Best Motherboard for Plex Server in 2022 | Reviews & Buying Guide

Plex is a media server application that allows you to stream your media files to devices like TV, PC, Mac, Xbox, and PlayStation. If you want to set up a Plex server, you need a good motherboard that can handle the transcoding process.

In this article, we will recommend the best motherboards for the Plex server and give you a step-by-step guide on how to set up your own Plex server.

The best motherboards for a Plex server are:

1. ASUS ROG STRIX Z390-E Gaming Motherboard
2. MSI MEG Z390 GODLIKE LGA1151 Motherboard
3. Gigabyte Z390 AORUS Ultra LGA1151 Motherboard

These are all high-end motherboards that can handle the transcoding process very well. If you want to save some money, you can also get a mid-range motherboard like the ASUS Prime Z390-A.

Building a network-attached system (NAS) is a simple & and inexpensive way to store all your data without the need for plenty of external storage.

Additionally, you can even run a network-attached system (NAS) and plex server combo as well & offload your whole media library to a remote location, where you can easily access it from any other device.

So, if you are a new buyer and worried about finding the best motherboard for a plex server, you do not need to worry about it because this guide is based on the best motherboard for the plex server, including their full info.

So, in the current situation, we recommend Gigabyte B450M DS3H V2. This best budget-friendly motherboard from Gigabyte has an amazing performance as it is equipped with durable set features, which delivers you a next-level experience.

Overall, it also supports dual-channel DDR4 memory, 4 DIMMs sockets, and it features a digital VRM heatsink with low RDS MOSFETs. This motherboard also comes with an HDMI port and DVI-D ports for multiple displays.

Also, read our guide about Best B450 Motherboards

Best Motherboards for Plex Server In 2022 Reviews

So, if you are a newbie on the motherboard market and finding the best motherboard for a Plex server at a reasonable price, then you are landing in the right place.

In this guide, we have reviewed or rounded some of the best motherboards for the Plex server, including their complete information, features, and specifications. Also, this guide will help you to pick or choose the best one.

ASRock Rack X470D4U Motherboard

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If you want a compact yet powerful server-grade motherboard with plenty of expansion options and some extra features, then this ASRock Rack X470D4U Motherboard is an ideal choice for you.

This motherboard from ASRock is highly durable and highly recommended on the market because of its top-quality set features and quality of materials too.

The only downside of this motherboard is that it is a bit expensive, but for the price point, you get top of components made to work 24-hours a week. Although, this durable motherboard supports lots of different AMD Ryzem processors which work with ECC unbuffered memory.

Moreover, this best motherboard for the plex server has a fantastic or solid performance as it is equipped with dual PCIe x16 slots and one PCIe 8 slot the amazing thing about this motherboard is that it also features eight SATA and dual M.2 slots, which is quite exceptional.

Additionally, you can also get the dual Gigabit LAN on top of IPMI ports and equipped with plenty of server features including a dedicated server management processor and BMC controller, and many more.

In addition, this best ASRock motherboard for Plex server also supports dual-channel memory and it has a maximum storage or memory capacity of up to 128GB and it also has maximum RAM storage of up to 64GB with a fast memory speed.

Overall, it has an integrated graphics card interface and comes with four memory slots. Another amazing thing about this motherboard is that it also comes with dual 10GbLAN, but it is also noticeably pricier.

ASRock H410M-HDV Motherboard

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For a budget network-attached system (NAS) that does not need ECC unbuffered memory, so you can get a cheap H410M motherboard. If you are looking for a budget-friendly motherboard for a Plex server, then this ASRock H410M-HDV Motherboard is an ideal choice for you, because it is extremely cheap on the motherboard market.

The amazing thing about this motherboard is that it comes with only four SATA 3 ports. The one downside feature of this motherboard is that it comes without an M.2 slot. But, there are the PCIe x 16 slots that can host solid-state disks (SSDs).

Additionally, this best motherboard for plex server has an amazing performance as it is equipped with quality materials and plenty of set features, which delivers you a next-level experience.

This motherboard from ASRock is very easy to install, easy to use, and easy to remove as well. It has an Intel LGA 1200 socket and Intel H410 chipset too.

Furthermore, this best budget motherboard from ASRock supports the latest 10^th generation Intel core processors to maximize connectivity and it also supports dual-channel ECC unbuffered DDR4 memory, which is quite good.

Overall, this motherboard is equipped with 7.1CH HD audio Realtek ALC887 audio codec and comes with graphics output options including an HDMI port and display port.

IN short, this motherboard also has a maximum storage capacity of up to 64GB with a fast memory speed of up to 2933MHz. It has a Windows platform, comes with 8 USB ports, and 2 memory slots.

SUPERMICRO MBD-X9SCM-F-O Motherboard

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Those who require ECC unbuffered memory can get an older Intel motherboard and a cheap Intel Xeon processor. Or maybe an Intel Core i3 and an Intel Pentium processor from the time, when these processors or CPUs supported ECC unbuffered memory.

So, our recommendation is the SUPERMICRO MBD-X9SCM-F-O Motherboard based on an Intel LGA 1151 processor socket.

Note that, this’s an E3 server motherboard, and make sure that you have a chassis that can house it. Although, its storage support is not fantastic and this motherboard features dual PCIe 3 x 8 and dual or Quad PCIe generation 2 x 4 slots.

In addition, this best motherboard under $200 has an amazing performance as it is equipped with an Intel LGA 1151 CPU or processor socket.

It has a micro-ATX form factor and this motherboard supports an Intel Xeon E3 processor to maximize connectivity. It also supports 2^nd generation Intel Core i3 Pentium processors.

Moreover, this best motherboard for the plex server has an Integrated Intel C204 PCH heatsink. Overall, this motherboard supports dual-channel ECC unbuffered memory and it has four memory slots.

This motherboard from SUPERMICRO has a maximum storage capacity of up to 32GB with a memory speed of up to 2133MHz.

The amazing thing about this motherboard is that it is also equipped with 10 SATA 3 ports, but it also features a ton of PCIe ports including 4 PCIe x 16 and dual M.2 connectors and stuff like USB Type C and USB 3.1 respectively.

SUPERMICRO A2SDI-TP8F Motherboard

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Choosing the right or best quality motherboard is very difficult to find on the motherboard market nowadays.

So, if you are a new buyer and worried about the best motherboard for a Plex server at a reasonable price, then you do not want to worry about it, because this SUPERMICRO A2SDI-TP8F Motherboard is an ideal or the best choice for you.

This motherboard comes with robust performance and it’s extremely powerful. This is a server motherboard that comes with 12-cores Intel atom C3858 processor or CPU.

Furthermore, this best motherboard under $100 has an amazing performance as it is equipped with a lot of set features including 10Gb LAN ports, 4 1GB ports, 4 SATA 3 ports, an M.2 slot, PCIe Generation 3 x 4, and an additional PCIe slot as well.

However, the amazing thing about this motherboard is that it supports full remote management and it also comes with ASPEED AST2400 BMC. But, it is quite expensive or pricey.

In addition, this best motherboard for the plex server has a dual or Quad 10Gb LAN feature and it also features an Intel Atom C3758 8-cores processor.

Overall, this motherboard also supports dual-channel DDR4 memory and four DIMMs sockets. This motherboard also supports maximum storage or memory capacity of up to 64GB with a fast memory speed of up to 2666MHz.

Another amazing thing about this motherboard is that it also comes with 64GB of maximum RAM storage, which is quite durable.

MSI Z390-A Pro Motherboard

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As we all know that, MSI is a well-known motherboard manufacturing company that delivers amazing, high-quality, build-quality, top-quality, compact yet powerful, durable, reliable, and portable motherboards at reasonable prices for consumers. Note that, MSI is also known for its top-gaming builds for PC.

The amazing thing about this brand is that it has excellent customer service as compared to other motherboard brands.

So, if you are looking for the best performance motherboard for a plex server, then this MSI Z390-A Pro Motherboard is the best choice for you. Because this motherboard is extremely powerful and it’s designed for gaming.

Moreover, this best-class gaming motherboard from MSI has an amazing or robust performance as it is equipped with 8^th generation and 9^th generation Intel Core, Pentium Gold, or Celeron processors to maximize connectivity and speed with dual M.2 slots.

It has an Integrated Intel LGA 1151 CPU socket and Intel Z390 chipset too. It also has an ATX form factor and the best thing is that it is much cheaper on the motherboard market.

Furthermore, this best motherboard for plex server also supports dual-channel DDR4 memory and it has a maximum storage capacity of up to 64GB with a very fast memory speed of up to 4400MHz.

Overall, it also comes with turbo M.2 slots and PCIe generation 3 x 4 Interface which maximizes performance for solid-state disks (SSDs). Another amazing thing about this motherboard is that it has a core boot and 8+4 pin processor power connector. It has built for reliable operations and also has a Windows 10 platform.

Asus Prime Z390P Motherboard

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Choosing the right or the best performance motherboard is very difficult to find on the motherboard market. So, if you are a new buyer and finding the best quality motherboard for a Plex server at an affordable price, then this Asus Prime Z390P Motherboard is the ideal or the best choice for you.

It has an ATX form factor and it has an Intel LGA 1151 CPU or processor socket. This motherboard from Asus supports dual-channel DDR4 memory. Although, the best thing about this motherboard is that it is highly durable, because of its top-quality materials.

Additionally, this best-in-class Asus motherboard for plex server has an amazing performance as it is equipped with a quality of materials and it supports the latest 8^th generation and 9^th generation Intel core processors to maximize connectivity and speed with M.2 slot and USB 3.1 Generation 2.

However, the amazing thing about this Asus motherboard is that it comes with Asus Optimum II for better DRAM overclocking stability.

Moreover, this best Asus motherboard under $150 also comes with 5x protection III hardware-level safeguards with safe slot core, LAN guard, and over-voltage protection which component longevity and reliability.

Overall, it has a Fan Xpert 4 with an AIO pump header which delivers an advanced fan control dynamic cooling system. It has patent-pending safe slot Core fortified PCIe slots that prevent damage caused by heavyweight graphics processing units (GPUs).

Gigabyte B450M DS3H V2 Motherboard

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If you are looking or finding for the best budget motherboard and the best motherboard for Plex server at a reasonable price, then this Gigabyte B450M DS3H V2 Motherboard is an ideal or the best choice for you. Because this Gigabyte motherboard is extremely cheap on the motherboard market.

Although, the best thing about this motherboard is that it’s highly durable and highly recommended on market, because of its top-quality and build-quality materials. Additionally, this motherboard has a micro-ATX form factor and it also has an AMD AM4 CPU socket.

In addition, this best budget-friendly motherboard from Gigabyte has an amazing performance as it is equipped with durable set features, which delivers you a next-level experience.

This motherboard supports maximum storage or memory capacity of up to 128GB with a fast memory speed. It comes with four memory slots and a lot of expansions ports as well.

Furthermore, this best Gigabyte motherboard for Plex server also supports 1^st generation, 2^nd generation, and 3^rd generation AMD Ryzen or Ryzen with Radeon with Vega graphics processors to maximize performance and speed with Quad M.2 slots.

Overall, it also supports dual-channel DDR4 memory, 4 DIMMs sockets, and it features a digital VRM heatsink with low RDS MOSFETs.

This motherboard also comes with an HDMI port and DVI-D ports for multiple displays. Another best thing about this motherboard is that it has high-quality audio capacitors and an audio noise guard too with LED trace path lighting respectively.

Gigabyte B560 DS3H Motherboard

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Here is another compact yet powerful and budget-friendly motherboard from Gigabyte on the motherboard market. So, if you are a new buyer and finding for the best motherboard for a Plex server under $100, then this Gigabyte B560 DS3H Motherboard is the best choice for you.

This motherboard from Gigabyte is equipped with premium quality materials that make this motherboard portable for use and it comes with plenty of set features, which is quite good.

Although, this motherboard also has a Micro-ATX form factor. This motherboard also comes with 2 memory slots, Windows 10 platform,  and an Intel LGA 1200 processor socket.

Additionally, this best quality Gigabyte motherboard under 4100 has an amazing performance as it is equipped with the latest 10^th generation and 11^th generation Intel core processors to maximize connectivity and speed with dual or twin M.2 slots.

This Gigabyte motherboard also supports dual-channel non-ECC unbuffered DDR4 memory and four DIMMs sockets too. However, it has maximum storage or memory capacity of up to 2GB with a memory speed of 2133MHz.

Moreover, this best budget-friendly motherboard for Plex server has a PCI-E graphics card interface and it comes with a direct 6 plus 2 phase digital VRM solution with Low RDS MOSFETs.

Like the previous motherboard, this motherboard also has dual ultra-fast PCIe 4.0/3.0 x 4 M.2 slots. This best Gigabyte motherboard has a Gigabyte exclusive 8118 gaming LAN with bandwidth management which may enhance your gaming experience.

Gigabyte X570 AORUS Elite WIFI Motherboard

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As we all know that, Gigabyte is a well-known motherboard manufacturing company that delivers compact yet powerful, portable, durable, reliable, high-quality, build-quality, and top-quality motherboards at reasonable prices for consumers. So, if you’re looking for the best performance motherboard for the Plex server, then this Gigabyte X570 AORUS Elite WIFI Motherboard is the best choice for you.

Although, it has an ATX form factor, an AMD AM4 processor socket, and an AMD X570 chipset. This best motherboard supports 2^nd generation and 3^rd generation AMD Ryzen or Ryzen with Radeon Vega graphics processors.

Moreover, this best-quality Gigabyte motherboard under $200 has an amazing performance as it is equipped with a dual-channel non-ECC unbuffered DDR4 memory and 4 DIMMs sockets. However, it has a Windows 8.1, Windows 8, and Windows 10 platform. It also has maximum memory storage of up to 1006TB with a fast memory speed of up to 4400MHz.

Furthermore, this best-in-class Gigabyte motherboard for Plex server has an advanced heatsink design with enlarging heatsink and a dual ultra-fast PCIe 4.0/3.0 x 4 M.2 slots with a single thermal guard. Overall, the amazing thing about this motherboard is that comes with 12 +2 phases digital VRM solution with DrMOS, which is quite good.

Asus ROG Strix Z490-E Gaming Motherboard

The Asus ROG Strix Z490-E Gaming motherboard is one of the best options for a Plex server. It has a great feature set and offers excellent performance. It also has a stylish design that will look great in any system.

The motherboard has an LGA 1200 socket and supports Intel 10th and 11th generation processors. It has four DDR4 DIMM slots that can support up to 128GB of RAM. The motherboard also has three PCIe 3.0 x16 slots, two PCIe 3.0 x1 slots, and a single M.2 slot.

The motherboard has a Realtek ALC887 audio codec, an Intel I219-V Gigabit LAN controller, and an Asus SupremeFX S1220A 8-channel audio codec. It also has a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port, a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port, and six USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports.

The motherboard has a great feature set and offers excellent performance. It also has a stylish design that will look great in any system.

Things To Consider Before Buying The Best Motherboard For Plex Server

Choosing the best motherboard is very difficult to find on the market. So, if you are a new buyer and finding the best motherboard for the Plex server, then you don’t need to worry about it. Because this buying guide will help though. Before buying the best motherboard for a Plex server, then you should consider these factors.

Sockets and Chipset:

Some of the most commonly known sockets are AM4, LGA 1151, and LGA 1200, on the other hand, some of the most commonly known chipsets are Z390, X570, and Z490 too.

Additionally, knowing the working of processor sockets isn’t as important as one would like to think, but understanding which processor socket and chipset would go perfectly or the best with your motherboard is important. Note that, different chipsets have different elements that give all sorts of variants which depending on the graphics processing unit(GPU) and RAM storage.

Factors of the Form:

The size of the motherboard does not matter, but in most cases, it’s vital or essential. Moreover, the larger the motherboard is, the more and more components it’ll be able to support and adapt the processor more smoothly. So, go for a motherboard that’s bigger in size like an ATX motherboard with the capability to attach more components in the future. So, the main thing is knowing how many components that you want to configure with your computer.

GPU:

Basically, everything needs a way to visually support the things that they’re saying, and for a motherboard that’s GPU. Displaying images on a computer or PC does not just happen without it. In addition, you must make sure that you have the kind of graphics processing unit (GPU) that will support the motherboard which you plan on attaching.

Conclusion:

We think that Gigabyte B450M DS3H V2 is the best motherboard for plex server. this best budget-friendly motherboard from Gigabyte has an amazing performance as it is equipped with durable set features, which delivers you a next-level experience.

Overall, it also supports dual-channel DDR4 memory, 4 DIMMs sockets, and it features a digital VRM heatsink with low RDS MOSFETs. This motherboard also comes with an HDMI port and DVI-D ports for multiple displays.

Second, we have the MSI Z390-A Pro Motherboard. this motherboard is extremely powerful and it’s designed for gaming. Moreover, this best-class gaming motherboard from MSI has an amazing performance as it is equipped with 8^th generation and 9^th generation Intel Core, Pentium Gold, or Celeron processors to maximize connectivity and speed with dual M.2 slots.

Last but not least, we have got the SUPERMICRO MBD-X9SCM-F-O Motherboard. this’s an E3 server motherboard and make sure that you have a chassis that can house it.

Although, its storage support is not fantastic and this motherboard features dual PCIe 3 x 8 and dual or Quad PCIe generation 2 x 4 slots. it features a ton of PCIe ports including 4 PCIe x 16 and dual M.2 connectors and stuff like USB Type C and USB 3.1 respectively.

The steps to setting up your own Plex server are:

1. Download the Plex media server software from the official website.
2. Install the software on your computer.
3. Connect your computer to your router.
4. Forward the necessary port (TCP: 32400) on your router.
5. Add your media files to the Plex media server.
6. Access your Plex media server from any device.

During the installation process, you will be asked to create a Plex account. This is necessary in order to access your Plex media server from anywhere.

One possible problem you may encounter is that your computer may not be powerful enough to handle the transcoding process. This can cause choppy playback or even lead to the Plex media server crashing. If this happens, you can try lowering the video quality or transcoding only audio files.

Another possible problem is that your router may not be able to handle the traffic from the Plex media server. This can lead to buffering or connection issues. If this happens, you can try connecting your computer directly to your modem or upgrading your router to a better one.

In conclusion, setting up your own Plex media server is a great way to enjoy your media files on any device. You just need to make sure that you have a good motherboard that can handle the transcoding process and a fast internet connection.

Frequently Asked Questions About Best Motherboard For Plex Server

What CPU or processor is best for the Plex server?

Plex server recommends a minimum of an Intel Core i3 processor or faster. But, if a lot of people stream at the same time, then you must look for a processor with solid multi-core performance. So, I recommend the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 processor.

What specifications do I need for a Plex server?

In general, the Plex server does not require a large amount of RAM storage. 2GB of RAM storage is typically more than sufficient.

What’s a good plex server?

Because of its versatility as a Plex & client along with gaming, smart home, media streaming functionality as well, then NVIDIA shields TV pro is the best Plex server.

Does transcoding need RAM storage?

RAM is not a subject to burnout from usage like solid-state disk (SSD) would be and transcoding does not need nearly as much space in memory to perform few or some would think.

Originally posted 2022-03-27 06:51:31.