That said, the Ryzen R1600 doesn't include an integrated GPU, so you miss out on Plex transcodes.

That's great in daily use as the DS723+ is noticeably faster than its predecessor - the DS720+ - and the likes of the DS220+. There are inherent advantages to this move as the Ryzen hardware is significantly more powerful than Intel's offering. Synology is doing things differently with the DiskStation DS723+ the 2-bay NAS features AMD's Ryzen R1600 instead of the long-standing Intel Celeron series. Now that you have a better idea of what's needed in a Plex NAS, let's take a look at the best NAS servers for Plex streaming. The ASUSTOR Lockerstor AS6604T is also a good choice to consider, alongside alternatives from TerraMaster and others. If you want a little more room, the DiskStation DS920+ has four bays that can hold up to 64TB of storage, and it has a slightly faster Intel Celeron J4125 that's ideal for Plex 4K transcodes. That server has the ability to transcode files so that they can be played on target devices that don't have the requisite codec.įor instance, if you're playing a movie on an iPad, but the tablet lacks the codecs for that media file, Plex will transcode that file natively on the NAS and deliver a version that can play on the iPad. It doesn't let you transcode though, so if you need that particular feature, you will need to get an older model like the DS220+. Synology's DiskStation DS220+ illustrates this point perfectly - the two-bay NAS server features the Ryzen R1600 and handles Plex native streaming without breaking a sweat. Thankfully, the biggest NAS manufacturers - Synology, QNAP, and ASUSTOR - deliver models catered for Plex media streaming. For one thing, Plex transcoding is a very CPU-intensive task, so you will need to look at NAS enclosures that have a powerful chipset.

There are plenty of options if you want the best NAS for home use, and you can choose between entry-level picks that have a single or two drive bays, and there are four-bay models that are designed to last.īut if you're in the best Plex server, there are a few additional points to consider. Why you can trust Android Central Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.

Best plex media server