Can you guys recommend a standalone machine to run plex. I am on a very tight budget so I need the cheapest one possible.
This question has been discussed hundreds of times here.
First of all you must specify your requirements, budget is not enough and if your budget is tight but your expectations are high you will go towards unpleasant feelings 
1 - Do you need transcoding? How many concurrent streams?
2 - How many clients you need to serve on direct play? What kind of client?
3 - How much space you need?
4 - OS ?
5 - Budget?
This is just to start…
I want to say something in advance. If you need transcoding more than 1 stream be prepared to choose a CPU amongst intel i7 / Xeon.
Interesting pointers.
BTW, I tried running Plex on a phenom II x6 1075T yesterday. It transcodes in a jiffy, that’s for sure. Solid experience with the iOS client. But the bad news is that doing it, it draws well over 150W… The baseline is around 80W (not good either.)
Surely it is possible to notch 10 or 20W off. But with consumption like that, for me it means power management, e.i. increased complexity (on linux at least) and lesser quality of service.
2 transcoding
3 clients
I have an 1.5 tb external hard drive
Windows
Budget about 200.00
@Bamafan35611 said:
2 transcoding
3 clients
I have an 1.5 tb external hard drive
Windows
Budget about 200.00
Ok Let’s start.
2 transcoding ------> You need at least 4500/5000 CPU Passmark points (ref: https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/201774043-What-kind-of-CPU-do-I-need-for-my-Server-computer- and https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/200375666-Stand-Alone-Server)
3 clients —> If they are on LAN and you have a GiGE LAN…no problem.
I have an 1.5 tb external hard drive —> Thats fine but speed is always important (https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/200250377-Transcoding-Media)
Windows —> ? Win 7, Win 8.1, Win10 for PMS are ok.
Budget about 200.00 ----> Not so good, you must look for an old desktop/laptop.
Your constraint is the CPU, due to 2 streams.
Assuming 2 streams of 1080p@10Mbps, then you require minimum a i3 CPU @ 3Ghz or i5 or i7 like PassMark - Intel Core i7-920 @ 2.67GHz - Price performance comparison
My advise is to use an old desktop/laptop equipped with a cpu listed here PassMark Intel vs AMD CPU Benchmarks - High End with more than 4500 points.
Take a look to: Reddit - Dive into anything
What I am trying to explain is that personal needs/requirements impact to the design of the server, there is no unique part/list fine for all. Of course if you have a budget of 5000USD is easy to build the server with Xeon, SSD, NAS HDD, 32GB of ECC RAM…and stream 20 concurrent mkv.
Try to do your own research then back here, I will be available to review your server part list.
@Wolf_666 said:
I agree with wolf’s analysis.
My Main computer is a AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 3800+ 2.0 ghz with 8 gigs of ram.
When it has to transcode my processor stays at 100%. Is that normal or should I be looking for a stand alone computer for this?
Would some of these desktops do it??
@Bamafan35611 said:
My Main computer is a AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 3800+ 2.0 ghz with 8 gigs of ram.
When it has to transcode my processor stays at 100%. Is that normal or should I be looking for a stand alone computer for this?
Useless for transcoding PassMark CPU Lookup
You need 2000 passmark point for each 1080 stream plus overhead…4500/5000 is the minimum, your cpu has 1000!
@Bamafan35611 said:
Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz desktop for sale | eBayWould some of these desktops do it??
NO …1500 points…maybe could transcode a single 720p stream…useless for your requirement.
http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=Intel+Core2+Duo+E6600+%40+2.40GHz&id=912
@Wolf_666 said:
PassMark - Intel Core2 Duo E6600 @ 2.40GHz - Price performance comparison
guess there is no way to talk to you in real time like a chat
@Bamafan35611 said:
guess there is no way to talk to you in real time like a chat
I live in Europe, now I am travelling I cannot be more useful with a live chat and I strongly believe in forum. sorry
I noted you opened on 23AUG a similar thread and you got answers about your CPU: https://forums.plex.tv/discussion/178591/is-my-cpu-fast-enought-to-use-plex#latest
well i cant afford a stand alone machine so I am just going to make sure the videos I get I can direct stream
@Bamafan35611 said:
well i cant afford a stand alone machine so I am just going to make sure the videos I get I can direct stream
This is the right path for you then.
If you dont mind me asking, how much is your budget ?
well to be honest i really dont have a budget right now. I am the only one working in my household right now. I was looking on ebay for a very cheap pc or laptop that can do this but everyone i see that can do this is too much for me right now
why dont plex just make whats required and sell it, save alot of fuss…
@freemovies170 said:
why dont plex just make whats required and sell it, save alot of fuss…
Because “what’s required” varies across a huge spectrum depending on the user. There is no one solution, or even 10 solutions.
Plex is designed to be but a component of a much larger DIY solution where the user assembles the pieces depending on their specific needs and budget.
I have my own Plex-based “solution”. But it’s not for everyone. It requires certain skills. It requires more than $500. But the end product is simple and elegant and lacks a lot the issues experienced by people going a lot cheaper, while providing all sorts of value-added benefits.
