Hey!
I've decided that it's time to finally get something resembling an actual server for my home setup, and I was hoping you folks could give me some pointers (given the current prices).
My current set up is just my old laptop with 2 external hard drives plugged in - one is the regular portal USB HDD, another is 3.5 HDD plugged via powered enclosure (ZFS and LUKS on both). I want to switch that for something relatively small, but extendable, as I want to add more disk space in the future. I'm selfhosting Plex, Immich and Navidrome, and occasionally some multiplayer games like Valheim. I'm not planning to use Proxmox or TrueNAS/whatever, I mostly just plan to throw Debian on it and spin everything in Docker.
I looked through some guides on https://selfhosting.sh/ and on Reddit, but that just got me more confused, as everyone keeps suggesting Optiplexes and NUCs, but I don't get how to combine that with 20TB+ disk space while ensuring the disks are secure and well powered. Plus my understanding is most of those mini-PC's/refurbished workstations use regular DDR3/4, whereas I was hoping to get ECC.
Should I go DIY route, or is there something I could get as a solid enough base to expand in the future? If DIY is the answer - what mobo/cpu/case should I get? My ideal budget (for everything excluding hard drives and maybe PSU since I have one lying around) is ~500 euros, but if paying a bit more would mean a substantially better deal - then I'd be OK with that. I'm in Berlin, so if you know any good local markets - that'd be great too.
Thanks!
I can't say this is a good advice by itself; this is simply my setup as I was in your position just 1 month ago, maybe this gives you more ideas.
I recently bought an 16 GB non-ECC DDR5 (which is unnecessary, DDR4 works just fine) open-box 4-disk bay TerraMaster as my main server for the equivalent of around €400, thinking that in a distant future I can buy a different rack just for disks. This model has an Intel N150, which has the H.265 codec, which should handle the transcoding in your Plex instance (which, IMO, you should consider moving to Jellyfin instead in the new computer you end up getting). The 4-disk bay (there are some models with more bays) allows you to get some disks now and then fill up the bays later on if you want to. Note: I just realized this almost reads like a Terramaster ad, that's not my goal; you can search for similar options from other fabricants.
As for the OS, I insist in recommending you TrueNAS, since it's Debian-based, since it's not like Proxmox where everything has to be VM, it's simply Debian with a nice UI for spinning up Docker instances + disk/snapshot/backups management, all of which are optional: you can easily mount your disk pool and setup them up as a ZRAID (data redundancy in case of disk failure), stripe (no data redundancy), etc., organize everything in easy to use folders, schedule different snapshot schedules for different folders, etc. You can also easily mount Docker containers, either through the "app store" (a selection of Docker containers wrapped in a nice UI for configuration) or manually with docker-compose.yml files. IMO, you lose little, but gain a lot with the OS being already configured for a lot of the stuff you want to do, and the easy to use Web UI.
I don't mind that, I'm actively looking for recommendations. I also got pointed to https://www.minisforum.com/products/n5-air, but that one is 500 with no RAM at all, which is quite hefty.
So far I'm leaning towards trying to assemble something generic from used components, though I'm not quite sure what to pick best, motherboard being the hardest one.
As for TrueNAS - I might check it out if I do get off the shelf NAS, but I don't imagine I'll be using the Web UI much, to be honest. And I know about Jellyfin, I'm sticking to Plex just because I already have a lifetime Plex Pass and I like the app on my TV. If they keep shoving "community" features down my throat though - I'll do the switch.