Prime Day is in full swing, and as we kick off day two of savings, there are a lot of great deals.
Between Synology, ASUSTOR, WD, and Buffalo, you have plenty of choices when it comes to selecting a new NAS enclosure, and with budget models starting off from as low as $100, you don't need to spend a lot of money to get started with a home media server.
A network attached storage (NAS) server lets you stream your locally-stored media on all devices in your home network using a service like Plex. You also get the ability to back up files automatically, host your own audio and video streaming server, and so much more.
So let's take a look at all the deals currently available, and what NAS server to buy.
Best Synology NAS deals
Synology is the largest manufacturer of NAS servers, and it sells dozens of products across various categories. Synology is known for its high-quality offerings, and its products are built to last. But the defining feature of Synology's NAS models is the software, with the web-based DiskStation Manager setting the standard for this category.
The 4-bay DiskStation DS920+ is back down to $450, the lowest we've seen for this model. The DS220+ is discounted to $245, $55 off its usual asking price. The budget DS220j is down to $189, making it a good choice if you're just getting started.
Best Buffalo NAS deals
Buffalo is a manufacturer that delivers budget-focused NAS servers aimed at first-time buyers. Its NAS servers come with bundled hard drives, so you get an all-in-one solution that's ready to use out of the box.
Buffalo's NAS servers miss out on some of the more advanced features that you'll find with other brands, but if you want the basics — backing up data, streaming your local music and video library — they're a good alternative.
Best NAS hard drive deals
Now that you have a decent selection of NAS servers to choose from, the other factor to consider is hard drives. Picking the right hard drive for your NAS is vital as these enclosures are designed to run 24/7.
Regular consumer hard drives aren't ideally suited for a NAS environment, but there are plenty of NAS-focused models that offer vibration resistance and are tailored for NAS systems. These are the best Prime Day NAS hard drive deals currently available.
Which NAS should you buy on Prime Day?
I'm currently running a 150TB media server and have used dozens of NAS enclosures over the last decade, so I have a decent idea when it comes to picking a NAS server that fits your needs (and budget). The first question you have to ask yourself is how much storage you're going to need. That sets the basis for whether you should get a two-bay, four-bay, or a larger NAS enclosure.
The best NAS for 4K Plex streaming is the DiskStation DS920+; you're getting four drive bays that can hold a total of 64TB of storage, 4GB of RAM, robust internal hardware, a ton of software features, and the ability to add more drive bays should you need to do so in the future.
If this is the first time you're buying a NAS and you don't want to invest a lot of money into an enclosure, then the DiskStation DS220+ is a fantastic choice. You're still getting all the best software features that Synology has to offer, and while the hardware isn't quite as robust as the DS920+, it is a great choice for first-time buyers.
How to pick the right hard drive for your NAS
Choosing the right hard drive for your NAS is just as vital as selecting the right enclosure. Because NAS enclosures are designed to run 24/7, there are NAS-focused hard drives available in the market. These models feature vibration resistance and are designed to handle the stresses of a 24/7 environment, and differ from your regular hard drives.
Another factor to consider when choosing a NAS hard drive is the speed. HDDs are usually available in either 5400rpm or 7200rpm, and the latter delivers better performance because the spindle moves at 7,200 rounds per minute. I've used 5400rpm drives in NAS enclosures tailored for media streaming for years without any issues, but if you're building a more enthusiast-focused NAS and are looking for better performance, pick a model with a 7200rpm.
There are several NAS-focused hard drive product lines, with WD Red Plus and Seagate IronWolf dominating the sales charts. With drives starting out at 1TB and going all the way to 20TB, there's no shortage of options available across either product line.
Do you need to buy an SSD for your NAS?
There is always the option of adding SSDs to your NAS instead of mechanical hard drives, but cost is a limiting factor. A 2TB IronWolf hard drive costs $80, but if you want to buy a 2TB SSD, you will have to shell out nearly $200. The cost per gigabyte is $0.04 with the hard drive, and $0.09 if you go with an SSD.
That cost goes up exponentially at higher storage volumes. A 4TB IronWolf Pro is $140, whereas a 4TB Samsung 870 QVO SSD is $400. The cost per gigabyte is $0.03 for the hard drive, but goes up to $0.10 for the SSD if you go with the 4TB option.
Then there's the fact that an SSD doesn't actually deliver better performance. If your primary use case is building a Plex media server, going with a traditional NAS hard drive will give you the same level of performance as an SSD. So unless you're looking at hosting your own website or running virtual machines on the NAS, you're better off with a traditional HDD.
