Introduction

We would like to thank Synology for supplying the review sample.


The last time I reviewed a Synology slim NAS model was years ago, back in 2014, so I immediately grabbed the opportunity once they offered me the DS620slim. These "slim" NAS servers are ultra-compact since they can only host 2.5" drives, which increases cost and decreased capacity compared to NAS servers compatible with 3.5" drives. However, if available space is a concern and you don't have increased capacity requirements, the DS620slim is one of few products that fits the bill. QNAP also has a couple of products in its portfolio with compact dimensions, but I haven't had the opportunity to evaluate them.

Despite its small footprint, the DS620slim can take up to six drives. According to Synology, an ideal scenario is to use a mix of HDDs and SSDs, of which the fastest is used as cache to improve network transfer speeds and the responsiveness of the server to data queries. In my case, I will only use SSDs to remove any bottlenecks the much slower 2.5" HDDs can cause. With the prices of SSDs slowly dropping by the day, you will soon be able to use 2 TB or higher capacity SSDs with such compact NAS servers without it breaking the bank.

Specifications