My Synology DS1813+ is on its last legs in terms of performance, and I’ve even been hesitating to upgrade it from DSM 6.2.4-25556 Update 2.
I’ve been thinking that I might get the best newest Synology NAS with the fewest number of drives to run PMS, then mount the DS1813+'s shared folders into the new NAS, since the DS1813+ is still great as a fileserver.
Looking at the Plex NAS Compatibility spreadsheet, it seems that the best option is the DS720+, but I’ve noted that the DS723+ has just been announced (and is not on that spreadsheet yet). And while it looks like it has a handful of improvements, because it’s using an AMD processor (Ryzen Embedded R1600), some of my preliminary research suggests that it wouldn’t have the hardware transcoding features listed on the spreadsheet for the DS720+. Here’s one comprehensive comparison, including a section on Plex specifically.
Given that I have a very wide range of media in all sorts of formats (including plenty of HEVC / H.265 files), I’m wanting the most robust on-the-fly transcoding possible, but I’m too novice with respect to codecs, transcoding, CPUs, and GPUs to make an informed comparison. For instance, I do not understand where the inflection point is where a much better processor could overcome the lack of available hardware transcoding.
I’m wondering if someone could help educate me and make a recommendation. At the simplest, highest level, my question is whether I should get the DS720+ or the DS723+, given that I want the best on-the-fly transcoding experience possible for the widest array of clients.
The AMD CPUs in Synology NAS do not have a GPU, so hardware accelerated transcoding is not possible. Even if they did, Plex does not support AMD GPUs, so it is a moot point.
If the DS1813+ is still working fine as a file server, consider keeping your files on the NAS and running Plex on a separate computer such as an Intel NUC.
A NUC with an i3/i5/i7 running Linux will provide much better performance than the Celeron in a Synology NAS.
I have to admit, I hadn’t considered a non-NAS machine because I’d gotten so accustomed to the simplicity of Synology, but you’re right, that if I don’t need to use the device for storage, there’s no point in its being a NAS!
So why not the Intel® NUC 9 Extreme Kit, NUC9i9QNX, since that seems to be the brand-spanking newest / most high-end? And would I just reinstall it with a Linux distribution? Which would you recommend? Is there a reason to not use the Docker version for better isolation (how much resource/performance overhead would that add)?
It seems these devices don’t come with SSDs (just the 16 GB flash memory), and I’d need to buy one separately; is that right? (You can tell I don’t know much about SSDs, either!) Any advice there?
And finally, this guidance is probably exactly what I want when I’m ready to do the migration, yes?
You could also go with the i7 model and save some money. They have the same GPU, so transcoding performance will be the same.
You’ll want 16 GB DDR4-2666 SO-DIMM RAM. You can run it with 8 GB, but 16 will let you use a RAM disk for transcoding, saving wear on the SSD. The NUCs have two memory slots. It is better to use both slots, so for 16 GB, get a 2 x 8GB kit. Memory manufacturers will sell them as pairs.
I run Ubuntu 22.04 desktop on my system. I did not do a lot of research. I knew Plex supported Ubuntu so I went with it.
Some FYIs…
If you want, you can do a lot of comparison shopping.
Intel is shipping their 12 gen processors, including in their NUCs (list). I haven’t priced any, but expect they will cost more than the older units.
The 9th gen processors will work great with Plex. But you can comparison shop against the 10th/11th/12th gen based systems as well. Especially with Black Friday sales approaching.
Also, you don’t have to use an Intel NUC. There are many small form factor computers available. I picked up a used Lenovo M90q on eBay. Some corporation was going through a tech update and selling off their old systems. I found some RAM on sale, used a spare SSD, and I was in business.
Thank you again! It’s been probably two decades since I’ve built my own computers, and so much has changed! I really appreciate your guidance.
And thanks particularly about the point about i7 and i9 having the same GPU…that’s definitely relevant to me. How much is the CPU involved in Plex activities, I wonder, and how much difference would it make if this is a dedicated Plex machine?
Basically, it’s been 9 (almost 10) years since I’ve purchased a Plex server, so I’m definitely due for an upgrade, and I’d like something that will perform well for years to come. It doesn’t have to be “bleeding edge”, but I do like things that are top of the line and stable and easy to maintain. (As a reference point, I dropped a pretty penny on my top-of-the-line MacBook Pro in 2017, and it’s still chugging along like a champ!)
I wonder if @ChuckPa would be willing to also chime in with two-cents for a novice.
That’s half the RAM and storage than what I found in my post above, but then I’m not worried about compatibility, which I don’t have any firsthand familiarity with. I’m not even sure if I can use those memory and storage modules with this device. (Do you know?)
I’m also realizing that I would much rather have a 1U rackmount server (since I have a server rack), rather than yet another “desktop” device that I’m just going to shove into the server rack, but I suppose I could get a rackmount kit for this, since I’m really struggling to find a 1U server that has a comparable i7 processor.
Thanks again for all your input; I really appreciate it!
A friend has the i9 version for PMS. I have the i5 version for pfSense
The UHD630 is a VERY solid QSV ASIC (hardware transcoding). It will handle 600+ Mbps of video transcoding.
Upgrading the RAM to 64 GB, should you desire, can be done. Patience and small screw drivers are needed to remove the compute element (CPU card) then open it to install the RAM. It’s best done on a big table with a white cloth so you can find all the little screws for reassembly
You might consider looking at SimplyNUC’s web site for pricing / parts.
And then, for best performance of Plex, would you recommend Linux (Ubuntu?) or Windows? My guess is that migrating from Synology to another Linux-based machine would be much more straightforward…but I’d rather optimize for best Plex performance.
Thank you again. I really appreciate your help here!
Yep, it’s been a hot minute since I was running Ubuntu on any of my machines (2010-2013ish!), but I’m pretty comfortable with command-line interfaces, even if I’m not an expert and some of my Ubuntu-specific skills are rusty!
Capacity: 1 TB
Form Factor: M.2 2280
Interface: PCIe Gen3 x4 NVMe v1.4
Sequential Read Performance: 3500MB/s
Sequential Write Performance: 3000MB/s
Endurance (TBW) : 600 <--- Guaranteed to last for 600 TB of writing
Dimensions (L x W x H): 3.15" x 0.87" x 0.09"
Make sure you’re comfortable with that at that price point
Hi, how has your experience with this change been? I have a DS420J Synology NAS that is too slow for some Plex media, and I have been looking for a new NAS I could upgrade to.
But this really seems like an interesting alternative to upgrading the NAS.
Have you had any trouble with uptime? Is the connection to the synology file share stable? Is it as easy to expose the media server to your LAN network (or externally)?
Also, is it easy to transfer the plex media database to the NUC without loosing manual changes?
My NUC and SSD will be here Tuesday, so that’s the earliest that I’ll be able to start transferring things over, but I expect I’ll likely spend Tuesday just getting Ubuntu set up.
(I’m currently trying to containerize Deluge and Flexget!)
I’m going to document all the details (hopefully in the style of a guide) here:
Thanks, I would prefer Ubuntu, and if you say Plex is more flexible on Linux, that makes the choice easy
Also, I’m cabling up the NAS, (maybe the NUC) to the router, and I’m going to set up a new wifi 6e mesh system. Should be good enough, so then it really sounds like a NUC is a great solution
Given the amount of data which will flow from the Syno <-> NUC,
Don’t burden the router with that.
Get a switch
Plug everything into the switch
Lastly, plug the switch into the router .
The architecture is cleaner and performance is better because the switch will completely offload the router until there is traffic for/from the internet.
I see, makes sense. Thanks! Do you have suggestion for a switch that would do the job?
A switch is a good solution? Or would it make sense to change to change to a different NAS that could connect with a e-sata or usb-c or something similar?
The NAS is the NAS. Don’t try to make it an appliance and overload it with extra stuff
E-sata on a Syno – NOPE. Terrible slow for use with HDDs. USB3 HDDs aren’t much, if any, better.
For unmanaged, gigabit, switches, I use Netgear. TP-Link also makes good ones.
Count up how many ports you’ll need right now and double it LOL
(At least round up for the extra ports for expansion because you will need them before you know it)
)
LOL