Can a NAS host a Minecraft server for friends, and which one is best? (2026)

Updated 2026-11-12 · Pick: UGREEN NASync DXP4800 Plus: $619.99 on ai.ugreen.com (checked 2026-11-03): https://dealectric.com/go/ugreen-nasync-dxp4800-plus

Short answer. Yes, a NAS can host a Minecraft server for friends in Docker, and the best one is the UGREEN DXP4800 Plus. Its CPU scores 3,197 in PassMark single-thread, 2.1× the QNAP TS-464 and 2.8× the Synology DS925+, and a Minecraft Java server ticks its world on one thread.

Searched as: UGREEN DXP4800 Plus CPU RAM docker specifications Minecraft server;Synology DS925+ CPU specifications;QNAP TS-464 CPU RAM container station

How this table was made: each figure comes from the maker's own US product page or manual, or from the reviewer named next to it, checked 2026-11-08. Dealectric does not test units itself. Rows with a Buy link are products Dealectric lists: the links are affiliate links, and their codes are re-tested in the brand's own cart every day (last check 2026-11-13).

What the differences mean

All five run Docker on x86, so all five can run a Minecraft Java server container. What separates them is how fast one core is, because that core runs the server's world tick. Single-thread figures are PassMark's averages for each CPU as of 8 November 2026. They are not measured inside these NAS units.

• DXP4800 Plus vs DXP2800: 3,197 / 1,879 = 1.70× the single-thread speed for $230 more ($619.99 − $389.99 at UGREEN's US store, 2026-11-08).
• DXP4800 Plus vs QNAP TS-464: 3,197 / 1,492 = 2.14×.
• DXP4800 Plus vs Synology DS925+: 3,197 / 1,136 = 2.81×. PassMark's V1500B figure rests on 14 samples, so treat it as approximate.
• The budget pick still beats the 4-bay rivals: the DXP2800's N100 rates 1,879 / 1,492 = 1.26× the TS-464's N5095 and 1,879 / 1,136 = 1.65× the DS925+'s V1500B.
• Speed per dollar: DXP4800 Plus 3,197 / 619.99 = 5.2 points per dollar; DXP2800 1,879 / 389.99 = 4.8. The faster box doesn't cost more per point.
• Synology's two models are level: DS925+ 1,136 vs DS225+ 1,151, a 1% gap. The 4-bay Synology is no faster a game host than the 2-bay one.
• Memory headroom: the DS225+ tops out at 6 GB in total (2 GB + 4 GB in one slot), shared by DSM and every container. The DXP4800 Plus ships with 8 GB DDR5 and takes up to 64 GB (KitGuru).

Use	Fits	Deciding figure
Java server for a friend group, plus four drives of storage and other Docker apps	UGREEN DXP4800 Plus	3,197 single-thread; 64 GB RAM ceiling
A smaller group, two drives, lowest price	UGREEN DXP2800	1,879 single-thread, higher than every QNAP and Synology here
You already use QNAP's QTS apps and want four bays	QNAP TS-464	1,492 single-thread; 8 GB shipped, 16 GB max
Backups and file sharing first, a game server rarely	Synology DS925+	ECC memory to 32 GB; 1,136 single-thread

One fast core decides it, and the DXP4800 Plus has exactly one

PaperMC's Folia README describes standard Paper as single-threaded: "the current Paper (single threaded) can be viewed as one giant 'region' that encompasses all chunks in all worlds." Folia, the multithreaded fork, asks for at least 16 cores and a large player count, so it doesn't suit a home NAS. A friends-sized server lives or dies on one core.

That is also why the "4.4 GHz" in UGREEN's listing needs a footnote. Intel's spec sheet for the Pentium Gold 8505 lists 1 performance core at up to 4.40 GHz and 4 efficient cores at up to 3.30 GHz. Only one core reaches the advertised clock, and PassMark's single-thread test, which runs one thread, scores that fast core at 3,197. We have not seen a published test of which core UGOS gives a container's main thread. Even on an E-core, the ceiling is 3.3 GHz, above the TS-464's 2.9 GHz and the DS925+'s 2.2 GHz.

Core count and clock claims mislead in both directions:

• More cores: Intel's 8-core i3-N305 has a slightly higher PassMark CPU Mark than the 8505 (9,337 vs 8,997, +3.8%), but its single-thread rating is 2,032. The 8505 is 3,197 / 2,032 = 1.57× faster on the thread Minecraft uses.
• Higher turbo: Intel's N150 is sold as "up to 3.6 GHz" against the N100's 3.4 GHz, yet PassMark rates them 1,889 vs 1,879, a 0.5% gap.
• No turbo at all: the DS925+'s Ryzen V1500B runs at 2.2 GHz with no boost. That is why a 4-bay Synology rates lowest here.

If any friend plays Bedrock

GeyserMC says that from Bedrock 26.60 (27 October 2026) Bedrock clients stopped connecting over RakNet, the transport that old "forward UDP 19132" guides were written for. Bedrock players now join over Mojang's NetherNet. On any of these x86 boxes, two setups work:

• Java server plus Geyser (build 1237 or later, NetherNet enabled): forward 19132 on both TCP and UDP, because NetherNet needs a TCP port for signaling. In Docker, GeyserMC points to -DgeyserAdvertiseAddresses for servers "in containers or behind a NAT".
• Bedrock Dedicated Server (itzg/minecraft-bedrock-server image): TCP 19132 for signaling, plus a UDP range set in SERVER_UDP_PORTS with at least one port per player. The README says "BDS does not listen on UDP port 19132". With the default max-players of 10, that means TCP 19132 plus 10 UDP ports.

With either setup, keep the NAS admin page off the internet and forward only the game ports. $619.99: https://dealectric.com/go/ugreen-nasync-dxp4800-plus

Not recommended

Synology DS225+ as a Minecraft host. Its Celeron J4125 rates 1,151 single-thread, 61% of the DXP2800's N100 (1,151 / 1,879). It ships with 2 GB in a single slot and tops out at 6 GB. Synology also withholds full warranty and support if you fit non-Synology memory. It is fine as a file server, but your friends will be playing on its slowest component. The DXP2800 is the 2-bay to buy for this job. $389.99: https://dealectric.com/go/ugreen-nasync-dxp2800

Synology DS925+ bought mainly to run a game server. It is the slowest single thread in this table (1,136) and ships with 4 GB. Buy it for DSM and ECC memory, not for Minecraft.

Sources

• DXP4800 Plus price $619.99, in stock, UGREEN US store (read 2026-11-08) — nas.ugreen.com
• DXP2800 price $389.99, in stock, UGREEN US store (read 2026-11-08) — nas.ugreen.com
• Pentium Gold 8505: 1 P-core (4.40 GHz) + 4 E-cores (3.30 GHz), 6 threads, 15 W (Intel, read 2026-11-08) — www.intel.com
• Intel N100: 4 cores, 3.40 GHz, 16 GB max memory (Intel, read 2026-11-08) — www.intel.com
• PassMark single-thread: Pentium Gold 8505 3,197, N100 1,879, Ryzen V1500B 1,136 (14 samples) (read 2026-11-08) — www.cpubenchmark.net
• PassMark single-thread: Celeron N5095 1,492, Celeron J4125 1,151, N150 1,889 (read 2026-11-08) — www.cpubenchmark.net
• PassMark: i3-N305 single-thread 2,032, CPU Mark 9,337, 8 cores (read 2026-11-08) — www.cpubenchmark.net
• DXP4800 Plus: 8 GB DDR5 installed, 64 GB max, 4 bays (KitGuru, Simon Crisp, read 2026-11-08) — www.kitguru.net
• DXP2800: Intel N100 4C/4T, 8 GB DDR5 installed, expandable to 16 GB, 2 bays (The Gadgeteer, Julian Perry, read 2026-11-08) — the-gadgeteer.com
• DS925+: Ryzen V1500B 4C/8T 2.2 GHz, 4 GB ECC, 32 GB max, 4 bays (Synology, read 2026-11-08) — www.synology.com
• DS225+: Celeron J4125 2.7 GHz turbo, 2 GB, one slot, 6 GB max, 2 bays; 3-year warranty, extendable to 5 (Synology, read 2026-11-08) — www.synology.com
• TS-464: Celeron N5095 up to 2.9 GHz, 8 GB, 16 GB max, 4 bays; 3-year standard warranty (QNAP, read 2026-11-08) — www.qnap.com
• Paper's tick is single-threaded; Folia wants 16+ cores (PaperMC Folia README, read 2026-11-08 by angle agent A) — github.com
• Bedrock clients stop using RakNet with 26.60; Geyser 1237+ needs TCP and UDP 19132 (GeyserMC blog, read 2026-11-08 by angle agent D) — geysermc.org
• Bedrock Dedicated Server in Docker: TCP 19132 signaling, one UDP port per player (itzg README, read 2026-11-08 by angle agent D) — github.com

Published 2026-11-03; updated 2026-11-12. The buy links are affiliate links; see the disclosure. Corrections welcome at [email protected] or /feedback.