Hey,
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)
Ideas:
- DIY Option (ASRock N100DC-ITX):
- CPU + Mobo: ASRock N100DC-ITX (~€138)
- RAM: Kingston ValueRAM 16GB 3200MHz DDR4 Non-ECC CL22 (€32.99)
- 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
- DIY Option (ODROID H4+):
- CPU + Mobo: ODROID H4+ (€196)
- RAM: Crucial RAM 16GB 4800MHz DDR5 Non-ECC CL40 (€48.90)
- 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!
Thanks in advance :)
Proxmox would still be useful for container management.
Does your budget include the drives you mentioned, or do you already own those? Do you have an esata dock or something already?
Yeah, I know Proxmox can be used to run LXC containers, and admittedly having the option to run a VM if necessary could definitely be useful. I’ll give it some more thought, thanks for pointing that out!
As for the budget, yes, it includes the drives. I’m aiming to spend around €500 for everything (NAS + drives). I don’t own the drives yet, so I’ll need to buy everything from scratch.
Your asrock option should be good, you are concerned about power draw but the manual asks for 90w adaptor with 2 HDDs.
The Odroid has a more specific ask
Your 90w may be underpowered in either case hard to tell.
Yeah, I saw that in the manual. My concern was whether the 4-pin onboard SATA power connector could supply enough amperage for the HDDs, especially during spin-up. However, since ASRock includes the cable in the package, it should be fine.