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2017 Plex Server

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lightsout1134

lightsout1134

Joined
Mar 8, 2017
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7
Motherboard
Gigabyte LGA1151 Intel Z170 Micro ATX DDR4 Gaming 5 Motherboards (GA-Z170MX)
CPU
Intel BX80662I76700K 4512 Core i7 6700K 4.00 GHz Unlocked Quad Core
Graphics
N/A
My old Mac 3,1 tower is finally too old for any more Plex server updates, so it's time for a Hackintosh build.

I'd of course like as much of a discreet build if possible, but it may not be in the cards for me as I would love to house 6-8 hard drives. Since I plan to use is strictly as a Plex server and connect to box on my network via Screen Sharing, network drive sharing etc....

- I don't need a graphics card installed (except for the initial setup I'd assume)
- I don't need wifi
- I don't need any real interfacing beyond USB 3

The parts I do want to focus on are:

- Fast processor (I'll happily pay for quality that will last me a while here, as the more streams Plex transcodes the more power this takes)
- Fast motherboard (same as above)
- Expansion for a minimum of 6 drives (would love something like 8)
- Quiet case/fans
- Case that looks less like a PC and more like something you'd see in a home entertainment setup

I'm willing to spend the money for something that is powerful and will last me a while. My last MacPro is still kicking around after 11 years as my current Plex server (even with lacking updates).

I've done a ton of homework and seen a ton of Youtube builds, which are all a year or older. I'd love to hear people chime in on their thoughts about the latest and greatest out there currently, right now, in 2017. Especially, if you have a Hackintosh Plex build yourself.

Thanks in advance for any input!
 
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Personally, I built a Synology clone for my Plex serving needs.

Features:
  • Offers redundancy to protect my data in the event one or two of the drives fail.
  • Dynamic expandability. When space runs low, I can replace smaller drives with larger ones or add additional drives to expand capacity to existing RAID arrays.
  • Can setup multiple RAID arrays.
  • Hot swap drives.
  • Can also act as a file server and/or Time Machine for many users.
  • Can run headless or with monitor.
  • Remote management of motherboard and BIOS possible via IPMI.
  • Can be configured with 10GbE.
  • Remote management of Synology DSM via any web browser.
  • Good collection of apps such as bittorrent clients, usenet clients, etc.
  • Easy setup for email or text messages about any problems that may arise with the system.
I stream to my AppleTV and it plays everything I've thrown at it without the need for transcoding. The same was true when I tested streaming to my iPhone 6 and iPhone 7. When I tested, the CPU in my build, a C2550, was able to transcode two streams without problems. If you need to transcode many streams, you can use as powerful of a CPU as you choose.

Case can be anything you like. There are some nice rack mount cases out there that may fit your needs with preconfigured hot swap bays. Another option would be to just tuck it in a corner where it won't be noticed since the only time you would really need to access it would be replace/add drives.

Information on building something like this can be found on:
XPEnology NAS • View forum - XPEnology General discussion
 
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pastrychef said:
Personally, I built a Synology clone for my Plex serving needs.

Features:
  • Offers redundancy to protect my data in the even one or two of the drives fail.
  • Dynamic expandability. When space runs low, I can replace smaller drives with larger ones or add additional drives to expand capacity to existing RAID arrays.
  • Can setup multiple RAID arrays.
  • Hot swap drives.
  • Can also act as a file server and/or Time Machine for many users.
  • Can run headless or with monitor.
  • Remote management of motherboard and BIOS possible via IPMI.
  • Can be configured with 10GbE.
  • Remote management of Synology DSM via any web browser.
  • Good collection of apps such as bittorrent clients, usenet clients, etc.
  • Easy setup for email or text messages about any problems that may arise with the system.
I stream to my AppleTV and it plays everything I've thrown at it without the need for transcoding. The same was true when I tested streaming to my iPhone 6 and iPhone 7. When I tested, the CPU in my build, a C2550, was able to transcode two streams without problems. If you need to transcode many streams, you use as power of a CPU as you choose.

Case can be anything you like. Thee are some nice rack mount cases out there that may fit your needs with preconfigured hot swap bays. Another option would be to just tuck it in a corner where it won't be noticed since the only time you would really need to access it would be replace/add drives.

Information on building something like this can be found on:
XPEnology NAS • View forum - XPEnology General discussion
Click to expand...

Thanks a ton for this. I'll definitely investigate further as it seems like this would fit most of my needs.

Anyone else with a Hackintosh build?
 
OP, I am in the same boat. Looking to ditch my MacMini as my Plex/Media Server and build a i7 32GB of RAM beast. Tired of waiting on Apple for a new MacMini. Did you have any luck finding a rack mount or media type looking case? I am struggling with that, big time.
 
Hackintosh
GA-Z170M-D3H |  i7 6700K |  GeForce Other
Hey @Parky305, I did, and I love my setup. I went with FRACTAL Design's NODE 805 and it is perfect. I love the fact that it can house so many drives. My current build is a whopping 45TB.

http://www.fractal-design.com/home/product/cases/node-series/node-804

I essentially went with this setup and got the "best of the best" in each of these lists:
https://www.tonymacx86.com/buyersguide/may/2017#CustoMac_mATX

A few crucial elements that took me a while in research were the following...maybe it'll help save you some time:

For power:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LWTS2UL/?tag=tonymacx86com-20

And these helped a bunch in cable saving space:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B012BPLW08/?tag=tonymacx86com-20

Hope this helps!
 
@lightsout1134, Thats awesome information...thank you. I really appreciate that. I am essentially doing the same thing by going down the list for the best of the best, but it looks like the new i7 isn't listed there yet and I saw some folks in the Build Section already use the i7-7700K, is that what you used for the processor?
 
Hackintosh
GA-Z170M-D3H |  i7 6700K |  GeForce Other
I built an xpenology box also. I used the fractal 304 case which is a good size. Just a little bigger than a synology ds15xx box.

I did end up using a 7700k cpu, but that seems like overkill. Watt meter shows about 45w during idle.
 
Good information, that was basically my last hold up before ordering all my parts. Did you end up going water cooled or fan for the processor?

Thanks again for that case recommendation, thats a pretty awesome case. Where you did pick it up from?

Is there any information on this xpenology, it all looks lie its in Chinese? I have a Synology 4 disk system now and I am looking to upgrade it.
 
Hackintosh
GA-Z170M-D3H |  i7 6700K |  GeForce Other
There's an English section on the xpenology website


I went aircooled. Again, I really don't think it's necessary for a high heat high power CPU. It's on 24/7 therefore low power is better
 
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