You don’t need much horsepower to run a Plex server. Consolidating everything into a NAS device makes your Plex server smaller and easier to manage, but NAS devices that are powerful enough to keep up with Plex’s demands are a little expensive. Some people use a NAS device to hold and manage media alongside their Plex server, while others run the entire operation, server and all, on a single NAS device. If you’re familiar with Linux, try using a distro without a GUI to save computer resources and maximize performance. That said, Linux is ideal because it requires little maintenance and is very power efficient. Windows and macOS-based servers offer similar performance to Linux-based servers, so if you aren’t comfortable with Linux, don’t bother using it. Plex works on Windows, Linux, macOS, and dedicated NAS systems like the Synology Diskstation.
#PLEX PC#
Of course, you can save a lot of money turning any old PC or laptop into a Plex server, but such a machine will take up a lot of space and use a lot of power. This computer should be small and power efficient, as it requires a wired internet connection and will run 24/7.
![plex plex](https://www.plex.tv/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/plex-avod-fb.jpg)
The most important component of your Plex server is the computer that manages your media files and runs the Plex software.
![plex plex](https://support.plex.tv/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2013/09/Web-Overview.png)