Guide
Jellyfin vs Plex: hardware that actually matters
Jellyfin vs Plex is an app choice. The hardware choice is the same either way: a quiet mini-PC that can transcode, plus a NAS that only stores the library.
Intel Quick Sync (Geekom Mini IT13, N100/N305 boxes such as Beelink EQ14) is the predictable path for a few 1080p or light 4K transcodes. A modern AMD iGPU (Beelink SER5 / SER8, Minisforum UM790 Pro) is fine when you mostly direct-play and want the extra cores for other jobs on the same host. You do not need a discrete GPU for a normal household.
Keep disks on the NAS (UGREEN DXP4800 class and up). Running Plex or Jellyfin on the NAS couples heat, noise, and upgrades. Size RAM on the mini-PC for the OS and metadata — 16 GB is a floor, 32 GB if an Arr stack sits beside the media app.
Hardware in this write-up
- Beelink SER5 — Compact AMD Ryzen mini-PC often used for Proxmox and Home Assistant with upgradeable SODIMM.
- Beelink SER8 — Newer Ryzen 7 mini-PC aimed at heavier VM stacks and iGPU media duties in a dense chassis.
- Geekom Mini IT13 — 13th-gen Intel mini-PC often shortlisted for Quick Sync Plex/Jellyfin and multi-VM Proxmox labs.
- Minisforum UM790 Pro — Ryzen 9 barebone mini-PC with OCulink option for GPU passthrough experiments and dense VMs.
- UGREEN DXP4800 — 4-bay NAS alternative often paired with a mini-PC compute node for media libraries and backups.
- UGREEN DXP6800 Pro — UGREEN NAS DXP6800 Pro — 6-bay library box with 10GbE headroom for larger Plex/Jellyfin collections without a DIY chassis.
- Synology DS923+ — Plus-series 4-bay NAS with expandable RAM and DSM ecosystem — common Plex storage backend.
Related head-to-heads
- Beelink SER8 vs Minisforum UM790 Pro for Proxmox
- UGREEN DXP4800 vs DXP6800 Pro
- Synology DS923+ vs UGREEN DXP4800
- Geekom Mini IT13 vs Beelink SER8
FAQ
Do I need a discrete GPU for Plex or Jellyfin?
Usually no for a few streams. Intel Quick Sync or a modern AMD iGPU covers most households. Discrete GPUs matter for many simultaneous 4K transcodes or exotic codecs.
Should the NAS also transcode?
Prefer a separate mini-PC for apps/transcode and keep the NAS as storage. Combined boxes work for light libraries but couple upgrades and heat.
Jellyfin vs Plex for hardware choice?
Hardware needs are similar. Plex Pass hardware transcoding and client ecosystem differ; pick the app first, then match Quick Sync / RAM / NIC to your stream count.