We’ve been using Plex (with PlexPass) for several years now - now running our server off of a fairly decent spec’d older laptop (Intel Core i7-2670QM 2.2 GHz (quad-core), 8GB RAM, SSD, Win 10 Pro, etc) but at 6.5 years old, it’s starting to struggle a bit making our Plex experience less enjoyable than it once was, to say the least.
My question is what are your recommended specs for a fast running Plex server machine able to handle 1-2 HD/UHD streams simultaneously, HEVC/x.265 decoding, speedy interface, fast sync/decoding for mobile and remote use, plus fairly “future proof”? We’ve been using this system for close to 4 years now and we had very little invested in it, since it was a unit that we had to replace anyway. I have a 4 year old laptop (Intel Core i7-4800MQ quad core @2.7GHz, 16GB RAM, SSD, Win 10 Pro, Nvidia GT740M, etc) that I will be replacing at some point soon, so this is one option to take over running the Plex Server and I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on this. But I’d also love to hear recommended specs if we were to invest in a stand alone setup. I’m particularly interested in a small footprint setup (ie Chuwi HiGame Core i7, Intel NUC w/ Core i7-8809G) that would take up less space than a laptop and run also not have a dedicated screen (other than perhaps a seldom used connection to the TV and able to view the unit via Teamviewer as I currently do. Also I’m not stuck on Windows 10 for an OS, considering Linux (probably either Ubuntu or Mint) for hopefully less forced restarts, etc.
How helpful is a dedicated graphics card for Plex - especially with HEVC decoding, etc? I’m assuming that a server on a proper computer like this is going to run better than using the Nvidia Shield or something similar (especially with the recent debacle of the non-working update on that platform but I don’t know if that’s something made worse by that platform specifically since it’s not a full computer).
Any help would be brilliant. Thanks so much in advance!
Interesting. I’ve had HEVC files that it’s played for more than a year now on that older machine but granted, it’s not nearly as fast as I’d like (though it has managed to play it). It’s helpful to hear that I’ll need a newer processor.
Are you saying that the Core i7-4800MQ (quad core) won’t handle HEVC? I know it doesn’t have HEVC decoding built into the processor as the newer Core i7 chips do but will it not play the files at all?
Thanks again!
EDIT: The machine with the Core i7-480MQ also has an Nvidia GT740M - don’t know if that helps at all for HEVC.
In the Windows world, that may all be fine. You provided the Linux requirement. Linux uses the Intel QSV (iGPU) at this time. To decode HEVC, you must have a KabyLake or higher class CPU.
If you are DirectPlay , an arm7 can do that but does exclude the possibility of any audio or video manipulation.
I have an i7-3740qm desktop. HEVC is only a ‘wish list’ for it.
Interesting! So, if I were to go with Linux, I’d need the newer Intel processors because they have integrated HEVC decoding and that’s what Linux uses. Got it. So, does that mean an external graphics card would be useless if I go ahead with a Linux based setup (since it uses the integrated GPU)?
On a Windows note, how is it that my system is doing some HEVC decoding on an older setup? And, how would it work on the other laptop?
I’m trying to figure out what I actually need to run things well for the foreseeable future without going overboard.
Lastly, how does the Nvidia Shield run Plex server vs a dedicated server?
On linux, if you wish to use an external GPU, it is entirely your responsibility to both disable the internal GPU (ASIC actually), install all the right libraries, and configure Linux to use it natively (as if it were the GPU).
nVidia is out of my scope. IMO , it’s a good player. It’s not a server class machine.
