Javier Barbaran Posted on May 30 Building a home server with a mini PC # proxmox # homeserver # productivity # sideprojects Having a server at home opens up a huge range of possibilities. I'd been thinking about setting one up for a while, and when I finally got started, I realised that half the process was simply deciding what to buy and what to install. So what is a home server actually good for? There are obvious advantages like cutting SaaS costs or gaining privacy, but there's one that matters more to me than all the others: learning . In this post I'll walk through the process, the options I considered and why I ended up building my server around a Beelink S12 Pro running Proxmox VE . Why a mini PC? The first decision is form factor. The most common options are: An old PC or laptop from the cupboard. It works, but it's usually noisy, consumes a lot of power and takes up too much space. A Raspberry Pi. Small and incredibly power-efficient, but limited in RAM and processing power for running several services at once. A NAS. A solid choice if storage is the main priority, but the price climbs quickly. A mini PC. Small, silent, low power consumption, reasonable price. Clear winner. The mini PCs I considered In 2025, there are three families that make sense for a home lab: Intel N95 / N100 is probably the most popular choice right now for this kind of use. Very good energy efficiency, full virtualisation support and highly competitive prices. The N100 is more efficient than the N95; the N95 wins slightly on raw performance but at the cost of a bit more power draw. There are countless manufacturers building models around these chips, and the difference between them is usually minimal: what varies is the connectivity, the stock RAM and the after-sales support. Mac Mini deserves a mention because it's one of the most well-known options on the market. Performance is excellent and power consumption is surprisingly low, but for me the problem is the price — clearly highe
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