Can I add a GPU to my HP Gen8 Microserver to improve transcoding performance in Plex?

[Church of Noise 1]

Dear all,

 

I've been running Xpenology for a while now (and love it!) mainly to use as a server for my media files, using Plex Media Server on the device and the Plex app on the devices where I want to play the media files (on the same network). (For completeness, running as a DS3615XS and DSM 6.2.2-24922 update 4).

 

Now I'd like to provide a bit more power to the system to support transcoding.

As I currently have the G1610T processor, I am considering these options:

1. Replace the CPU by a compatible Xeon E3 with included GPU (support Intel Quick Sync)
2. Add a compatible GPU
3. Both of the above :)

 

I was wondering which of the options above would be best, and which of those would support hardware acceleration support?

 

Thanks!
CoN

[Dfds 47]

Personally I'd swap the CPU for an E3-1220 or a E3-1265, both are quad core hyperthreaded. I have a Gen8 with an E3-1265L & it runs very well.

[Church of Noise 1]

1 hour ago, Dfds said:

Personally I'd swap the CPU for an E3-1220 or a E3-1265, both are quad core hyperthreaded. I have a Gen8 with an E3-1265L & it runs very well.

Thanks!

Was looking for an E3-1265 but these still seem very expensive - or is it just me?

[IG-88 650]

2 hours ago, Church of Noise said:

Was looking for an E3-1265

no intel gpu support, 3615/17 dont have i915 drivers and 918+ needs min. haswell (4th gen) cpu

https://xpenology.com/forum/topic/13333-tutorialreference-6x-loaders-and-platforms/

 

[flyride 451]

In plain language, you need a new motherboard and chip that supports 4th gen CPU's or later, and you must take care to purchase a CPU that has QuickSync (iGPU).

 

And as of yet, there is no functioning nVidia GPU support in DSM that I have seen (IG-88 will correct me if that has changed).

[bearcat 76]

5 hours ago, Dfds said:

I have a Gen8 with an E3-1265L

 

Out of curiosity, since I have been looking to further upgrade my G8, are you using the "non V2" version? 

The E3-1265LV2 seems to be hard to find for a nice price.

[Church of Noise 1]

9 hours ago, flyride said:

In plain language, you need a new motherboard and chip that supports 4th gen CPU's or later, and you must take care to purchase a CPU that has QuickSync (iGPU).

 

And as of yet, there is no functioning nVidia GPU support in DSM that I have seen (IG-88 will correct me if that has changed).

So, that means no possibility for hardware transcoding on my current setup, even with another CPU if I understand all the above correctly.

(getting a stronger CPU would just bring more 'horsepower' to do the software transcoding)

 

Coming across @IG-88's efforts to realize nVidia GPU support, it seems wisest for now to see if (when ) that bears fruit, so I could get a suitable nVidia graphics card . The alternative is to get an altogether different hardware setup, which I'd rather not as that would turn out to be significantly more expensive...

Edited January 8 by Church of Noise

[Dfds 47]

16 hours ago, bearcat said:

 

Out of curiosity, since I have been looking to further upgrade my G8, are you using the "non V2" version? 

The E3-1265LV2 seems to be hard to find for a nice price.

Yes, mine is the non V2 version which isn't quite as good as the V2 but much easier to find at a reasonable price. Just for information I'm running mine with 16GB ram, a Win10 VM, a DSM VM with beta 7 & several docker containers.