User seeks quiet mini-ITX server to replace 15-year-old always-on box
A user wants to replace a that has run 24/7 for over 15 years with zero hardware changes besides adding drives. The current setup is a mini-ITX P8H77-I motherboard in a LIAN LI PC-Q25B case, with 8GB of RAM and 6 SATA drives, running nginx, many , a NAS, Plex, on-demand Linux VMs, InfluxDB, and Grafana.
The spinning drives sit idle most of the time; only the SSDs see constant read/write activity, which keeps power draw and heat manageable. for the replacement: a $1,000–$1,500 budget, only 4 SATA drives needed, no monitor (headless operation), wired networking, a quiet mini-ITX , no lighting, and no color preference.
The top priorities are future-proof that can last another 15+ years and low idle given the 24/7 runtime. The user also notes they won't overspend on RAM just because it fits the budget.
Key points
- User is replacing a mini-ITX (P8H77-I, 8GB RAM, 6 SATA drives) that ran 24/7 for 15+ years untouched
- Workload: nginx, many , NAS, Plex, on-demand Linux VMs, InfluxDB, Grafana
- Budget $1,000–$1,500, needs only 4 SATA drives, headless (no monitor), wired connection
- Top priorities are 15+ year and low idle
- Spinning drives are mostly idle; only SSDs see constant activity, keeping heat and power use low