Quick Summary (TL;DR):
For a general-purpose four-bay home NAS in 2026, our shortlist is the Synology DS925+, QNAP TS-464, UGREEN NASync DXP4800 Plus and TerraMaster F4-425 Plus. The DS925+ is the strongest fit when family storage, backups, snapshots and a mature software ecosystem matter more than raw hardware specification. The TS-464 is the most balanced traditional home-server NAS, combining Intel N5095, 8GB DDR4, dual 2.5GbE, two M.2 slots, PCIe expansion, Container Station and Virtualization Station. The DXP4800 Plus is the hardware-value choice with Intel 8505, 8GB DDR5, up to 64GB RAM, dual M.2, 2.5GbE plus 10GbE and Docker/VM support. The F4-425 Plus is the enthusiast option with Intel N150, 16GB DDR5, three M.2 slots and dual 5GbE. For Plex, do not choose on CPU name alone: hardware transcoding depends on the iGPU, the NAS software path, the codecs involved and—on Plex—an active Plex Pass for hardware-accelerated streaming. For family storage, backup software and restore workflow can matter more than transcoding performance.
Best 4-Bay NAS at a Glance
| NAS | CPU / RAM | Networking | M.2 | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Synology DS925+ | Ryzen V1500B / 4GB ECC DDR4 | 2 × 2.5GbE | 2 | Family storage, backups, snapshots |
| QNAP TS-464 | Intel N5095 / 8GB DDR4 | 2 × 2.5GbE | 2 | Balanced Docker, media and storage server |
| UGREEN DXP4800 Plus | Intel 8505 / 8GB DDR5 | 2.5GbE + 10GbE | 2 | Hardware-heavy Docker/home-server build |
| TerraMaster F4-425 Plus | Intel N150 / 16GB DDR5 | 2 × 5GbE | 3 | Enthusiast home lab and high-speed storage |
These models are not equivalent in philosophy. The Synology is software-led, QNAP is expansion-led, UGREEN is specification-led and TerraMaster sits somewhere between high-value hardware and increasingly container-focused software.
Why Four Bays Are the Sweet Spot for Many Homes
Four bays give you much more storage flexibility than a two-bay mirror without jumping to a physically large six- or eight-bay enclosure.
- RAID 5 becomes practical.
- RAID 6 or RAID 10 may be available depending on platform.
- You can start with fewer drives and expand where the NAS supports the migration path.
- You can separate application storage from bulk media.
- You get more capacity before replacing every installed disk.
If you are unsure whether four bays are necessary, use our bay-count guide first: 2-Bay vs 4-Bay vs 6-Bay NAS: Which Size Should You Buy?.
Synology DS925+: Best Family Storage and Backup NAS
The DS925+ is the current four-bay Synology Plus model and makes the most sense when the NAS is primarily a storage appliance rather than a media-transcoding machine.
- AMD Ryzen V1500B.
- 4 cores / 8 threads at 2.2GHz.
- 4GB ECC DDR4 installed.
- Two memory slots.
- Up to 32GB officially supported RAM.
- Four SATA bays.
- Two M.2 2280 NVMe slots.
- Dual 2.5GbE Ethernet.
- Btrfs support.
- Container Manager.
- Virtual Machine Manager.
- Hyper Backup and Snapshot Replication.
For family storage, the DS925+ has a major advantage: DSM brings backup, snapshots, file sync and photo management into one mature first-party platform.
Why choose the DS925+
- You care more about recovery than benchmark numbers.
- You want Synology Photos and Synology Drive.
- You want Hyper Backup for second copies.
- You want snapshot-based recovery on Btrfs.
- You want ECC memory in a four-bay home NAS.
- You prefer appliance-style administration.
The DS925+ is also expandable to nine total bays using the supported DX525 expansion unit, so a buyer who likes DSM does not necessarily need to replace the NAS when four internal bays become restrictive.
DS925+ and Plex: Know the Limitation
The Ryzen V1500B does not provide the Intel Quick Sync path available on the Intel-based systems in this shortlist.
That does not stop the DS925+ from storing a Plex library or serving Direct Play clients. It simply means you should not choose this model specifically because you expect heavy real-time hardware transcoding.
If Plex/Jellyfin transcoding is a primary requirement rather than a secondary feature, use our dedicated guide: Best NAS for Plex and Jellyfin Hardware Transcoding.
QNAP TS-464: Best Balanced 4-Bay Home Server
The TS-464 remains one of the most balanced four-bay x86 NAS designs because it combines storage, Intel graphics, Docker, virtual machines and PCIe expansion.
- Intel Celeron N5095.
- 4 cores / 4 threads, burst up to 2.9GHz.
- Intel UHD Graphics.
- 8GB DDR4 in the current TS-464-8G configuration.
- Two SO-DIMM slots.
- Up to 16GB officially supported RAM.
- Four SATA bays.
- Two M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 3 x1 slots.
- Dual 2.5GbE.
- PCIe expansion slot.
- Container Station.
- Virtualization Station.
QNAP also supports switching the TS-464 from QTS to QuTS hero on supported current software, giving advanced users another filesystem and data-integrity path.
Why choose the TS-464
- You want Docker and VMs on the NAS.
- You want an Intel iGPU for supported media workflows.
- You may add faster networking through PCIe later.
- You want dual 2.5GbE today.
- You prefer a long-established power-user NAS ecosystem.
The TS-464 is less “appliance-like” than Synology DSM, but that additional complexity is useful if the NAS is going to become a genuine home server.
QNAP TS-464 and Plex
The N5095 includes Intel integrated graphics, which is relevant because Plex hardware-accelerated streaming primarily relies on supported Intel Quick Sync hardware on many NAS systems.
Plex currently requires an active Plex Pass for hardware-accelerated streaming on normal NAS/server installations. Exact codec support depends on CPU generation, Plex version, NAS OS and the source/output formats.
Do not buy any NAS solely from a YouTube claim that it can transcode “X streams of 4K”. Real results vary with codecs, subtitles, HDR tone mapping and bitrate.
UGREEN DXP4800 Plus: Best Hardware Value
The DXP4800 Plus is the most aggressive mainstream four-bay hardware package in this group.
- Intel Pentium Gold 8505.
- 5 cores / 6 threads.
- 8GB DDR5 installed.
- Up to 64GB supported memory.
- 128GB SSD system drive.
- Four SATA bays.
- Two M.2 SSD slots.
- One 2.5GbE port.
- One 10GbE port.
- 10Gbps front USB-C and USB-A.
- SD card reader.
- 4K HDMI.
- Docker.
- Virtual Machine Manager.
For Docker-heavy use, the 64GB RAM ceiling and built-in 10GbE give it far more room to grow than many conventional four-bay home NAS systems.
Why choose the DXP4800 Plus
- You intend to run multiple containers.
- You want 10GbE without adding an expansion card.
- You want substantial RAM expansion.
- You use the NAS as both storage and compute.
- You value hardware specification over the maturity of the software ecosystem.
UGOS Pro has matured quickly and now supports Docker and VM workloads, but it still has a shorter history than Synology DSM or QNAP QTS. That remains part of the buying decision.
DXP4800 Plus for Plex and Jellyfin
The Intel 8505 includes integrated Intel graphics, so the underlying hardware is far more appropriate for media acceleration than the AMD V1500B in the DS925+.
However, hardware capability alone does not guarantee that every Plex/Jellyfin installation path exposes every accelerator correctly. Verify the current NAS software, container device mapping and application support before buying specifically for transcoding.
TerraMaster F4-425 Plus: Best Enthusiast Hardware
The F4-425 Plus is TerraMaster’s current high-spec four-bay home/SOHO model.
- Intel N150.
- 4 cores, up to 3.6GHz.
- 16GB DDR5 installed.
- Up to 32GB officially supported RAM.
- Four SATA bays.
- Three M.2 2280 NVMe slots.
- Dual 5GbE Ethernet.
- HDMI.
- Btrfs and EXT4.
- TRAID/TRAID+ and standard RAID options.
- TOS 7.
- Container Manager / Docker ecosystem.
TerraMaster also explicitly lists hardware video decoding/transcoding capability on the N150 platform and promotes Plex, Emby and Jellyfin support.
Why choose the F4-425 Plus
- You want more RAM out of the box.
- You want three NVMe slots.
- You can use dual 5GbE.
- You want a Docker-heavy TOS 7 setup.
- You want Intel media hardware in a modern low-power CPU.
Its main trade-off is ecosystem size. TOS 7 is improving rapidly, but Synology and QNAP still have deeper first-party software histories and larger administration communities.
Docker: Which 4-Bay NAS Is Best?
All four can run containers on supported configurations, so the real comparison is resources and software workflow.
| NAS | Container platform | RAM headroom | Docker-oriented comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| DS925+ | Synology Container Manager | 4GB → 32GB | Mature DSM ecosystem, but RAM upgrade likely for heavier stacks |
| TS-464 | QNAP Container Station | 8GB → 16GB | Good balance with mature server tools |
| DXP4800 Plus | UGOS Pro Docker | 8GB → 64GB | Strongest memory ceiling and 10GbE |
| F4-425 Plus | TOS 7 Container Manager | 16GB → 32GB | Excellent base RAM and NVMe flexibility |
If Docker is only Pi-hole and one small utility container, all this hardware discussion is overkill. If you plan Immich, databases, Home Assistant Container, Vaultwarden, Nextcloud and media services on the same box, memory and SSD layout become much more important.
Plex: Direct Play vs Transcoding
Before choosing a NAS for Plex, understand whether you need transcoding at all.
- Direct Play: the client plays the original file. Very little CPU work is required.
- Direct Stream/remux: the container changes but the video may not be re-encoded.
- Transcoding: Plex converts video/audio/subtitles in real time and can require substantial compute.
If every TV and streaming box Direct Plays your media, the storage platform matters far more than the iGPU.
Plex Hardware Transcoding Requires More Than an Intel CPU
Plex currently requires a Plex Pass for hardware-accelerated streaming on normal server/NAS installations.
You must also verify:
- Whether the exact processor exposes supported video acceleration.
- Whether the NAS firmware/container can access it.
- Whether your codecs are supported.
- Whether HDR tone mapping changes the workload.
- Whether subtitles force a different transcode path.
For that reason, this article does not rank NAS systems by fabricated “number of 4K streams”. The dedicated transcoding guide handles that workload separately.
Family Storage: Software Can Be More Important Than CPU
A family NAS normally needs to do boring things reliably:
- Automatically back up phones.
- Store documents.
- Provide shared folders.
- Version files.
- Recover accidentally deleted data.
- Back up laptops and desktops.
- Create another copy to USB, cloud or a second NAS.
Those workloads do not need the fastest CPU in the table. DSM’s Hyper Backup, Snapshot Replication, Synology Drive and Synology Photos are a major reason to choose the DS925+ despite its less aggressive hardware.
QNAP, UGREEN and TerraMaster also provide photo, file and backup tools, but compare the exact workflow you will use rather than simply assuming “all NAS software is the same”.
Immich Changes the Hardware Requirement
If you plan to run Immich rather than relying only on the vendor’s photo application, Docker resources become more important.
Immich adds database, machine-learning/indexing and application services. That makes RAM, CPU, SSD storage and backup strategy more relevant than they are for a simple SMB photo share.
Use our dedicated guide for that scenario: Best NAS for Immich and Family Photo Backups.
Four Bays Give You Better RAID Choices
A four-bay NAS commonly supports RAID 5, RAID 6 and RAID 10 in addition to simpler layouts, depending on the vendor and filesystem.
That gives you more flexibility than a two-bay mirror:
- RAID 5 can provide one-drive fault tolerance with better usable capacity than RAID 1.
- RAID 6 can tolerate two drive failures at the cost of two drives’ worth of capacity.
- RAID 10 combines mirrors and stripes with different capacity/performance characteristics.
- Synology SHR and TerraMaster TRAID add vendor-specific flexible layouts.
RAID still is not a backup. A destructive mistake can affect every drive in the array at the same time.
Do You Need NVMe SSDs?
Not automatically.
NVMe can be useful for:
- Docker databases.
- Immich metadata.
- VM disks.
- Application data.
- SSD storage pools where supported.
- Cache where the workload benefits.
It usually does not transform ordinary sequential backups to a hard-drive array.
Also remember that slot count does not equal slot bandwidth. The F4-425 Plus, for example, provides three M.2 PCIe 3.0 x1 slots, so a flagship NVMe SSD’s headline speed is not the speed each slot can deliver.
Networking: 2.5GbE, 5GbE or 10GbE?
For ordinary family storage, 2.5GbE is already a substantial upgrade over Gigabit Ethernet.
Faster ports become useful when several clients access the NAS simultaneously or when SSDs and large arrays can actually feed the connection.
| NAS | Built-in network | Practical comment |
|---|---|---|
| DS925+ | 2 × 2.5GbE | Plenty for backup/family storage; multiple links can serve several clients |
| TS-464 | 2 × 2.5GbE | PCIe provides an upgrade path on supported adapters |
| DXP4800 Plus | 2.5GbE + 10GbE | Fastest built-in single-link option here |
| F4-425 Plus | 2 × 5GbE | Strong multi-gigabit configuration without 10GBASE-T |
Do not pay for 10GbE and then connect the NAS to a Gigabit switch. Include the switch and client adapters in the total cost.
RAM: How Much Is Enough?
For simple file serving and family backup, 4GB can be enough. RAM requirements rise with applications.
- 4GB: basic NAS services and light applications.
- 8GB: comfortable starting point for several containers.
- 16GB: useful for heavier Docker, photo applications and some VM use.
- 32GB+: only useful if your workload genuinely consumes it.
Do not buy 64GB for a NAS that only stores movies and laptop backups.
Complete-System Cost Is More Than the NAS Enclosure
For a four-bay build, budget for:
- The NAS enclosure.
- Four or initially two NAS HDDs.
- RAM upgrades where required.
- NVMe SSDs if justified.
- A UPS.
- External/off-site backup storage.
- 2.5GbE/5GbE/10GbE switch upgrades.
- Client network adapters.
- Plex Pass if you require Plex hardware-accelerated streaming.
A cheaper enclosure with expensive required upgrades can cost more than a better-equipped model once the system is usable.
Which NAS Should You Buy?
| Your priority | Best-fit direction | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Family backup, snapshots, easy recovery | Synology DS925+ | DSM software ecosystem and ECC RAM |
| Balanced Plex/Docker/VM/home-server use | QNAP TS-464 | Intel iGPU, 8GB RAM, PCIe, mature server tools |
| Docker-heavy build with 10GbE | UGREEN DXP4800 Plus | 8505 CPU, 64GB ceiling, 10GbE, dual M.2 |
| High base RAM, NVMe and 5GbE | TerraMaster F4-425 Plus | 16GB DDR5, 3 × M.2, dual 5GbE, N150 |
| Heavy Plex transcoding | Use dedicated transcoding comparison | Codec/iGPU/application support matters more than generic NAS ranking |
| Immich/photo AI | Use dedicated Immich comparison | Database, machine learning, SSD and backup needs differ |
Best 4-Bay NAS for Docker, Plex and Family Storage: The Bottom Line
Choose the Synology DS925+ when the NAS is primarily a trustworthy family-storage and backup appliance and you value DSM more than the strongest hardware specification.
Choose the QNAP TS-464 when you want the most balanced traditional NAS/home-server mix: Intel graphics, Docker, virtual machines, dual 2.5GbE and PCIe expansion.
Choose the UGREEN DXP4800 Plus when Docker, RAM headroom and fast networking dominate the purchase. The built-in 10GbE port and 64GB memory ceiling give it considerable growth potential.
Choose the TerraMaster F4-425 Plus when you want lots of RAM, multiple NVMe slots and fast networking without immediately moving to a larger six-bay NAS.
And if Plex transcoding or Immich is the main reason you are buying the NAS, stop treating them as generic NAS workloads. Follow the dedicated workload guide before buying—those applications can change which hardware matters most.
Continue the NAS Buying Series
- 2-Bay vs 4-Bay vs 6-Bay NAS: Which Size Should You Buy?
- Best NAS for Plex and Jellyfin Hardware Transcoding
- Best NAS for Immich and Family Photo Backups
Datasheets & External Resources
- Synology DS925+ – Official specifications
- Synology Container Manager
- Synology Virtual Machine Manager
- QNAP TS-464 – Official product page
- QNAP TS-464 – Official hardware specifications
- UGREEN DXP4800 Plus – Official specifications
- TerraMaster F4-425 Plus – Official specifications
- Plex – Hardware-accelerated streaming requirements
- Plex – NAS compatibility guide