NAS Upgrade for Plex

[Enquiries]

Hello! I have a Plex server for my family all in one house. I have a QNAP TS-451+ NAS setup with a 20TB drive for hosting files, another 20TB with weekly backups (it doesn't change often), and an SSD for the Plex library and OS.

I'd like to update to a NAS that allows for better expansion options. I'd prefer a minimum 6 bay NAS, or if smaller, room for an NVME drive for the OS and Plex library. The thing is - nothing seems really worth the funds and give me the confidence that I'll avoid buffering in Plex.

One big question I've been wondering - should I have the NAS be primarily for storage instead of making it do Plex as well? I see these tiny PCs all around with pretty integrated graphics that can do some decent transcoding, and they're just a couple hundred dollars. Obviously, all in one is convenient for setup. But it's nice to be able to build something where if the Plex server needs to be upgraded I'm not upgrading the whole storage area. Would love your thoughts on this.

[ed]

Thanks for reaching out! It sounds like you're looking for a reliable upgrade that can scale with your needs for Plex and storage without running into buffering issues.

For the storage side, I’d recommend looking into something like the QNAP TS-664 or TS-673A. These offer 6-8 bays, plenty of expansion options, and room for an NVMe SSD for cache and Plex library. Both are great choices for future-proofing, especially with 10GbE connectivity options, which can help with smooth streaming.

Regarding Plex, your concern about using the same NAS for both storage and transcoding is valid. While modern NAS devices like the QNAP 74-series (e.g., TS-874 or TS-477XU) can handle transcoding fairly well, they might still struggle with multiple 4K streams at once, depending on the settings.

If you’re planning to handle a lot of transcoding, especially for 4K streams, it might be a good idea to separate the roles. Using a dedicated Plex server (a small PC with a dedicated GPU like the Intel i7 with integrated graphics or an NVMe SSD for faster access) for transcoding can offload the work from the NAS, ensuring it remains primarily a storage hub. It also gives you flexibility when you need to upgrade your Plex server without touching your storage setup.

For example, you could pair a QNAP NAS for storage and backup with a small Plex server or a device like the QNAP 74-series with a powerful GPU for transcoding. This setup would allow your NAS to focus on data storage and backup, while the Plex server handles all the media playback demands.

Overall, I think splitting the roles can give you better performance and more upgrade options in the long run. A dedicated Plex server might give you peace of mind for those more intensive transcoding tasks, especially for 4K.