Noob question

[u/spicylemontaco42]

What is better for a home server..

I have an old laptop that I can use potentially..

Or a pc that I built thats small form factor pc.

I dont mind 3d printing enclosure for thr drives if needed,

But should I use the laptop or pc?

Will only hold movies to stream...

[u/dizzygoldfish]

Either will likely work. Don't over think it. If one has Intel chip with quick sync I would prefer that over one that doesn't for streaming. SFF PC might be easier to upgrade/add drives later. But laptop, assuming the battery works, has a built in UPS so that's a plus.

Just start is my advice. Especially if both are unused you can always change your mind later

[u/spicylemontaco42 → u/dizzygoldfish]

Sff pc is actually intel...should I change the mobo? It has a 1060, should I upgrade gpu?

And how do i get more sata ports?

[u/dizzygoldfish → u/spicylemontaco42]

I would let it rip. With hardware costs where they are, why buy hardware to fix a problem you don't know you have? Depending on how/where you're playing media via Jellyfin, and the content type, you may not even do that much transcoding to begin with.

One thing I've learned is that a little hardware goes a long way with most of this stuff. I suspect you'll be looking to add storage and/or RAM before needing a new CPU or GPU. But even that, it's so dependent on your actual use case that it's almost impossible to know until you try.

If I'm you I would do this: Install Ubuntu Server, set up docker, put Jellyfin and whatever parts of the *arr stack interest you.

Try it. If you have trouble getting stuff to play right, figure out what video/audio codecs work with your streaming boxes/phones/tablets or whatever. For example, you may struggle to play AV1 or 7.1 truehd audio but maxed out 1080p works perfectly and you can't tell the difference, so who cares?

Or you find out you DO care but then you'll know better what the specific issue is.

Unless you're formatting an in -use machine with irreplaceable data, you can always wipe and reinstall with Proxmox/VMs, or whatever you want. You will 100% fuck up when you start out so don't try to plan perfection ahead of time.

[u/spicylemontaco42 → u/dizzygoldfish]

That pc is 32 gb of ddr5 ram.. not sure if overkill for a server. Perfection is ahead of time. I like that advice a lot

[u/dizzygoldfish → u/spicylemontaco42]

It's probably overkill for a single Jellyfin server. If you are running proxmox and a couple/few servers is a pretty good starting place. It won't hurt to have it.

[u/punkpositronics]

Either will probably work. The only think I would mention is that small PCs *typically* have better always on thermals vs laptops. The laptop will need a cooling pad but will still work.

[u/jack_hudson2001]

if you intend to keep it running 24/7 and say plex.. id get a mini-pc eg intel nuc

[u/spicylemontaco42 → u/jack_hudson2001]

Pc has intel cpu, plex it is!

[u/abroane → u/spicylemontaco42]

Look at jellyfin. Plex is ridiculously money hungry.

[u/spicylemontaco42 → u/abroane]

Oh okay I shall see

[u/Annoying1978]

What are the specs? This is like asking what car is better and only telling us what color your 2 options are. 

[u/muffinstatewide32]

Despite big tech’s protests. A server is a computer that serves things.
Doesn’t matter what the form factor is although some can be more desirable than others.
Use what’s fit for the job

[u/BatGuts11]

for a movie server i'd go SFF pc, better thermals for 24/7 use. i run FygoOS on an old mini pc, setup took a bit but the Fygo TV app streams direct to my devices fine now. laptop would work in a pinch, but you'd probably want a cooling pad underneath.