Best Plex Server 2024 – Best NAS for Plex

Plex is an incredibly popular media server software option. While it’s not the only server application available, Plex is one of the most user-friendly media server programs. Although Plex has rounded out its feature set with free, legal streaming content, podcasts, and live over-the-air television, its server functionality remains at the forefront. As such, you’ll not only want a great Plex client, but you’ll need a network-attached storage (NAS) device.

I’ve been using Plex for nearly a decade. Initially, I ran my Plex server off of an AMD laptop with a broken screen before upgrading to a Lenovo ThinkServer TS140, and eventually settling on an NVIDIA Shield TV. But I’ve also set up Raspberry Pis and other single-board computers as Plex servers for friends and family members. Like any good homelabber, I’m always on the hunt for an improved Plex media server. Check out the best Plex servers, from NAS boxes and desktops to the NVIDIA Shield TV 2019 and Raspberry Pi!

Best Plex servers in 2024 at a glance

• Best Plex server overall: The Geekom Mini IT12 is a fantastic Plex media server thanks to its 12th gen Intel CPU capable of handling eight or more 4K transcodes.
• Best budget Plex server: The Beelink MINI S12 Pro‘s N100 processor is a great choice for 1080p transcoding and a handful of 4K transcodes without breaking the bank.
• Most user-friendly Plex server: The Nvidia Shield TV Pro 2019 is a plug-and-play Plex server that’s extremely energy efficient (the Shield TV happens to be my Plex server of choice).
• Best NAS for Plex: The QNAP TSx53D boasts up to six hard drive bays and an HDMI output.
• Best budget NAS for Plex: The TerraMaster F2-421 may not be the most powerful Plex NAS, but it’s tough to beat its wallet-friendly pricing — especially for folks who don’t need have a large 4K library.
• Best 4K NAS for Plex: Despite its high price tag, the QNAP TVS-872XT is an absolute beast for 4K video playback.
• Best portable Plex server: If you want a mobile Plex server for throwing in your carry-on or packing in a backpack for road trips in your car or RV, the WD My Passport Wireless Pro is a fantastic option.

Best Plex Server Overall – Geekom Mini IT12

Because of its QuickSync technology, which provides excellent hardware transcoding for Plex, a 7th generation or newer Intel CPU with an iGPU (integrated GPU) does a great job, especially with H.264 and H.265 audio files. Of course, the newer the better — and a 12th gen Intel CPU or above boasts AV1 video codec decoding. The Geekom Mini IT12 sports an Intel i5 or i7, which as a 12th gen Intel processor with an iGPU, boasts QuickSync support alongside AV1 decoding. Because of its beefy CPU, the Geekom can handle around eight 4K transcodes and more than a dozen 1080p transcodes. But note that you’ll need Plex Pass for hardware transcoding.

It’s available with either an i5-12450H or i7-12650H CPU, with up to 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. But both the DDR4 RAM and M.2 SSD are upgradable. Moreover, the Geekom Mini IT12 features an M.2 PCIe Gen 4 SSD slot, M.2 SATA SSD slot, and 2.5-inch SATA hard drive slot, so you can set up whatever storage configurations you like.

For folks with massive storage needs, a high-capacity external hard drive or RAID box is a good option to movies, TV shows, and music files. Although the Mini IT12 is a powerful Plex server, it may be overkill for many people. If that’s the case, the wallet-friendly Beelink MINI S12 Pro with its N100 is a good pick that should be able to handle around a dozen 1080p transcodes or a handful of 4K transcodes. Overall, the Geekom Mini IT12 — or most 12th gen Intel CPU-powered NUCs, including the Intel NUC 12 or Beelink Sei12, will do a fantastic job as a Plex server.

Pros:

• Capable of 8 or more 4K transcodes
• 12th gen i5 or i7 CPU
• Intel QuickSync with AV1 decoding
• Small footprint and energy-efficient

Cons:

• Mid-range price
• Folks with demanding storage needs may require an external hard drive or RAID box

Best Plex Server for Most Users – Nvidia Shield TV Pro 2019

The Nvidia Shield TV is the easiest Plex media server to set up. It’s not necessarily the most powerful, but it’s certainly the most user-friendly and the versatile. Whereas most Plex network-attached storage devices are traditional servers or NAS boxes, the Shield TV Pro 2019 is a streaming device. It’s actually my Plex server of choice.

Running Android TV, it’s fantastic for streaming from apps such as Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+, alongside a slew of free streaming apps. Moreover, the Shield TV Pro is an incredible gaming machine for emulation as well as native Android games.

Although the Shield TV is a stellar Plex client device, its ability to double as a Plex server means you can watch your media locally on the Shield using Plex or Kodi, plus access it from any other Plex streaming devices.

Setting up Plex on the Shield TV Pro 2019 is a breeze. Just plug in a high-capacity hard drive loaded up with media, point your Plex app to your media folders, and you’re ready to stream. When compared to most NAS and server devices on the market, the NVIDIA Shield TV is a versatile option that can stream content, play games, and provide Plex server functionality. It works so well that I switched from a Lenovo TS140 ThinkServer to an NVIDIA Shield TV Pro 2017 for my main Plex server.

Disappointingly, Nvidia dropped internal storage options on the 2019 Shield TV Pro. While the Shield Pro previously came with a 500GB harddrive, now the Shield only offers 16GB of onboard storage. But with its USB ports, you can expand its storage capacity with ease. And limited to a pair of USB ports, connecting a hard drive to the Shield TV Pro 2019 leaves you with only one free USB host. However, a USB hub works just fine, either powered if you have devices like HDDs that require a larger power draw, or un-powered for more efficient peripherals such as gamepads and keyboards. Nevertheless, the Nvidia Shield TV is the most versatile and user-friendly Plex server option on the planet.

For more information, check out our complete guide on how to setup Plex Media Server on the Nvidia Shield TV.

Pros:

• Streaming box – doubles as a Plex server and client/HTPC
• Excellent for video games (native Android gaming, retro gaming emulation)
• Versatile
• Affordable
• 4K HDR (HDR10, Dolby Vision) output
• Dolby Atmos output

Cons:

• Limited built-in storage
• Can’t handle transcoding

The Best NAS for Plex – Synology DS920+

Synology DS920+ is the best overall NAS for Plex. With four harddrive bays and two built-in M.2 2280 NVMe SSD slots, you can load up tons of storage along with plenty of cache acceleration via the solid-state drives. Its Intel quad-core processor features AES-NI hardware encryption.

Onboard, you’ll find 4GB of DDR4 RAM which is expandable to 8GB. While the DS920+ features four hard-drive bays, it’s scalable to a whopping nine disks with the optional Synology DX517. Hardware transcoding works extremely well on the Synology DS920+. With its powerful Intel quad-core processor, the DS920+ is a great 4K NAS for Plex.

Unfortunately, there’s an issue with hardware transcoding requiring an easy workaround involving deleting a driver. It’s a bit pricey, and sadly opts for a pair of Gigabit Ethernet (1GbE) ports rather than faster 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) ports. Still, the Synology DS920+ is the best NAS for Plex for 4K streaming in 2023.

Pros:

• 4-bay NAS, supports 4 x 3.5″/2.5″ drives and 2 x M.2 NVMe SSD drives
• Scalable to 9 disks with Synology 5-bay DX517 expansion unit
• Intel quad-core CPU (2.0GHz base/2.7GHz burst)
• 4GB DDR4 RAM (upgradeable to 8GB)
• 4 x 10GbE ports
• 2 x USB 3.0 ports
• 2 x 1GbE LAN port
• AES-NI hardware encryption
• Great for 4K transcoding, features hardware transcoding

Cons:

• Expensive

Best Budget 4K NAS for Plex – QNAP TSx53D

The QNAP TS-x53D series NAS box is a budget-priced 4K-capable NAS for Plex. Powered by an Intel Celeron J4125 CPU, the TSx53D sports takes up to 8GB of DDR4 RAM, and dual 2.5GbE ports. There’s a PCIe gen-2 slot and a trio of USB 2.0 ports. What’s more, you’ll find an HDMI output. It can be had with 2, 4, or 6 hard-drive bays.

Because of its video output capabilities, the QNAP TSx53D-series NAS can be used as a home theatre PC. Its 4K hardware transcoding lets you play ultra HD videos from Plex. Still, the Intel Celeron J4125 isn’t the beefiest CPU. As such, the number of simultaneous 4K transcodes that you can achieve will be limited. But on a budget, the QNSP TS-x53D is the best cheap Plex NAS for 4K transcoding.

Pros:

• Good for 4K hardware transcoding
• Affordable
• Up to 6 x HDD bays
• As much as 8GB DDR4 RAM
• 3 x USB 2.0 ports
• HDMI output
• Intel Celeron J4125 CPU
• 2 x 2.5GbE ports

Cons:

• Intel Celeron J4125 isn’t the strongest CPU
• Can’t handle a ton of 4K transcodes

Best Cheap NAS for Plex – TerraMaster F2-421

At its core, the TerraMaster F2-421 rocks an Intel Apollo 1.5GHz quad-core CPU and 4GB of RAM. It’s upgradeable to 8GB of RAM, and features blisteringly fast 405MB/s read and 396MB/s write speeds. There’s AES hardware encryption for security, and real-time hardware transcoding for two concurrent 4K videos.

Not only is the TerraMaster F2-421 an incredible Plex media server, but it’s a suitable Emby server too. Plus, you can run Docker on the F2-421 for thousands of virtualized apps, and it’s compatible with Time Machine and Rsync for file backups.

Plex is easy to install on it, and 4K transcoding capabilities at a reasonable price make the F2-421 a worthy consideration. Its Apollo CPU isn’t the fastest however, and disappointingly there’s no HDMI output. While the should be fine for most users who plan to run their media server headless, those seeking a dual-purpose home theatre PC and NAS will be let down.

Because of its underpowered Apollo CPU, 4K transcoding is limited to about one or two streams. And its dual-bay design hampers expansion. The TerraMaster F5-221 sports five bays and offers additional storage capabilities. For 4K transcoding on a budget, the TerraMaster F2-421 is a great option. Overall, the TerraMaster F2-421 is the best cheap Plex NAS.

Pros:

• Affordable
• Handles two concurrent 4K transcodes
• 4GB of RAM (upgradeable to 8GB)
• Fast read/write speeds
• Excellent software
• Great compatibility with apps like Docker, Emby, and Time Machine

Cons:

• No HDMI port
• Only two HDD bays
• Not the most powerful CPU
• Limited 4K transcode capabilities

Best Home NAS for Plex With HDMI – Asustor AS5304T

While many users prefer a headless media server, an HDMI-equipped NAS can be extremely versatile. File transfers and management may be performed on the machine itself rather than from a remote computer, and you can even have your server double as an HTPC.

The Asustor AS5304T boasts some of the most impressive input/output (I/O) selection on any home server. You’ll find an HDMI 2.0 output, four hard-dive bays, and 4GB of RAM. Under the hood, you’ll find an Intel Celeron J4005 processor. 4K Plex transcoding and streaming works incredibly well.

Asustor throws in several features for streaming video straight to Twitch or YouTube. As such, it’s a solid NAS for creators as well as homelabbers. It is a bit expensive, although that’s true of most network-attached storage devices. Unfortunately, you won’t find any eSATA ports or NVMe drives for caching. Still, the Asustor As5304T is the best Plex NAS with HDMI. You may also consider the Asustor AS5202T 2-bay home server.

Pros:

• HDMI 2.0 output
• 4GB RAM (expandable to 8GB)
• 2 x 2.5Gbps Ethernet ports
• 3 x USB 3.2 ports
• Great for 4K Plex transcoding

Cons:

• Lacks advanced features like eSATA and NVMe ports

Best NAS for Plex 4K – QNAP TVS-872XT

When it comes to 4K transcoding in Plex, you’ll need a lot of CPU power. While many budget and mid-range NAS devices can handle multiple concurrent 1080p transcodes and even a single or simultaneous 4K transcode, 4K transcodes are better on more powerful hardware. The QNAP TVS-872XT is the best NAS for Plex 4K transcoding.

At its heart, you’ll find an Intel Core i5-8400T 1.7GHz hexa-core CPU and 16GB of RAM, expandable to 32GB. It’s got four LAN ports with a 10GbE port. Connectivity is incredible with dual Thunderbolt 3 ports and two USB 3.1 Type-A hosts. You’ll find a whopping eight hard drive bays, as well as HDMI 2.0 that can handle 4K 60Hz video output.

PCIe expansion slots can accommodate M.2 SATA SSDs for efficient storage with solid-state drive caching. Deviating from the average dual-core, low-power CPU-powered NAS boxes on the market, the QNAP TVS-872XT is an outstanding Plex NAS that can handle multiple 4K transcodes with ease.

Unfortunately, it’s not cheap. But you get a small-business caliber home server, and if you need a lot of storage space as well as top-tier transcoding performance, the QNAP TVS-872XT is a beefy home lab. You may also consider the cheaper Intel Core i3-powered QNAP TVS-672X which still delivers fantastic transcoding performance. If you want an excellent 4K streaming experience, the TVS-872XT is the best QNAP NAS for Plex.

Pros:

• Intel Core i5-8400T 6-core 1.7GHz CPU
• Up to 32GB RAM (16GB included)
• 2 x PCIe expansion slots, M.2 SATA for SSD caching
• 2 x Thunderbolt 3 ports
• 1x 10GbE
• 8-bay NAS
• Excellent 4K transcoding performance in Plex
• HDMI 2.0 output

Cons:

• Extremely expensive

Cheapest Plex Server – Raspberry Pi 5

Despite its incredibly humble specs, the Raspberry Pi is hands-down the best cheap Plex server you can build, provided you set your expectations accordingly. The Raspberry Pi 5 is a jaw-droppingly capable Plex server, handling up to four simultaneous 1080p streams, no transcoding. If you need to transcode, the Pi falls flat on its face.

But with a low starting price, it’s incredible that the Raspberry Pi can act as a Plex media server at all. The 4GB or 8GB Raspberry Pi is your best option. If you’re almost exclusively streaming on your home network and don’t require transcoding, the Raspberry Pi is an economical NAS for Plex.

Pros:

• Affordable
• Low power draw
• Small footprint
• Can handle four simultaneous 1080p streams or one 4K stream (no transcoding)

Cons: 

• Can’t handle transcoding

Best Portable NAS for Plex – WD My Passport Wireless Pro

Most Plex servers aren’t portable. Enter the WD My Passport Wireless Pro. It’s an external harddrive with wireless connectivity so that it can function as a Plex media server. There’s a USB 3.0 port, and a battery built-in. Impressively, you can stream in 4K. There’s an SD card slot on board, and a power bank for charging devices like phones and tablets.

With up to 10 hours of continuous battery time, it’s a super cool portable Plex server. You can get a WD My Passport Wireless Pro in a 1TB, 2TB, 3TB, or 4TB size. The main downside is lack of expandability. Particularly if you’re loading your server up with 1080p and 4K videos, even the biggest 4TB drive is going to fill up fast. But the novelty of a portable Plex server is a unique touch, and makes the WD My Passport Wireless Pro a worthy choice.

Pros:

• Portable
• Battery built-in
• Doubles as a power bank
• SD card reader
• Up to 4TB of storage space

Cons:

• Limited sizes
• Can’t handle 4K transcoding

What Should You Look for in Plex Server Hardware – Plex NAS CPU Requirements and More

When selecting a NAS for Plex use, you’ll want to think about a few different considerations. Because you’re streaming media from your own hardware, everything from your Internet connection to the Plex client you’re streaming to and media file format affects the streaming experience. And a server hardware plays an important role in how well Plex will run.

CPU: First, there’s CPU power. This determines how many streams and at what resolution you can concurrently run. If you plan to stream in 4K, you’ll need a pretty beefy NAS. Several elements ultimate dictate how powerful you need your CPU to be such as the number of concurrent streams, the file type in which your media is encoded (i.e. MKV, MP4), and streaming quality such as 4K or 1080p.

RAM: RAM is important as well. The average Plex NAS doesn’t need much RAM, so you should be fine with about 4GB if you’re just using it for streaming. More RAM is never a bad thing though. My ThinkServer TS140 has been operating on 4GB of RAM just fine.

Harddrive bays: And number of harddrive bays is key. Even if you plan to start with a smaller number of harddrives, expandability is a major plus.

HDMI output: Many NAS devices are made to run headless, although some feature an HDMI output and double as a home theatre PC (HTPC). You can connect your Plex server to a television or projector and watch videos, or just use the HDMI output to manage your NAS rather than logging in from a computer on your network.

Price: Cost, of course, is a major factor too. You can find budget-priced Plex server hardware or extremely expensive several thousand dollar devices.

NAS vs. server: You’ll also need to think about whether you want a NAS box or a server. While both can run Plex, a NAS device is typically more streamlined, user-friendly, and smaller, whereas traditional servers in desktop form factors boast more upgrade potential as well as better processors.

Plex NAS buying considerations:

• Price
• HDMI output
• Number of harddrive bays
• CPU
• RAM
• NAS vs. server

Plex CPU and Passmark Requirements

What CPU is at the heart of your Plex NAS is absolutely essential and dictates the entire streaming experience. For mostly in-home streaming with files encoded such that they don’t require transcoding which is more CPU-intensive, a weaker CPU is fine. But for transcoding and high-resolution streaming, you’ll want a pretty strong central processing unit. And as you add more clients or devices that you are streaming to, the workload on your CPU increases.

Plex has some general guidelines in its help documents. As per the Plex support guide, an Intel Atom 1.2GHz processor should be able to handle zero transcoding. For a single 720p transcode, you’ll need at least an Intel Core i3 3.0GHz CPU. An Intel Core i5 3.0GHz CPU or higher is best for a single 1080p transcode. And for 4K transcode, you’ll need an Intel Core i7 3.2GHz CPU or better. Again, these are extremely rough estimates:

• No transcoding – Intel Atom 1.2GHz CPU
• 1x 720p transcode: Intel Core i3 3.0 GHz
• 1 x1080p transcode: Intel Core i5 3.0GHz
• 1 x 4K transcode: Intel Core i7 3.2GHz

A far more accurate measurement of a CPU’s processing power is its PassMark score. Plex outlines the requirements for streaming various files. If you’re streaming a 4K HDR Blu-ray rim at 50Mbps and 10-bit HEVC being transcoded to a 10Mbps 1080p transcode, you’ll need a 17000 PassMark CPU.

To transcode a 4K SDR 40 Mbps 8-bit HEVC file to a 10Mbps 1080p stream, you’ll need around a 12000 PassMark. Transcoding a 1080p 10Mbps H.264 file should be fine with a 2000 PassMark, and a 720P 4Mbps H.264 file will need about a 1500 PassMark to transcode.

• 4K HDR 50Mbps, 10-bit HEVC file transcoded to 10Mbps 1080p – 17000 PassMark score
• 4K SDR 40Mbps, 8-bit HEVC file transcoded to 10Mbps 1080p – 12000 PassMark score
• 1080p 10Mbps, H.264 file transcode – 2000 PassMark score
• 720p 4Mbps, H.264 file transcode – 1500 PassMark score

What is Plex?

You can think of Plex like a DIY Netflix or Spotify. Whereas streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, and Vudu host the content, with a media server you provide the movies, TV shows, and music files. Then, Plex organizes your library with metadata and box art, and you can access your films, shows, and albums on any number of devices from virtually anywhere. Plex Media Server runs on various platforms including Linux, Windows, macOS, Docker, and NAS devices.

However, Plex added a slew of cord-cutting features such as ad-supported free, legal streaming movies and shows, the ability to use an OTA antenna for live TV and DVR functionality, plus web shows and podcasts. As such, it’s one of the best apps for cord-cutting. Getting started with Plex requires a library of films, shows, and music albums which you can acquire through DVD, Blu-ray, or CD rips, a Plex server, and a Plex client like a Roku or Firestick. When I first began using Plex, I ran my server off of a busted HP Envy laptop with an AMD A10 APU. Since then, I upgraded to an Intel Xeon-powered Lenovo ThinkServer TS140 running Ubuntu Linux, but have also used a Raspberry Pi 4 and NVIDIA Shield TV as Plex servers.

What is a NAS and How Does it Work?

A network-attached storage device is basically file storage that’s connected to the Internet. That way, files on a NAS are accessible on the local area network as well as outside of the network. It’s essentially a server, but more self-contained. For instance, a NAS box usually is a pre-built solution with a CPU (central processing unit), RAM, and harddrive bays.

Often, network-attached storage devices feature non-user upgradeable processors and limited RAM. Sometimes, memory is upgradeable. Many NAS boxes from the likes of QNAP and Synology come with a proprietary operating system (OS), whereas a do-it-yourself (DIY) server might instead use a Linux distribution (distro) installed. With most NAS devices, there’s an onus on user-friendly set up.

A server generally accomplishes the same feat as a NAS, although servers usually come in either more traditional desktop form factors or rack mount server footprints. On average, a server will have more processing power, memory, and additional upgrade potential. But servers are often less user-friendly as well as more costly.

Best Plex Servers and NAS Devices FAQs

The Best Plex Servers and NAS Devices for All Users – Final Thoughts

Building a Plex server requires the right hardware, and a server is extremely important. To get the best Plex experience, you’ll want to consider what content you’re streaming which will, in turn, decide the processing power and storage you’ll need. For a cheap Plex server, the Raspberry Pi is a surprisingly capable device. There are tons of pre-built NAS devices from the likes of QNAP, Synology, or ASUSTOR. A DIY Plex media server running off of dedicated server hardware offers loads of flexibility and expandability. But you can even run Plex off of an old laptop or desktop. If you’re still deciding between media server software options, compare Plex vs. Emby to see which media management platform is right for you! Learn how to install Plex on Firestick and start streaming from your NAS.

What Plex server hardware do you recommend?