I’m not sure if this is possible given how you use your system. It might mess up your gaming. It would help with Plex transcoding.
If possible, set your PC to have the Intel Quick Sync Graphics in the 8600k as the primary GPU in the system. Plex can then use it to decode HEVC video, taking some of the load off of the CPU. It won’t completely solve the issues you are facing, but it might mitigate them somewhat.
- Plex uses the primary GPU in the system for hardware transcoding.
- If the primary GPU is not available or is not compatible, Plex falls back to using the CPU. Plex cannot take advantage of multiple GPUs in a system (Feature Request).
- HDR media is HEVC 10-bit or 12-bit video.
- The GTX970 cannot decode HEVC video, so Plex uses the CPU instead (which is why it hits 80% utilization).
- The i5-8600K has Intel UHD Graphics 630, which can decode HEVC 10-bit media.
- If the GPU in the 8600K is set as the primary GPU in the system, Plex will use it to decode the video, reducing the load on the CPU. Your fans will still ramp up, but at a slower rate.
