Setup recommendation for Photos focused NAS

Synology
,
1

I’m upgrading from a DS218+ and want to build a new Synology NAS. The main focus of this NAS is for family photos and performance of Synology Photos is the priority.

I plan to set up 2 NVME SSDs, but my question is should I use them for a Storage Pool, Caching or both (1 SSD for caching 1 for Storage Pool).

Also for the storage pool how do I get the best performance? Do I use that pool when installing Photos?

2

Hi Victor! Your upgrade plan to a more powerful Synology NAS with NVMe is a great choice, especially for enhancing Synology Photos performance.

NVMe SSD Options:

1. SSD Cache (1 or 2 drives):

  • Use for: Speeding up read/write access on slower HDDs.
  • Not ideal for: Photos already on SSDs.
  • Note: Does not significantly enhance photo indexing or AI features.

2. SSD Storage Pool (Recommended):

  • Best for: Storing your Synology Photos database and media on fast SSDs.
  • Benefits: Faster thumbnail loading, improved AI performance, and better browsing experience.

3. Hybrid Setup (1 Cache + 1 Storage Pool):

  • Not optimal: This setup compromises capacity and performance.

Recommendation:

  • Use both NVMe SSDs in a RAID 0 Storage Pool (or RAID 1 for safety).
  • Store your Synology Photos on this SSD volume.

Setup Steps:

  1. Create a Storage Pool with both NVMe SSDs.
  2. Create a volume within that pool.
  3. Store the Photos folder in that volume.
  4. Optionally, install the Synology Photos app on that volume.

Bonus Tips:

  • Opt for a NAS with a quad-core CPU (x86) and 4–8GB RAM for better AI features.
  • If using SHR or RAID 1, disable deduplication to prevent write amplification.
3

Thank you for the very detailed response

regarding option 2
when you say storing the photos database does that mean my full photos collection or is this installing the photos app on the nvme pool? my photos collection is very large so I don’t think it will fit on the full nvme pool.

My plan was to maybe do all SSD’s 4x4TBs for a pool for my photos & videos. If I do this does the NVME still make sense?

I’m looking at the 4core CPUs but will have to go with the DS1821+ since the '25 versions won’t allow for non Synology SSDs.