What can the TS-264 run?
By Devin Chua · Data checked by Owen Nakamura · Updated The TS-264 runs Plex and Jellyfin with 4K hardware transcoding, full Docker via QTS and real virtual machines. On its Intel Celeron N5095 (4 cores) with 8 GB (to 16 GB), the sweet spot is Plex, Jellyfin, Immich, Home Assistant.
Two bays, but the kit of a bigger machine: two NVMe slots, two 2.5-gigabit ports and a PCIe slot. With only two drives, RAID 1 is the one sensible choice, which halves the capacity no matter how large the drives are.
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Everything the TS-264 can run, at a glance
Rated from this model’s real Intel Celeron N5095 (4 cores) and its 8 GB–16 GB of RAM. “Limited” and “No” are honest — an ARM box does not virtualize, and no hardware transcode is no hardware transcode.
| App | Runs? | Performance | What it needs on this model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plex | Yes | good | 4K HW transcode (Quick Sync) |
| Jellyfin | Yes | good | 4K HW transcode via Quick Sync |
| Immich | Yes | good | 8 GB+ handles ML search |
| Home Assistant | Yes | good | Container or full HA OS in a VM |
| Nextcloud | Yes | good | Runs well in Docker |
| Frigate | Yes | good | Intel iGPU decode; add a Coral TPU for detection |
| Pi-hole / AdGuard Home | Yes | good | Lightweight container |
| Paperless-ngx | Yes | good | Runs well in Docker |
| Vaultwarden | Yes | good | Lightweight container |
| Minecraft server | Yes | good | Enough RAM for a world |
| Docker (general) | Yes | good | Full container platform (QTS) |
| Virtual machines | Yes | fair | Add RAM (16 GB+) for a useful VM · add RAM › |
| Surveillance recording | Yes | good | Scales to many cameras; surveillance drives |
| Time Machine / backup target | Yes | good | Any model |
Buy the TS-264 on Amazon.ca — CA$1,170
App by app on the TS-264
Plex
Plex installs as a native QTS package on the TS-264, and the Intel Celeron N5095 (4 cores) carries Intel Quick Sync, so it hardware-transcodes 4K HDR down to a phone or an old TV. With 2 × 2.5GbE, expandable via the PCIe slot and 2-bay storage behind it, this TS-264 is a genuinely capable media server.
Jellyfin
Jellyfin runs in a container on the TS-264 and taps the Intel Celeron N5095 (4 cores)'s Quick Sync, so 4K hardware transcoding matches Plex — the open-source route with no performance penalty on this box, served over 2 × 2.5GbE, expandable via the PCIe slot.
Immich
Immich is a strong fit for the TS-264: QTS's Docker hosts the stack and, with 8 GB out of the box and room for 16 GB, you can feed its ML search the 8 GB+ it wants. The stock RAM already clears the bar.
Home Assistant
The TS-264 is a comfortable Home Assistant host: run the light HA Container in QTS's Docker, or — because this 4-core Intel Celeron N5095 (4 cores) virtualizes — the full Home Assistant OS with add-ons in a VM, with 16 GB of RAM to spare it.
Nextcloud
Nextcloud runs in QTS's Docker on the TS-264; with 8 GB out of the box and room for 16 GB and the 4-core Intel Celeron N5095 (4 cores) it is responsive for a household over 2 × 2.5GbE, expandable via the PCIe slot. It is heavier than a plain file share, so give the container room.
Frigate
Frigate is viable on the TS-264: the Intel Celeron N5095 (4 cores)'s Intel iGPU decodes the streams over 2 × 2.5GbE, expandable via the PCIe slot, and a USB Coral TPU (about CA$40–120) runs the detection cheaply. Add the Coral and it watches several cameras comfortably.
Pi-hole / AdGuard Home
Pi-hole (or AdGuard Home) is trivial for the TS-264 — a few hundred megabytes in QTS's Docker, sitting on your 2 × 2.5GbE, expandable via the PCIe slot as the network's DNS server 24/7. An always-on 2-bay NAS is an ideal host.
Paperless-ngx
Paperless-ngx runs in QTS's Docker on the TS-264; the 4-core Intel Celeron N5095 (4 cores) handles a household's OCR in bursts, with 8 GB out of the box and room for 16 GB to keep indexing quick.
Vaultwarden
Vaultwarden is one of the easiest wins on the TS-264: a Bitwarden-compatible password server in a sub-gigabyte container under QTS, always available on your own 2-bay box rather than someone else's cloud.
Minecraft server
The TS-264 can host a Minecraft world in QTS's Docker: a world wants ~4 GB, and this model offers 8 GB out of the box and room for 16 GB. The Intel Celeron N5095 (4 cores) and that RAM keep a small server smooth.
Docker (general)
Docker is the TS-264's superpower: QTS's container platform runs the whole self-hosted world, and with 8 GB out of the box and room for 16 GB you decide how many services to stack on the 4-core Intel Celeron N5095 (4 cores). This is what turns it from 2-bay storage into a home server.
Virtual machines
The TS-264 is a real VM host: the 4-core Intel Celeron N5095 (4 cores) virtualizes and 8 GB out of the box and room for 16 GB lets you hand a guest a proper slice while the NAS keeps serving over 2 × 2.5GbE, expandable via the PCIe slot. Fill it toward 16 GB if VMs are the point.
Surveillance recording
The TS-264 runs QNAP's native NVR app, and the 4-core Intel Celeron N5095 (4 cores) scales to a real camera count over 2 × 2.5GbE, expandable via the PCIe slot. Size the 2 bays by cameras × retention, and use surveillance-tuned drives (WD Purple, SkyHawk) for the continuous writes.
Time Machine / backup target
Like every NAS, the TS-264 is an excellent Time Machine and backup target over SMB — set a per-user quota so backups do not fill its 2 bays. With 2 × 2.5GbE, expandable via the PCIe slot it soaks up a household's Macs and PCs effortlessly.
The TS-264 at a glance
| CPU | Intel Celeron N5095 (4 cores) |
|---|---|
| RAM | 8 GB DDR4 SO-DIMM, no ECC (2 slots), up to 16 GB |
| Bays | 2 |
| Container platform | Yes — QTS |
| Virtual machines | Yes |
| Plex/Jellyfin transcode | 4K HDR via Intel Quick Sync |
| OS | QTS 5.2 or QuTS hero (ZFS) |
Read more
- What can I run? — the full matrix
- Best drives for the TS-264
- RAM for the TS-264
- TS-264 capacity calculator
Frequently asked questions
Can the TS-264 run Plex with 4K transcoding?
Yes. The Intel Celeron N5095 (4 cores) includes Intel Quick Sync, so the TS-264 hardware-transcodes 4K HDR in Plex (with an active Plex Pass). It is one of this model's real strengths.
Can the TS-264 run Docker?
Yes — QTS includes a full container platform, so the TS-264 runs the whole self-hosted world (Pi-hole, Vaultwarden, Nextcloud and more), limited only by its 8–16 GB of RAM.
Can the TS-264 run virtual machines?
Yes. The TS-264 supports hardware virtualization, and with up to 16 GB of RAM it can give a Windows or Linux guest a useful slice while still serving files.
Can the TS-264 run Immich?
Yes. With its 8 GB+ of RAM, the TS-264 runs Immich's machine-learning photo search comfortably in Docker — a strong self-hosted Google Photos replacement.
Can the TS-264 run Home Assistant?
Yes. Home Assistant Container runs in Docker on the TS-264 and barely touches the CPU, and you can run the full Home Assistant OS in a VM if you prefer add-ons.
Is the TS-264 a good home server, or just storage?
It is a genuine home server: full Docker (and VMs) turn it into a platform for Plex, photos, automation and more — not just a file box. RAM is the main lever on how much you stack.
Devin Chua works out which drives, RAM and NVMe cache fit which NAS model at nasdrives.ca, and what the RAID choice means for usable capacity, checked against what is in stock on Amazon.ca.
Data checked by Owen Nakamura, Technical editor (data checking)