# Hardware Recommendations for a new Plex Video Server
**URL:** https://forums.plex.tv/t/hardware-recommendations-for-a-new-plex-video-server/774422
**Category:** Plex Players
**Tags:** server-windows, server-linux
**Created:** [February 3, 2022, 8:35am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/hardware-recommendations-for-a-new-plex-video-server/774422 "2022-02-03T08:35:47Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@jmhine](https://forums.plex.tv/u/jmhine)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2022, 8:35am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/hardware-recommendations-for-a-new-plex-video-server/774422/1 "2022-02-03T08:35:47Z")
Hi everyone,
The Windows Plex server that I built almost 10 years ago is starting to get a little quirky. So it’s time to put together a new one.
(on a different topic, ever since I upgraded Linux to the current edition, Plex has refused to recognize .mp4s. if anyone has any suggestions on that, I’d appreciate it.)
So anyway, back to the Windows Plex server, what recommendations do you have regarding mother boards, ram, CPUs, M2 memory cards, etc. I’m pretty well set of hard drive space, having only 4Tbs of videos and about 40 Tbs of HDD and SSD space.
Thank you very much in advance.
JH
---
### Author:  [@BanzaiInstitute](https://forums.plex.tv/u/BanzaiInstitute)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2022, 6:02am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/hardware-recommendations-for-a-new-plex-video-server/774422/2 "2022-02-04T06:02:25Z")
It depends entirely on what the server needs to do. Is it just you? Or are you serving a family of 10? Do you ever need to do transcoding, or HDR to SDR tone mapping?
But, in general I think the best value is a semi-recent Intel CPU with GPU, for Quick Sync transcoding and tone mapping.
---
### Author:  [@jmhine](https://forums.plex.tv/u/jmhine)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2022, 2:46pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/hardware-recommendations-for-a-new-plex-video-server/774422/3 "2022-02-04T14:46:33Z")
Thank you for your response. We have 4 TVs, a couple of laptops and a couple of desktops, but there are usually only one or two of us using Plex at any one time.
I try to avoid transcoding whenever possible. Maybe my CPU doesn’t have the horsepower, but even dropping to the lowest playback quality, the video still hangs up. Sometimes we use Plex through a laptop while traveling and transcoding rarely seems to work in that situation.
---
### Author:  [@BanzaiInstitute](https://forums.plex.tv/u/BanzaiInstitute)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2022, 6:45pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/hardware-recommendations-for-a-new-plex-video-server/774422/4 "2022-02-04T18:45:55Z")
If your server is really almost 10 years old, that is certainly why transcoding is tough. With an Nvidia GPU or a semi-modern Intel CPU/GPU you can do quite a bit. My server is a 7th gen i3 and thanks to Quick Sync in that GPU, I can transcode + tone map at least 3 simultaneous 4k HDR to 1080p SDR streams. For sources less demanding than 4k HDR, I can transcode more than I need.
I’m not saying you gotta embrace transcoding, but I am saying you don’t necessarily have to fear it if you are buying new hardware! It actually works.
Though, for hardware accelerated transcoding, you gotta have Plex Pass, of course. Without hardware acceleration you could do a little transcoding with a new CPU, but you probably cannot do any HDR-\>SDR tone mapping.
To learn more about transcoding I recommend this article.
> **[\[Guide\] Hardware Transcoding: The JDM way! QuickSync and NVENC](https://forums.serverbuilds.net/t/guide-hardware-transcoding-the-jdm-way-quicksync-and-nvenc/1408)**
>
> Introduction The purpose of this guide is to give an overview of hardware transcoding with Plex. The guide will also provide recommendations for adding hardware transcoding to your existing setup. Ultimately, the recommendation will be to add a...
And these threads discuss inexpensive Intel computers that make good Plex servers. A cheap Intel Celeron CPU can have the same GPU and Quick Sync power as their big brothers.
> **[\[Official\] HP S01-pf1013w Owner's Thread and Review](https://forums.serverbuilds.net/t/official-hp-s01-pf1013w-owners-thread-and-review/9070)**
>
> Overview The HP S01 is the successor to the insanely popular HP290. Why they didn’t call it the HP 300, we’ll probably never know. Despite the very similar exterior, many substantial changes have been made. Hardware HP S01-pf1013w Link 1 Link...
> **[\[Official\] HP 290-p0043w Owner's Thread](https://forums.serverbuilds.net/t/official-hp-290-p0043w-owners-thread/2829)**
>
> \[Info\] Intel Celeron G4900 (2C no HT, 3.2GHz max, AES-NI, 8th-Gen QuickSync) 500GB SATA HDD DVD-RW slim drive 2 SATA ports 1 NVMe M.2 2242/2280 SSD slot Realtek GbE NIC (add an Intel dual or quad port for pfSense) AC-WiFi + Bluetooth...
If you have any interest in making your Plex server do other stuff, like running your security cameras or something, then I would suggest a more muscular CPU. Something like an i3 or higher, generation 9-10, would a really nice general purpose box for tinkering.
---
### Author:  [@system](https://forums.plex.tv/u/system)
#### Post date: [May 5, 2022, 6:46pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/hardware-recommendations-for-a-new-plex-video-server/774422/5 "2022-05-05T18:46:42Z")
This topic was automatically closed 90 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.