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The Plex Box

Budget
$100 – $200Media Servermedia-serverquick-syncalways-on

A dedicated Plex media server with Intel Quick Sync for hardware transcoding. Quiet, efficient, and always on.

Suggested Parts

CPU

i5-8400

The i5-8400 has Intel Quick Sync (UHD 630) for hardware-accelerated Plex transcoding.

Motherboard

H310 LGA1151 motherboard

H310 is the cheapest 8th gen Intel board — perfect for a headless server.

RAM

16GB DDR4

16GB handles multiple simultaneous transcode streams without breaking a sweat.

GPU

Not needed

No dedicated GPU needed — Quick Sync handles all transcoding via the iGPU.

Storage

240GB SSD

240GB SSD for the OS and Plex metadata. Add bulk HDD storage separately.

Power Supply

400W power supply

A 400W unit is overkill for this low-power build but stays efficient and quiet.

Case

micro ATX case

A compact micro ATX case keeps the server footprint small.

CPU Cooler

Intel stock cooler LGA1151

The stock Intel cooler is quiet enough for a server closet.