Best cpu for plex 4k CPU: The most straightforward way to boost performance is to upgrade to a more powerful CPU. If you want to use hardware transcoding on an iGPU then I'd recommend the i5-12600K as it'll have the same cpu performance as the F version but also has the intel 770 igpu which is the best one instel do right now for hardware transcoding. Budget is flexible but ideally would like to keep it under $1k for those 3 components. Hardware Upgrades. It has servered me well but I am starting to Rip uncompressed 4K UHD movies to my server now it and it dragging on converting to 1080p on some of my TVs. 4 GHz. That way the Plex server doesn't need to do it on-the-fly. 264) file: 1500 PassMark score; The CPU Benchmark website is a good resource to see what sort of PassMark score a particular processor received. How sound my analysis (maybe I’m totally wrong in my troubleshooting and some config could do the trick) 2. You will need a CPU that has a passmark of 17000 but if you are also doing subtitles then you need to get something with a passmark closer to 25,000. 264) file: 2000 PassMark score; 720p (4Mbps, H. net Mar 7, 2025 · But if you want to transcode multiple streams or 4K videos, your server will need a robust processor and help from GPU. For example, one good and cheap option is Beelink N100 mini PC. I used a rough guidelines from the Plex crew in order to figure out an approximate best fit CPU. So no Plex Pass and no HW transcoding so the N100 will not do it. 264) file: 2000 PassMark score 720p (4Mbps, H. It’s probably the best buy Synology NAS with built in Intel iGPU which supports HW transcoding. I don't run VM's for that reason (other than HA obviously). Apr 27, 2022 · Bottom line: The QNAP TVS-672XT is the best NAS for Plex in our collection. . Yes, if you have/get Plex Pass it will be more than enough to do multiple concurrent 4K transcodes. Looking for recommendations for the best cpu to buy for a dedicated Plex server. Jan 24, 2025 · Choosing the right CPU for a Plex server optimized for 4K streaming is crucial for your multimedia experience. Transcoding is the process by which Plex converts media files into a format that can be played on different devices. One 4K transcode brings the box to its knees. I have an old 780ti card that I can also put in if it would help. Plex’s transcoding is primarily CPU-intensive. So, Im looking at two different routes for an upgrade but I really dont know which was is the best to go. Right now it runs on a Windows 11 i7 7700 with 32GB of RAM. Feb 16, 2025 · The Intel Core i5-11400 processor is a 6-core CPU with a base clock speed of up to 4. Additionally, the better CPU will handle the overhead of running the rest of the system more effectively, leaving more processing capacity for Plex (file scanning, agents, intro/credit scanning, audio analyses, etc). Relevant/more details: Jun 14, 2023 · I am in need of a server upgrade for my Plex instance. AMD CPUs work fine with plex, I was running my plex server on a Ryzen 2200g for years without issue. I've decided to instead use ffmpeg to create a 1080p version of my 4k movies and load both into Plex. See full list on plexopedia. Side note: Best of luck with 4k transcoding questions. I am upgrading an old machine and planning on buying a new CPU, mobo, and ram. Nov 28, 2020 · As an anecdotal datapoint, I have 2x Xeon 2680v3 in my server, and a 4k transcode in Plex keeps it about 30-35% busy. I would be very happy if someone could respond to those questions: 1. The CPUs mentioned above cater to different needs, from high-end options like the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X and Intel Core i9-11900K for power users to budget-friendly choices like the Ryzen 5 5600G. Users liked: Cpu cooler keeps processor at acceptable temperature (backed by 2 comments) Fan is loud at high speeds but can be regulated (backed by 2 comments) Intel CPU’s have a great reputation for low power idle states and they have a lot of smaller wattage models to choose from - so seems like they are the best option for a low power Plex server. The 2200G cannot do any 4K transcodes though, but what else can you expect from a lowly quad core. As the CPU will be doing the bulk of the transcoding of your files (Unless you have GPU hardware acceleration, we will get to that). Any 7th and later Gen Intel CPU should be more than capable at transcoding 4K HEVC in hardware, and any 8th gen and later should be able to transcode in hardeware 10-bit HEVC. What are the best CPU for HDR 4K streams? When it comes to the best CPUs for streaming, we recommend both AMD and Intel. Im split between a gen 11 Oct 7, 2023 · Here are some strategies to improve transcoding performance on your Plex server: 1. Jul 1, 2020 · The CPU is a massively important part of a Plex server. The first 4 ‘rules’ generally are no longer as important as they once were, but may still be a good thing to bear in mind. What are my options if I wanted to be able to transcoode 3 or 4 UHD 4K movies at once That being said, I bought a small 1-litre PC (Lenovo ThinkStation) with an 8th gen CPU ($200) for Plex, and I mounted the media shares on my Synology. A powerful CPU is essential for efficient transcoding, especially for high-resolution 4K content. An Intel Core i7 3. I'd looks for the desktop version of that CPU or like others have suggested get a good graphics card and unlock the simultaneous encoding. 4K HDR (50Mbps, 10-bit HEVC) file: 17000 PassMark score (being transcoded to 10Mbps 1080p) 4K SDR (40Mbps, 8-bit HEVC) file: 12000 PassMark score (being transcoded to 10Mbps 1080p) 1080p (10Mbps, H. Dec 24, 2024 · The best Plex CPU for 2024 depends on your needs. The biggest factor in Plex transcoding efficiency still to this day is Intel QuickSync which offloads such tasks to the integrated GPU and does the transcoding extremely efficiently. Feb 19, 2019 · NOTE: for 2022 – Plex has come a long way since this FAQ was originally written, HW transcoding has become more available and more stable, and tone mapping was recently added to address the hdr/sdr color conversion issues. It can't handle hardware transcoding 4K HDR. I'll download the same thing twice, one in 4k and the other not if it's something I want a 4k copy of, but for tv and other things 1080p looks like fine on my tv. What most people do is keep 2 libraries in PLex, one for 4k and one for not-4k. com The better CPU will help with transcoding audio and subtitles. 10th gen CPU are even faster, while 12th gen Intel CPU support AV1 HW transcoding. Doing a dozen 4K to 1080p transcodes my server was less than 10% Plex CPU utilization. It goes for around $200 and it’s a beast for 4K transcoding. I can tell you that my 13500 rarely ever sees 50% overall CPU utilization with 2 dozen containers and a Home Assistant VM running. I can't speak to how it will perform with your cores spread out. What is the best CPU to transcode 4K + DTS-HD-MA + Subtitle (Btw I don’t have any network issue) Thanks in advance for the help provided :) This would mean that where Plex today chooses the x264 1080p version of a movie/show (remote users, older devices), it would now have to transcode from 4k/4k HDR. Dolby Vision, is an entirely other mess Why 7th gen? Full support for HEVC. Another approach would be to buy AMD CPU based NAS and make sure your Plex client can direct play your 4K videos without transcoding. With HW acceleration I could probably hit 3-4. If you want to use Plex's HDR Tone Mapping feature, which is pretty important for most 4k transcoding, you'll want to avoid Windows for your OS when using Quick Sync for transcoding. Discover top options for seamless streaming and smooth transcoding, whether you’re on a budget or need high-end performance! I've got a 10th gen i7 NUC running and 1 4k transcode barely spikes the cpu. Some of the files are 70GB. It looks like I will need to upgrade the motherboard and CPU. Intel Core i9-13900K and AMD Ryzen 9 7950X excel in performance, while i5-12600K is great for budgets. Hardware transcoding doesn't work with AMD GPUs but the CPU is more than powerful enough to handle multiple 1080p transcodes. I'm looking to upgrade my current Plex server, which has a 10 year old 3rd gen Intel i5-3470 cpu with Intel HD Graphics 2500 and Quick Sync. Read more about Plex 4K transcoding here, and here you will find good Plex Server examples with prices. So you basically always want an Intel processor. This gives me the best of both worlds - the redundancy and storage of a NAS and the horsepower of a modern CPU - without having to buy/build a machine that does both. For many users, especially those with large libraries, the performance of their Plex server is crucial for smooth playback. It has a 12MB L3 cache with Hyper-Threading technology to allow the processor to operate up to 4 threads simultaneously and can run at up to 3. Related Page: CPUbenchmark. Of you can get a Plex Pass and get the N100 and save hundreds on buying a CPU with the passmark needed. Jun 18, 2019 · 4K SDR (40Mbps, 8-bit HEVC) file: 12000 PassMark score (being transcoded to 10Mbps 1080p) 1080p (10Mbps, H. Hi, I’m Vetted AI Bot! I researched the MITXPC Dynatron A38 CPU Heatsink and Fan and I thought you might find the following analysis helpful. 264) file: 1500 PassMark score The CPU Benchmark website is a good resource to see what sort of Btw I’m using Plex Pass. Just find a model that supports the number of 4k transcodes you need and build around that. Mar 31, 2018 · I have a large FlexRaid server (about 48TB) with a XEON E3-1230V2. It houses an Intel Core i3-8100T processor, which is ideal for the transcoding of 4K movies, and there are eight drive If you still want a NAS with 4K playback go with DS920. Consider CPUs with higher passmark scores for better performance. Then only share out the not-4k libraries to other people. I run Plex on a NAS that uses a Gemini Lake based Celeron CPU and I have never had any issues with transcoding. 4GHz and is the best CPU for transcoding 4k as well. This happens rarely, and almost never more than for one playback at a time. It has to “just work” as these remote users aren’t tech savvy at all. The i5-12600KF doesn't have an iGPU, so you won't be able to use hardware transcoding without a dedicated GPU. What is the suggested best Intel cpu to use with onboard graphics for a cheap Plex server? That i3 will get you a handful of 4k transcodes through hardware acceleration. 2GHz processor (or higher) is a good place to start for successful 4K transcoding. ycyrz vqnkd nqwej azubsy zsmr uosm chsmug ycg refrmm vkln qfpu wnqms nsyptj fkie fkjc