Hello, I have been enjoying your education on NAS devices. Based on your reviews as a relative IT Novice, I am leaning towards the Synology DS423 for its media support for the Plex Service and the Photos application you provides as compared to QNAP. I am wondering whether I will notice a difference in performance if I use a 5400 RPM drive versus a 7200 RPM. While I will use this for all the normal NAS RAID file storage needs, I want to have a NAS that will support PLEX and 1080 and 4K video as well as decades of photos and videos recorded at 4k and now 8K. Since the drives are a fair amount more expensive, I am wondering if I would notice a difference between the two.
Thank you,
Sean
Hello! The Synology DS423+ is a great choice for your needs, especially with its support for Plex and Photos applications. In terms of hard drive speed, a 7200 RPM drive will generally provide faster performance than a 5400 RPM drive, but the difference may not be noticeable for most tasks on a NAS. However, when it comes to streaming 4K and 8K video, a faster hard drive can help ensure smooth playback without buffering or stuttering. If you have the budget for a 7200 RPM drive, it may be worth considering for the added performance, but a 5400 RPM drive should still be sufficient for most tasks on a NAS. It's important to note that the speed of your network connection, the capabilities of your devices, and other factors can also affect performance, so it's a good idea to ensure that your entire system is optimized for your needs.