Synology M2D18 Dual M.2 SSD Adapter Card

At a Glance

• Adds 2 M.2 SSD slots to compatible Synology systems
• Supports compatible NVMe and SATA M.2 SSDs
• Supports M.2 2280, 2260 and 2242 form factors
• PCIe 2.0 x8 host interface
• Allows SSD caching without consuming primary drive bays
• Includes low-profile and full-height bracket support
• 3-Year Synology Limited Warranty

Important: NVMe and SATA support differs by host NAS model. Check the exact Synology system before purchase.

Short Description

The Synology M2D18 is a dual-slot M.2 SSD adapter card designed to add high-speed SSD cache to compatible Synology NAS systems without using the main storage bays.

It supports selected SATA and NVMe M.2 SSDs, with compatibility varying by host model, and is particularly useful for improving random I/O performance in indexing, search and virtualisation workloads.

Why Choose This Synology

Keep Main Drive Bays for Storage

M.2 SSDs are installed on the adapter card, leaving the NAS's primary drive bays available for HDD or SATA SSD capacity.

Supports SATA and NVMe M.2

The M2D18 supports both storage interfaces on compatible systems, although exact support depends on the NAS model.

Improve Random I/O

SSD caching can reduce latency in workloads such as file searches, photo indexing and virtualisation.

Flexible M.2 Sizes

Supports M.2 2280, 2260 and 2242 form factors.

Designed for Synology Systems

Exact host compatibility is published and maintained by Synology rather than relying on generic PCIe-card support.

Best For

• NAS SSD caching
• File indexing
• Photo indexing
• Virtualisation
• Frequently accessed shared files
• Compatible RackStation systems
• Compatible DiskStation systems
• Upgrading older Synology storage platforms

Product Description

The Synology M2D18 is a PCIe expansion card with two M-key M.2 slots for adding SSD cache to compatible Synology storage systems.

It connects through a PCIe 2.0 x8 host interface and supports M.2 2280, 2260 and 2242 SSD form factors.

Depending on the host Synology system, the M2D18 can support compatible NVMe and SATA M.2 SSDs or SATA M.2 SSDs only.

By placing cache SSDs on a dedicated PCIe card, businesses can improve random I/O performance while keeping all primary drive bays available for storage capacity.

Key Features

• Dual M.2 SSD slots
• M-key connectors
• NVMe support on compatible systems
• SATA M.2 support on compatible systems
• M.2 2280 / 2260 / 2242
• PCIe 2.0 x8
• SSD read/write cache acceleration
• Low-profile and full-height brackets
• 3-year warranty

What Do I Need With This Adapter?

Required

• Compatible Synology NAS
• Compatible M.2 SSDs

The SSDs are sold separately.

Compatible Synology Systems

NVMe & SATA SSD Support

FS Series

• FS1018

22 Series

• RS822RP+
• RS822+

21 Series

• RS1221RP+
• RS1221+

20 Series

• RS820RP+
• RS820+

19 Series

• DS2419+II
• DS2419+
• DS1819+

18 Series

• RS2818RP+
• RS2418RP+
• RS2418+
• DS3018xs
• DS1618+

SATA M.2 SSD Support

FS Series

• FS2017

19 Series

• RS1219+

18 Series

• RS3618xs
• RS818RP+
• RS818+

17 Series

• RS18017xs+
• RS4017xs+
• RS3617xs+
• RS3617RPxs
• DS3617xsII
• DS3617xs
• DS1817+
• DS1517+

DSM Requirements

• DSM 6.2-23739-2 or later
• DSM 6.1-15284-2 or later when using DSM 6.1
• RS1221RP+, RS1221+, RS822RP+ and RS822+ require DSM 7.2-64551 or later

Compatibility Note: M.2 SSD compatibility is also exact-model specific. Confirm the selected SSD against Synology's current Compatibility List.

Specifications

What’s in the Box

• Synology M2D18 M.2 SSD Adapter Card × 1

Warranty

3-Year Synology Limited Warranty