I'm looking at upgrading from a QNAP TS-251D to something with a better processor and ability to add a gpu. I'm tired of buffering video and running out of processor speed. I'm looking at both the TVS-472XT-i3 and the TVS-H474. I also want something that can handle running a Windows 10/11 Virtual machine. Is one of these options better than another? What's a good GPU for less than $300? Is ther another model I should look at?
Both the QNAP TVS-472XT-i3 and the TVS-H474 are good options for an upgrade from your current QNAP TS-251D, as they have better processors and the ability to add a GPU.
The QNAP TVS-472XT-i3 features an Intel Core i3-8100T quad-core processor and can support up to 64GB of RAM, while the TVS-H474 has a Pentium processor
Both models can handle running a Windows 10/11 Virtual Machine, but the TVS-H474 will likely have better performance due to its more powerful processor.
As for a GPU, you can consider the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 / 1050ti , which should be available for less than $300 and has good performance for video transcoding and playback.
I would personally go for ts-674 which has i5 inside and supports GPU upgrades. It is a best.