I have a HP Gen8 Microserver running Windows 10, loaded with 4x3TB drives as storage space. I know that transcoding is not an option for me with this setup but aim to use Handbrake effectively for content. Recent windows 10 updates have meant that the storage spaces are not being brought back online (for some reason) and so I am wondering about upgrading.
As I have drives, I looked at building a small form factor PC instead although cannot find small enough cases with enough drive expansion. Then I happened upon this Gigabyte BRIX GB-BPCE-3455 which has the same processor as the higher spec Synology NAS drives. I wondered whether this coupled with a multibay USB3 enclosure might be more cost effective, faster and permit transcoding? It’s certainly cheaper than upgrading the CPU in the Gen8 although I am sure I might have to flog it to pay for the new setup. Thoughts?
That J3455 in the Brix only has a passmark of 2100 so you are still going to have a bad time trying to transcode, unless its graphics adaptor supports QuickSync and you have a Plex Pass to enable the function.
If you like bodging solutions I had success with adding a Nvidia GT 710 graphics card to my celeron system, and using NVENC encoding, do you have any slots available in the microserver?
Another approach could be to look for a client which direct plays everything, and avoid transcoding altogether.
If you do go with hardware transcoding, make sure you install a hdmi dummy adaptor, or connect a monitor to the system. I can’t believe this information isn’t documented.
That chip will transcode one 1080p stream. Barely. Perhaps the integrated video does indeed support QuickSync and the Synology can use it? You’d have to ask the Synology people about it.
All I’m saying is I’ve lived with a machine with a passmark of ~2000, and if you so much as farted while it was transcoding it would stop and buffer. So if QuickSync is an option then by all means go for it, but if it doesn’t then I can’t recommend it.
Will the 710 be up to scratch for 1080 decoding? I have a slot and think I will try getting a loprofile card for it. Would something more modern be better or is the 710 still fine for 1080p?
The GT 710 is an oddity as the hardware encoding capability is missing from the low end cards in the newer generations. So you will need to spend a lot more to get it in a 900 or 1000 series card.
In testing I achieved hardware decode for H.265 1080p and hardware encode to H264 at 1080p using 15% CPU on my Celeron J1900. Of that, about 10% was for transcoding the EAC-3 audio stream in software.
Remember you wont get hardware acceleration if you don’t have a monitor or HDMI Dummy adaptor connected. I used the Gigabyte GV-N710SL-1GL. The heatsink takes up a second slot, so be aware.
Also be aware that hardware accelerated transcode is a feature requiring a Plex Pass.
Hi just installed a 710 in the system - thanks for the advice. I just realised though that Windows then nuked my primary graphics card rendering the HP iLO useless to remote in. Windows will only pick one of them right? The Gen8 has an onboard Matrox G200 but if I change the primary card to the 710 this remote function fails to work.
Some laptops do have two graphics adaptors co-existing, but I’m not sure if it’s specific to hardware or software. I use TightVNC for console access to my server, but if you need to see the POST screen and BIOS remotely that isn’t going to solve your issue.
