Reddit mentions of QNAP Marvell 1.6GHz CPU 512MB RAM USB 3.0 2-LAN Hot-Swappable 4-Bay Personal Cloud NAS with DLNA, Mobile App and iSCSI (TS-420)

I just want to offer a comment in support of /u/hooah212002 's suggestion as well. I would argue two main reasons why a separate, dedicated NAS is a better practice:

1. Preservation of your media/data. It is not about data sensitivity, like you would be in any real "trouble" if you lost it, but you must consider your own time investment. I have spent multiple years collecting, curating, and organizing my media and metadata the way I like it and I would be livid if I ended up having to start all over from scratch. A dedicated NAS running a minimum of 3 drives so you can run a RAID5 (or other data redundancy method of your choice) array ensures your data remains intact in the event of the unforeseen. I lost 2 years of media data a while back because my single western digital external drive just died one day. Hard drives are spinning magnet wheel with a tiny moving needle - they can and do die easily, often, and usually with no warning or meaningful recovery capability. I have had a drive in my NAS setup die on two separate occasions - both times I simply popped in a new drive, the array rebuilt in less than an hour and all the data was intact and even accessible the whole time. Protect the investment of your own time and use a redundancy array so you never lose your data.
   
   
2. Efficiency of operation. You would be able to change the settings or even reformat the OS of your HTPC without risking impacting your data storage in any way. You would not have to keep a complex system running all the time just to make your media/data available, saving significantly on power cost over time. You could later decide to use that computer for a different purpose and/or add another HTPC for another TV in your home without having to move/migrate all your media. If you connect them with wired connections (at least the NAS, the HTPC can potentially use WiFi if you have a decent router and live in a low-interference location), you can stream high-quality HD video just fine without any lag issues.
   
   
3. Scalability and flexibility. That NAS can be a database server if you do web/app development. You can use it as a backup system for other personal data (like a Time Machine server if you use a Mac). You can store your music there and use it as an AirPlay server to play on your speakers at parties. You can set up your own dropbox or FTP server to access your files remotely. You maximize the flexibility and future capability of your home network as a whole by separating the HTPC from the data storage.
   
   In my opinion and personal experience, it would be a better idea to get a NAS with at least 3 drives and just start your setup on a solid and scalable foundation. If cost is an issue, make do for now but don't invest too much in a different fixed/susceptible system you're just going to have to replace in a couple years and plan to implement a more scalable approach as soon as you can afford to do so.
   
   TL;DR - Have an HTPC for playback and a separate NAS/fileserver for storage. Don't use one machine to do both. It is definitely better in both the short and long term.
   
   For the curious: I myself have a QNAP TS-420 NAS with 3x 2TB seagate drives in a RAID5 array. Here's what my storage space looks like currently.
   

> Synology DS2413+

very expensive my budget is between 150 and 400 euro.

maybe one day ill be able to afford yours

im currently looking at these 2

austor

qnap420

silence is important to me. is it my understanding that most noises that come from nas's is from the hard drives?