I’m working on building a compact, efficient, and budget-friendly home server to centralize my scattered data and host a few lightweight services.
Currently, my data is spread across multiple hard drives, and accessing it is a hassle. A while back, I set up a home server using an old netbook running Debian and a few Docker containers. It was a fun Linux learning experience, but not a long-term solution (its RAM can’t be expanded beyond 2 GB, and its CPU is too weak). So, I guess it’s time for an actual dedicated server machine!
Budget: Around €500, including storage (I’m in Europe, btw)
Requirements:
Centralized storage for data, photos, and phone backups
Run lightweight containers for web services like Immich, Paperless-ngx, Pi-hole, and custom services I’ve developed
Occasionally download Linux ISOs (I use and delete them; the whole *arr stack would be overkill for my needs)
No need for virtualization (so no Proxmox, TrueNAS, or Unraid); a plain Debian install with Docker should suffice (or maybe I could use OpenMediaVault)
No closed OS: I’m not interested in Synology, QNAP, or similar. I want full control to install and customize my OS
Goals:
Low power consumption: ≤10 watts idle without HDDs would be ideal (this is my number-one priority)
Low noise
Compact size: space is limited, so it needs to be small (I also don’t need a huge case for just a couple of drives)
SSD (for OS and containers): Patriot P320 128GB NVMe PCIe Gen 3x4 (€15.99)
PSU: LEICKE PSU 19V, 4.74A, 90W (€19.99)
Case: Sharkoon QB ONE (€50)
Total: ~€257
Concerns: Will the 4-pin connector on the board be able to power two HDDs? ASRock includes a cable to power 2 HDDs in the package, so it should be fine, and I don’t plan on adding more drives
SSD (for OS and containers): Patriot P320 128GB NVMe PCIe Gen 3x4 (€15.99)
PSU: LEICKE PSU 19V, 4.74A, 90W (€19.99)
Case: ODROID H4+ Case Type 4 (€44.90)
Accessories: 2x SATA data and power cables (€14.00)
Total: ~€340
Concerns: I’m unsure about reliability and updates, and with 2 HDDs, it’s out of my budget
Prebuilt Option (AOOSTAR R1):
Specs: N100, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB NVMe
Total: ~€238
Concerns: Power consumption might be higher than the ASRock and ODROID boards; I’m unsure about its reliability and updates; I’ve read that it can get noisy and heat up
Storage:
For storage, I’m planning to use two 4 TB HDDs (Seagate IronWolf, ~€120 each) in a mirrored configuration. I’m considering ZFS for its compression, deduplication, snapshots, and bit rot protection. However, I’m unsure if I really need RAID since I’ll perform regular backups.
Questions:
Which of these options would you recommend?
Are there better hardware options within my budget that meet my power/noise/size goals?
Do you have other suggestions for hardware or software I might have overlooked?
Any advice or feedback would be greatly appreciated!
I own an HP Proliant micro server gen 8. Sweet machine. I bought it new, but there are plenty used around, great looking device. A real pro server in a small format. Celeron, but you can find i3, i5, or i7, and can take some specific xeons. 4 real HP drive caddies.an extra sata originally for a CD, that can repurposed for an SSD, and USB3 in case you want to add even more drives. Very low power consumption. I have xpenology installed, because of the polished experience, but you can install any NAS OS you want. Xpenology has a ton of apps you can install, and also does docker.
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I own an HP Proliant micro server gen 8. Sweet machine. I bought it new, but there are plenty used around, great looking device. A real pro server in a small format. Celeron, but you can find i3, i5, or i7, and can take some specific xeons. 4 real HP drive caddies.an extra sata originally for a CD, that can repurposed for an SSD, and USB3 in case you want to add even more drives. Very low power consumption. I have xpenology installed, because of the polished experience, but you can install any NAS OS you want. Xpenology has a ton of apps you can install, and also does docker.