Server Version#: 4.94.2
I am running my plex server on an RPI 4b+. This works great within my home. I can have 3 devices streaming content with no apparent issues. I have an old laptop that has 8gb of RAM and an I5-3210M. I found some articles on migrating my server from one platform to another.
I know the RPI does not support hardware trans-coding but the I5 does. Before I attempt to migrate my server and purchase a plex pass, will running my server from the more powerful laptop improve my remote viewing experience?
That’ll depend.
Running Plex on a different machine inside your home network won’t change your internet upload – so if that’s been a limiting factor for you, migrating to a new computer won’t fix that.
The i5 of your laptop is quite dated (released in Q2/2012). It has a passmark score of approx. 2500 points. That should allow for 1 transcode of a 1080p video using the CPU. The iGPU should work with basic h.264 videos but won’t be able to deal with 4K or HEVC media.
It should be easy to find out… just setup a PMS on the laptop and throw some files at it your PI would usually struggle to handle (maybe no 4K HEVC HDR media).
