Abstract

• Plex server CPU alternative relies on transcoding wants. A robust quad-core CPU or higher is required to serve a number of transcoded streams at a time.
• Server storage ought to be versatile with room for extra drives over time, think about SATA connectors or USB 3.0 ports for exterior drives.
• Contemplate energy effectivity, noise degree, and kind issue when selecting a Plex server setup. A UPS can forestall information loss throughout energy outages, Plex Move is required for optimum transcoding functionality.

When you get pleasure from utilizing Plex, it is a good suggestion to make use of a tool devoted to being a Plex server. However, the place to begin? So many server {hardware} choices exist for Plex, it is arduous to know what you really want. I feel these are the important thing elements to contemplate earlier than constructing or shopping for your Plex server.

CPU Energy

In a typical Plex server, the CPU might be crucial element, however that does not imply you want an costly, super-powerful CPU. What actually issues is how a lot transcoding your Plex Server must do.

Transcoding is the method of re-encoding a video file to optimize it for the goal machine, reminiscent of an iPad or a sensible TV. Transcoding video in actual time is CPU-intensive, so when you do want it meaning at the least a robust quad-core CPU. If it’s essential serve mutiple transcoded streams on the similar time, you want extra cores.

Nonetheless, in case your goal gadgets have sufficient processing energy, and your native community has sufficient bandwidth, you needn’t transcode your video in any respect, so long as it is in a appropriate video format. In apply, any trendy machine that may run the Plex app has the fitting {hardware} to deal with HD or 4K video.

In my particular case, I am using an old dual-core mini PC from 2013 as a Plex server, and all it does is cross the uncooked video information over the community to focus on gadgets, that are all way more {powerful} than the server itself. The server has about 300Mbps of examined bandwidth on my residence community, which is far more than any video file I might serve on it wants.

I am not recommending that anybody use such a weak CPU, to be clear, simply that your CPU alternative ought to be dictated by the precise CPU load your server has to deal with.

Apart from, Plex allows you to re-encode video recordsdata throughout downtime utilizing the “optimize” function, and naturally, even weak CPUs have devoted video encoding accelerators, reminiscent of Intel’s fast sync. You even have the choice of utilizing GPU acceleration for transcoding. Nonetheless, there is a catch right here, which I will clarify under beneath the part about Plex Move.

Storage Versatility

As you digitize your DVD and Blu-ray discs, or add public-domain movies from websites just like the Web Archive to your server, you will finally begin operating out of area.

In fact, you possibly can delete previous content material to make room, however when you select your server correctly, you possibly can simply add extra drives over time. You possibly can, in fact, migrate your present drives to bigger ones, however actually, this can be a ache and you are still shedding the storage of your present drives, even when the whole server capability goes up.

So choose a chassis that has plenty of room for drives. There is not any actual have to retailer video content material on SSDs, so a pc with plenty of SATA connectors is right. It is commonplace for even entry-level motherboards to have 4 to eight SATA connections, and these are greater than quick sufficient for big mechanical drives.

For my very own mini-PC server, inside mechanical drives are unattainable, so I merely use USB arduous drives. It has two USB 3.0 ports, and with using a powered hub I can add as many drives as is virtually possible, as the necessity arises.

Energy Consumption and Noise

Your Plex server needs to be on 24/7, which implies it’s best to take into consideration how a lot energy it makes use of and the way a lot noise it makes. Selecting a power-efficient CPU and general system will be the distinction between forgetting the machine is there, and having a small native hurricane in your house. In fact, perhaps you possibly can stuff it in a spot the place nobody can hear it scream, however both method it is one thing to consider.

On the subject of energy, strongly think about getting a UPS (Uninterrupible Energy Provide) for when there are blips in your house’s energy. I take advantage of TeamViewer to distant in to my Plex server, and each time the ability journeys or there is a blackout, I’ve to hook up a monitor, keyboard, and mouse to the factor with a view to reboot it. You will be positive a small UPS is on my procuring listing!

Kind Issue

Computer systems are available all styles and sizes, and you may just about use any of them for a Plex server, however that kind issue will affect how effectively the pc does the job. An everyday tower PC case is versatile, however you want room for it, and the aforementioned noise difficulty is perhaps worse when cooling an enormous tower.

Mini-ITX instances are a fantastic compromise, and mini PCs could be a low cost and handy answer. I even used a damaged MacBook as my Plex server for some time, because it does not want a working display screen or peripherals and has oodles of processing energy.

How Plex Move Impacts Your Server Alternative

I discussed earlier how some CPUs and GPUs have acceleration options for video transcoding meaning you do not want a robust CPU or GPU to behave as a server that should transcode. That is true, however Plex has locked hardware acceleration behind a paywall.

This implies if you wish to get essentially the most out of your Plex server in relation to transcoding, you will have to purchase a lifetime Plex Move (which works on sale a couple of instances a yr) or pay a month-to-month subscription payment.

It is as much as you whether or not that is one thing you are keen to do, however thus far I’ve by no means wanted to make use of real-time video transcoding on my Plex server, and I do not suppose I ever will.