Which NAS is best for Plex or a media server?

For hardware transcoding, reviewers point to units with an Intel CPU and integrated GPU/QuickSync. Community discussion specifically calls out the Synology DS425+ for its Intel GPU transcoding and the UGREEN DXP4800 Plus/Pro for their 12th-gen Intel chips. ARM-based budget units (DS223j, DH2300) can stream but reviewers note transcoding headroom is limited.