Mini PC Recommendations

[DangerBK]

Hello all,

I’m looking for recommendations on hardware to run a Jellyfin server. I want to support up to 4 simultaneous streams, likely to a mix of laptops and Roku devices.
I’m considering a Mini PC for its low cost and compact size. In addition to Jellyfin, I’ll be running a few Docker containers hosting typical web apps, so it needs to handle that as well.

Here’s what I’m looking for:

• Budget: Under $1,000
  
• Storage: At least 4TB, but ideally upgradable to 8TB
  
• Operating System: Comfortable running headless Linux
  
• Usage: Streaming + Docker containers hosting web apps
  
• Stream count: Up to 4 streams max
  

Would love to hear suggestions for Mini PCs or small form factor hardware that fit my needs!

Thanks in advance for your help!
Adam

[TheDreadPirate]

If the storage is going to be directly attached, your options are pretty much limited to USB storage for a mini PC.

And will your content include 4K HDR movies/shows?

[DangerBK]

If the storage is going to be directly attached, your options are pretty much limited to USB storage for a mini PC.

And will your content include 4K HDR movies/shows?

It really doesn't have to be 4k. Downsides to USB storage? I'm open to any other ideas within my budget.

[TheDreadPirate]

It really doesn't have to be 4k. Downsides to USB storage? I'm open to any other ideas within my budget.

With USB hard drives, you have less control over the actual hard drive in the enclosure.  For PCs that are running 24/7, NAS rated drives are strongly recommended since they are rated to run 24/7.

It depends on your space constraints.  A mini-ITX system, instead of a mini PC, would allow you to use a dedicated GPU, use internal SATA hard drives, and offer more flexibility with the CPU.  A case like the Fractal Node 304 or Core 500?

A $1000 budget, which I'm assuming includes the storage, is easily doable and you have a lot of options to work with.

A low-ish end Intel or AMD CPU with a mini-ITX motherboard, 32GB of RAM, Intel Arc GPU, a single 8TB hard drive in a mini-ITX case.  Easily doable for that budget and will easily handle your work load.

If a super small enclosure is not a requirement, that would opens things up even more.

If I were to spec a system for about $1000, here is how I would do it.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/TCFfMV

Make adjustments to meet your needs. But something like that would meet your needs, while giving you room to grow.

[DangerBK]

It really doesn't have to be 4k. Downsides to USB storage? I'm open to any other ideas within my budget.

With USB hard drives, you have less control over the actual hard drive in the enclosure.  For PCs that are running 24/7, NAS rated drives are strongly recommended since they are rated to run 24/7.

It depends on your space constraints.  A mini-ITX system, instead of a mini PC, would allow you to use a dedicated GPU, use internal SATA hard drives, and offer more flexibility with the CPU.  A case like the Fractal Node 304 or Core 500?

A $1000 budget, which I'm assuming includes the storage, is easily doable and you have a lot of options to work with.

A low-ish end Intel or AMD CPU with a mini-ITX motherboard, 32GB of RAM, Intel Arc GPU, a single 8TB hard drive in a mini-ITX case.  Easily doable for that budget and will easily handle your work load.

If a super small enclosure is not a requirement, that would opens things up even more.

If I were to spec a system for about $1000, here is how I would do it.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/TCFfMV

Make adjustments to meet your needs.  But something like that would meet your needs, while giving you room to grow.

No concern with using AMD vs Intel? I thought Intel had more support. Ya space isn't a concern but I don't want to spend a lot on electricity if it's not necessary. Thanks for putting together a parts list I really appreciate the effort

[TheDreadPirate]

I choose Intel for my system when, I wasn't planning on putting in an Arc GPU, so I could have Intel Quick Sync. If I were to do it again, knowing I'd get an Arc GPU, I'd choose an AMD CPU. As long as it isn't a K series 13th or 14th gen CPU with degradation issues. If you are not putting in a dedicated GPU, I would 100% choose an Intel CPU.

[DangerBK]

Hmmm, considering I'm thinking of this media as more throwaway because I'm not building a long living library I'm less concerned about the external HDD. Do you have a recommendation for a mini pc that would fit my requirements utilizing an external drive? I'm unsure about what requirements on the mini pc I should shoot for to do 4 streams. I do have a NAS hanging around that I could just mount later, it's currently in use for something else.

[TheDreadPirate]

If you avoid 4K and HDR content, the Beelink S12 with the Intel N100 should meet your needs, easily. And it already has 16GB of RAM and a 500GB SSD.

https://www.amazon.com/Beelink-S12-Pro-G...B0D5Y4YMY8

It can handle transcoding and tone mapping 4K HDR to SDR, but that is only for a single stream.

[DangerBK]

What benefits do I gain from having a dedicated graphics card vs the integrated graphics?

[TheDreadPirate]

---

But seriously. More performance. Particularly with HDR tone mapping, which is VRAM intensive. VRAM is something iGPUs sorely lack. For non-HDR transcoding, dedicated GPUs will still be faster. But Intel iGPUs are very very capable for transcoding. More than enough for 4-5 SDR transcodes.