Plex server on roon core

Roon Software Discussion
1

I have an I5 core with SSD that use exclusively for core at the moment.

Would it be an issue to load Plex server on the same machine?

I don’t have to, I have a separate PC at the moment for this but it would be more convenient. I just don’t want to make any compromises for sound quality at all.

So if there are any effects others have experienced I would like to know?

Thanks in advance

2

I have several applications running alongside roon on my “always on” pc, including backup software and other upnp software with no noticeable detriment or impact to roon.

1 Like
3

I have this exact config and the music is also shared via Plex via DLNA (actually it’s upnp, don’t know if this makes a difference) to neutron music player on iOS as the roon app isn’t stable on my iPhone, everything works fine otherwise (iPhone issue isn’t due to my server, works on every other endpoint)

4

I have had the odd dabble with Plex on my core PC with no issues.

I routinely run JRiver on the same PC and have from the start with Roon over 4 years ago. I run both audio and video with no problems.

The same PC runs SQL Server all the time as well.

Roon does hog memory a bit but I have an i7 7700 with 16gb RAM and no issues (win 10)

5

I use Roon and Plex on my Qnap since 2 months.
It works very well.

1 Like
6

Have that same configuration in a ~4years old PC(i7 with 8Mb), no problems until today, all runs fantastic (only use it for Roon Core and Plex Server and occasional downloads)…I never noticed any impact on sound quality… I use the Apple TV 4K for my Plex Client and I also have an EVGA NU on that PC to drive my HiFiMan Headphones… very happy with the setup… :+1:

1 Like
7

It will be fine until you run into a file that needs CPU transcoding on Plex then it will kill the PC but that would happen without Roon as well. Just if you using both at same time it could happen. But Plex has got way better for hardware transcoding especially on Intel iGPU so this rarely crops up unless your transcoding HDR and it’s not supported on your gfx card.

Other than that it will run happily together.

8

Thanks all. Will download Plex tonight onto core

9

I bet Roon adds this functionality natively with a future update.

1 Like
10

Probably not. Plex only uses a lot of cpu doing scanning and transcodes.

If you transcode movies Plex will use quite a bit of processing power, but… with an intel chip that has a built in gpu, if you enable hardware decoding in Plex the transcode uses intel quick sync and cpu usage on transcodes drops to almost nothing.

Roon on my machine uses more cpu when Plex is at idle. When I stream a movie with a transcode Plex starts to creep up on usage but not enough to affect Roon. Mind you, I have a few more cores but I here’s a screen shot while Plex is hardware transcoding a 36 mbps movie to 2 mbps to my iPad and Roon is playing a 24/96 file to hqplayer which is currently set to sincM, ASDM7EC DSD256 48K (hqp is currently running on a virtual machine on this mac, don’t ask :upside_down_face:)

Note I’m on a Mac so it may be better in windows… As you can see… I’m using almost 30% cpu usage but I have 8 cores so in this unlikely silly scenario if you could pull it off on a core i5 you’d definitely be at least double that. You also wouldn’t be running a VM so that helps. I’m also logged into the Mac via Remote Desktop.

Plex is at 6.5%, Roon and Roon Server are both at 0.2%, the prl_disp_service at 17.9% is the vm running hqplayer.

image
image516×894 98.7 KB