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

[Church of Noise]

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]

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 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]

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]

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]

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]

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, 2021 by Church of Noise

[Dfds]

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.