Which NAS should I buy?

[Enquiries]

Dear NASCompares,
I'm planning on buying my first NAS and I'm uncertain of which specs I need.
I'd use it mostly for storage (RAID 5?), and as a media player for 4K movies, tv series and music (mostly local but I'd like the possibility to stream it from somewhere else).
I'm pretty sure I'm going to use Jellyfin for all this stuff except music, but I'll sort that later, because I want to be able to listen my music with my Hi-Fi system which can use also Ethernet/Wi-Fi via DTS Play-Fi.
I don't know if transcoding will be necessary, my bandwidth is mostly free (1Gb local, 10Mb upload to internet) and I'll probably use TV boxes where needed.
I'm also a 3D artist with a pretty big library with textures and 3D models, with work files too which can be heavy sometimes.
I was looking at QNAP, but I don't know which product to choose. I don't want to spend a lot of money on hardware I won't use, but I would like some upgradeability too, if my needs change.
Thanks!

[ed]

Thanks for reaching out! For your needs, it sounds like you're looking for a NAS that handles both storage and media streaming (including 4K content) with future upgradeability, and some performance for your 3D artist work as well. Based on your budget and requirements, I have a few suggestions that could fit your needs.

Key Features to Consider:
RAID 5: Great choice for redundancy with decent space efficiency. You'll be able to protect your data from a single drive failure while maintaining fast access speeds.
Transcoding: Since you're streaming 4K content, transcoding could become necessary if you’re accessing it on devices that don’t support the original file formats. However, with your 1Gb local network, the bandwidth should handle most of the streaming without issue, especially for local playback. It's best to focus on a NAS that can support hardware transcoding for future-proofing.
Upgradeability: Given your needs and future plans, you’ll want a NAS with expandable RAM and the ability to add more drives or faster networking as needed.
Recommended NAS Models:
QNAP TS-464: This 4-bay NAS offers Intel Celeron power, perfect for your media streaming and storage needs. It's great for 4K streaming and can handle Jellyfin well, especially with hardware transcoding if needed. The TS-464 has expandable RAM (up to 16GB) and an option for 10Gb networking down the line, which could be useful for your 3D artist files as they get larger.

QNAP TS-673A: This model has a higher-end AMD Ryzen processor, which would be great for 3D assets and heavy work files. It also comes with upgradable RAM and has good media support for 4K streaming. The extra power from the Ryzen CPU could be beneficial for your heavier workloads. The 6-bay configuration will allow you to scale storage as your media library and 3D assets grow.

Synology DS923+: Another solid option, especially if you want a polished software experience. It’s slightly under your budget but supports RAID 5, expandable RAM, and has great media streaming capabilities. Jellyfin can run smoothly on this NAS, and it also supports hardware transcoding.

These models offer a good balance of power, expandability, and media streaming capabilities for your budget.

Final Thoughts:
For your 3D artist needs, you’ll want a bit more processor power for quick access to large texture libraries and files. The QNAP TS-673A or TS-464 should serve you well.
For media streaming and Jellyfin, all these NAS models will handle 4K content locally without much issue. Just keep in mind that if you end up needing transcoding (e.g., for mobile or remote devices), hardware transcoding support will be crucial. The QNAP models, especially the TS-464 and TS-673A, provide better hardware for transcoding.