Best mini PC for Plex
A good Plex box is quiet, cheap to run, and has a GPU that hardware-transcodes. Here is what actually matters, and which mini PCs clear the bar — ranked on the numbers, not marketing.
In short: For most people, an Intel Quick Sync mini PC is the right answer: the N100 class for a budget build, and a Quick Sync box with 2.5/10GbE (like the Minisforum MS-01) once the library lives on a NAS. AMD's Radeon 780M is a fine alternative if you also want CPU grunt.
At a glance
Our top pick is Minisforum MS-01 (score 8.8/10), from US$679 MINISFORUM US store — barebone i9-13900H (no RAM/SSD/OS).Next is Beelink Mini S12 Pro (8/10), from TBC Price TBC — not confirmed on a vendor/retailer page.
| Mini PC | Best for | Price from | Idle power | Our score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minisforum MS-01Intel i9-13900H, dual 10GbE | Best for a home lab or NAS | US$679MINISFORUM US store — barebone i9-13900H (no RAM/SSD/OS) | TBC | 8.8 | Check price |
| Beelink Mini S12 ProIntel N100, quiet and cheap | Best cheap Plex box | TBCPrice TBC — not confirmed on a vendor/retailer page | TBC | 8 | Check price |
| GMKtec NucBox G3Intel N100 budget box | Best budget mini PC | US$169.99GMKtec US store — from (barebone option) | TBC | 7.8 | Check price |
| Beelink SER8Ryzen 7 8845HS all-rounder | Best overall mini PC | US$799Beelink direct — listed configuration (was $959) | TBC | 9 | Check price |
| Minisforum UM790 ProRyzen 9 7940HS, dual M.2 | Best for CPU-heavy work | US$589.55MINISFORUM US store — sale price (was $737.34) | TBC | 8.9 | Check price |
| GMKtec NucBox K8 PlusRyzen 7 8845HS with USB4 | Best for tinkerers | US$409.99GMKtec US store — from (barebone option; was $619.99) | TBC | 8.7 | Check price |
| GEEKOM A8Ryzen 7 8745HS, tidy packaging | Best finish and support | US$799GEEKOM direct — A8 (was $1,039) | TBC | 8.6 | Check price |
| AceMagic S1Intel N100 entry box | Best for a first mini PC | TBCPrice TBC — sold via marketplaces; no longer listed on the AceMagic store | TBC | 7.5 | Check price |
Prices were checked on 10 October 2026 and change often — always confirm on the vendor's or store's own page. Fields marked TBC could not be confirmed and are not estimated;see which records are still unverified.
How we score
- Whether the iGPU does hardware transcoding, and which codecs it covers (Quick Sync vs VCN).
- Idle and load power, since a media server runs 24/7 — watts are running cost.
- Storage: M.2 slots, and whether there is a path to bulk/network storage.
- Networking: 2.5GbE or 10GbE matters when media lives on a NAS.
- Noise under a sustained transcode — a lounge-room box has to be quiet.
Our promises
The top picks, in detail
Minisforum MS-01
| CPU | Intel Core i9-13900H (14C/20T) — also i9-13900HK / i9-12900H / i5-12600H |
| Graphics | Intel Iris Xe (dual-channel RAM) / Intel UHD (single-channel) |
| Memory | DDR5-5200 dual-channel, 2× SODIMM (up to 96GB) |
| Storage | 3× M.2 2280 NVMe (1× PCIe 4.0 + 2× PCIe 3.0; up to 4TB each) |
| Ports | 2× 10GbE SFP+, 2× 2.5GbE RJ45, 2× USB4, 1× HDMI, 1× DisplayPort, PCIe 4.0 x16 slot |
| Idle power | TBC |
Pros
- Dual 10GbE SFP+ plus dual 2.5GbE — rare in a box this small
- Three M.2 slots for fast, quiet storage
- Quick Sync makes it a Plex and NAS workhorse
Cons
- Barebone pricing: add RAM and SSD yourself
- Fan can spin up with 10GbE traffic and NVMe load
Specs and price checked 10 October 2026.
Where to buy Minisforum MS-01
Disclosure: Minisforum MS-01 links are commercial and may earn us a commission once affiliate programs are live. It never changes our scores or the order we rank in. Availability and price vary by region — confirm on the store page.
Beelink Mini S12 Pro
| CPU | Intel Processor N100 (4C/4T, up to 3.4GHz) |
| Graphics | Intel UHD Graphics (Quick Sync) |
| Memory | 16GB DDR4 (1× SODIMM) |
| Storage | 500GB M.2 SSD |
| Ports | TBC |
| Idle power | TBC |
Pros
- Very cheap and near-silent
- Quick Sync handles several 4K transcodes
Cons
- Ports and current price could not be confirmed — verify the exact listing
- Single RAM slot and one M.2 slot
Specs and price are sample data, not yet audited — confirm against the vendor before buying.
Where to buy Beelink Mini S12 Pro
Disclosure: Beelink Mini S12 Pro links are commercial and may earn us a commission once affiliate programs are live. It never changes our scores or the order we rank in. Availability and price vary by region — confirm on the store page.
GMKtec NucBox G3
| CPU | Intel Processor N100 (4C/4T) |
| Graphics | Intel UHD Graphics (Quick Sync) |
| Memory | 16GB DDR4 (1× SODIMM; barebone option) |
| Storage | 512GB M.2 SSD (barebone option) |
| Ports | TBC |
| Idle power | TBC |
Pros
- Very cheap for an always-on box
- Small, quiet and low power
Cons
- Port list could not be confirmed on the vendor page — verify before buying
- N100 is fine for light use, not heavy loads
Specs and price are sample data, not yet audited — confirm against the vendor before buying.
Where to buy GMKtec NucBox G3
Disclosure: GMKtec NucBox G3 links are commercial and may earn us a commission once affiliate programs are live. It never changes our scores or the order we rank in. Availability and price vary by region — confirm on the store page.
Keep reading
Common questions
Do I need a discrete GPU for Plex?
No. For most libraries an integrated GPU with hardware transcoding is enough — Intel Quick Sync (N100 and up) is the safest pick, and AMD Radeon 780M (VCN) also handles hardware transcodes. A dedicated GPU only makes sense for very large libraries or many simultaneous users.
Is an Intel N100 fast enough for Plex?
For a typical home library, yes. The N100 has Quick Sync and can hardware-transcode several 4K streams at once while sipping power. The limits are 1GbE networking and a single RAM slot, not the transcoder.
What about AV1?
Newer Intel (Quick Sync) and AMD (VCN) iGPUs can decode AV1; hardware AV1 encoding is newer and less universal. If your library is mostly AV1, check the specific chip before buying — we flag this as the data is audited.
How much storage should a Plex box have?
Enough M.2/NVMe for the OS, Plex metadata and a small library, plus a network or USB path to bulk storage. A box with two M.2 slots, or one with 2.5/10GbE and network storage, ages better than a single drive.
Do I need 10GbE for Plex?
Not for one or two viewers — 1GbE is fine for multiple 4K direct-play streams. 10GbE helps when the library lives on a NAS and several clients pull high-bitrate files at once. That is the case for the Minisforum MS-01.