Plex is a popular media server software that allows users to stream and share their media files across multiple devices. To run a Plex server smoothly, you need a powerful CPU that can handle the transcoding of media files in real-time. In this article, we will take a look at some of the best CPUs for a Plex server in 2021.
- AMD Ryzen 7 5800X The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X is one of the most powerful CPUs available in the market today. It has 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock speed of 3.8 GHz and a boost clock speed of 4.7 GHz. This CPU is built on the Zen 3 architecture and uses a 7nm manufacturing process, which makes it very power-efficient.
The Ryzen 7 5800X is an excellent choice for a Plex server because it can handle multiple transcoding streams simultaneously without breaking a sweat. It also has a TDP of only 105 watts, which means it won’t consume too much power.
- Intel Core i9-11900K The Intel Core i9-11900K is one of the latest CPUs from Intel, built on the 14nm manufacturing process. It has 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock speed of 3.5 GHz and a boost clock speed of 5.3 GHz. This CPU is a powerhouse, with excellent single-threaded performance and support for PCIe 4.0.
The i9-11900K is a great choice for a Plex server because it can handle multiple transcoding streams with ease. It also supports Quick Sync, which is Intel’s hardware encoding technology, making it very efficient at transcoding.
- AMD Ryzen 9 5900X The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X is another powerful CPU from AMD, with 12 cores and 24 threads, a base clock speed of 3.7 GHz, and a boost clock speed of 4.8 GHz. This CPU is built on the Zen 3 architecture, like the Ryzen 7 5800X, and has a TDP of only 105 watts.
The Ryzen 9 5900X is an excellent choice for a Plex server because it can handle multiple transcoding streams simultaneously without any issues. It is also very power-efficient, which means it won’t consume too much electricity.
- Intel Core i7-11700K The Intel Core i7-11700K is another great CPU for a Plex server, with 8 cores and 16 threads, a base clock speed of 3.6 GHz, and a boost clock speed of 5.0 GHz. This CPU is built on the 14nm manufacturing process and has a TDP of only 125 watts.
The i7-11700K is an excellent choice for a Plex server because it has excellent single-threaded performance and can handle multiple transcoding streams simultaneously. It also supports Quick Sync, which makes it very efficient at transcoding.
- AMD Ryzen 5 5600X The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X is a more affordable CPU option for a Plex server, with 6 cores and 12 threads, a base clock speed of 3.7 GHz, and a boost clock speed of 4.6 GHz. This CPU is built on the Zen 3 architecture and has a TDP of only 65 watts.
The Ryzen 5 5600X is a great choice for a budget Plex server build because it is very power-efficient and can handle a few transcoding streams simultaneously. However, if you plan to have many concurrent streams, it may be worth investing in a more powerful CPU.