PLEX server wish list to purchase

[Enquiries]

I have well over 700 dvd/blu-ray or 4KUD discs to rip and make available for my streaming accessibility.

[ed]

The QNAP TVS-h474 is a solid option for a Plex server setup, particularly if you're looking for a high-performance NAS with plenty of features. Here's a breakdown of the TVS-h474 and other models in the 74 series to help you decide:

QNAP TVS-h474 Features:
Processor: Intel Core i5-11400 (6-core, 2.6 GHz, turbo up to 4.4 GHz), which provides strong performance for Plex transcoding, video editing, and other media tasks.
RAM: 16GB DDR4 (expandable up to 64GB), which offers excellent multitasking capabilities, especially when handling multiple 4K streams or running other applications like AI photo recognition.
Storage Bays: 4-bay configuration, allowing you to install large-capacity drives for your media collection. You can configure it with RAID 5 or RAID 6 for redundancy.
10GbE Network: Built-in 10GbE port, ideal for handling the high bandwidth needed for 4K streaming.
M.2 SSD Slots: Includes M.2 NVMe SSD slots for cache acceleration, improving read/write performance, which is great for media streaming.
Other Models in the 74 Series:
QNAP TVS-674:

Processor: Intel Core i3-10100 (4-core, 3.6 GHz), slightly lower performance than the i5 in the TVS-h474 but still sufficient for most Plex setups.
RAM: 8GB DDR4 (expandable up to 64GB), which is lower than the TVS-h474 but still good for a typical Plex server.
Storage Bays: 6-bay configuration, offering more storage potential compared to the 4-bay TVS-h474.
10GbE: Available via expansion card.
M.2 SSD Slots: Same as the TVS-h474, for cache acceleration.
QNAP TVS-672N:

Processor: Intel Celeron J4125 (4-core, 2.0 GHz), which is a lower-end processor than the i5 and i3 options.
RAM: 4GB (expandable to 8GB), which might limit performance in more demanding tasks like 4K transcoding.
Storage Bays: 6-bay configuration, allowing for more storage capacity than the 4-bay units.
10GbE: Available via expansion card.
M.2 SSD Slots: For cache, improving performance.
Why Consider the TVS-h474 or TVS-674:
Processor Performance: The TVS-h474 with its Intel Core i5 is ideal for media tasks that require higher processing power, such as transcoding 4K content.
Expandability: The ability to upgrade RAM and add additional SSDs for caching is a great feature for future-proofing.
Network Speed: The built-in 10GbE port ensures smooth 4K streaming and faster file transfers, especially if you have multiple users.
Which One to Choose:
If you're primarily focused on 4K transcoding and high-performance streaming, the TVS-h474 is your best bet due to the more powerful processor and larger standard RAM capacity.
If you're looking for more storage capacity and don’t mind adding a 10GbE expansion card, the TVS-674 offers more bays for additional storage but with a slightly less powerful processor.
If you're on a tighter budget but still want a solid 4-bay NAS with reasonable performance, the TVS-672N could be an option, though it lacks the punch of the i5 processor.