PMS New Build Recomendations

Plex Media Server Desktops & Laptops
,
1

Hello PLEX community,

I am planning on building a new system and one of it’s biggest tasks is going to be running PMS. I currently have an 8 year old MacMini with an i7 processor and 8Gb of RAM and it has been doing a pretty good job but I’m getting more remote users and, well, I just want to build a new system.

As I mentioned one big job for the system will be running PMS but I will also want to be able to perform basic tasks but possibly get some gaming in. I’m not a huge gamer so it won’t happen often and I do have a PS4 to feed that need but I’d like the option when a game is released I might like to play.

As for PLEX, there will only be one (one device in my home) local transcode happening at a time but there could be 7 or 8 remote transcodes happening at once. No one is expecting 1080p on their end (but I wouldn’t mind it on my TV locally).

I’ve always been a Mac or Windows user but would like to start dipping my toes into Linux but will put it on Windows if that will provide the best PLEX experience.

I wanted to play with virtual machines as well and was thinking of installing ESXi and then having a few VMs going. However I’ve read that GPU passthrough may not be sufficient enough for what both PLEX and gaming might require.

My questions for the community:

Would installing ESXi be an option and run PLEX on one of the VMs?
If so, which OS would be best to run it on?
Am I over complicating things and should I just run a host OS with PMS running on it and run VMs on top of it?
If so what would the recommended host OS?

Now to the good stuff. I plan on pumping some dough into this sucker and right now I am looking at the following build:

  • AMD Ryzen 3900x - I understand hardware acceleration is only compatible with intel chips but I am hoping PLEX will extend this to AMD chips, if that will even be necessary for the purposes of this system)
  • Asus Crosshair Viii Hero
  • 32Gb G. Skill Trident Z Nero
  • 1Tb Samsung EVO Plus M.2 NVMe
  • Media library will continue to reside on my NAS

I would love to hear the communities opinions on these specs but what I am more interested in is GPU recommendations. I understand the NVidia Quatro is good for transcoding tasks but may not be as good for gaming, while a GForce card might be good for gaming but maybe not so much for transcoding the video files.

Maybe I’m asking to have my pie and eat it too, so that is why I need a little guidance. PLEX is definitely going to be more important than gaming though.

I look forward to some responses and getting this build going. I mean, I’m stuck at home, what else am going to do except wait for Amazon packages?

2

Your minimum should be a 7000 series intel cpu with 600 series intel gpu.

Or go big @ https://vermaden.wordpress.com/2019/06/19/freebsd-enterprise-1-pb-storage/

3

This CPU has no embedded graphics capability, so Plex hardware acceleration support for AMD is irrelevant with this CPU (they can’t support what isn’t there). Same for Intel CPUs ending with F (ex: i3-9100F). They have no embedded GPU.

You will have to buy a graphics card.

If you run Linux and want hardware acceleration, it must be an Nvidia card, as hardware acceleration for AMD graphics cards is not supported in Linux. Also, don’t hold your breath waiting on this feature. Plex never announces product plans or schedules.

If you run Windows, you can use either a Nvidia card or an AMD card (or go with an Intel chip with embedded graphics).

If you do go with an Nvidia card, the minimum is a GTX 1050 if you want support for H.265 10-bit transcoding. elpamsoft.com has info about transcoding performance with Nvidia cards.

I’ll leave it to others for the Nvidia vs AMD debate and what model (my h/w is too old to be applicable to a new build).

4

So am I understanding correctly that AMD is just not the way to go for the amount of transcoding I’d be using and that Intel is the only option?
Or can AMD be used without hardware acceleration?
Would I even require hardware acceleration with the configuration I put together?
I know I will need a GPU one way or the other, but is it even relevant or will it be the most important decision while using AMD because I will have to use hardware acceleration which will rely solely on the GPU?
I’m still trying to wrap my head around the resources that PLEX is going to require and how it uses them.

5

This topic was automatically closed 90 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.