Mini pc replacement for my 5+ year old desktop i3 8100

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ace310

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#306719 16-Aug-2023 10:37

Hello peeps,

I have a headless desktop I build few years back and has been running 24/7 as a server without any issues. Maybe they might not be the best parts as per few, but it has served me well. I have plex server, Home assistant VM, Linux VM(Sonarr, radarr, qbittorrent, vpn etc), backups(google, phones etc) running on it. Below are the specs.

Desktop Config : PcPartPicker

CPU: Intel Core i3-8100 3.6 GHz Quad-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212X 82.9 CFM CPU Cooler
Motherboard: ASRock Z370 Extreme4 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport LT 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR4-2400 CL16 Memory
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport LT 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-2400 CL16 Memory
Storage: Intel 600p 256 GB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive
Storage: Samsung 970 Evo Plus 500 GB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive
Storage: Seagate BarraCuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200 RPM Internal Hard Drive
Storage: Seagate IronWolf NAS 12 TB 3.5" 7200 RPM Internal Hard Drive
Case: Cooler Master MasterBox 5 ATX Mid Tower Case
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 11 Pro 64-bit
Segotep Segotep GP-600G

Now I am thinking of moving to a mini-pc and some kind of DAS or NAS storage to reduce power usage, better oomph and probably have smaller footprint. I work in IT, so can do things just not that great with linux other than following guides.

Beelink Dual 2.5GbE Network, 16GB DDR5 Mini PC, Intel 12th Core i3 N305 EQ12 Pro

DAS

TerraMaster D5-300C USB3.0(5Gbps) Type C 5-Bay External Hard Drive or

ORICO 5 Bay Raid Enclosure Aluminum Type-C

NAS

QNAP TS-464-8G-US 4 or

Asustor Lockerstor 4 Gen2 AS6704T - 4 Bay

Now my questions.

Should I go down the path of mini-pc & storage and replace my desktop?
I need home assistant & plex server to be ON 24/7, so need the reliability.
Any recommendations on mini pc's? Above i3 seems to be better in performance than the i3 8100 I have. Is that correct?
Any downsides of DAS? compared to NAS? I understand I can't access DAS other then from what it's connected. That's fine. I am eager for NAS, but cost is the limiting factor. Any good 4bay nas with support for couple of m2 is around $1k. Open for recommendations on either DAS or NAS.

Thanks a lot. My first post so please go easy.

Dynamic

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#3116635 16-Aug-2023 11:01

If what you have works, perhaps stick with it. My thoughts:

You might save $$ on power consumption but if you are spending $$$$ on new kit then you aren't winning (other than a bit of fun geeking out). Perhaps acquire a plug in power meter to check how much power the current setup is using over a few days and multiply that out to get a year's worth of power consumption figures.
A headless desktop with all storage inside it (DAS) is very tidy. Two cables for power and network.
You could put one of these into your tower case to add M.2 drives. I have a couple of spares of this card. HYPER M.2 X16 GEN 4 CARD｜Motherboards｜ASUS Global
You could add a small NAS to your network and use it to back up the storage of your desktop.

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ace310

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#3116653 16-Aug-2023 11:08

Dynamic:

If what you have works, perhaps stick with it. My thoughts:

You might save $$ on power consumption but if you are spending $$$$ on new kit then you aren't winning (other than a bit of fun geeking out). Perhaps acquire a plug in power meter to check how much power the current setup is using over a few days and multiply that out to get a year's worth of power consumption figures.
A headless desktop with all storage inside it (DAS) is very tidy. Two cables for power and network.
You could put one of these into your tower case to add M.2 drives. I have a couple of spares of this card. HYPER M.2 X16 GEN 4 CARD｜Motherboards｜ASUS Global
You could add a small NAS to your network and use it to back up the storage of your desktop.

Haha, yes I agree on not saving compared to power consumption. My intention was to get it tidy, put it next my router. I still haven't really decided if I really want it now. Maybe I keep looking for good deals and jump on it when it comes. So doing my research if the path I am going is good or not.

Currently, desktop is under a bed in guest room as that's the only place i could get ethernet and hide it. Going mini pc, I can put it next to router which sits on a shelf in lobby.

Kookoo

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#3116665 16-Aug-2023 11:25

Not sure how much you're willing to spend, but I can't recommend the Lenovo Tiny series highly enough. I have the M75q Gen2 and it's a pocket rocket, reliable and is ridiculously quiet. Set me back about a $1,100 at the time.

There's the ThinkStation P3 Tiny that can be ordered with Ubuntu if I'm not mistaken, about $2,000 these days.

Hello, Ground!

eonsim

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#3116669 16-Aug-2023 11:33

If you are really focused on reducing power use, I'd suggest standardising or simplifying the current machine. For example using a smaller number of larger memory modules, harddrives and SSDs. Then undervolting the CPU and forcing Windows to run in power-saving mode, allowing it to idle disk etc

That can potentially reduce the amount of power you use with a significantly lower front cost. Agree with Dynamic plug-in a power meter and see how much power you are actually using, then make the software changes and see if the power use drops. Typically removing hardware will make a noticeable difference, do you really need a 256GB and 500GB SSD when you could pick up a cheap 1TB one, likewise do you need the 4TB HDD when you have a 12TB?

ace310

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#3116670 16-Aug-2023 11:33

Kookoo:

Not sure how much you're willing to spend, but I can't recommend the Lenovo Tiny series highly enough. I have the M75q Gen2 and it's a pocket rocket, reliable and is ridiculously quiet. Set me back about a $1,100 at the time.

There's the ThinkStation P3 Tiny that can be ordered with Ubuntu if I'm not mistaken, about $2,000 these days.

Well that's quite over my budget. I was thinking of around $300-$400 max on mini-pc & maybe around $500 for DAS. NAS would be around $1k which seems bit higher for me. I was looking to do all within $1k if I could, but again main thing I need to decide is DAS or NAS. If NAS will have to increase my budget.

I can reuse all my storage drives.

ace310

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#3116678 16-Aug-2023 11:48

eonsim:

If you are really focused on reducing power use, I'd suggest standardising or simplifying the current machine. For example using a smaller number of larger memory modules, harddrives and SSDs. Then undervolting the CPU and forcing Windows to run in power-saving mode, allowing it to idle disk etc

That can potentially reduce the amount of power you use with a significantly lower front cost. Agree with Dynamic plug-in a power meter and see how much power you are actually using, then make the software changes and see if the power use drops. Typically removing hardware will make a noticeable difference, do you really need a 256GB and 500GB SSD when you could pick up a cheap 1TB one, likewise do you need the 4TB HDD when you have a 12TB?

Great advice on removing hardware and undervolting cpu. I think I tried power-saving mode, but somehow it didn't work well with the homeassistant and had to revert back. Maybe I didn't do it properly.

cddt

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#3116683 16-Aug-2023 11:55

I'm thinking about doing something similar, when I have some free time (i.e. probably never), so I've done research down a similar path as you.

From what I have read, steer clear of the Orico DAS, Sabrent is a better option.

cddt

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#3116686 16-Aug-2023 11:59

Also if you are trying to reduce power usage, look at switching out your OS, since it's headless. Windows 11 in its default configuration runs a lot of irrelevant services in the background which increases CPU utilisation. You don't even need a GUI so it doesn't make sense to run one.

ace310

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#3119343 23-Aug-2023 12:57

Update:

Have decided to scrap the plan of getting new hardware for now. I will be moving to Unraid from windows using my existing PC hardware. Looks like I have everything to make to move and probably this will be

Thanks for all the help.