My current setup consists of a Raspberry Pi 4 with 4gb RAM and a 1tb external SSD. I’m thinking of getting a used mini PC for around 100€ to replace that tho because it would give me a lot more power and especially RAM (I currently need to use an 8gb swap file). My plan so far is to get a used mini PC that’s quiet, has a built-in SSD and at least 8gb of RAM (16 would be better). Because of the built-in SSD, I could also sell the external SSD and buy an 8-12tb HDD instead.
Does anyone have recommendations for what mini PC to get or things that I should look out for?
Edit: Thanks for all the help! I decided on the Firebat T8 Pro Plus with 16gb RAM and 512gb internal storage because that really seems to be perfect for my use case.
Because of the built-in SSD, I could also sell the external SSD and buy an 8-12tb HDD instead.
If you’re going for a 3.5" HDD, then you’ll most likely have to look for a bit bigger form factor than TinyMiniMicro (Lenovo Tiny / HP Mini / Dell Micro series) - these computers can’t fit a 3.5" HDD.
If size isn’t a major concern, I’d go for the SFF variants of these computers - they are often cheaper than minis for same specs, but probably have a bit larger idle power draw and take up more space. As a bonus upside, you get some small PCIe slots in these computers, so yay for expansions.
I have external usb3 and usb-c raid arrays… You need to buy expensive enclosures, something that cost 100€+ to be safe, then it will work for a long time.
My older usb3 array (4 disks in a jbod) is almost 7 years old and kicking.
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If you’re going for a 3.5" HDD, then you’ll most likely have to look for a bit bigger form factor than TinyMiniMicro (Lenovo Tiny / HP Mini / Dell Micro series) - these computers can’t fit a 3.5" HDD.
If size isn’t a major concern, I’d go for the SFF variants of these computers - they are often cheaper than minis for same specs, but probably have a bit larger idle power draw and take up more space. As a bonus upside, you get some small PCIe slots in these computers, so yay for expansions.
I can also buy an adapter and plug the drive in over USB. It would be nicer if it fit inside but it’s not that important.
USB is not really a reliable connector for storage purposes. I’d highly recommend against USB.
I have external usb3 and usb-c raid arrays… You need to buy expensive enclosures, something that cost 100€+ to be safe, then it will work for a long time.
My older usb3 array (4 disks in a jbod) is almost 7 years old and kicking.