NAS Drive Compatibility

Crucial M4 256GB

Desktop SSD

Part number CT256M4SSD2 · M4 series · 2.5" SATA SSD. If your machine is listed below, this drive is officially supported — not a forum workaround.

M42.5" SATA SSD

Part of the Crucial M4 series →

Check CT256M4SSD2 price on Amazon  partner link

57
Compatible NAS models
57 Syn · 0 QNAP · 0 Asus · 0 TM
By vendor
256 GB
Listed capacity
Crucial
Manufacturer
Strong pick as a cold copy

This is an SSD — an excellent cold copy for the off-site slot of a 3-2-1 plan: fast sequential transfer, silent, no moving parts to degrade on the shelf. The one catch is charge retention: a powered-off NVMe/SATA SSD slowly loses charge (weeks to months), which matters for a copy that sits unplugged. Keep the offline copy plugged in for a few hours once a month, or keep the 3-2-1 'other' copy on spinning media instead. Pair it with a scheduled backup job — see the backup software encyclopedia (Veeam, Duplicati, Hyper Backup) and the 3-2-1 rule.

Compatibility verdict

It appears on the official compatibility lists of 57 machines and series — 57 Synology. Check the class badge above: drives tagged NAS or Enterprise are built for 24/7 multi-bay operation. Desktop-class drives often lack vibration resistance and are usually absent from vendor HCLs. No series-level recording rating is on file for this part number yet, so check CMR vs SMR on the exact model before buying for an array.

Compatible NAS models

Synology DS1010+5-bay See its full HCL → Synology DS1091-bay See its full HCL → Synology DS109+1-bay See its full HCL → Synology DS109j1-bay See its full HCL → Synology DS110+1-bay See its full HCL → Synology DS110j1-bay See its full HCL → Synology DS1111-bay See its full HCL → Synology DS1121-bay See its full HCL → Synology DS112+1-bay See its full HCL → Synology DS112j1-bay See its full HCL → Synology DS1511+5-bay See its full HCL → Synology DS1512+5-bay See its full HCL → Synology DS1513+5-bay See its full HCL → Synology DS1812+8-bay See its full HCL → Synology DS1813+8-bay See its full HCL → Synology DS2092-bay See its full HCL → Synology DS209+2-bay See its full HCL → Synology DS209+II2-bay See its full HCL → Synology DS209j2-bay See its full HCL → Synology DS210+2-bay See its full HCL → Synology DS210j2-bay See its full HCL → Synology DS2112-bay See its full HCL → Synology DS211+2-bay See its full HCL → Synology DS211j2-bay See its full HCL → Synology DS2122-bay See its full HCL → Synology DS212+2-bay See its full HCL → Synology DS212j2-bay See its full HCL → Synology DS2132-bay See its full HCL → Synology DS213air2-bay See its full HCL → Synology DS4094-bay See its full HCL → Synology DS409+4-bay See its full HCL → Synology DS409slim4-bay See its full HCL → Synology DS4104-bay See its full HCL → Synology DS410j4-bay See its full HCL → Synology DS4114-bay See its full HCL → Synology DS411+4-bay See its full HCL → Synology DS411+II4-bay See its full HCL → Synology DS411j4-bay See its full HCL → Synology DS411slim4-bay See its full HCL → Synology DS412+4-bay See its full HCL → Synology DS413j4-bay See its full HCL → Synology DS509+5-bay See its full HCL → Synology DS710+7-bay See its full HCL → Synology DS712+7-bay See its full HCL → Synology DS713+7-bay See its full HCL → Synology RS212 See its full HCL → Synology RS409 See its full HCL → Synology RS409+ See its full HCL → Synology RS409RP+ See its full HCL → Synology RS411 See its full HCL → Synology RS810+ See its full HCL → Synology RS810RP+ See its full HCL → Synology RS812 See its full HCL → Synology RS812+ See its full HCL → Synology RS812RP+ See its full HCL → Synology RS814+ See its full HCL → Synology RS814RP+ See its full HCL →

Same-capacity alternatives

Other drives listed at 256 GB capacity, ranked by how many machines list them:

Micron MTFDDAK256MBF 123 machines · M600 Micron MTFDDAK256MAY 114 machines · M550 Crucial CT256M550SSD1 114 machines · M550 Transcend TS256GSSD370S 107 machines · SSD370S Samsung MZ-7PD256 91 machines · 840 Pro Kingston SKC400S37/256G 91 machines · SSDNow KC400 SanDisk SD6SB1M-256G 90 machines · X110 Micron MTFDDAK256TBN-1AR12 83 machines · 1100

Quick answers

Is the CT256M4SSD2 officially compatible with my NAS?

It appears on the official compatibility lists of 57 machines and series — 57 Synology. Every machine page linked below shows the vendor's own list entry, refreshed daily.

Is the CT256M4SSD2 a good NAS drive?

Check the class badge above: drives tagged NAS or Enterprise are built for 24/7 multi-bay operation. Desktop-class drives often lack vibration resistance and are usually absent from vendor HCLs. No series-level recording rating is on file for this part number yet, so check CMR vs SMR on the exact model before buying for an array.

Can I use the CT256M4SSD2 for a 3-2-1 cold backup copy?

This is an SSD — an excellent cold copy for the off-site slot of a 3-2-1 plan: fast sequential transfer, silent, no moving parts to degrade on the shelf. The one catch is charge retention: a powered-off NVMe/SATA SSD slowly loses charge (weeks to months), which matters for a copy that sits unplugged. Keep the offline copy plugged in for a few hours once a month, or keep the 3-2-1 'other' copy on spinning media instead. Pair it with a scheduled backup job — see the backup software encyclopedia (Veeam, Duplicati, Hyper Backup) and the 3-2-1 rule.

What are alternatives to the CT256M4SSD2?

At the same capacity, the most widely listed alternatives are Micron MTFDDAK256MBF (123 machines), Micron MTFDDAK256MAY (114 machines), Crucial CT256M550SSD1 (114 machines). The full ranked list is below.