✅ 1. Raspberry Pi 5 (or Pi 4)
- Power usage: ~3-7 watts (ultra-low!)
- Pros:
- Extremely low running cost (~£5-£15/year)
- Tiny footprint, silent, affordable
- Great community support
- Cons:
- Limited processing power for intensive tasks
- Cost: ~£50–£80
✅ 2. Intel NUC (e.g., NUC 11, 12)
- Power usage: ~10-25 watts (low power)
- Pros:
- More powerful CPU options
- Small form factor, very quiet operation
- Ideal for media servers, NAS, virtualization
- Cons:
- Slightly more expensive upfront
- Cost: ~£200–£400
✅ 3. Dell OptiPlex Micro / HP EliteDesk Mini
- Power usage: ~15-35 watts
- Pros:
- Affordable refurbished units widely available
- Decent performance, great for Plex, NAS, Docker
- Upgradeable RAM, SSD, small footprint
- Cons:
- Slightly higher power usage than Pi/NUC
- Cost: ~£100–£250 refurbished
✅ 4. HP ProLiant MicroServer Gen10+
- Power usage: ~30-50 watts (light usage)
- Pros:
- Designed as server: ECC RAM, multiple HDD bays
- Quiet operation, easy to maintain
- Ideal for home NAS, file server
- Cons:
- Slightly higher upfront cost
- Cost: ~£400–£600+
✅ 5. Synology DS220+/DS423+ NAS
- Power usage: ~10-20 watts
- Pros:
- Easy setup, great software ecosystem
- Perfect home storage solution, low maintenance
- Cons:
- Limited hardware expansion, CPU power
- Cost: ~£300–£450 (without disks)
💷 Estimated Annual Electricity Cost Comparison (UK, £0.30/kWh)
Server Type | Watts (average) | Yearly Running Cost (£) |
---|---|---|
Raspberry Pi 5/4 | ~5 W | ~£13/year |
Intel NUC | ~15 W | ~£39/year |
Dell OptiPlex/HP EliteDesk | ~25 W | ~£66/year |
HP MicroServer Gen10+ | ~40 W | ~£105/year |
Synology NAS (e.g., DS220+) | ~15 W | ~£39/year |
🎯 Recommended Choice:
- Raspberry Pi 5 for the cheapest, most energy-efficient server.
- Intel NUC or Dell OptiPlex Micro for better performance with still low costs.
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