NAS/DAS and Disk selection-Multimedia and Servers

[saeedek]

Hi,
I am planning to move from the cloud to my own server. I have purchased a M4 Mac Mini to act as my home server and will probably run some services as a container or normally on it. Besides that I am looking for hosting local 4k plex streaming and maybe 1 or 2 remotely (mostly 1080p) plus a photo storage.
Now I was looking at 2-bays DAS/NAS to start with about 6TB or 8TB (maybe 2 4TBs) so I can take the most out of performance.
Now my concerns:
- I am not sure that since I am using a m4 Mac, I would need to spend money on a NAS and I can make due with a good DAS.
- This has also made the selection of disk form factor (nvme, HDD, SDD) a bit hard for me.

What is your opinion about DAS vs NAS for me and are you able to suggest any models?

Thank you.

[ed]

Thanks for reaching out!

Given your plan to host local 4K Plex streaming and photo storage, and the fact that you're using an M4 Mac Mini, you have a few options to consider between NAS (Network Attached Storage) and DAS (Direct Attached Storage). Let’s break it down:

DAS vs NAS:
DAS (Direct Attached Storage):

Pros:
DAS offers high performance with minimal latency, since it’s directly connected to your Mac Mini via USB, Thunderbolt, or other interfaces. This is perfect for 4K streaming, as it provides quick access to your files without the overhead of a network connection.
Easier to set up initially, especially since you already have the Mac Mini and can connect DAS directly to it.
Lower power consumption compared to NAS (no network server overhead).
Typically cheaper, as you're not paying for the network functionalities and server components of a NAS.
Cons:
Limited in scalability. If you need to expand storage in the future, you may need to buy another DAS unit or rely on drives with larger capacity.
If you need remote access to your media (e.g., Plex streaming outside your home), a DAS would require additional configuration and software to make it accessible from other devices.
NAS (Network Attached Storage):

Pros:
Centralized storage accessible across your home network. If you plan to stream content to multiple devices or other people, NAS is a more flexible and scalable solution.
Ideal for media servers like Plex, as NAS can host both the Plex server and your media library, while allowing multiple users to access it remotely (if set up properly).
If you want to expand your storage or implement redundancy (RAID), NAS makes it easy to add additional drives.
Cons:
Higher initial investment, as you’re paying for the network functionality and a dedicated server.
More complex setup, especially for remote access and setting up RAID or other configurations.
Power consumption might be higher, as the NAS runs its network services 24/7.
Disk Selection (HDD vs SSD vs NVMe):
HDDs (Hard Disk Drives) are a good starting point for your NAS or DAS if you need large amounts of storage at an affordable price. For 4K Plex streaming and photo storage, a 7200RPM HDD (such as Seagate IronWolf or WD Red) would be sufficient. For a 2-bay setup, consider 4TB or 8TB drives (2 x 4TBs or 2 x 6TBs).
SSDs (Solid-State Drives) offer much faster read/write speeds but are more expensive and usually provide lower capacity. They are ideal for high-performance applications, such as running databases or for cache purposes, but may not be necessary for large-scale media storage unless you have specific speed requirements.
NVMe drives provide even faster speeds than SSDs but are primarily used for high-performance caching or as boot drives. If you're looking for extreme performance, NVMe might be suitable as a cache drive for frequently accessed data, but they can be expensive and typically aren’t necessary for large media libraries.
Suggested Models:
DAS Options:
LaCie 2big Dock Thunderbolt 3
Thunderbolt 3 DAS, perfect for direct high-speed access to your media for Plex. Great for 4K streaming.
OWC ThunderBay 4
Another high-performance Thunderbolt DAS with multiple bays, ideal for storing large media files.
NAS Options:
Synology DS224+
A great 2-bay NAS with solid performance, Plex support, and the ability to expand storage. It offers a user-friendly interface and powerful apps for streaming and file management.
QNAP TS-264
Offers good performance with Plex, 4K media support, and upgradable memory. It also has a range of options for backup and redundancy if you plan to grow your storage in the future.