8 hours ago
Thanks for sharing your setup—looks like a solid foundation for a home Plex server, especially with that i7-4790K and 24TB of storage. Here's a quick take on your GPU choice and a few things to consider:
✅ Intel Arc A380 – Is it a Good Fit?
Yes, but with caveats. The Arc A380 is a solid low-profile GPU that supports AV1, HEVC, and H.264 hardware transcoding, which makes it a great budget card for Plex.
It will take a significant load off your CPU when streaming multiple or high-res videos (like 4K HEVC).
Driver maturity has improved a lot, but it can still be a little quirky on older platforms like yours (Z97 chipset).
⚠️ Compatibility Check:
Your Z97 motherboard is PCIe 3.0, and while the Arc A380 is PCIe 4.0, it's backward-compatible. You’ll just get slightly reduced bandwidth—not a huge issue for Plex.
BIOS update may be required for GPU detection.
Make sure your power supply can handle it (check wattage and connectors).
? Should You Upgrade the CPU?
Honestly, not urgently—your i7-4790K is still pretty capable, especially with GPU doing the heavy lifting.
But if you ever want better Docker/VMS performance or more parallel Plex streams, consider upgrading to a newer platform later (e.g., AMD Ryzen or Intel 12th/13th gen).
? Alternative GPUs (under $300):
If the Arc A380 gives you driver headaches, here are other good options for Plex:
NVIDIA Quadro P2000 (used): Legendary Plex card for transcoding.
NVIDIA GTX 1650 Super: Great value and reliable support for Plex.
Intel Arc A310: Even cheaper than A380 with decent Plex performance.
✅ Intel Arc A380 – Is it a Good Fit?
Yes, but with caveats. The Arc A380 is a solid low-profile GPU that supports AV1, HEVC, and H.264 hardware transcoding, which makes it a great budget card for Plex.
It will take a significant load off your CPU when streaming multiple or high-res videos (like 4K HEVC).
Driver maturity has improved a lot, but it can still be a little quirky on older platforms like yours (Z97 chipset).
⚠️ Compatibility Check:
Your Z97 motherboard is PCIe 3.0, and while the Arc A380 is PCIe 4.0, it's backward-compatible. You’ll just get slightly reduced bandwidth—not a huge issue for Plex.
BIOS update may be required for GPU detection.
Make sure your power supply can handle it (check wattage and connectors).
? Should You Upgrade the CPU?
Honestly, not urgently—your i7-4790K is still pretty capable, especially with GPU doing the heavy lifting.
But if you ever want better Docker/VMS performance or more parallel Plex streams, consider upgrading to a newer platform later (e.g., AMD Ryzen or Intel 12th/13th gen).
? Alternative GPUs (under $300):
If the Arc A380 gives you driver headaches, here are other good options for Plex:
NVIDIA Quadro P2000 (used): Legendary Plex card for transcoding.
NVIDIA GTX 1650 Super: Great value and reliable support for Plex.
Intel Arc A310: Even cheaper than A380 with decent Plex performance.