Which build would you guys consider optimal for running a Plex Server at home with maybe 2-3 devices at a time streaming? Will the $799 base model hold up well for this? Interested to know more about how it will handle let’s say 4k blu-ray as well.
I am looking into upgrading as well. Here is what I was able to find. Plex wiki suggests a 2000 passmark score for one 1080p transcode and 4000 for one 4k transcode. However, if you convert your media for directy play then you can handle more streams at one time.
I mostly use handbrake and tunes kit to convert to a format that plays directly on apple devices with no transcoding and most of our family runs plex off of iOS devices and apple TV’s so we have been able to get away with a pretty wimpy server.
The numbers would suggest you could have two 4k transcodes with the base model and three 4k transcodes with the $1,099 build. Or you could have four 1080p transcodes with the base model or 6 1080p transcodes with the $1,099. However, if you mainly use direct play with apple devices, you can handle a lot more streams at one time.
Awesome! I don’t stream with friends so the way I use Plex is strictly for home use with family. Most of the time I play media directly from the computer hosting the server, and occasionally stream to roku ultra and iOS devices.
If those passmark scores are for the correct i3 processor in the base model, then it should be more than enough for my needs. Will also let me use my main Laptop as a pure creative workstation with no distractions . Thanks for the info!
You are welcome! Just make sure you convert your media to compatible formats with the iOS devices and Roku ultra and then most of the media will direct play or direct stream and it will be more than enough. Here is the link to the direct play / direct stream info:
Anyone that has purchased a 2018 Mac mini have first-hand results/feedback on how things are running for you? Would love to know how the i3 performs as a server (or the i5).
I have the i5 Version, 32GB of ram and its amazing. I have just Plex running on it as a replacement server to my xServe. I am transcode 4K and have countless number of 1080 transcodes at the same time. I have several friends on my Plex. I have a 1GIG connection and have had no bottlenecks.
When Watching live TV with the xServe duel quad core xeons and this 6 core i5 kills it! From 77% CPU usage to under 10% with hardware transcoding.
the MacMini 2018 version is overkill for just a Plex server but i have around 30 friends that use my server and I like to have a buffer.
The other noticeable change is running plex on the super fast SSD. my library of almost 8000 titles loads as fast as you scroll.
Im glad i purchased and am very pleased with the results.
4K is my thing and while its not practical like many seem to think, I completely disagree. I love how awesome it looks on my OLED. 1080 is great but 4K is better. Storage is also not a concern. Im currently at 110TB.
I use an AppleTV 4K with infuse but the MacMini 2018 will transcode it in 4K with no issues.
I’m debating weather 4K is worth it for a Plex Server as all my movies and TV shows are Blu-ray mkv format and the quality is already amazing. Even when played on my 4k tv’s all my standard Blu-rays look amazing with more detail.
I think Blu-ray upscaling is the way to go for me although I do see the appeal of a 4K server. I’ve just invested toooo much time in standard blu-ray to completely switch.
Plan on picking up an i3 base Mac mini today and hopefully it has no issues!
Do you need that much ram for Plex? Also, what are you using for external storage? I am looking at the 6TB Lacie Porsche storage which uses usb-c for 5gbps transfer.
. Thanks for the info!