Reading bunch of topics here. Not even sure if this is something I need, but here it goes. I just started using Plex, and I see that CPU would be working pretty hard. Currently just onee stream, but could be 3.
I hope Mini-R is not going to be a bottleneck. Thas is if I install graphics card for transcoding.
I see many different suggestions, but my question basically boils down to:
Which card will work with Plex
AND
Fit into Mini-R PCI slot and case.
Youâre limited to half-height PCIe cards in the Mini R - Iâd suggest an Intel ARC A310 which comes in that size format, and theyâre supported from 24.04.2 onwards.
NVIDIA has some options in that size like the Quadro P400/T400 but they donât have quite the same encoding prowess.
If A310 is better - so be it. I am OK with anything budget-wise. New system - ready for the best⌠But since I donât know anything about those, few questions:
Longer cards (I put a Tesla P4 in mine) do require you to route the SATA and SFF-SAS cables around the rear end of the card - longer PCBs blocks off an (unused) fan header.
A double-wide low-profile card will fit as well - a flexible riser cable could also work, but youâll have to find a way to keep the card from contacting the case itself and youâre well into the âon your ownâ territory for mounting it. Youâre also correct in that there isnât any supplemental PCIe power available in the chassis, so it has to be a slot-powered card.
Yes, I have a Mini R, and the same cables had enough slack for the card - although I had to unbundle them to fit around the aftermarket squirrel-cage cooler at the back.
I suggested the A310 because itâs a more modern card with lower overall power consumption, and it doesnât need an external blower cooler rigged up (to the same fan header thatâs blocked by the card itself)
The A380 ELF will not fit as itâs a full-height, double-width card. Youâd have to rig up some manner of right-angle riser or flexible PCIe cable extension.
The ASRock low-profile A380 is a half-height double-width card and should fit:
That said the Intel A-series has the same media engine across the board.
Stop overthinking and get your half-height Alchemist A310 while you canâŚ
Whatâs the point of getting a bigger and higher power A380 when a single-slot single-fan A310 will transcode just the same?
The sparkle a310 eco has gone in and out of stock on amazon before, so if youâre interested it may just be better to wait and see.
My personal experience with that card is that the fan speed does fluctuate rapidly. Firmware updates do help somewhat but donât completely solve the issue. If your nas is tucked away then of course the noise wonât matter much but for me it was a problem.
This one seem to be readily avail on ebay, from Japan, but looks like it wonât work for me as I need half-height. They have âECOâ version which should work, but I donât really want those anymore. Noise IS a concern.
Looking at only 2 ASRock variants I found. One (380) on ebay and another (310) on NewEgg. Waiting for pro responses from @etorix and @HoneyBadger on specific sources if they know of any.
From what I read up to now, 380 will do couple extra simutaneous encodings. Not that it makes huge difference, but prices for what I found identical. Power use at idle seem to be only 2W difference in tests, soâŚ
Apologies, I meant the Eco, and I sympathize with the noise concern. The asrocks are probably your best bets if you can find one. Last time I saw them in stock on Amazon was late March.
I donât believe there should be any difference in compatibility between the A310 and A380, other than the potential of a couple extra encodes due to the extra 2GB of VRAM on the A380. The dual-slot A380 is likely to run quieter + cooler though because of the additional heatsink mass.
Yes, combined with bad/incomplete information, likely because of said LLM:
Thereâs no NVENC engine on the GT1030, so recommending one here is just wrong as itâs not fit for purpose
Double-wide cards fit in the Mini R; just not full-height
Fails to distinguish between the NVENC generations in different cards in the GTX1650 line (you want a 1650 Super to guarantee the 7th-gen NVENC chip that can handle HEVC B-frame encoding and improved image quality)
Iâm using an A380, which is overkill for transcoding, but you will be happy with the A310. Low power cards in small packaging, decent linux support, and av1 acceleration for a low price.
I briefly looked the other day and noticed these cards have all but disappeared in the US. Iâve never really seen anyone talk about them outside of âwhat gpu for plex/jellyfinâ circles, but I guess theyâre old now. I paid $120 for my A380 new a year ago.
Yeah, Battlemage is the new hotness off the Intel fab lines but nothing exists save for the B570/B580, and the xe driver that it requires isnât quite fully baked yet unfortunately - it needs a newer kernel than we have available as an LTS choice.