I’m looking to use a normal desktop pc as my Plex server. The only thing is the majority of my files are 1080p as they are Blu Ray rips. I would like it to be able to stream at this quality to two, very rarely but sometimes three, devices simultaneously. The devices that I would be streaming to is the Plex app on TV using Amazon Fire, an Xbox One, an iPad and two laptops. However, it would only stream to two of these at once, and like I said before occasionally but almost never, to three.
I’ve found a PC in my price range, information I have on it is as follows:
Hard Drive: 1TB (I plan to add external hard drives.)
Processor Type: Intel Core 2 Duo
Memory: 8GB
Operating System: Windows 7
OS Edition: Professional
Would this be suitable to use as a Plex server? Any problems you can see here?
Also, I’d like to be using my laptop to control it. I believe headless is the term? - no monitor, keyboard or mouse. Is that easy to do?
Ps - there is another question posted on this account about which server to buy, but that was someone else using the account to post their question lol
For instance, my CPU is an Intel Core i7-3615QM @ 2.30GHz. It’s passmark score is 7359. I can transcode about 3 1080p videos at the same time or about 4 720p videos.
Your Passmark score for the CPU will tell you what you can do.
Make sure you understand this caveat on the support page:
Warning!: This guideline should not be used as a concrete measurement. Instead, it can be used to help give you a rough idea of what you may require.
As far as 'headless" you need to have a way to connect to the PMS box. How are you planning to do that?
I do that with my Mac Mini, I used VNC to connect to it. I can’t remember the last time I actually used a keyboard and mouse connected to it.
If you are going to be transcoding, you need a cpu that can handle it. Find the passmark score for the cpu and take a look at the following support article. What kind of CPU do I need for my Server?.
My server isn’t in the same house that I live in so I manage my it from a laptop via the web app and remote desktop. However I do have the ability to manage things at the server - it’s located in the main house, which is only 100 ft away and on the same local network.
If you are storing full BluRay rips on your hard disk, this cpu will not even enable you to run 1 stream transcoded.
If you store downsized BluRay rips (compressed with e.g. Handbrake to ~8mbps) then you will perhaps manage 1 stream transcoded.
If your clients are PC-type devices with either OpenPHT or PMP as Plex clients, then the cpu power of your server is less important.
Only if you are using other types of clients, particularly mobile devices per WiFi, then it becomes more critical.
Nonetheless, I’d recommend at least an i3 or i5 Intel cpu for a “proper” Plex server.
Memory: 8GB
sufficient
I believe headless is the term? - no monitor, keyboard or mouse. Is that easy to do?
I recommend you plug in mouse, keyboard and monitor for the initial setup
Later you can use the ‘Windows Remote Desktop’ which is included in all ‘Professional’ editions of Windows. Simply tap the Windows key on your laptop and start typing ‘remote’ and you should see it appear.
Once you enable the Remote Desktop functionality in your server machine, you can connect to it and work with it almost as if you were sitting directly in front of it. It works really good.
