NAS Solution - Need your genius

[Enquiries]

Hello! Your videos on youtube are by far the most thorough! I'm hoping you can help me!
I'm a single user of three different macs. I work in film and I render separate 3d blender files on each mac all day long. The catch, all of those blender models should be pulling from the same linked data in one central storage. I'm tired of having to physically connect hard drives and lose precious texture links to my 3d files! This is where I THINK a NAS comes in.
Since my computers will all be in the same room, I thought thunderbolt would be best, but I can't seem to find the right solution. I tested the Iodyne Pro Data and found that while speeds were great, the constant mounting and un-mounting of drives was a pain. I'm close to pulling the trigger on a QNAP with SSD's but am weary of the thunderbolt speed. More or less, I was hoping to simply access all of my storage, simultaneously, quickly, across all machines. Does this exist??!! I know you guys will know!

[ed]

It's fantastic that you've found our YouTube videos helpful, and we're here to guide you through your NAS dilemma. Your film work across multiple Macs is a challenge, but a NAS can indeed be a game-changer. If you're all about simultaneous, quick, and reliable access to your storage, especially within your budget, there are a few factors to consider. Firstly, even with Thunderbolt, a NAS won't match the speed of a DAS (Direct Attached Storage). If your Macs support iSCSI, you can establish a more reliable connection with the NAS. However, for utmost speed and dependable connections, DAS might be the better choice.

In your case, with the constant rendering of 3D Blender files, a DAS setup will provide that snappy performance and avoid the mounting/un-mounting hassles you faced with the Iodyne Pro Data. When seeking top-tier performance and no compromises, a robust DAS solution is your best bet, ensuring you can access your centralized storage across all machines with ease. While NAS has its merits, your scenario calls for the speed and reliability that DAS can deliver. You're on the right path in considering a QNAP NAS, but in this particular situation, DAS is the hero.