All Flash NAS Upgrade
Posted on January 18, 2026 • 4 minutes • 653 words
I decided to upgrade my NAS from a Synology DS918+ to an all-flash setup. After years of using spinning drives, I wanted the speed and silence that comes with NVMe storage.
When I originally bought my Synology DS918+, I just wanted something that worked out of the box. I paid a premium price for that convenience, and it served me well. However, Synology hardware is rather limited for what it’s offering. I want something faster, smaller, more silent, and with more flexibility. That’s what led me to look at custom hardware solutions in the first place.
Hardware Requirements
My requirements are:
- Something tiny: small form factor, low power consumption, silent operation
- At least 4 NVMe slots for storage
- 2.5Gbps NIC
After researching various options, I ended up buying the Beelink ME Mini. It’s compact, power-efficient, and has 6 NVMe slots - more than enough for my needs.
The OS Dilemma
The hardware was the easy part. Finding the right operating system turned out to be more challenging. I tried several options, each with their own trade-offs.
My Dream OS
Ideally, I’d want something that checks all these boxes:
- Stability - I don’t want to mess with my data. This is critical.
- Ease of use - Simple interface, intuitive workflows, minimal configuration required.
- Open source (prefer Linux-based) - Transparency, community support, and the ability to audit and modify the code. Probably something Fedora-based. It seems that everyone is moving off *BSD too because Linux’s hardware support is way better.
- NAS-specific - Built to be a NAS, easy to use, not a general-purpose server OS.
- Atomic/immutable - Maybe using bootable containers (bootc) for reliability.
- Container management - Manage all my apps via Docker/Podman but with a nice app store interface.
Unfortunately, no single OS hits all these points perfectly. Here’s what I found:
ZimaOS
Previously known as CasaOS, ZimaOS was one of the first options I tried.
Pros:
- Boots really fast
- Very simple to use
- Manages apps as containers, which is great for several reasons:
- I’m already familiar with containers
- The number of apps in the catalog is probably huge (leverages the container ecosystem)
Cons:
- Proprietary OS
Xpenology
Xpenology lets you run Synology’s DSM on non-Synology hardware, so I could stay within the Synology ecosystem I’m already familiar with.
Pros:
- Familiar Synology interface and ecosystem
- All the apps and features I’m used to
Cons:
- Requires a USB bootloader, which is a bit inconvenient
- Stability concerns - my colleague said it’s fine, but a NAS isn’t something I want to geek out with
- Also proprietary OS
TrueNAS Scale
TrueNAS CORE (the BSD-based version) is EOL, so I looked at TrueNAS Scale instead.
Pros:
- Open source/open core
- Well-established in the NAS community
- Powerful features
- Manage apps as containers . Creating a custom app looks easy enough since it’s just Docker containers behind the scenes.
Cons:
- Booting is slower than ZimaOS, though not too slow
- The UI looks a bit more intimidating compared to Synology/ZimaOS
- A bit complicated, though it should be fine for an IT guy
Unraid
Unraid is a popular choice in the home NAS community, known for its user-friendly interface and flexible storage options.
Pros:
- Very user-friendly interface
- Excellent Docker and VM support with a large community app store
- Flexible storage - can mix different drive sizes
- Easy to set up and manage
Cons:
- Proprietary/paid software (though there’s a free tier with limitations)
- Performance can be slower than other solutions due to its parity system
- May not be ideal for all-flash setups where you want maximum performance
Conclusion
After trying out the different options, I ended up going with TrueNAS Scale. While it’s a bit more complex than the others and boots a bit slower than ZimaOS (though not too slow), the open-source nature and powerful features won me over. It’s not perfect, but it’s a solid choice for an all-flash NAS setup.
Did I miss anything?