
- Endurance: 1,800TBW
- Warranty: 5-years
Thanks to Seagate’s NAS expertise, IronWolf Health Management integration lets NAS devices tap sensor data reporting back on drive lifespan consumption, operational temps, failure risk assessments, and troubleshoot issues.
Consensus: Purpose-built for demanding, high-capacity NAS while still fitting within reasonable budgets, the Seagate IronWolf 510 offers the best blend of performance, endurance, ease-of-integration and monitoring.
Runner Up: Samsung 980 PRO
$229 for 1TB Model
The Samsung 980 PROConsumer Series represents the pinnacle of mainstream M.2 NVMe SSD offerings on the market today. Initially designed for bleeding-edge PCIe 4.0 desktop platforms, these drives provide plenty of headroom for maxing out network potential in smaller NAS deployments.
Extreme speeds up to 7,000/5,000 MB/s sequential read/write leave mechanical hard drives in the dust. And MTTF ratings reaching 1.5 million hours demonstrate enhanced reliability that suits dependable NAS operation.
While the endurance projections of 600TBW might give pause to some data hoarders, that still equates to writing over 300GB daily for five years! Cost per TB runs higher than HDDs but within expectations for premium NVMe-based storage.
Key Specifications:
- Sequential Reads: 7,000MB/s
- Sequential Writes: 5,100MB/s
- Random Reads: 1,000,000 IOPS
- Random Writes: 1,000,000 IOPS
- Endurance: 600TBW
- Warranty: 5-years
Capable drive health monitoring via the Samsung Magician toolbox lets you keep tabs on remaining endurance and spot troubling trends before they snowball into catastrophic failures down the line.
Consensus: Blurring the line between desktop and datacenter, Samung’s cutting-edge 980 PRO brings blistering NVMe speeds, consolodated form factor, and trimmed cost to NAS while still delivering enhanced endurance and monitoring capabilities.
$94 for 1TB Model
Shopping for NAS storage on a tight budget? The Crucial MX500 SATA SSD provides surprisingly robust endurance and performance at just under 10 cents per gigabyte.
Based on consumer hardware, this value-focused drive lacks specialized features tailored for RAID. But still outclasses entry hard drives on specs including 550MB/s sequential writes and 360TBW endurance projections thanks to Micron 3D TLC NAND fortifying the MX500 against deterioration.
Top value earns the MX500 wide endorsements across YouTube channels and publications like Tom’s Hardware, which granted this SSD a “Best Choice” honor two years running for delivering fantastic reliability that rivals pricier competitors.
Key Specifications:
- Sequential Reads: 560MB/s
- Sequential Writes: 510MB/s
- Random Reads: 95,000 IOPS
- Random Writes: 90,000 IOPS
- Endurance: 360TBW
- Warranty: 5-years
The integrated AES-256 bit hardware encryption honestly won’t see much relevance in typical NAS application. But provides extra peace of mind for users intending to repurpose this budget-friendly SSD down the line inside laptops and workstations.
Consensus: Unmatched value at this price point, Crucial’s MX500 outperforms expectations for endurance and speed. While missing some enterprise niceties, it still rates as a cost-effective option for expanding NAS storage
