Plex Server Build Advice

rvnz

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Jan 31, 2012
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Hi all, I am new here so feel free to point out any errors in conduct etc.

I am looking to become less reliant on running an iMac 27" 24/7 for my media requirements. This has led me to look into a dedicated media server to provide my Minecraft server and Plex media server.

I am looking for advice on what sort of CPU and motherboard would be required to make this run effectively. The part of the Plex requirement that concerns me is transcoding 1080p to my iPad and iPhone which isn't the primary use of it, it is a nice extra.

Keeping the build as cheap as possible would be nice but I am willing to spend the extra to achieve the result.

Currently I have been considering an i5-2500k with an as yet undecided motherboard. Is this what is required or can I get away with something cheaper like an i3-2100 or AMD A6 based set up or even something like an M1 Hudson or Atom D525 based board?

Cheers
 

molo9000

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Aug 14, 2010
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18,990
How big is the minecraft server supposed to be?
If it's just for you and 2-3 friends, then a i5-2500k definitely overkill.

I'm running a 2009 Mac mini with a 2GHz Core2Duo, 4GB RAM and a Geforce 9400m as my media center PC, running my Plex media server and occasionally running a minecraft server for 2people.

I think a 2GHz Core2Duo is the minimum requirement for decoding 1080p H.264 in software.
Your CPU requirements also depend on whether the Plex server supports GPU hardware acceleration. It does support hardware acceleration in Mac OS X (Geforce 9400m or newer), but I don't know if the Linux or Windows versions do.

I suggest you check the Plex forums for more accurate hardware requirements.
It's probably easier to find people there, who do exactly what you want to do.

btw: there also are NAS servers that can run PLEX servers, but they won't run minecraft servers.
 

rvnz

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Jan 31, 2012
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18,510
the mine craft server is currently not many maybe 5-10 but chances are when its up reliably (having it running off my iMac has meant that it's often down due to me using the machine for other things) it will likely expand.

The big issue is if something like an i3 would be fine for multiple streams, say htpc, iPad and laptop or something like that. All the while minimizing power usage.