M2 NVME upgrade?

[Enquiries]

I have a Synology DS1621xs+ on 10gig with 80TB of RAID 5 Seagate Exos drives. My main use is 4K video editing and Plex streaming. Is it worth buying an M2 NVME drive for read write caching? If so, what is the optimum size?

[ed]

Is M.2 NVMe caching worth it?
Yes, caching can significantly improve performance for your 4K video editing tasks, especially if your workflow involves frequent access to smaller, random files (e.g., project files, assets, or software cache). With NVMe read/write caching, your system will access frequently used files more quickly, reducing latency and improving responsiveness during editing sessions.

Optimum NVMe Cache Size:
For your 80TB storage pool, a 1TB NVMe drive is a practical choice, as Synology typically recommends 1GB of cache per 1TB of storage for balanced performance. Larger capacities provide additional headroom for intensive workloads, but this depends on your budget.

Alternative Option: Use NVMe for Storage
To take performance a step further, you could create a dedicated NVMe storage volume for live editing projects. This approach allows you to benefit from the full speed of the NVMe drives without the caching layer. For optimal results:

Add two M.2 NVMe drives in RAID 1 for redundancy (if data safety is a concern).
Use this volume exclusively for active projects and transfer completed files back to your main RAID 5 pool.
Additional Considerations:

Ensure compatibility with Synology’s recommended NVMe models to avoid issues. Popular options like the Samsung 970 EVO Plus or WD Black SN850 are excellent choices.
For even better performance, consider scaling up your direct network speed if possible (e.g., leveraging multiple 10GbE links).
Impact on Plex Streaming:
For Plex, NVMe caching has minimal benefits, as video streaming is typically sequential and does not rely on caching mechanisms for efficiency.

[SiFi]

Is M.2 NVMe caching worth it?
Yes, caching can significantly improve performance for your 4K video editing tasks, especially if your workflow involves frequent access to smaller, random files (e.g., project files, assets, or software cache). With NVMe read/write caching, your system will access frequently used files more quickly, reducing latency and improving responsiveness during editing sessions.
Optimum NVMe Cache Size:
For your 80TB storage pool, a 1TB NVMe drive is a practical choice, as Synology typically recommends 1GB of cache per 1TB of storage for balanced performance. Larger capacities provide additional headroom for intensive workloads, but this depends on your budget.
Alternative Option: Use NVMe for Storage
To take performance a step further, you could create a dedicated NVMe storage volume for live editing projects. This approach allows you to benefit from the full speed of the NVMe drives without the caching layer. For optimal results:
Add two M.2 NVMe drives in RAID 1 for redundancy (if data safety is a concern).
Use this volume exclusively for active projects and transfer completed files back to your main RAID 5 pool.
Additional Considerations:
Ensure compatibility with Synology’s recommended NVMe models to avoid issues. Popular options like the Samsung 970 EVO Plus or WD Black SN850 are excellent choices.
For even better performance, consider scaling up your direct network speed if possible (e.g., leveraging multiple 10GbE links).
Impact on Plex Streaming:
For Plex, NVMe caching has minimal benefits, as video streaming is typically sequential and does not rely on caching mechanisms for efficiency.

[ed]

Thank you for your follow-up and for the coffee—much appreciated!

When it comes to using third-party M.2 NVMe drives on the DS1621xs+, here’s the clarification:

If the NVMe drive isn’t on Synology’s official compatibility list, it will still generally work for caching purposes. Synology doesn’t lock out non-official drives for cache functions, and many users successfully use models like the Samsung 970 EVO Plus or WD Black SN850 for this purpose. Among the two, the SN850 is better suited for your 4K video editing workload due to its higher performance and endurance compared to the SN770.

However, if you want to use M.2 NVMe drives as a storage volume instead of for caching, Synology only officially supports their branded NVMe SSDs. To use third-party drives for storage, you would need to apply a small hack or script that enables this functionality. It’s a fairly straightforward process, but keep in mind that it isn’t officially supported by Synology, so you’d be venturing into unsupported territory.

For your use case:

If caching is your primary need, you can safely go with third-party drives without modifications.
If you want to create a dedicated NVMe storage volume for live editing, you’ll need to use the script workaround or stick to Synology’s branded NVMe drives.