So I’ve been wanting to replace my Pi4 (4GB) with an Optiplex for better support (x86 architecture), more ram, and a better CPU.
I’m hoping to get something that also supports intel quick sync for hardware decoding of h265 but it isn’t a major problem if it isn’t available.
What’s the minimum CPU to go for ? Is an i5 6500 fine ? Will that draw more power than let’s say an 8500? Will an i3 6200 be fine too? What about an i5 3400?
I have no idea if I should aim for something in the i5 8x00 range vs i3/5 3x00, when it comes to power usage vs compute output.
I’m not planning on running a full plex server, as there isn’t space for my 3.5” disks, but I would like to run Immich, Seafile, Audiobookshelf etc without a sweat and without using 10+ kWh a week.
I’m located in Denmark so European prices are always an issue with both hardware and electricity 😂
I bought an Optiplex 7050 SFF for $100 USD at the start of 2023. Upgraded it to an i7-7700, 32GB RAM, 300W PSU from an XE3 model (stock is 180W), and threw in a spare Nvidia K1200 Quadro for shits and giggles. Runs almost my entire suite of self-hosted applications without a hitch.
But then you also spend much more than $100 😂 I already have a NAS with a a 7th gen i7, 16gb ram, 32TB hdh, and a 1070 for decoding but it uses too much power to stay on all the time. I only turn it on to watch plex and then power it down to save electricity.
Well, to be fair, I actually bought it to use as a desktop and upgraded it accordingly. Then a few months later I decided to build a Ryzen system. Optiplex got moved to server duty.
Try without gpu and make sure hdd spindown is enabled, it should use much less power. I have much cheaper 7th gen g3930 and its at ~25W (~25€ a year here where I live)
If you can find one with a T series CPU they tend to be more power efficient. And they are common in refurbished mini pcs like the Lenovo Tiny series which should be in your price range.
The T series isn’t worth it IMO. Second-hand non-T CPUs and PCs are usually the same price as the T ones, and you can achieve the same effect of lower power consumption by limiting the max clock speed of the non-T CPUs.
The Lenovo tiny series is not a thin-client; it’s a mini PC. I wouldn’t get a thin client since they’re not designed to run much on them - a thin client literally just connects to a server via remote desktop. Get a mini PC or SFF PC at least.
I would say at least 7th gen Intel. Its QuickSync is one version newer than 6th gen, and QuickSync didn’t get another update until the 10th gen CPUs.
7th through 9th gen CPUs QuickSync added h265 encoding, and 10bit h265 decoding. Also there are the all-around speed & quality improvements that come with each QuickSync generation.
I’d also say that an i7 is likely overkill for your use case (despite other comments here).
I run an i5-7500 with PhotoPrism, Plex, tDarr, and about 30 other services. The power draw barely registers on my 1000W UPS (this includes my SFF PC, external USB HDD, and 3 network switches). And my CPU rarely jumps above 20% utilization.
You can find Intel N100 mini PCs for 100-200 Euros that have similar performance to a 6th gen i5 but much lower power consumption and better codec support including AV1. The i3-N300 is also starting to become available with twice as many cores.
I have a Lenovo ThinkCentre m900 sff. It has an i5-6500T (low power) and I added an Nvidia Quadro p600 for transcoding in Plex. The m900 was about $80 and the Quadro p600 was about $50.
Just saw that you’re in Denmark. So yeah the prices will probably be a little higher.
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I bought an Optiplex 7050 SFF for $100 USD at the start of 2023. Upgraded it to an i7-7700, 32GB RAM, 300W PSU from an XE3 model (stock is 180W), and threw in a spare Nvidia K1200 Quadro for shits and giggles. Runs almost my entire suite of self-hosted applications without a hitch.
But then you also spend much more than $100 😂 I already have a NAS with a a 7th gen i7, 16gb ram, 32TB hdh, and a 1070 for decoding but it uses too much power to stay on all the time. I only turn it on to watch plex and then power it down to save electricity.
Well, to be fair, I actually bought it to use as a desktop and upgraded it accordingly. Then a few months later I decided to build a Ryzen system. Optiplex got moved to server duty.
Try without gpu and make sure hdd spindown is enabled, it should use much less power. I have much cheaper 7th gen g3930 and its at ~25W (~25€ a year here where I live)
If you can find one with a T series CPU they tend to be more power efficient. And they are common in refurbished mini pcs like the Lenovo Tiny series which should be in your price range.
The T series isn’t worth it IMO. Second-hand non-T CPUs and PCs are usually the same price as the T ones, and you can achieve the same effect of lower power consumption by limiting the max clock speed of the non-T CPUs.
The Lenovo tiny series is not a thin-client; it’s a mini PC. I wouldn’t get a thin client since they’re not designed to run much on them - a thin client literally just connects to a server via remote desktop. Get a mini PC or SFF PC at least.
Fair enough, got my terminology wrong there.
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CPU cores. I think the i5 6500 was my lowest option ide get. I believe it has 6 cores?
I didn’t look into i3 at all though.
I also looked for the one with the best USB speeds.
I think 8000 series is the suite spot. I’ve gotten a few optiplexes between $110-140 with an i3-i5
I wish that was the case here. I can’t find an 8000 series below $200. Most in the $100 range is 4000-6100 series with 6500 being $120+.
Kinda leaning towards an N100 even though it’s a bit more ($250ish)
I’ve been thrilled with my dell 7060 micros. SSD+nvme, 64gb of RAM, 8th gen Intel and very low power.
I would say at least 7th gen Intel. Its QuickSync is one version newer than 6th gen, and QuickSync didn’t get another update until the 10th gen CPUs.
7th through 9th gen CPUs QuickSync added h265 encoding, and 10bit h265 decoding. Also there are the all-around speed & quality improvements that come with each QuickSync generation.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_Quick_Sync_Video
Thank you. I’ll probably go for a 7th gen then, when I find one in a proper price range!
I’d also say that an i7 is likely overkill for your use case (despite other comments here).
I run an i5-7500 with PhotoPrism, Plex, tDarr, and about 30 other services. The power draw barely registers on my 1000W UPS (this includes my SFF PC, external USB HDD, and 3 network switches). And my CPU rarely jumps above 20% utilization.
Yeah I was gonna aim for an i5 with 8-16GB ram. Seems like a 7500 or at least a 7th gen is what I should look for.
Definitely consider 16GB if you’re using Immich. I started with 8GB and had to upgrade. (on the bright side, 32GB DDR4 was just over $40)
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I’ve looked at that but idk if 650kr for 8gb ram version is worth it if the CPU is ‘only’ a 6100.
I’ve had a DBA Agent going for some weeks but most things are 6th gen or lower or overpriced 8th gen.
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You can find Intel N100 mini PCs for 100-200 Euros that have similar performance to a 6th gen i5 but much lower power consumption and better codec support including AV1. The i3-N300 is also starting to become available with twice as many cores.
Hmm maybe it’s just me, but I can’t find any N100s for that price.
One example, Chuwi Larkbox X: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005715207156.html
This one is cheaper, but lower spec and no-name: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005234838380.html
I have a Lenovo ThinkCentre m900 sff. It has an i5-6500T (low power) and I added an Nvidia Quadro p600 for transcoding in Plex. The m900 was about $80 and the Quadro p600 was about $50.
Just saw that you’re in Denmark. So yeah the prices will probably be a little higher.
Oh wow, I didn’t know SFF machines have the space and the port to use a dGPU. That opens a lot of doors to me.