12-18-2025, 05:42 PM
Thanks for getting in touch. The Datto S3B1000 you picked up is a solid little platform for repurposing, especially with 32GB of ECC memory already installed. For running Unraid or OMV it will behave much like a compact server class system, and both operating systems install cleanly on this kind of hardware.
On power efficiency, it will not be as low power as a modern consumer NAS like a Synology DS414, but for light duty work it is perfectly reasonable. Most of these Datto units sit in the mid range for power draw. For a Plex server that only streams one or two hours per day, the running cost stays modest. The main thing to check is the CPU inside your specific S3B1000. If yours uses an Intel i3 or Xeon class chip, playback of direct stream media will be fine. Hardware transcoding support might be limited, so you get the best result when your media is already in a format your remote devices can play without conversion.
The DS414 you mentioned is much lower power but also much weaker. It is fine as a pure storage target, but for Plex it is too slow. So the Datto box is the better choice for your main NAS and Plex role, and the DS414 could still be useful as a backup target or cold storage system.
On power efficiency, it will not be as low power as a modern consumer NAS like a Synology DS414, but for light duty work it is perfectly reasonable. Most of these Datto units sit in the mid range for power draw. For a Plex server that only streams one or two hours per day, the running cost stays modest. The main thing to check is the CPU inside your specific S3B1000. If yours uses an Intel i3 or Xeon class chip, playback of direct stream media will be fine. Hardware transcoding support might be limited, so you get the best result when your media is already in a format your remote devices can play without conversion.
The DS414 you mentioned is much lower power but also much weaker. It is fine as a pure storage target, but for Plex it is too slow. So the Datto box is the better choice for your main NAS and Plex role, and the DS414 could still be useful as a backup target or cold storage system.