Running a Plex Server on a MacBook Pro?

I am running a Plex Server on a Mac Pro Server (Mid 2012) with 3.2 GHz Quad-core Intel Xeon (MacOS 10.13.6). I used this server as I was running other services at the time however it is now only running Plex and is probably not very energy efficient. I was wondering how well Plex would work if I moved my Plex files to a fast external drive connected to a MacBook Pro (14" 2021) with an M1 Pro server. Will I notice any difference in performance? Would I be better off with a NAS?

Separately, I am interested in a 10TB SSD portable hard drive (for my Plex files) but can not find anything above 5TB? Is there a reason (apart from cost)? If there are any external SSDs above 5TB any recommendations?

Thanks in advance…

Assuming your new setup is otherwise identical to your old one, I don’t see any reason why its performance shouldn’t be identical too. And in my experience, there’s no reason to put your library on a pricey SSD–a big spinning HDD, like the 8TB one currently attached to my Mini M1/16 via USB 3.0, is fine even for 4k HDR (using Infuse; last time I tried Plex couldn’t play it, though they may have fixed that by now).

I am looking for a drive that is portable (light and robust) and which I can take with me when travelling…

I am also considering a NAS which I can also use as a Time Machine backup (and access remotely as a Plex server) but I need to do some more research…

I used a Synology NAS as a server for a while a dozen years ago. If you go that way, be sure you get something with enough processing power and memory–that was the limiting factor for me when I replaced it with my first Mini in 2012. And if you’re considering a new router now or soon you might look into the Synology RT6600ax, which can function as a server too.

I’m sure others will suggest good server options, and they might benefit from a bit more Information about what types of files you’d be running on it, whether you want to run a VPN, etc. You could, for example, replace the Mac Pro with an older (or newer, if price is not a big concern) Mini and hang one (or four, in my case) big HDDs off it.

Have fun!

Using SSDs to store your media for use in Plex is a total waste of money. I’ve got 12TB of archived video and audio so using SSDs is not even a possibility. Transfer speeds using USB 3 on up is more than adequate for watching movies, etc–Plex knows how to buffer.

Thanks to everyone for their responses, has raised more questions for me and will post a new question (Mac Mini or NAS?)…