Used mini PCs are an excellent solution if you need a dedicated Plex server. CPUs have been more than powerful enough to do the job for years, so there's no need to splash out cash for something new.
That said, if you buy a mini PC that's too old, you might end up with a computer that can't keep up with your Plex needs. So let's look at how far back you can safely go without ending up with a server that runs out of puff before the show even starts.
Why Intel Quick Sync matters more than CPU power
Maximum acceleration
So here's the biggest factor: video acceleration. If you have a CPU that supports video transcoding acceleration such as Intel Quick Sync, Plex can use it to seamlessly convert video into the quality and format your client device needs. This is not strictly required . It only matters if transcoding has to happen on the fly.
If you use direct streaming, then any transcoding happens on the client device, or the device just plays the video stream directly without modification. The only job the CPU on your Plex server is doing in this case is sending data across the network.
To give you a practical example, I use a Lenovo ThinkCenter mini PC with a dual-core 4th-generation Haswell CPU.
Sydney Louw Butler / How-To Geek
That's an old CPU generation and there are only two cores! Surely it must struggle, right? Well as you can see from this Plex Dashboard chart a single 1080p stream doesn't even make it sweat, and 4K has never been an issue either.
Since my client devices are things like Apple TVs and iPads, there's more than enough horsepower to decode at the destination. My Haswell PC does have Quick Sync, but only up to the H.264 codec. It doesn't support HEVC (H.265) which is what a lot of modern files are in, and what you might want to convert your files to anyway because of the space savings.
So, ideally, if I were buying a mini PC for Plex today, it would have hardware acceleration for HEVC unless I absolutely knew that I would not be using it. This is also a good time to point out that hardware acceleration is a paid feature in Plex! You need a lifetime pass or a monthly subscription to make use of it.
Also, why only Intel? Of course you can use an AMD system and those chips are equipped with video decoders, but Intel is the right choice for transcoding . If you have a mini PC or SFF PC that can take a half-height NVIDIA GPU, that may also be a better option for transcoding .
The real cutoff: Skylake vs. Kaby Lake
Choose with care
On paper, Skylake is the first generation of Intel CPU to support HEVC encoding, but there's some nuance there. Skylake only supports up to 8-bit HEVC quality. that's an issue, because it means you won't get smooth playback from the 10-bit files common for high-quality encodes these days,
That's why I would put the sweet spot at Kaby Lake, since we now have a generation that is futureproof when it comes to video encoding. However , almost all 7th-gen processors are not officially supported by Windows 11. If you're going to run a Windows 11 Plex server rather than Linux, then you'll want Coffee Lake as a minimum.
That said, I run a hacked version of Windows 11 ( made using Rufus ) on my Haswell PC and it works fine. However, there are no guarantees and if Microsoft pulls the rug one day I'll switch it over to Linux. Incidentally, if you want to use Linux for Plex on a mini PC you're going to need our Linux Plex guide for USB drives .
The oldest mini PCs worth buying
This is your stop
Right, so with all that CPU mumbo-jumbo out of the way, and under the assumption that you'll figure out the operating system situation on Kaby Lake, here are some actual examples of mini PCs that would make good Plex servers with HEVC encoding support.
Dell OptiPlex Micro 7050
They're compact, easy to service, and widely available thanks to corporate upgrades. Go for the 7050. It's a meaningful upgrade for Plex workloads compared to the Skylake 7040 model.
HP EliteDesk mini G3
These machines tend to show up with higher-end CPUs and better configurations, making them great value if you're buying used.
HP EliteDesk 800 G3 Mini
Lenovo ThinkCentre tiny M710q
They're slightly less flashy than Dell or HP, but just as capable—and often cheaper on the second-hand market. This is what I went with and after almost three years of daily Plex duty I couldn't be happier with my little ThinkCentre.
Ultimately, buy what works for you
The last thing I want to do is dictate what you should buy, especially since these Kaby Lake mini PCs are still too pricey on the refurbished market if you ask me. For future-proofing 4K HEVC it is the sensible choice, but if you don't need transcoding or you're happy to convert your files to the most compatible format offline using something like Handbrake or by using Plex's own background conversion feature, then getting an older mini PC like my old Haswell for $30 might be the better choice.
That's the beauty of PC technology, you're free to pick the thing that's right for your own specific needs and skirt the line of minimum requirements like the brave and intrepid soul you are.
