What you’re buying
A home server doesn’t need to be fast. It needs to stay on all day without costing much in electricity, be quiet enough to live in the house, and have enough memory for the apps you run. Office computers do all three. Businesses buy them by the thousand, use them for a few years, and sell them on when the lease ends, and that steady supply of identical machines is why they are cheap second-hand.
So the money question is less “how fast” and more “how much memory and storage”. Spend on those, and on drives, before a faster processor.
Mini PC, small desktop or NAS: decide this first
The choice comes down to how many hard drives you want in one box.
| Business mini PC | Small desktop (“SFF”) | Ready-made NAS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Size | About as big as a hardback book | A slim tower | A box of drive bays |
| Full-size hard drives inside | None | One or two | Two or more, easy to swap |
| Graphics card | No | Low-profile only | No |
| Software | You install a server system | You install a server system | Comes with its own system and web page |
If your files fit on one or two SSDs, or you’re happy with a USB drive for films, buy the mini PC. If you want several big hard drives in one box, a small desktop or a NAS suits you better. Plenty of people start with a mini PC and add a NAS later for storage.
What to look for in a listing
- The processor. Intel Core 8th generation or newer. The generation is the first digit or two of the model number, so an i5-8500T is 8th generation and an i5-10500T is 10th. Newer generations also handle newer video formats such as AV1. If you plan to run Jellyfin or Plex, Intel is the simple choice, because both support its Quick Sync video converter well and most guides assume it.
- The memory. 8 GB is a sensible minimum, and 16 GB is comfortable for a dozen apps. Mini PCs take laptop-size memory, usually in two slots.
- An SSD included. A small one is fine for the system and apps.
- The power adapter. It must be included, and it must be the maker’s own with the right wattage.
- No BIOS password. Good listings say the BIOS has no password set. If they don’t mention it, ask.
- A Windows licence. Office machines usually have one built into the firmware. It matters only if you plan to keep Windows.
Some come without Wi-Fi. That doesn’t matter for a server, which should be plugged into the router anyway.
What else you’ll need
- A network cable from the server to your router.
- A USB stick of 4 GB or more that you can wipe, for the installer.
- Another computer or a phone to manage it from.
- Later, somewhere for bulk storage: a USB drive, or a NAS. The storage and drives page explains the options.
- Later still, a battery backup, covered on the power, noise and UPS page.
How a business mini PC fits in
- Hardware video conversion. Quick Sync converts films for phones and TVs on a dedicated part of the chip, so Jellyfin can stream to several screens without the processor straining.
- Low power when idle. These machines are built to sit on office desks all day, and a home server spends most of its time idle too. Measure yours with a plug-in meter.
- Quiet. One small fan that stays slow under light work.
- Room for SSDs. One or two M.2 slots for fast SSDs, and on many models a bay for a 2.5-inch drive.
- Ordinary parts. Memory and SSDs are standard laptop parts, so upgrades and repairs are easy.
- Huge numbers in use. The popular models have years of forum posts and spare parts behind them.
Check it the day it arrives
Do this while you can still send it back. Only the hard drive check in the list below needs a terminal command.
- Look it over. Check the power adapter, the vents and every port.
- Get into the BIOS. Press the setup key as it starts: usually F1 on Lenovo, F2 on Dell and F10 on HP. If it asks for a password you weren’t given, return it.
- Test the memory. On your everyday Windows PC, use MemTest86+’s Windows USB installer to make a test stick. Turn Secure Boot off on the new machine, start from the stick, and let it finish at least one full pass. Any error means a return.
- Check the drives. If it came with Windows, start it and run CrystalDiskInfo. You want a health of “Good”, and the power-on hours show how much use it has had.
- Install your server system. ZimaOS installs from a USB stick, and everything after that happens in a browser. The server operating systems page walks through it.
Questions people ask
Used or new?
Used business machines give the most for the money and are built to last. A new low-power mini PC brings a warranty and a newer chip. Either makes a good first server.
How much memory do I need?
8 GB runs a media server, an ad blocker, a photo backup and a few small apps. 16 GB leaves room for a Minecraft server or a virtual machine. Running AI models wants far more, and the hardware for AI page covers that.
Is a NAS better than a mini PC?
For storage, yes: drive bays, easy swaps and a web page built around them. For running apps, a mini PC at the same price usually has the faster processor. Many homelabs end up with both, the mini PC for apps and the NAS for files.
Can I add big hard drives to a mini PC later?
Yes, over USB. A USB drive is fine for a media library or a backup copy. For several drives that protect each other, a small desktop or a NAS is the better home.
Where should I buy?
From a seller with a returns policy, ideally a refurbisher that offers a warranty, so the checks above still count for something.
