I am considering upgrading my CPU and I was wondering if an Intel® Core™ i3-2120 Processor would be a sufficient processor for 3 simultaneous transcoding streams? I also have 2 GB of RAM and my network speed is 30 down and 4 up. Please anyone with a similar processor let me know. Also would an i5 be a huge improvement and worth spending the extra money?

An Ivy Bridge Core i5 such as an i5-3570 would provide 80% more processing power than the Sandy Bridge Core i3 like the i3-2120.    That's more of a "bump" above the i3 than the i3 is over your current Celeron (about 68%).    Instead of a 68% gain in "horsepower", you'd have over a 300% (triple) gain in "horsepower" with the i5.

 

Do you "need" it ??  Not sure ... but I presume the reason you're upgrading is that the Celeron can't keep up with your demands.    So I'd go with the i5 for the significantly increased headroom it provides relative to the i3.

 

By the way ... you should also increase your memory => I'd get a pair of 4GB modules for a total of 8GB.

 

Yeah I was leaning toward getting the i5 just for future endeavors. What will the increase from 2gb of ram to 8gb of ram do for me?

What will the increase from 2gb of ram to 8gb of ram do for me?

 

It'll give Plex a lot more RAM to use when doing multiple transcodes.    This may, in fact, be part of the reason you're (apparently) having issues when doing multiple streams at once.    Note that your memory subsystem will be more reliable with only two installed modules, so I'd get 2 4GB modules instead of just adding a couple of 2GB modules (which might be tempting to do) ... and toss (sell on e-bay) your current memory.

 

Well dang it... I wish I would have realized how awesome Plex was before I built my unRAID system earlier this year. To any future unRAID system builders that plan to have media storage, you will want Plex! And as always thanks Gary for your advice.

My server has 8GB RAM and an i3-3220T. It has enough horsepower to do 3 simultaneous transcodes.

 

That said, I agree with garycase that RAM is probably as much of your issue as the CPU, if not more.  I'd upgrade the RAM first and see if your existing CPU can cut it, then upgrade the CPU if necessary.  If upgrading the CPU is necessary and you can afford a bit extra for an i5, that's the route I'd go, as you said, for future endeavors.

Yeah you guys are correct. When I do one transcoding stream my CPU usage is about 50% and my ram is just about maxed out and I bet that is why at times it studders.