I’m looking to buy a Synology NAS Server. Does anyone have any Ideas? I need at least 5 bays or more.
What else do you want to do with your Synology, beside of using Plex?
You can answer some facts to the NAS selector:
FYI if you don’t already know… a Syno is a great NAS but not a great Plex server.
I want to beable to use it for plex
Synology servers are just not very fast, and can’t handle transcoding and tone mapping well.
There is no reason not to try and see how it goes. Maybe your usage won’t ask much of the server. You can always add a Plex server later if you decide you need it.
But, most people are much happier getting a mini PC with a proper CPU for their Plex server. The Synology still stores all your media files, of course.
What would be a better NAS Server then a synology that you would recommend?
I don’t have a specific recommendation, I have been so content with my antique Synology (plus a separate server) I haven’t looked in to modern offerings. I am sure someone will be along with advice.
I do know that Unraid is a very popular option but that means building your own PC, which you may not want to do. No shame in that… a premade NAS like a Syno is wonderful too. But for Plex you absolutely want support for hardware accelerated transcoding/tone mapping which means the unit needs an Intel CPU with GPU.
I already built my own pc. The only issue im running into with that is you can only have 63tb in a pool im at 40tb. This stinks. I need something with at least that can raid a 100tb. I was reading on synology and it seems like they want you to use certain drives. I could be wrong but i didnt see any yet that can take a WD Enterprise with 22tb. I have 16tb, 18tb and 20tb WD Enterprise Drives.
This part I can’t help you with, I never needed a pool that big. I don’t think there are 40 TB of files I even want to watch!
Whatever NAS you pick just be sure you understand the Plex server hardware requirements for transcoding and tone mapping. Get the right CPU/GPU and you can watch any file on any screen without thinking about it–provided you have Plex pass to unlock hardware-accelerated transcoding. Get a weak CPU and it can be a real hassle unless your viewing needs are very basic.
Given your requirements, I would recommend one of the following:
DS3622xs+
12 bays - Can add 2x 12 Bay Expansion units (DX1222) - Total 36 Drive Bays
Intel Xeon D-1531 CPU has no GPU and is NOT good for transcoding in Plex.
DS1823xs+
8 bays - Can add 2x 5 Bay Expansion units (DX517) - Total 18 Drive Bays.
AMD Ryzen V1780B CPU has a GPU and is good for some transcoding in Plex.
Synology want to flog their own brand of HDD’s these days, which I believe
are manufactured by WD. So, your WD Enterprise drives should be compatible with both models of NAS.
Another option would be to use an old PC and turn it into a NAS.
You may add SATA cards to the PC to accommodate any number of drives you wish to use and there are dedicated cases available to mount the hardware etc. into.
Check this link for NAS software to use on the PC.
I like TrueNAS, but the choice would be yours.
Warning: None of these options are cheap, so be forewarned … lol
Thaks I will look into all of this.
Thank You!
Got a question… my Computer I built… I built it to rechnically be a server to begin with. I dedicated the build as a server. Can I use this software you showed me and does it make it like a server where i can add multiple drives?
The whole point of TrueNAS is building a PC and installing their software on it, yep.
Cool i will download it and see. Do you have to pay for the one you use or is it free or is it lifetime once paid?
As a suggestion you may want to consider a base Mac Mini M2 as a server, and build your own raid array with as many drive bays as you need. The base Mac Mini M2 does multiple 4K transcodings at the same time very easily. And at the price ($400-$600) is very hard to beat when comparing with a NAS.
I have a 5 bay DAS with 80TB, and 4 bay 72TB Asustor NAS attached to the Mac Mini.
If you already have a PC built though consider building your own DAS and connect it. Terramaster, OWC Thunderbay, and Oyen Digital all perform well for RAID storage.
I actually have a das by Yottamaster it works well as a backup can I use that as a nas for plex?
Also im seeing 2 options TruNas Download Scale and TrueNAS Download Core wich should i chose?
You may install as many drives as you like. If your Motherboard does not have enough SATA ports for the drives, then you can install third party PCIe SATA expansion cards to handle any number of drives you wish to add.
The real issue you will have is mounting the drives in the case, but there are solutions for that out there.
I believe you want to go for TrueNAS Scale. It supports VM’s and third party apps, like Plex for example and it is built on Debian Linux and it supports the use of GPU’s as well.
I believe TrueNAS is free to use, but I could be wrong about that, it has been a while since I last used it and it was free back then. I know they charge for the Enterprise version now.
Ok thanks for the info i will download it and see what happens.
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