Synology DS1621xschat_bubble_outlineFrom real comments

Migration from older Synology units is remarkably smooth and reliable. Multiple users praised how effortlessly drives transferred from previous NAS units like the DS920+ or DS1618+ into the DS1621xs+, describing it as something unheard of in professional IT careers. As long as drives are placed in the same slot order, the process reportedly works flawlessly every time, preserving data and configuration without issue, which builds strong trust in Synology's ecosystem continuity.

The dated Xeon CPU disappoints for Plex and 4K transcoding. Commenters repeatedly note the Xeon D-1527 is roughly five years old at launch and lacks Intel Quick Sync, making hardware-accelerated 4K transcoding impossible despite being marketed as Plex-capable. Users found 1080p playback and modest transcodes acceptable, but 4K footage frequently failed, leading several to call the hardware mediocre or not future-proof for evolving 4K content libraries.

Missing SHR support is a major sticking point despite workarounds. Many potential buyers were angered that this higher-end model dropped Hybrid RAID (SHR), a feature present on cheaper Synology units, making it hard to use mixed-capacity drives efficiently. Some abandoned purchases entirely, while others discovered SHR could still be enabled via SSH hacks or found the system actually accepts additional and larger drives into existing SHR volumes without issue, adding confusion to what should be a documented feature.