Explore the ultimate media experience with Plex on the best media server for Synology NAS. Centralize your music, movies, and more, efficiently and cost-effectively.
Plex is a popular option for people wishing to set up their own home media server. Plex Media Server allows you to host and stream all of your music, movies, programs, and other media in one spot. If you already have a large collection of purchased media, using a NAS enclosure to handle this service is a terrific way to save money.
To get the most out of Plex, a powerful server is required. However, a decent enclosure would suffice. It is feasible to make your own, which is the preferred way for individuals with the necessary skills. What if, on the other hand, you want to buy one of the finest NAS for Plex, plug everything in, and get started? A few solutions are available from various firms, but not all of them are appropriate for Plex, which might be resource-intensive.
Plex recommends numerous NAS devices, including the ones listed below:
- QNAP
- Netgear
- ASUSTOR
- Synology
- Seagate
- Western Digital
- TerraMaster
Before you spend your money on a NAS, keep in mind that the lower the price, the less probable the system will be able to successfully transcode and stream 4K content to other devices. What exactly is transcoding? It is the process of transforming media on the fly from one file type to another.
Things may not go smoothly if a TV, tablet, or phone needs assistance from your server to play, and it isn’t nearly up to the duty of processing the demanding request. The Plex server would have to transcode the file (which demands significant computer power) and transmit it across the network.
So, how does one ensure great transcoding performance with Plex? Examine the CPU used by companies in the NAS devices you’re evaluating. Plex has an excellent NAS guide that demonstrates how well each supported NAS system will run. Is it capable of transcoding in 720p, 1080p, or 4K? You may easily check by utilising the following site.
Plex Media Server is not compatible with all NAS enclosures and processors. More inexpensive NAS machines with less powerful CPUs will trail more costly NAS servers with beefier internals for 4K streaming and simultaneous connections. This spreadsheet will demonstrate the capability of each enclosure for NAS media transcoding.
An Intel-powered NAS will generally provide the best performance, but a high-end ARM CPU can suffice if you don’t have the extra cash to invest in a more expensive option. For storage and other features, be sure the NAS has all you need, which will vary depending on the situation.
The server would then need to transcode the movie into a format the receiver device could understand. So, if the device you need to watch a 4K movie on happily runs the formats you’ve saved on the NAS, you’re great — it’s only when you need to convert that a strong CPU is required.
Purchasing a network-attached storage (NAS) enclosure is an excellent method to save money on cloud subscriptions while also bringing all of your data into your home or workplace. On these servers, you can even host applications like Plex, which allows you to stream music, movies, and other media. Not all NAS enclosures are suitable for running Plex, which is where this list of alternatives comes in. Here are the best NAS systems for Plex.
PLEX RECOMMENDATIONS FROM OUR NAS
QNAP TVS-672XT
SPECIFICATIONS
CPU: Intel Core i3-8100T
Bays: 6
RAM: 8GB DDR4 (max 32GB)
LAN: 1x 10Gb, 4x 1Gb
HDMI: 2.0
TODAY’S BEST DEALS
REASONS TO BUY
- + Powerful Intel Core i3 CPU
- + 6x drive bays (72TB capacity)
- + 10 GB LAN
- + Upgradable DDR4 RAM
- + Excellent QNAP OS
REASONS TO AVOID
- – Pricey
- – High power draw
The QNAP TVS-672N-i3 was created with media consumption in mind. The HDMI ports on the back of the enclosure indicate this. Furthermore, QNAP chose a powerful Intel Core i3-8100T processor, which can perform 4K transcoding.
There are two 2.5Gb Ethernet ports for faster speeds (when connected to a compatible network), as well as complete compatibility with VMware, Citrix, and Microsoft Hyper-V virtualization technologies. QNAP hasn’t skimped on security, including complete NAS encryption as well as an antivirus.
With XBMC, an Intel Core-i3 processor is accompanied by 8GB RAM (upgradable to 32GB) and HDMI out. Overall, this equipment is an excellent Plex server and a fantastic NAS box with six bays.
Synology DiskStation DS920+
SPECIFICATIONS
CPU: Intel Celeron J4025
Bays: 4
RAM: 2GB DDR4 (max 6 GB)
LAN: 2x 1Gb
HDMI: No
TODAY’S BEST DEALS
REASONS TO BUY
- + Powerful Intel processor
- + 4x drive bays (64TB capacity)
- + 2x 1Gb LAN with link aggregation
- + Upgradable DDR4 RAM
- + Excellent Synology OS
REASONS TO AVOID
- – No M.2 slots
- – Limited capacity with RAID
- – No 2.5Gb LAN
The Synology DS920 is the finest affordable NAS enclosure for Plex. It has four drive bays for plenty of storage capacity, an Intel Celeron processor that is relatively stable, and a slew of features like upgradable RAM and dual 1Gb LAN connections with link aggregation support.
You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on a 4K-capable NAS. The DS920+ is a dependable solution, with an Intel Celeron J4025 CPU, 2GB DDR4 RAM (up to 6GB supported), and two 1Gb Ethernet connections. This CPU is capable of 4K transcoding, allowing you to lay the groundwork for a fantastic home media server.
Regarding Plex and watching material, the DS920+ can handle up to 4K H.264 and output it to a competent display, though we’d recommend only keeping 1080p in mind for transcoding. You’ll be right as long as the recipient device supports the same format as the 4K movie.
And, because it’s the DS920, you can install an expansion unit to increase the four included drive bays to nine, which the DS220+ and DS420+ cannot.
TerraMaster F2-221
SPECIFICATIONS
- CPU: Intel Celeron J3355
- Bays: 2
- RAM: 2GB DDR4 (max 6GB)
- LAN: 2x 1Gb
- HDMI: No
TODAY’S BEST DEALS
REASONS TO BUY
- + Intel Celeron processor
- + 2x drive bays (128TB+ capacity)
- + 2x 1Gb LAN
- + Upgradable DDR4 RAM
- + Affordable
REASONS TO AVOID
- – OS is okay
- – No 2.5Gb or 10Gb LAN
More cheap NAS enclosures, such as the TerraMaster F2-221, have two bays. It’s not the most powerful, but it does include an Intel Celeron J3355 processor. As long as you don’t need to transcode anything, this small server can handle 4K videos.
The TerraMaster F2-221, which is powered by the Intel Celeron J3355 processor, may be an economical option for NAS solutions, but don’t let that low price deceive you into believing it’s not a capable unit. We’re talking about 4K Ultra HD video playback and H.265 (HEVC) compatibility. This enables high-quality content to be sent to a television set. What distinguishes the F2-221 is how simple it is to set up and configure. It takes no time at all to install Plex, copy movies across, connect to an Xbox Series X/S console, and connect to other in-home devices. You may toss music, video, or photographs at the TerraMaster device and it will handle everything with ease.
While this NAS can transcode 4K footage, the two disc bays limit storage space for such large files.
Synology DiskStation DS224+
|
CPU Intel Celeron J4125 Memory 2 GB DDR4 Drive Bays 2 Ports 2x 1GbE, 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1x eSATA Caching No OS Synology DSM Price $300 Dimensions 165 x 108 x 232.2 mm Weight 1.3 kg |
Pros
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- Good specs for the price
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- Intel CPU for 4K transcoding
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- The best NAS OS
Cons
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- Not a great upgrade over the DS220+
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- 1GbE networking
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- No M.2 SSD slots
The Synology DiskStation DS224+ had huge shoes to fill when it replaced the popular DS220+ NAS. It features a more powerful CPU than the DS920+, which is one of the most popular options for running Plex Media Server. The DS224+, with its more powerful processor, is more than capable of supporting Plex and other more intensive NAS services. Even if other users are utilising the enclosure and/or streaming other media, transcoding 4K content will be simple.
In terms of specifications, this NAS falls a little short when compared to the competition. TerraMaster has greater specs for a lower price, but it does not support Synology’s superb DSM NAS operating system. The DS224+ includes 2GB of expandable DDR4 RAM, two storage bays, and two 1GbE connectors in addition to the processor. At $300, it’s a good-value NAS.
Choosing the Best Plex NAS
Choosing the finest NAS for Plex entails selecting an enclosure with the greatest processor for the task at hand. Any NAS that can run Plex Media Server would suffice if you merely want to listen to music. Transcoding content requires a little more power, which Intel Celeron CPUs with integrated GPUs provide. We like the QNAP TS-464 because it has a powerful Intel Celeron processor for transcoding 4K material, four disc bays for storing a large amount of data, fast 2.5GbE networking, and an HDMI connector. It’s a reliable home or office NAS.
