Best Mini PCs for Home Server
Compact compute nodes for Proxmox, Docker, Home Assistant, Plex, local AI, and efficient self-hosted services.
Popular buying paths
Start with the use case, then pick the hardware that fits.
Mini PCs for open-source AI models
Quiet APU boxes for Ollama, llama.cpp, LM Studio, private chat, coding helpers, and 7B to 13B model experiments.
Compare picks →Current winnerN100 and N150 home servers
The low-power spine of the site: cheap always-on boxes for Docker, Home Assistant, light Proxmox, and network services.
Compare picks →ExpansionMini PCs with 10GbE
Step up when you need faster NAS links, Proxmox storage, firewall duty, or room for serious network workloads.
Compare picks →All Mini PCs & Compute Articles
Beelink vs Minisforum for a Home Lab in 2026
Current Beelink and Minisforum lineups compared by server role, memory, networking, expansion, support, and complete configuration.
Best Mini PC with 10GbE for a Home Lab in 2026
Current mini PCs with native 10GbE compared for Proxmox, storage, PCIe expansion, and lower-power network roles.
Best Mini PC for Docker in 2026: Tested for Containers
5 mini PCs compared for Docker workloads. Compared on RAM, NVMe speed, idle power, and real container counts for 24/7 operation.
Best Mini PC for Home Assistant in 2026
Top mini PCs for running Home Assistant 24/7. Compared for power draw, USB ports, Zigbee support, and headless reliability.
Best Mini PC for Home Server in 2026: 5 Practical Picks
Current mini PCs for Proxmox, Docker, and self-hosting, compared by CPU, memory, storage, networking, expandability, and power.
Best Mini PC for Local AI and LLM Inference in 2026
Mini PCs that can actually run local LLMs. We cover NPU, iGPU, and CPU inference with realistic benchmarks for 7B-13B models.
Best Mini PC for Plex Transcoding in 2026
Tested 5 mini PCs for Plex hardware transcoding. Intel Quick Sync benchmarks, 4K stream counts, and power draw measured.
Best Mini PC for Proxmox in 2026
Current mini PCs for Proxmox VE, compared by IOMMU, PCIe expansion, RAM ceiling, networking, storage, power, and support.
Best Mini PC Under $200 for Home Lab in 2026
4 mini PCs under $200 compared for home lab use, including N100 and N150 options from Beelink, GMKtec, Trigkey, and ACEMAGIC.
Best Mini PC Under $500 for Home Lab in 2026
3 mini PCs under $500 compared for Proxmox, Docker, storage, and self-hosting, with real specs, power draw, and honest trade-offs.
Best N100/N150 Mini PC for Home Server in 2026
Top Intel N100 and N150 mini PCs for always-on home servers. Compared by idle power, RAM, storage, and real-world performance.
Mini PC vs NAS: Which Should You Buy First?
Deciding between a mini PC or NAS for your first home lab purchase? We break down use cases, trade-offs, and when each makes sense.