Best GPU For Plex Transcoding

The Plex Media Server’s built-in transcoders can convert media from incompatible formats to compatible formats while streaming media to a client device.

Plex’s role is to convert any type of media file into a playable format on a server. Plex’s hardware acceleration allows you to stream your content online using powerful graphics cards from NVIDIA and AMD.

By using a Graphics card, we can reduce the burden from the processor also we can stream videos to many devices.

A GPU can increase the video transcoding speed without using a lot of power from the CPU. Video playback has a lower performance effect on your device because CPU-intensive transcoding activities are offloaded to dedicated hardware.

No matter which graphics card brand you choose, all you need is a powerful one to handle Plex streaming. Accordingly, here are the top graphics cards for Plex transcoding that you can buy in 2022.

List of the Most Efficient GPUs For Plex Transcoding:

• Zotac GeForce GTX 1660
• NVIDIA Quadro P2200
• Nvidia Quadro RTX 5000
• NVIDIA Titan RTX Graphics Card

ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1660:

Specs Overview:

GPU: NVIDIA | Brand: ZOTAC | VRAM: 6 GB | Memory Type: GDDR5 | Memory Clock: 14 Gbps | Real Boost Clock Speed: 1785 MHz | Cuda cores: 1408 |

Brief Overview:

This GeForce GTX 1660 fits into the mid-range price category and provides excellent performance for Plex Transcoding. It can upscale five 4K streams to 1080p (8Mbit) and 32 720p streams to 480p.

The GTX 1660 comes with six GB of GDDR5 memory on a 192-bit interface. Its base clock speed is 1530 MHz, while its memory clock speed is 14 Gbps.

There are 48 ROPs, 6 GB of 192-bit GDDR5 memory, and it is ideal for 4K Plex transcoding.

The Zotac GTX 1660 Twin is extremely power efficient, as well as extremely quiet while it is running.

During 4K Plex transcoding, it uses about 105 W of power, making it one of the best performers per watt.

Its temperatures are also moderate. Despite heavy transcoding workloads, you’ll find that this card operates silently under its thermals.

Why you should buy:

• Runs quietly under heavy use
• Extremely energy efficient
• Ideal for plex transcoding 1080p to 720p

Limitations:

• Neither a backplate nor an idle fan stop

NVIDIA Quadro P2200:

Specs Overview:

GPU: NVIDIA | VRAM: 5 GB | Memory Type: GDDR5 | Memory Clock: 10 Gbps | Real Boost Clock Speed: 1490 MHz | Cuda cores: 1280 |

Brief Overview:

Among mid-range GPUs, the Nvidia Quadro P2200 is a great choice, as it can handle 1080p and even 4K streams well.

The Nvidia Quadro P2200 is the most viable and bets choice for Plex transcoding.

supports complex transcoding workloads with adequate processing power. Although it offers great performance for 1080p streams, it can even transcode four 4K (68 MBit) streams into 1080p (8 MBit) and 17-1080p (10 MBit) into 720p (4 MBit) seamlessly without any issues.

Nvidia Quadro P2200 has 1280 Cuda Cores, 40 ROPs, and 80 TMUS. It has 5 GB of GDDR5X memory.

It is a single-slot card, so there is no extra power connector needed. The GPU uses just 75W during plex transcoding, which means that a high-end power supply is not needed to run this graphics card.

Why you should buy:

• A mid-range GPU that can handle 1080p plex transcoding
• An excellent price-performance ratio
• An efficient and fast RAM

Limitations:

• Comparatively expensive

NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000:

Specs Overview:

GPU: NVIDIA | VRAM: 16 GB | Memory Type: GDDR6 | Memory Clock: 14 Gbps | Real Boost Clock Speed: 1815 MHz | Cuda cores: 3072 |

Brief Overview:

Nvidia Quadro RTX 5000 is a high-end GPU that can handle demanding plex transcoding workloads to stream multiple 4K videos in parallel.

The Nvidia Turing architecture enables the chip to encode and decode multiple streams of 4K (10MBits) into smooth or buffer-free 1080p (10MBits) streams on a single Plex server.

The GPU has 3072 CUDA cores and 16GB GDDR6 video memory to handle even the toughest plex transcoding workloads. The Quadro RTX 5000 comes with 16GB GDDR6 memory with a 256-bit memory interface and 3072 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs.

It is a dual-slot GPU and in Plex transcoding, the maximum power draw is usually below 230W.

The Nvidia Quadro RTX 5000 is an excellent graphics card to stream multiple 4K videos to your Plex server. Although it’s an expensive GPU to get, it’ll make your transcoding experience more reliable.

Why you should buy:

• One of the best options for Plex transcoding
• Transcoding 4K to 1080p is straightforward
• A powerful 16 GB of RAM

Limitations:

• Very expensive GPU

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NVIDIA Titan RTX:

Specs Overview:

GPU: NVIDIA | VRAM: 24 GB | Memory Type: GDDR6 | Memory Clock: 14 Gbps | Real Boost Clock Speed: 1770 MHz | Cuda cores: 4608 |

Brief Overview:

Titan RTX boasts outstanding performance in streaming, complex video editing, and plex transcoding.

With Titan RTX, you can stream around 20 4K streams on your Plex server. Titan RTX can also transcode over 48 1080p streams into 720p streams.

It comes with 24GB of GDDR6 memory, which is similar to that of the RTX 3090. You also get access to 672 Mb/s bandwidth, so you can easily stream large video files over a Plex server.

NVIDIA includes 3 DisplayPort 1.4 ports, 1 HDMI 2.0b port, and a Type-C port on the TITAN RTX. You can also connect two of these monsters via NVLink  Bridge.

Why you should buy:

• 24GB of memory is ideal for plex transcoding workloads
• Improved Tensor cores enhance inferencing performance
• It has an attractive design with monster frame buffer

Limitations:

• Exceptionally expensive

People Also Ask:

Can GPUs help with transcoding?

Yes, you can use a powerful graphics card to get the most out of transcoding if it’s GPU-accelerated.

What is the minimum RAM requirement for Plex transcoding?

A Plex server with at least 16GB of RAM performs transcoding by taking the file from the transcode folder, dividing it into chunks, then transcoding it and throwing it back into the original transcode folder.

Does Plex transcoding require my computer to be on?

In general, to access your content, your Plex Apps need to be able to connect to your Plex Media Server. This means that the server needs to be running and your computer or device needs to be on.