NAS Drive Compatibility

Crucial 256GB

SSD SSD

Part number CT256M550SSD3 · mSATA SSD. If your machine is listed below, this drive is officially supported — not a forum workaround.

Crucial2.5" SATA SSD

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28
Compatible NAS models
0 Syn · 28 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 28 machines and series — 28 QNAP. 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

QNAP TS-1273U See its full HCL → QNAP TS-1673U See its full HCL → QNAP TS-873U See its full HCL → QNAP TS-EC1080 Pro See its full HCL → QNAP TS-EC1280U See its full HCL → QNAP TS-EC1280U R2 See its full HCL → QNAP TS-EC1680U See its full HCL → QNAP TS-EC1680U R2 See its full HCL → QNAP TS-EC2480U See its full HCL → QNAP TS-EC2480U R2 See its full HCL → QNAP TS-EC880U See its full HCL → QNAP TS-EC880U R2 See its full HCL → QNAP TS-EC880 Pro See its full HCL → QNAP TVS-1271U-RP See its full HCL → QNAP TVS-471U See its full HCL → QNAP TVS-471U-RP See its full HCL → QNAP TVS-871U-RP See its full HCL → QNAP TVS-EC1080 See its full HCL → QNAP TVS-EC1080+ See its full HCL → QNAP TVS-EC1280U-SAS-RP See its full HCL → QNAP TVS-EC1280U-SAS-RP R2 See its full HCL → QNAP TVS-EC1580MU-SAS-RP See its full HCL → QNAP TVS-EC1580MU-SAS-RP R2 See its full HCL → QNAP TVS-EC1680U-SAS-RP See its full HCL → QNAP TVS-EC1680U-SAS-RP R2 See its full HCL → QNAP TVS-EC2480U-SAS-RP See its full HCL → QNAP TVS-EC2480U-SAS-RP R2 See its full HCL → QNAP TVS-EC880 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 CT256M550SSD3 officially compatible with my NAS?

It appears on the official compatibility lists of 28 machines and series — 28 QNAP. Every machine page linked below shows the vendor's own list entry, refreshed daily.

Is the CT256M550SSD3 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 CT256M550SSD3 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 CT256M550SSD3?

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.