Picking out a Plex NAS

[Enquiries]

Hi, Big fan of your videos and wanted to see if I could get some guidance on buying a new NAS. I'm replacing a Drobo 5N and want to hold at least 300-400 movies and TV shows or more. I believe most of files are MKV or Mp4 files. I've been looking forever for a Synology 9020+ but can't find them at all or way above my budget. So, Now I've been looking at the Synology 1522+ but worried about the lack of a graphics chip like the 9020+ has. I've went through a lot of your videos and it seems the 1522 holds up pretty well except for some really complicated big files. I wanted to know if the 1522 was a good option and more of an explanation on how to take the load off the cpu if possible if I used these files. In the video you mentioned the client side and I was a little confused if there was some way to mitigate not having you in this model or if it's even necessary. I would run everything from Mac Mini which I've should work. Thanks for any help you can offer. I appreciate it. -John

[ed]

Hey John, thanks for reaching out! Considering your budget and the need for remote access, a Celeron-based NAS like the Synology DS1522+ should serve you well. While it lacks a dedicated graphics chip, it handles most files efficiently. For those occasional complex files, you can offload some CPU load by utilizing the Synology Video Station client on your Mac Mini for transcoding. The DS1522+ is a solid choice for your Plex needs, especially with its 5-bay setup. Just keep in mind that for 4K remote streaming, you'd need a more robust NAS like those with Intel Core i5/i7/i9, Xeon, or a PCIe GPU card. Check out the NAS Finder tool on nascompares.com/nas-builder for more tailored suggestions. Happy streaming!