I’ve already got Rosetta@home donating extra CPU cycles as well as Steam for light gaming. I guess I’m really looking for a “killer app” so I don’t feel so bad about it being a powerhog.
In general servers should serve and do little else. Asking your Plex server to do other regular significant tasks is asking for trouble.
Plex is designed to coexist with other programs BUT it really should not. Other than Plex the only things that should run on the server is support programs.
My server runs Plex, DrivePool, anti virus software and from time to time things like a browser for maintenance and support. But, generally, my Plex server runs Plex and that is all it does and it is my beliefe that is all it should be asked to do.
I prefer stability and efficency above all else in my server.
My Plex Server is running in a box that also serves as my work computer running Autocad (semi-retired) and Gaming Rig (until I drop dead - yes that’s Grand Dad kicking your ass - wisdom/ambush over youth/talk is cheap/big talk is free - sorry you stepped on that booby trap, booby).
I ensure all the material to be served by the box Direct Plays, but an occasional oddball audio transcode is not out of the question. I have 3 local users and 4 remote users typically - give or take - the upload pipe can be filled easily so remote users are first come, first serve all instructed for proper remote quality settings so Direct Play can happen - and are severely scolded, or denied access when not in compliance with said instructions. Remote users are instructed to ‘come back later’ at the first sign of buffering… someone is obviously there ahead of them or two users are there filling the upload pipe - sorry folks that’s the way it is. Deal with it.
No issues.
lol
The CPU is an AMD FX-8350 and I have an AMD Radeon R9 380 Series Graphics card for gaming and Autocad, an SSD for Plex, the Programs and the OS with it packed full of WD HDDs with more storage available on the network as required.
The server can happily serve Direct Play content while Gaming, Autocadding, and Handbraking (do a LOT of that, obviously).
It hasn’t been off except for brief maintenance periods, but even some of those are done - on the fly - it’s easily accessible.
My Plex server runs a couple things
Plex
SSH Server - I’ll use it to remote in if/when needed
Hyper-V with three VMs that I access from a Raspberry PI (Winterminal)
It is also my fileserver for everything else
But, none of them are very intensive. I always have all three VMs logged in from my PI.
But, I do not want to tax Plex. It really needs to do what it does.
It direct plays inside to several devices.
Outside, I have six users. Don’t think I have had more than two outside users on at once.
None of them have complained. But, it is free to them. They better not 
The feeling I’m getting is that, if I’m worried about power consumption/getting the most out of the PC’s always-on state, I’m doing it wrong.
Pretty much.
The server can’t serve if it’s off.
Good servers have horsepower. When the engine is idling it’s not using much horsepower, but it is ready to serve when it’s needed. Right now I’ve got a couple of Handbrake jobs in the queue and the blowers are telling me the engines are engaged. The blowers just went quiet - the job is done. Now it’s idle waiting for the next thing to do.
Engine room reports all systems go. No need to worry about it.
