CPU/Hardware Upgrade Recommendations

[SandwormSlayer]

Hi everyone,

So about two months ago I went ahead and repurposed an old HP work PC containing a 4th gen i5-4460 into a home server that's really only running Jellyfin as of now. I've done a few upgrades to it such as add an SSD for the OS, a 16TB HDD to store my media as well as bumped up the ram to 16GB. However, I'm starting to realize the importance of hardware transcoding and just how much I'd benefit from a 7th gen or later Intel CPU with better internal graphics to take advantage of usable QuickSync.

That brings me to my two questions:

1. Seeing as this system is running an outdated MOBO and DDR3, would it be more beneficial to just find a cheap system on Ebay already containing a newer Intel CPU?
   
2. If I decide to upgrade my current system, are there any specific Intel CPU recommendations that'll provide me the best bang for my buck? I don't currently offer my Jellyfin library to many people, but ideally I'd like to allow my friends and family to stream from it regardless of their display.
   

Thank you guys all for your help!

[TheDreadPirate]

If it has an open PCIe 16x slot, and the case and power supply can accommodate it, the most economical upgrade is to get an Intel Arc GPU.

[SandwormSlayer]

If it has an open PCIe 16x slot, and the case and power supply can accommodate it, the most economical upgrade is to get an Intel Arc GPU.

The case and power supply definitely can't accommodate that. That also seems like a much more expensive route than what I had in mind. Why is this the most economical?

[TheDreadPirate]

The entire Arc lineup has the same encoder engine. Including the bottom tier and cheap A310. It is simply a matter of having a PCIe slot. The A310 does not require a power connector. SOME of the A380s require an 8 pin PCIe power connector. Requires very little power for either. Both the A310 and A380 have low profile versions if the case you have is slim.

THe A380 can be had for about ~$100 USD. THe A310 is less than that. You don't have to replace the CPU, memory, or motherboard to add a very capable encoder with an Arc GPU.

[Efficient_Good_5784]

The case and power supply definitely can't accommodate that. That also seems like a much more expensive route than what I had in mind. Why is this the most economical?

There are low profile Arc cards that only need the 75 watts provided by the pcie slot (no extra PSU cables needed).
Here's a dual-slot & single-fan example that costs $109.99 USD.

[SandwormSlayer]

The entire Arc lineup has the same encoder engine.  Including the bottom tier and cheap A310.  It is simply a matter of having a PCIe slot.  The A310 does not require a power connector.  SOME of the A380s require an 8 pin PCIe power connector.  Requires very little power for either.  Both the A310 and A380 have low profile versions if the case you have is slim.

THe A380 can be had for about ~$100 USD.  THe A310 is less than that.  You don't have to replace the CPU, memory, or motherboard to add a very capable encoder with an Arc GPU.

Ahh I see, that makes sense. My apologies, I haven't kept up with GPU's in a while and incorrectly assumed there were still a select number of ARC cards that would be no less than $200-300. For $100, this card is a no-brainer as it will save me a lot of hassle of looking for cheap used components and essentially building an entirely new PC. Not to mention, it offers even better transcoding performance than most if not all Intel iGPUs. Thank you for the recommendation, I just purchased an A380 for $100 from Newegg. Thank you!

[wezmag]

Hi, I saw your post about upgrading your system, and I was curious—how's the performance with the new Intel A380 GPU so far? Intel mentioned that resizable BAR is required for optimal performance with the A380, but I noticed your older hardware doesn't support it. Have you encountered any issues or performance limitations because of this? I'm considering getting an A380 for my old i7-3770 system, and I’d love to hear about your experience! Thank you!

[TheDreadPirate]

rebar is not necessary for transcoding. There is only a marginal improvement in transcoding performance when it is enabled. Adding an Arc GPU into an old system will definitely make a huge difference for Jellyfin.

Go for it.