Looking for a new setup

[SSJ4Gokou 2]

So I have been looking at building/buying a new server setup. Issue is that there are sooooo many options to choose from. Buying an out of the box server to building and purchasing each and every piece of hardware. Becomes overwhelming. My tiny little Asus computer is holding up rather well, but does see some downtime and no room for HD growth. I have to rely on an external HD attached to my router via USB 3.0 to store my media. Not Ideal, but does get the job done.

 

I am now in the market to look for a brand new somewhat beefy/future proof piece of hardware for all my media needs. At this point in my research I still do not have a clear picture as to what I am looking for. Out of the Box or build. I do know that I would like to have it handle at least 5-8 streams whether it be transcoded or not and the ability to add more HD or RAM...etc. I know that some would like to build while others prefer out of box. I would like to have something in the middle of that.

 

So with that being said, I turn to you guys, the emby experts. What is the best solution for my media needs? 

[PenkethBoy 2063]

Have you read the other similar threads on this sub forum as this has been asked a few times in the recent past?

 

The choices are wide and to give us something to go on we need more information - otherwise you are going to get lots of different opinions

 

CPU or GPU transcoding?

How much space in terms of HDD do you want - might be better to have your storage as a NAS and have a smaller PC case for the server - or you could buy an old enterprise server (they can be very cheap) with the capacity for lots of ram(not needed for emby) and some with large numbers of drive bays - or build your own with all the flexibility that comes with that - or buy a ready built machine (expensive)..............  

 

What are the specs for your current setup which is working at the moment, cpu, hdd's, gpu, ram etc

[SSJ4Gokou 2]

This is what I currently have:

 

ASUS VM60-G106M Intel HM76 Mini

Intel i5-3337U 1.8GHz

Intel HD Graphics 4000

Seagate Hybrid Drive ST1000DX001 1TB MLC/8GB 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB 204-Pin DDR3

 

I would probably be more into CPU transcoding since GPU's are super expensive right now.

[SkyBehind 23]

What OS are you running? I transcode with HD 4000 graphics and can handle the transcodes you're looking for.

 

I got a pci SATA card with two ports and have an 8 bay disk array I got for like $80.

 

Basically you may be good with what you have and there are options to handle more drives.

 

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

[SSJ4Gokou 2]

What OS are you running? I transcode with HD 4000 graphics and can handle the transcodes you're looking for.

 

I got a pci SATA card with two ports and have an 8 bay disk array I got for like $80.

 

Basically you may be good with what you have and there are options to handle more drives.

 

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

 

I am running Windows 10. Nothing super special. It's a Mini PC case which does not have the ability to add anything PCI. https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16856110124 If I wanted to upgrade it'll have to be via USB or purchase another case of some sort. 

[SkyBehind 23]

I am running Windows 10. Nothing super special. It's a Mini PC case which does not have the ability to add anything PCI. https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16856110124 If I wanted to upgrade it'll have to be via USB or purchase another case of some sort. 

you could host a NAS, strictly to store the files (like with a Odroid or someone did it with a GoFlex Net), or get a disk array that uses USB 3.0.  I don't have experience with the USB disk arrays, some people have said they have problems, but they sell them and I'm sure you can read the reviews.  Like any of these https://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Description=usb%203.0%20raid%20enclosure&Submit=ENE 

 

There's a mediasonic one on sale for like $99 that holds 4 drives.  With 8TB drives, that's 32 TB

[legallink 187]

I have the FD Node 804 http://www.fractal-design.com/home/product/cases/node-series/node-804

 

Great case for a lot of drives but you are limited to micro atx boards.  I chose it because I'm space confined and a large tower just wouldn't really work in my small NYC apartment life.  It currently sits on top corner of a wardrobe, which works really well for me.

 

It sounds like you have an expansion issue for storage.  Whether you have a transcode issue, it isn't clear from your post.

 

Check the other threads on hardware recommendations.  My experience is if you can get things to a place where they don't have to be transcoded, that is the best option.  I pre-transcode everything to mp4 and leave the original on there as well, since for me, storage is less of an issue.  I'm running 6 drives (plus 2 SSD's for OS and Cache/Metadata), that are all between 4TB and 8TB.  

 

I don't do 4k videos yet, so at roughly 30TB, I've got space for my collection with room to grow if I need to, and can always swap in some larger drives, which I'll probably need to do as I'm planning to transition to 4k discs.

[SSJ4Gokou 2]

I have the FD Node 804 http://www.fractal-design.com/home/product/cases/node-series/node-804

 

Great case for a lot of drives but you are limited to micro atx boards.  I chose it because I'm space confined and a large tower just wouldn't really work in my small NYC apartment life.  It currently sits on top corner of a wardrobe, which works really well for me.

 

It sounds like you have an expansion issue for storage.  Whether you have a transcode issue, it isn't clear from your post.

 

Check the other threads on hardware recommendations.  My experience is if you can get things to a place where they don't have to be transcoded, that is the best option.  I pre-transcode everything to mp4 and leave the original on there as well, since for me, storage is less of an issue.  I'm running 6 drives (plus 2 SSD's for OS and Cache/Metadata), that are all between 4TB and 8TB.  

 

I don't do 4k videos yet, so at roughly 30TB, I've got space for my collection with room to grow if I need to, and can always swap in some larger drives, which I'll probably need to do as I'm planning to transition to 4k discs.

 

This makes a lot of sense. I do not have an issue with transcoding at the moment, but I am quickly running out of space and turning to x265 format to retain High Quality in a smaller file size. It sounds like I should be looking for something smaller that enables the ability to add more drives down the line.

 

This may be me being picky and I do own a 3,000sq house so space for a tower is not an issue, but I do want to have whatever server I chose wired to my router. Currently my router is located in my Living room and having a huge tower in the same space does seem like it would be an eyesore, so having something small to mount on a wall or hide is ideal for me.

 

I'll take a look at those FD Nodes, they seem like it would be a perfect fit for what I am wanting to do.

[Fratopolis 62]

This makes a lot of sense. I do not have an issue with transcoding at the moment, but I am quickly running out of space and turning to x265 format to retain High Quality in a smaller file size. It sounds like I should be looking for something smaller that enables the ability to add more drives down the line.

 

This may be me being picky and I do own a 3,000sq house so space for a tower is not an issue, but I do want to have whatever server I chose wired to my router. Currently my router is located in my Living room and having a huge tower in the same space does seem like it would be an eyesore, so having something small to mount on a wall or hide is ideal for me.

 

I'll take a look at those FD Nodes, they seem like it would be a perfect fit for what I am wanting to do.

 

Node 804 in action if you are still considering. 

https://emby.media/community/index.php?/topic/6985-show-off-your-rig/?p=579056