$400 Plex Server + Questions

[EunSoo]

Hey, so I want to get into Plex because I just want access to my movie library wherever I am. I have about 150 blurays and 50 DVDs that I want to get onto the server and I definitely want room for new movies. The main goal is to be able to watch any movie I have on whatever TV, computer, or phone wanted in-house but I also would love to be able to stream outside too. I have a strict $400 USD budget right now but I think if I need to, I could expand storage in the future. Though a big question of mine is whether it would be hard to add a new drive if I wanted to start using it in raid or stripe it with an existing drive or something. Also, the OS is a big concern for me. I am thinking of something like unraid but I would like to get this project done in a Saturday afternoon-type timeframe and I have never used unraid before so would it take me long to get it set up? I know it'll take me a while to get all my movies on it but I'd like that to be the extent of my involvement after I get it set up. If unraid would take a while, would it be worth it over something like ubuntu?I have a 256gb SSD I'll use as boot, a GT 210 I can use for graphics and a Bluray 5.25" drive reader.

Here's the build that I came up with but I'm sure it could use improvement:

 

PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/VsCp9J
Price breakdown by merchant: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/VsCp9J/by_merchant/

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 3 1200 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($104.89 @ OutletPC) - I thought this could be useful for transcoding
Motherboard: ASRock - A320M Pro4 Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($64.49 @ SuperBiiz) 
Memory: G.Skill - NT Series 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory - I don't need much ram, right?
Storage: Western Digital - Red 4TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($124.99 @ Best Buy) 
Case: Corsair - SPEC-01 RED ATX Mid Tower Case  ($39.99 @ Newegg) - I plan on getting new case fans for better reliability and airflow
Power Supply: SeaSonic - FOCUS Gold 450W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($59.99 @ SuperBiiz) - This may be more than I will ever need in this system but will it help reliability?
Total: $394.35
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-02-21 00:55 EST-0500

 

Another slightly unrealistic question is if, temporarily, I could plop in an M.2 drive with Windows and a few games, a spare but capable graphics card and use it as a gaming computer and then have it back to plex on a reboot? Thanks!

[SuperCloneRanger]

Looks ok, there are a few things a would change.

 

get the ryzen 3 2200g, it's faster (3.5ghz vs 3.1ghz) has built in graphics and can play modern games at low/1080p med/720p. its also the same price. i would go with a 7200rpm drive and just get the cheapest 400w 80+ psu from a reputable brand you can (corsair, cooler master, evga, etc), if its from a good brand you should not have to worry about reliability.

 

as for the other stuff, i would not bother with raid its just a hassle you don't need. for the os i would say pick your favourite flavor of linux, i'm a fan of linux mint its based on ubuntu but with a nicer interface. and i think you could totally duel boot and game on it, the 2200g is a capable quad core processor add a nicer graphics card and you can play AAA titles at high/1080 without a problem.

[JoostinOnline]

Put a 2TB hard drive in that and you're set.

[EunSoo]

@SuperCloneRanger @JoostinOnline does this hdd look fine or do I not need a nas hdd?

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/nvPfrH/seagate-internal-hard-drive-st3000vn000

[SuperCloneRanger]

8 hours ago, SCGazelle said:

@SuperCloneRanger @JoostinOnline does this hdd look fine or do I not need a nas hdd?

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/nvPfrH/seagate-internal-hard-drive-st3000vn000

don't bother with the nas drives, as a home user your not going to use the drive enough to warrant the extra expense of a specialist drive. personally i'd just get the cheapest 7200rpm drive like the seagate barracudaor the hitachi deskstar in the size of your choice.

[JoostinOnline]

9 hours ago, SCGazelle said:

@SuperCloneRanger @JoostinOnline does this hdd look fine or do I not need a nas hdd?

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/nvPfrH/seagate-internal-hard-drive-st3000vn000

You don't need a NAS one, but don't get Seagate.  They've got a long history of failure.  it's small, but you're better off   I suggest a WD one.  Because you'll only be streaming from it, 5400RPM will do just fine. Streaming speeds are only going to be 4-5MB/s.  Any one of these would be great.

[EunSoo]

14 hours ago, JoostinOnline said:

You don't need a NAS one, but don't get Seagate.  They've got a long history of failure.  it's small, but you're better off   I suggest a WD one.  Because you'll only be streaming from it, 5400RPM will do just fine. Streaming speeds are only going to be 4-5MB/s.  Any one of these would be great.

Alright, thanks. If I wanted to add a new drive could I just plop one in and direct Plex to it and put movies on it?

[JoostinOnline]

17 hours ago, SCGazelle said:

Alright, thanks. If I wanted to add a new drive could I just plop one in and direct Plex to it and put movies on it?

Yes. You add directories for Plex to search in. You'd just add a second one. I forgot to mention that you'll want SATA cables. You can get a pack of three here if you want to be prepared for getting another drive.