The Synology DS1520+ is a 5-bay desktop NAS built for serious home users and small-office buyers who outgrew the 4-bay class. Built around an Intel Celeron J4125 with integrated graphics and four 1GbE network ports, it brings extra capacity and link-aggregation potential while retaining hardware-accelerated transcoding for Plex. This bundle ships with a generous 80TB of drives for around $2,599. This Synology DS1520+ review covers the hardware, software and value.
Synology DiskStation DS1520+ NAS Server with Celeron 2.0GHz CPU, 8GB Memory, 80TB HDD Storage, 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD, 4 x 1GbE LAN Ports, DSM Operating System
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Synology DS1520+ at a Glance
| Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| Bay count | 5 bays (3.5″/2.5″ SATA HDD/SSD) |
| CPU | Intel Celeron J4125 quad-core (4C/4T, 2.0 GHz, burst 2.7 GHz) with Intel UHD Graphics 600 |
| RAM (default + max) | 8GB DDR4 (this bundle ships at 8GB), officially expandable to 8GB |
| Network ports | 4x 1GbE RJ-45 (link aggregation supported) |
| USB ports | 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 2x eSATA (for DX517 expansion) |
| Max raw capacity | 90TB with 5x 18TB (180TB with 2x DX517 expansion units) |
| RAID modes supported | SHR, SHR-2, JBOD, Basic, RAID 0/1/5/6/10 |
| OS / Software | Synology DSM 7.2+ (web-based) |
| Approx price | around $2,599 (bundle with 80TB drives + 8GB RAM) |
Hardware & Performance
The DS1520+ is built around the Intel Celeron J4125 — the same quad-core, x86-64 CPU with integrated UHD Graphics 600 that powers the DS420+ and DS224+. The integrated GPU is the headline feature for the wider Plex audience, providing Quick Sync hardware acceleration for H.264 and HEVC transcoding. With four CPU cores and 8GB of RAM in this bundle (the official maximum on the DS1520+), there is comfortable headroom for DSM, Plex, Synology Photos, multiple Docker containers and several simultaneous file-sharing clients. What the J4125 will not do is run heavy virtual machines or many concurrent transcoded streams — for that consider an AMD Ryzen-based model — but for the typical 5-bay buyer the CPU is well judged. Two M.2 NVMe cache slots accelerate random-access workloads.
Storage & RAID Options
With 5 hot-swappable bays the DS1520+ accepts 3.5″ and 2.5″ SATA HDDs and SSDs, plus two M.2 NVMe cache slots for SSD caching. Maximum raw capacity is 90TB with 5x 18TB drives, or 180TB with two DX517 expansion units. RAID options are the full Synology suite: SHR and SHR-2 (Synology Hybrid RAID with single or dual fault tolerance), plus traditional RAID 0, 1, 5, 6 and 10. SHR-2 is particularly attractive for 5-bay setups because it gives dual-disk fault tolerance without the rigidity of traditional RAID 6. BTRFS is the recommended filesystem and is well worth using for its snapshot and self-healing features. This bundle ships with 80TB of pre-installed drives — typically configured for buyers to choose RAID layout on first boot.
Software & App Ecosystem
DSM 7.2+ on the DS1520+ is the same mature, polished operating system that runs on Synology’s enterprise hardware — the experience is consistent across the range. Synology Drive provides Dropbox-style file sync; Synology Photos handles AI-organised libraries; Hyper Backup covers cloud and off-site backups; Active Backup for Business backs up Windows, Mac, Linux, VMware, Hyper-V and SaaS workloads — the latter scales nicely on a 5-bay unit because there is plenty of capacity for retained backups. Container Manager (Docker) and Plex run well on the J4125. For more on DSM’s capabilities and rival platforms, see our best Synology NAS guide and best QNAP NAS roundup guides.
Networking & Throughput
The DS1520+ has four 1GbE RJ-45 ports — an unusual feature at this price tier — which can be configured as link-aggregated bonds (LACP) for up to 4Gbps of theoretical throughput, or split between management and storage networks for SMB Multichannel. There is no built-in 2.5GbE or 10GbE option, which is the DS1520+’s most obvious limitation in 2026. For SMB Multichannel-aware clients the four ports can effectively saturate a fast RAID 5 array; for typical single-client workloads, link aggregation gives load-balancing rather than single-stream speed improvements. SMB 3.0, NFS, AFP, iSCSI and WebDAV are supported. For buyers building 10GbE small-business networks the DS1522+ is the closer match in Synology’s range; the DS1520+ remains the better choice for the gigabit-equipped majority.
Use Cases — Plex / Backup / Files
For Plex the DS1520+ is well judged — the J4125’s iGPU and four CPU cores handle multiple simultaneous hardware-transcoded streams comfortably, and the larger 5-bay capacity gives room for a substantial media library. For backup it is excellent: 80TB of capacity in the bundle and SHR-2’s dual-disk fault tolerance make it a strong choice for protected long-term storage. For file serving across a small office it has the capacity and four network ports to handle a busy workgroup. See our best NAS for backup and best NAS for Plex Media Server guides for further comparisons. Surveillance Station deployments with 8 to 16 IP cameras are also a popular fit — the four network ports allow camera traffic to be isolated from client traffic, and 80TB of storage is plenty for months of 24/7 retention.
Verdict
At around $2,599 the Synology DS1520+ in this 80TB bundle is a well-balanced choice for buyers who outgrew 4-bay units and want a polished platform with serious capacity. The J4125 with its iGPU keeps Plex hardware transcoding on the table, the five bays and SHR-2 support give strong data protection, and four 1GbE ports allow flexible networking. Lack of 2.5GbE / 10GbE is the obvious limitation. For home and small-office buyers who need more capacity than 4 bays allow, it earns a strong recommendation — compare it with rivals in our best NAS for small business guide.
Buyers comparing the DS1520+ against the newer DS1522+ should note that the DS1522+ uses an AMD Ryzen R1600 (no iGPU) but adds an optional 10GbE PCIe card — so the choice comes down to whether Plex matters more than 10GbE networking. For buyers leading with media-server duty the DS1520+ remains the better choice; for buyers leading with fast networking or ECC RAM, the DS1522+ is more appropriate. The 80TB drive bundle in this listing represents meaningful value over self-sourcing drives — typical NAS-rated 18TB Seagate IronWolf or WD Red Pro drives are $300+ each, so the bundle is competitive with buying drives separately, and it removes the compatibility and warranty-validation work from the buyer. See our best NAS for Plex Media Server for Plex-focused alternatives.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the DS1520+ different from a 4-bay model?
Five bays instead of four (with SHR-2 dual-disk fault tolerance), four 1GbE network ports instead of two, and slightly higher capacity expansion via dual DX517 support. The CPU and DSM software are otherwise identical to the DS420+.
Does the DS1520+ have 2.5GbE or 10GbE networking?
No. It has four 1GbE RJ-45 ports that can be link-aggregated for 4Gbps of theoretical throughput, but there is no built-in 2.5GbE or 10GbE option — networking is the unit’s most obvious limitation.
Is the DS1520+ good for Plex?
Yes. The Intel Celeron J4125’s integrated GPU handles Plex hardware transcoding efficiently — multiple simultaneous 4K HEVC streams are comfortably possible — and 5 bays give room for a substantial library.
How much capacity can the DS1520+ hold?
Up to 90TB with 5x 18TB drives in the main chassis, or 180TB total with two DX517 5-bay expansion units. This bundle ships with 80TB of drives pre-installed.
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