Looking for NAS solutions for photos, torrents, and Plex. Seeking the appropriate product.
Looking for NAS solutions for photos, torrents, and Plex. Seeking the appropriate product.
Hi everyone!
A few months back I began looking into a NAS, but soon realized I’d prefer a mini PC instead and use it as a replacement. Considering today’s hardware prices, I decided against that path and now aim for a fully built-in NAS.
My plans for the device include:
- Syncing photos from my iPhone
- Running a torrent client
- Hosting a Plex server
- Streaming 4K HDR movies
- Supporting hardware transcoding (useful for traveling)
At first, I considered Synology, especially the 425+ models. However, due to past HDD constraints and the absence of hardware transcoding (though it can be enabled with adjustments), it seems I might need to look elsewhere.
I’m not very familiar with other manufacturers. I’ve read extensively about various brands and evaluated their products: Asustor, Ugreen, Lincplus, Terramaster, Beelink, Minisforum, Unifydrive, Ubiquiti Unifi, and more.
To avoid purchasing used items, I’d prefer not to buy from Chinese manufacturers. That narrowed my options, leaving Synology, Asustor, and Ubiquiti as potential candidates. Among these, Synology appears problematic due to the issues mentioned, while Ubiquiti doesn’t meet my requirements (torrent client, Plex). At this stage, I’m leaning toward Asustor as the most viable choice.
I’d appreciate any suggestions or recommendations you can offer. It’s important for me not to end up with a used product.
Thanks!
I own a QNAP TS-453a (acting as a vice Synology). It has functioned perfectly for many years, starting in January 2017.
However, Synology has recently removed the hard drive restrictions.
QNAP originates from Taiwan and comes after Synology as the second brand, preceding Asustor. It generally offers better hardware than Synology at a lower cost.