The best mini PCs for Plex prioritize hardware-accelerated transcoding, multi-core CPU performance, and expandable storage. Systems with 11th-gen Intel Core i5/i7 CPUs (or newer) leverage Quick Sync for 4K HDR tone mapping, while AMD Ryzen 7 models with Radeon graphics handle parallel 1080p streams. Opt for NVMe boot drives + 2.5″ SATA bays for media libraries. Pro Tip: Always enable hardware transcoding in Plex settings to minimize CPU load.
Small Home Server Build: The Perfect Server with a Mini PC
Table of Contents
Top 5 Mini PCs in 2025
| Rank | Model | Processor | RAM | Storage | Price | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GEEKOM Mini IT12 (Best Performance) | Intel i5-12450H (8C/12T) | 16GB DDR4 | 512GB PCIe Gen4 SSD | $379.00 | Check Price |
| 2 | GMKtec N150 (1TB SSD) | Intel N150 (3.6GHz) | 16GB DDR4 | 1TB PCIe M.2 SSD | $191.99 | Check Price |
| 3 | KAMRUI GK3Plus (Budget Pick) | Intel N95 (3.4GHz) | 16GB DDR4 | 512GB M.2 SSD | $169.99 | Check Price |
| 4 | ACEMAGICIAN N150 (Cheapest 16GB) | Intel N150 (3.6GHz) | 16GB DDR4 | 256GB SSD | $139.99 | Check Price |
| 5 | GMKtec N150 (512GB SSD) | Intel N150 (3.6GHz) | 16GB DDR4 | 512GB PCIe SSD | $168.99 | Check Price |
What CPU specs matter for Plex transcoding?
Intel Quick Sync and AV1 decoding are critical for 4K streaming. 12th-gen+ Intel CPUs with UHD 770 iGPUs handle 8+ simultaneous 1080p→4K transcodes. AMD Ryzen 7000-series APUs require discrete GPUs for comparable performance. Pro Tip: Avoid Celeron/Pentium chips—their limited execution units bottleneck transcoding.
Modern Plex servers demand CPUs with at least 6 physical cores and 12 threads for software transcoding fallbacks. The Intel Core i5-12400’s hybrid architecture delivers 18% faster H.265 processing than Ryzen 5 5600G in testing. For 10+ concurrent streams, consider Xeon E-2400 mini workstations with ECC RAM. One real-world example: An Intel NUC 13 Pro with i7-1360P processes 6x 4K→1080p streams while drawing only 28W. Always verify TDP ratings—28W+ models sustain turbo boosts longer during peak loads.
How much storage is ideal for a Plex mini PC?
Dual M.2 slots and 2.5″ drive bays enable scalable storage. Start with a 500GB NVMe boot drive and add 4-8TB HDDs for media. RAID 1 configurations prevent data loss during drive failures.
For 4K remux libraries, allocate 80-100GB per movie. A 4-bay QNAP TR-004 DAS connected via USB 3.2 Gen 2 expands a Beelink SER7’s 2TB SSD to 24TB raw storage. Pro Tip: Use SSDs for metadata caching—a 256GB Samsung 980 Pro cuts poster loading times by 40% versus HDDs. Transitionally, consider that a 10TB library requires ~2.5Gbps networking to avoid buffering during peak access. Thunderbolt 4 docks future-proof for 8K content pipelines.
| Configuration | 1080p Library | 4K Library |
|---|---|---|
| Basic (500 titles) | 2TB HDD | 8TB NAS |
| Enthusiast (2,000 titles) | 8TB RAID 1 | 24TB RAID 5 |
Battery Expert Insight
FAQs
Only high-TDP models like Minisforum HX99G with Ryzen 9 6900HX and Radeon 660M—allocate 4 cores to Plex and 4 to gaming via processor affinity settings.
Is 16GB RAM enough for a 4K Plex server?
Yes, but upgrade to 32GB if using RAM disks for transcode buffers. Each 4K stream consumes ~2GB during peak decoding.