Explore the debate between big homelab servers and mini PCs. Discover the pros and cons of each and find out which setup is right for your needs.

I’ve noticed something interesting in the world of home servers lately. It seems like every time someone asks for advice on building their own lab, the answer is always the same: “Just get a mini PC.”

And I get it. I really do. Mini PCs are small, quiet, and don’t use a lot of power. I even have one myself, a little HP Elitedesk that’s perfect for a few specific tasks. But I have to ask: have we forgotten what a real server can do?

There was a time when building a homelab meant one thing: getting your hands on some serious hardware. We’re talking about 19-inch rack-mounted servers with powerful processors, tons of RAM, and enough storage to hold a small library. These machines were loud, power-hungry, and definitely not something you could hide behind a monitor. But they were also incredibly capable.

My main server, for example, is a dual-socket beast with an E5-2660 v4 processor. It’s got more PCIe lanes than I know what to do with, supports ECC memory (a must for data integrity), and can hold a dozen hard drives. It’s the kind of machine that can run a dozen virtual machines, a Plex server, and a handful of game servers without breaking a sweat.

And then there’s the GPU situation. I have another server that’s not on all the time, but it holds three GPUs for when I need to do some serious number crunching. Try doing that with a mini PC.

But here’s the thing: I’m not saying that everyone needs a giant server in their basement. For a lot of people, a mini PC is more than enough. If you just want to run a Pi-hole, a small file server, or a handful of Docker containers, a mini PC is a great choice. They’re cheap, efficient, and get the job done.

But if you’re like me, and you want to really experiment with technology, a mini PC is going to feel limiting very quickly. You’ll run out of storage, you’ll max out your RAM, and you’ll find yourself wishing you had more power.

So what’s the answer? Is it big servers or mini PCs?

I think the answer is both.

There’s no reason to choose one over the other. In my own lab, I have a mix of both. My big server is the workhorse, handling all the heavy lifting. My mini PC, on the other hand, is perfect for smaller, more specialized tasks. It’s a great little machine, but it’s not a replacement for a real server.

So next time you see someone asking for advice on building a homelab, don’t just tell them to buy a mini PC. Ask them what they want to do with it. Ask them what their goals are. And if they tell you they want to run a dozen virtual machines, a Plex server, and a handful of game servers, don’t be afraid to tell them the truth: they’re going to need a bigger boat.