MiniPC As Home Server (No Intel)

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  • Stick with the $249-339 range – that’s the price/performance sweet spot for home server duty.

  • 3 GOOD BRANDS Rryzen mini PC, Beelink mini pc, Minisforum
    – 32GB of RAM (DDR4) * M.2 NVMe slot for fast storage
    – 32GB is plenty – you won’t need more
    – If NVME Is included must be  256GB NVMe SSD at least.

  • Minisforum

  • Ryzen
    –  5 or 7 (5000 series or newer) – Ryzen 5000 series or newer (5500U or 5600H) –
    Ryzen 6000+ series if budget allows 

  •  Beelink
    – SER series – what you want (like SER5, SER6, SER7, SER8)
    – Model naming: SER8 = series name + generation number
    – SER5 = older generation, cheaper
    – Higher numbers = newer/more expensive
    – GTR series – gaming focused, more expensive
    – U series – ultra compact, less upgradeable

  • Use these search terms:
    – “mini PC server”
    – Beelink SER5″ (specific model)
    – “Minisforum mini PC”
    – “small form factor PC server”
    – “headless mini PC”

  • Shop at:
    – Amazon – search “Beelink SER mini PC”
    – Newegg – filter by “Mini/Micro PC
    – Manufacturer direct – minisforum.com, bee-link.com

  • Upgradeability (RAM/storage) IMPORTANT
    – Storage Multiple M.2 slots – add storage later without replacing M.2 NVMe slot accessible
    – If they have included storage must be at least 256GB NVMe SSD included (plenty for server)
    – Good reviews mentioning reliability
    – Multiple M.2 slots for expansion
    – Ram – MUST HAVE REPLACEABLE RAM -16GB→32GB→64GB over time-
    – look for “SO-DIMM slots” or “user upgradeable RAM” in specs

    MORE TO LOOK OUT FOR:

  • SILENT or VERY QUIET – but good cooling

  • Metal case (more durable – better cooling )

  • DDR4 vs DDR5: 
    –  DDR4 is fast enough for web services DDR4 – current standard RAM, plenty fast for servers 
    –  (NO) DDR5 – newer, faster, more expensive, overkill for your needs

  • USB-C ports – will be standard for next decade

  • WiFi 6 (not essential but nice) – current standard

  • Gigabit Ethernet (standard now)

  • Quality power adapter – external brick is replaceable vs internal PSU – Mini PCs are super efficient – 65W is plenty for your server workload

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