# Plex Doing Hardware Transcoding without supported GPU or QuickSync CPU?
**URL:** https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-doing-hardware-transcoding-without-supported-gpu-or-quicksync-cpu/523393
**Category:** General Discussions
**Tags:** server-windows
**Created:** [January 8, 2020, 2:00pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-doing-hardware-transcoding-without-supported-gpu-or-quicksync-cpu/523393 "2020-01-08T14:00:31Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@apollokid](https://forums.plex.tv/u/apollokid)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2020, 2:00pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-doing-hardware-transcoding-without-supported-gpu-or-quicksync-cpu/523393/1 "2020-01-08T14:00:31Z")
I have hardware transcoding option checked off but since I run an ancient setup I never expected it to actually trigger. I’m using an older Xeon x3380 processor and a super basic MSI Radeon X1550. What am I missing, how could it possibly be using hardware transcoding?
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### Author:  [@OttoKerner](https://forums.plex.tv/u/OttoKerner)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2020, 2:03pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-doing-hardware-transcoding-without-supported-gpu-or-quicksync-cpu/523393/2 "2020-01-08T14:03:26Z")
> [@apollokid](#):
>
> a super basic video card
Please specify this further.
You might wanna click on this, for the screenshot to have relevant info
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### Author:  [@OttoKerner](https://forums.plex.tv/u/OttoKerner)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2020, 2:11pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-doing-hardware-transcoding-without-supported-gpu-or-quicksync-cpu/523393/4 "2020-01-08T14:11:45Z")
The H.264 codec is already a few years old. So it is very likely that even a basic card like that can **de** code it.
You can see that the `(hw)` only appears after the source video codec, but not after the target video codec. Which means that only one half of the transcoding is done in hardware. But even this may produce a welcome reduction in CPU load.
It will probably look differently when you are trying to play e.g. a HEVC-encoded video.
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### Author:  [@apollokid](https://forums.plex.tv/u/apollokid)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2020, 2:29pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-doing-hardware-transcoding-without-supported-gpu-or-quicksync-cpu/523393/5 "2020-01-08T14:29:44Z")
Interesting…good to know. I’m guessing windows native is recognizing the compatible hardware causing hardware decoding to be used? Still according to this [article](https://support.plex.tv/articles/115002178853-using-hardware-accelerated-streaming/) since I’m not running any of the supported hardware there I expected it not be supported.
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### Author:  [@OttoKerner](https://forums.plex.tv/u/OttoKerner)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2020, 2:39pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-doing-hardware-transcoding-without-supported-gpu-or-quicksync-cpu/523393/6 "2020-01-08T14:39:30Z")
You have a driver software installed for this videoe card. And this one exhibits the h.264 decoder in the card to the system. Plex is using this interface in this case:
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### Author:  [@apollokid](https://forums.plex.tv/u/apollokid)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2020, 2:46pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-doing-hardware-transcoding-without-supported-gpu-or-quicksync-cpu/523393/7 "2020-01-08T14:46:04Z")
Thank you for the explanation!
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### Author:  [@system](https://forums.plex.tv/u/system)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2020, 2:46pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-doing-hardware-transcoding-without-supported-gpu-or-quicksync-cpu/523393/8 "2020-04-07T14:46:05Z")
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