looking for HDD NAS for media 4 or more bays

[Enquiries]

I'm looking for a NAS that will give me the most storage and best PLEX experience in my home and remotely on mobile devices / computers.

I'm assuming 3.5 HDD drives will get me the most storage. I think I'd like at least 4 bays. If I increase the number of bays, will I get other advantages, i.e. better processor, more RAM expandability, better software options, etc...?

I would like stable 4k playback. I've looked at some Synology, but heard the processor isn't the best for media on some models. Maybe others are perfect?

I'd like to RAID the drive bays with a reduncancy (or two). I'm also curious how far away from my router I can put a NAS drive and how I would put one in a separate room.

I've also heard it is a good idea to run the OS on a SSD drive and some NAS have both HDD and SSD drives. Is that correct and should I look for one of those models to run the OS and if so, will that affect the RAID options?

If there are options just above my budget, I'll consider them.

[ed]

For your media storage needs with a focus on PLEX, considering your budget and desire for stable 4K playback, I recommend looking into the Synology DS423+. This NAS packs a quad-core Intel Celeron J4125 processor, ensuring smooth performance for multimedia streaming both locally and remotely. With four drive bays, it offers ample storage capacity, and you can configure RAID for data redundancy. Alternatively, if you're interested in exploring other options, the QNAP TS-464 or even the 74 series that allow GPU card installation could be worth considering, offering flexibility for future needs such as enhanced multimedia processing. Additionally, to address your query about running the OS on an SSD, while it can improve system responsiveness, it doesn't significantly affect RAID options. Both Synology and QNAP offer models with SSD caching options for improved performance. For placement, NAS drives can be positioned remotely from your router, with switches serving as intermediaries every 100 meters to extend the distance.