Spec me a server

Mitzy · 9 Apr 2022 at 19:10

Semple said:
Assuming your server will be local, is there even much of a requirement for transcoding? Would have expected much of it to be direct play.

Unfortunately a few friends and family cannot direct play because of the devices they use to watch

robj20 · 9 Apr 2022 at 19:13

Mitzy said:
Unfortunately a few friends and family cannot direct play because of the devices they use to watch

Use Handbrake or similar and convert everything to a suitable format.

Tetras · 9 Apr 2022 at 20:51

Mitzy said:
100 thank you!

Honestly I don’t know what I’m looking for. If you could point out a mobo cpu combo I would really appreciate it!

Like do I really need a i5 or higher or would a i3 be okay assuming it had the same iGPU as the more expensive big brothers?

Hi, I can find a video that explains the differences and compares 8th/9th performance with the new IGP in the 11th gen, but I'm not sure what difference there is between 11th and 12th gen IGPs and an i3 and i5.

In one thread I read, they said that it is only 3D performance that is impacted by using the lesser IGP (in the Celeron, Pentium, i3 or first i5), because this hardware is separate and the same for all IGPs, but I don't know if that's true.

He uses a 11500, which has a better IGP than the 11400. The same is true of the 12400 and 12500.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSLW1Plzjj8

Mitzy · 10 Apr 2022 at 00:12

robj20 said:
Use Handbrake or similar and convert everything to a suitable format.

I’m not prepared to do that.

Donnie Fisher · 12 Apr 2022 at 01:48

Mitzy said:
I’m not prepared to do that.

but aren’t you are already doing that when you transcode ? So for each play, you’re churning a full recode when it could be done once and saved for direct play after?

Street · 12 Apr 2022 at 16:08

Mitzy said:
Like do I really need a i5 or higher or would a i3 be okay assuming it had the same iGPU as the more expensive big brothers?

Any 7th gen or newer Intel chip with an iGPU will be more than enough. With Quick Sync it will monster any 4k transcodes. I used to use a 7th gen i5 until I had a spare 9th gen. If you aren't using it for anything else like running VMs, the i3 should be plenty.

Mitzy · 30 Aug 2022 at 18:14

Donnie Fisher said:
but aren’t you are already doing that when you transcode ? So for each play, you’re churning a full recode when it could be done once and saved for direct play after?

It would be awesome if Plex kept the transcodes that it generates on the fly, why don’t they offer that as a setting?

So I ended getting a M1 Mac Mini and a 16TB external HDD. For the time being 16TB is enough, longer term I’m looking at getting 1 more drive. This Mac Mini is a beast transcoding on the fly, it crushes my full fat 80Gb remux, it’s not even an issue.

So the next thing on my journey has been to upgrade my broadband, I am end of contract with Virgin Media on Gig1. I have cancelled with them and ordered FTTP Gigafast 900 from Vodafone, this gives me double the upload I could get with VM and it’s cheaper.

Street · 31 Aug 2022 at 09:42

Mitzy said:
It would be awesome if Plex kept the transcodes that it generates on the fly, why don’t they offer that as a setting?

You can optimise files which will produce a lower quality version and save it for future use. I never bother though and just let it transcode on the fly.