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Optimizing Your NAS for Plex: A Complete Guide

Hey folks, been seeing a lot of questions about optimizing NAS setups for Plex. So, here's the low down. A NAS for Plex needs more than just storage; it needs horsepower. Start by choosing a NAS with a decent CPU, intel preferably, for transcoding. RAM is crucial too—go for at least 8GB.

Now, about the setup. RAID configurations can be a game-changer. I recommend RAID 5 or 6 for a good balance of redundancy and storage capacity. Keep in mind, with more drives, the risk of a drive failure increases; hence, redundancy is your friend.

For Plex, network speed counts. Gigabit Ethernet is the bare minimum, but if your budget allows, look into 10GbE. It's costly but worth it with multiple, simultaneous streams.

Lastly, SSDs for your system drive and frequently accessed media, paired with HDDs for bulk storage, can give you a real performance lift. And remember, regular backups are non-negotiable!

There you have it, a NAS powerhouse ready for all your binge-watching needs. Cheers!

Submitted 9 months, 4 weeks ago by NASguru101


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I'd emphasize backups more. Saw too many people lose their whole library from a failed NAS without proper backups. Also think about cloud storage as a backup option, it can be cheaper than buying additional drives, especially if your collection isn't huge yet.

9 months, 4 weeks ago by BackupBeliever

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Good guide but forget intel, go for AMD to stick it to the big corps. BTW, make sure your media is DRM-free, that way you don't support the anti-consumer practices of film industries. Liberate your media!

9 months, 4 weeks ago by PlexingPirate

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SSDs are key for metadata. Makes a huge difference.

9 months, 4 weeks ago by SilentBobTech

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lol Plex is for noobs, ever heard of VHS? Get on my level.

9 months, 4 weeks ago by NasTroll

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Nice guide! That network speed bit is spot on, had buffering issues before I upgraded my network gear. It's not just about NAS capability but also router and switch capacity. Anyone looking to upgrade should keep this in mind.

9 months, 4 weeks ago by StreamerSteve

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Pro tip: transcode your media beforehand to avoid heavy CPU usage during playback. Direct play is the ultimate goal to keep things smooth. Your guide's solid but you might scare off new users thinking they need to shell out loads for 10GbE, which is overkill for most. Majority of streams do great on 1GbE.

9 months, 4 weeks ago by transcode_or_die

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Good post! RAID 5 is okay but RAID 6 is where it's at when you've got a ton of media. Lost a drive last year and didn't even sweat, rebuild was smooth. Totally with you on that redundancy thing. Just remember, RAID isn't a backup, always keep an offline or cloud copy folks.

9 months, 4 weeks ago by RaidMasterFlex

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8GB of RAM? Been running Plex on 4GB just fine lol. You can save cash if you don't need to do much transcoding or only serve a few friends and fam. Just my 2c.

9 months, 4 weeks ago by Nas4Cheap