Hey guys,
Have been keeping an eye out on NUCs for a while, however still procrastinating over which one to get, the i3 or i5 version.
Its main functions will be as a Plex media server and torrent downloader on 24/7. With the odd bit of Internet browsing and word processing.
Has anyone got a recommendation on which one I should choose, or if there is a strong case for/against either one?
Tia
I have an i3 4160 that runs wild media server. It handles a 1080 and a 720 simultaneous stream fine.
i3 Should be more than enough. For more compatibility with more devices, consider Serviio instead of Plex.
I find it is more standard to DLNA which means more compatibility with DLNA certified devices, and it handles more formats with no stuttering. I've tried Plex a few times and frankly I do not understand why it's loved so much as I've found it very picky with formats and stutters quite often.
But whatever you use i3 is heaps. My NAS is only a Core 2 Duo 6600 and streams 3 FHDs using Serviio easily (possibly even more but have not tried it)
The main attraction with Plex is user functionality. Smart tv running the Plex apps means the wife and son can select what they want visually.
With the 3 streams, what are the clients accessing them? Ie is it transcoding at the same time?
I was contemplating the i5, however seems that I can get away with the i3 and save money.
Currently using a laptop as the server which is i5 (cannot remember which chipset though) however is not practical in terms of running 24/7.
Thank you everyone for your input thus far.
There isn't a lot of "FULL" transcoding necessary with Serviio. It seems to modify structures to play the media on all devices without full transcoding. It learns what devices are attached and seems to talk to them in a protocol they understand without resorting to full transcoding. Having said that, yes sometimes it does transcode and does a good job without issues EXCEPT with our Xbox 360. It is in fact so picky even Serviio sometimes can't serve it correctly. Be aware the Xbox 360 only seems to like mp4 with aac audio in stereo. It is a real pain and hence we've stopped using it and I picked up a WD TV Live on Catch for less than $70 a few weeks back.
Those WD TV units are awesome they just play everything!
BUT I think even an i3 will transcode without issues, as my Core 2 Duo based NAS with Serviio can transcode on the fly to devices, and the i3 is a far more recent processor with a lot more power especially in hardware transcoding.
Can it do 3 transcodings simultaneously?
Look, I really don't know but if you have 3 devices NEEDING transcoding at the same time, to be honest, the devices capabilities aren't that great and I would consider media boxes such as the WD TV live attached to your TVs instead and take the strain off the NUC. Transcoding really should not be considered unless really necessary. It is pretty hit and miss.
It really depends…
My sony TV & BD Player has crap format support. Nearly everything that plays on it is transcoded. My WD Live has awesome support. Rarely does anything for it get transcoded (it'll even handle multiple audio streams and subtitles locally!!). If it's not being transcoded, it's being streamed (which means piss all CPU power).
Sometimes the codecs are supported, just not the container.. In which case, all it's doing is wrapping up the stream in a new container.
My Samsung tablet / HTC phone has support similar to the WD Live unit, with the right software. But the stock software isn't that great.
My torrent/plex server runs a Intel Pentium G3240 @ 3.10GHz, no worries at all.
Here is the guidelines https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/201774043-What-kin…