1y ago

Proper RAM and drive for ThinkCentre M710Q running Unraid/Plex/-arr

For a couple of years, I have been serving Plex to a few friends and family from an NVIDIA Shield Pro on a gigabit fiber. Before that, I served from a Raspberry Pi.

I have basic Linux skills, and my dream is to build a more automated setup. Unraid OS with Plex and -arr apps looks great to a non-expert like me.

So, I just picked up an unmolested original Lenovo ThinkCentre M710Q 7500T with 16GB RAM, and a 256GB M.2. I have a spare 2.5" 2TB Samsung EVO 970 SSD that I could put in it; I also have a 3.5" WD Red 4TB external HDD.

Here are my questions:

Do I need more RAM to be able to serve four 1080 streams at once?
Should I use the SSD or HDD, or both?
Any other advice or suggestions? It's appreciated!

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17 comments

RAM is mostly independent from streaming capabilities. The recipient needs RAM to store the buffer but the host machine would do fine with 16 GB.
SSD for config and database, no exceptions. HDD is great for the media itself.
Other suggestions: a machine with an 8th gen or later CPU, non-F variant. Those CPUs have an integrated GPU that can transcode several streams simultaneously without the slightest struggle. To utilize this, you'll need to buy a Plex Pass and enable hardware encoding.
- Thank you! Am I going to run into transcoding issues with 7th gen i5 on several streams? I only have six users, and all but one of them have modern Roku or Apple TV devices.
  Oh, and should I use the 258GB M.2 already in the box for the config and database, or use the 2TB 970 EVO SSD?
  
  Am I going to run into transcoding issues with 7th gen i5 on several streams?
  I have a 4th gen i5 and it can handle about three transcodes concurrently. You should be fine on that, especially if your users direct stream.
  all but one of them have modern Roku or Apple TV devices.
  These devices should be capable of direct streaming any video format. You'll have to tell your users to change their streaming settings to always play original quality on remote stream. Plex defaults to 720p for remote streams.
  should I use the 258GB M.2 already in the box for the config and database, or use the 2TB 970 EVO SSD?
  The 256 GB should be enough. My Plex folder uses about 90 GB right now with all the posters and stuff. It's been running on a SATA 256 GB SSD for almost 7 years now. My library is also pretty large, pushing 8 TB total now.
  There's no harm in keeping it in.
  
  How is your Plex install so big? My library is like 6x larger and my Plex install lives in a 24GB VM
  
  🤷‍♂️
  I don't know lol
  
  You are a godsend. Thank for you for the really cogent advice. Setting up Unraid now.
  
  If you use quicksync hardware transcoding it'll handle a bunch of 1080p streams without a problem.
  
  Is that a client setting or Plex server setting? I haven’t noticed it before.
  
  It's a feature of the Intel GPU that the Plex server can use.
  I think you do need Plex pass though, Jellyfin can do it for free.
  
  I bought Plex Pass lifetime about 5 years ago, so will go hunting for that setting, thanks!
  And it works on 7th gen Intel chips?
  
  Yep, 7th gen and newer have quite good transcode quality.
  
  Oh, I got lucky then. I thought it was only 8th gen onward, based on another user’s comment. Is there a name for the gpu tech, so I can look it up?
  
  It's called quicksync
  
  Thank you!
  
  Just checked for your CPU and it has QuickSync! I thought it was just 8th Gen and onward.
  https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark/products/97121/intel-core-i57500t-processor-6m-cache-up-to-3-30-ghz.html
  
  Hey, thanks so much for following up! I was very happy to stumble into good fortune here :-)

17 comments