Tools

Free tools & calculators

Browser-based, no sign-up, nothing you type leaves your device. Built to answer the questions people ask before they buy: what can it run, what will it cost to keep on, how much storage and backup power do I need, and how should I split my budget?

Local AI

Server Calculator: can my PC run local AI?

Type in your graphics card and processor (or just your memory) and get a straight answer on which LLM sizes your machine can run, with an estimated speed for each. Handles dual GPUs and Apple Silicon unified memory.

Running costs

Home server power cost calculator

Enter your idle wattage and electricity rate to see the yearly, monthly and daily cost of running a box all day, every day, plus a comparison between a low-watt mini PC and an old desktop.

Buying help

Which home server should I buy? (quiz)

Answer two quick questions and get a specific recommendation: the right kind of box for your goal and budget, with a link straight to the guide.

Storage

RAID storage calculator

Enter your drives and RAID level to see usable capacity, how many drives you can lose, and storage efficiency. Covers RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10 and JBOD.

Power

UPS runtime calculator

Add your mini PC, NAS, router and modem to see how long a battery backup lasts, and the smallest UPS worth buying for that load.

Storage

Media storage calculator (Plex & Jellyfin)

Enter your movies, TV and photos to see how many TB you need now and in a few years, plus how many drives to buy.

Build & Upgrade

PC build budget calculator

Enter a budget and what the PC is for, and see how to split it across CPU, GPU, RAM and the rest.

New to all this? Start with the affiliate-free Knowledge Base, or figure out what kind of server you need.