A used Dell micro PC as a low-cost home server starter
A refurbished Micro is being considered as a first personal home server. The machine has an Intel Core i5-10500T with 6 cores and 12 threads, a low-power 35-watt design, 8GB of DDR4 laptop memory, and a 256GB NVMe drive. Its built-in graphics can use QuickSync, which can help with video conversion.
Windows would be removed and replaced with a headless or Debian setup. The planned services would run in to keep them separated and lightweight. The first services would be Pi-hole or AdGuard Home for always-on network ad blocking, Jellyfin for personal media streaming, and Immich for storing phone photos at home instead of paying for .
The larger goal is to start small and upgrade gradually.
Key points
- The Micro is a small used PC that can fill a role similar to a compact home server.
- The i5-10500T has 6 cores, 12 threads, and a 35-watt power rating.
- The starter setup has 8GB of memory and a 256GB NVMe drive, with memory upgrades planned if needed.
- or Debian would replace Windows and run without a monitor.
- Pi-hole or AdGuard Home, Jellyfin, and Immich would run in .