Guides
Buying guides
Not sure where to start? Begin with what kind of home server you need. New to the words? The Knowledge Base and glossary explain them without any affiliate links.
Start here
What kind of home server do you need?
Start from what you want to do (media, storage, automation, virtual machines, local AI) and let that pick the box.
Self-hosting starter stack: 10 apps to run first
The apps worth running first, in a sensible order, and why you should start with just two or three.
Docker or Proxmox: which to learn first?
Learn Docker first because it runs the apps you want. Add Proxmox later when you need virtual machines.
Building or upgrading a PC? Start here
Beginner guides for a first build or an upgrade, for gaming, local AI, or a home server.
Local AI
Best GPU for local AI under $500
VRAM matters most. The RTX 3060 12GB and Arc A770 16GB under $500, and what's worth it if your budget stretches.
Is a used RTX 3090 worth it for local AI in 2026?
What 24 GB runs, what used 3090s cost now, how to check one before you keep it, and the cheaper ways to get the same VRAM.
How to build a home AI server for local LLMs
Your own private ChatGPT on your own hardware: the VRAM rule, three builds by budget, the software, and what it costs to run.
Rent a GPU vs build your own for local AI
Cloud GPUs or your own machine? The break-even math, the privacy trade-off, and which fits how you'll use it.
Run your own LLM in the cloud without buying a GPU
Ollama on a rented server, a GPU by the hour, or your own hardware: which fits how often you'll use it.
Inside PewDiePie's home AI server, and how to build your own
His ten-GPU machine explained, and how to get a similar private AI setup for a few hundred dollars.
Mini PCs and servers
The best mini PC for a home lab under $300
New N100 box or used business tiny PC? What matters under $300, and the machines I'd buy.
N100 vs N150 vs N305: which chip should you buy?
Intel's three budget mini PC chips compared: what's different, which is worth the money, and why all three handle 4K video the same.
Best used tiny PCs for a home lab
The best value in the hobby. ThinkCentre vs OptiPlex vs EliteDesk, with a checklist for buying used.
Best mini PC for Proxmox in 2026
From a budget first box to a multi-VM lab: how much RAM and how many cores, and the network chip detail that trips people up.
Best prebuilt home servers in 2026
26 machines you can plug in and run, from a tiny Pi to a local AI workstation, sorted from smallest to most powerful.
Turn an old PC or spare parts into a home server
The cheapest way in is the computer you already own, plus the few upgrades that pay off.
Best PC parts to upgrade your home server
SSDs, RAM, graphics cards, NAS drives, faster networking, and cooling, grouped by part.
Media and storage
Best home media server builds for 2026
The best boxes for Jellyfin and Plex at every budget, all with Intel Quick Sync for smooth 4K.
Beelink S12 Pro vs GMKtec G3 Plus for Jellyfin
The two cheap mini PCs everyone compares for a first media server, and the one spec that decides it.
Pi-hole and Jellyfin on one Raspberry Pi 4
My own setup: ad blocking for the whole house plus a media server on one Pi 4, with the parts list and the rule that makes it work.
Build a Raspberry Pi media streaming box
A quiet, ad-free Roku alternative you own, with LibreELEC and Kodi.
Best Raspberry Pi for a home server in 2026
The Pi 5 8GB fits most people. Pi 5 vs Pi 4 vs Zero 2 W, how much RAM, and the NVMe upgrade that matters most.
Best NAS for beginners in 2026
Synology vs UGREEN vs QNAP, and when to build your own instead.
Home automation and game servers
Best hardware to run Home Assistant
The Home Assistant Green, an N100 mini PC, or a Raspberry Pi 5, plus the Zigbee and Z-Wave radios you'll need.
Best hardware for a Minecraft or game server
Single-core speed and RAM matter more than core count. What to run Minecraft, Valheim, and Palworld on.
Software and Linux
The free pick and the paid one, for every job
For each home server job, the best free app and the paid option worth it if you'd rather not run it yourself.
What you should not self-host to save money
Email, your only backup, and anything you can't secure: where self-hosting backfires.
Which Linux distro should I use?
Mint, Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, Pop!_OS, the lightweight ones, and Proxmox, and the job each one fits.
How to install Linux on an old desktop
Pick the right version for your RAM, make a bootable USB, test it, and install. A second life for a Windows 10 machine.
Deals and timing
Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2026: home server and local AI deals
What to buy, wait on, or skip this year, with the memory shortage pushing up prices on anything with RAM.
Black Friday mini PC deals for a home server
Why used business mini PCs are this year's best value, and why to skip barebones models.
Black Friday GPU deals for local AI
The VRAM you need, the cards worth watching, and how to tell a real discount from a September price hike.
Black Friday home server checklist
Eight checks before you buy: price history, CMR drives, sale versions with less RAM, sellers, and return windows.
Should you wait for Black Friday?
Which home server gear usually gets real fall discounts, which doesn't, and how to decide in two minutes.
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