I’d like to start a weekly share your build post every Saturday. This is a place to share your Plex Server builds and get advice on how to optimize/upgrade your server from other users!

  • LOL, man, I use a work discarded Dell OptiPlex 3020 mini desktop format with a SATA SSD and 4GB of RAM and a Intel Core i5-4590T 2.00GHz running Windows10. I’ve always used discarded lower end machines from work places, and this one is probably the best one I have used honestly. I’ve got a USB3 2TB hard drive attached for the library storage. I now have a 4TB HD as well that at some point will be needed. I’ll likely scavenge some more RAM for it in the near future.

    However, I’ve been seeing such great builds in other places that I have future ideas for a better build. I recently purchased the lifetime pass and so honestly I’ve seen improved performance already. It encourages me to dig up some better stuff in the future, but I admit, I have always viewed Plex for myself and my few friends as a “Use what you have.” project.

    • I’m in a similar boat with an old HP Compaq Elite 8300 SFF that was going to be binned at a previous job of mine. It has an i5-3470 and 8 GB of RAM running Windows 10 Pro. It only has a 500 GB internal HDD, so I have an external 6 TB hard drive plugged up to it. No USB 3.0 ports, though.

      Similar thought process on the hardware upgrade side, too. It would be wonderful, but with pretty much just my household using it all I’m really missing out on is 4K transcoding.