Hey everyone! I'm getting ready to build my first home server and I would really appreciate your feedback on my proposed setup. My budget is around $1,000 USD, and here are my main priorities: I want it to be upgradeable, quiet, and energy-efficient. I'm aiming to create a system that I can gradually upgrade over time. To save some cash, I'm planning to use a CPU with an integrated GPU and add a dedicated GPU later if necessary. Since there's a Micro Center nearby, I'm hoping to take advantage of their deals. Here's the list I've put together so far:
- Motherboard + CPU Bundle: AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D + ASUS B850-PLUS TUF Gaming WiFi for $320
- Memory: G.Skill 32GB DDR5 (2 x 16GB) DDR5-6000 CL36 for $270
- Boot Drive: Samsung 990 PRO 2TB NVMe M.2 SSD (with heatsink) for $200
- Case: NZXT H5 Flow for $90
- Power Supply: MSI MAG A750GL 750W 80 Plus Gold for $90
- CPU Air Cooler: Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE for $55
- Thermal Paste: Corsair XTM60 for $15
Total: about $1,040 before tax. I'm planning to use Ubuntu Server and possibly OpenZFS. Any tips or feedback would be super helpful!
4 Answers
Awesome! After reading through all the suggestions, I ended up switching to an Intel Core i7-14700K and downsized to a 1TB boot drive: [https://pcpartpicker.com/list/46vm4p](https://pcpartpicker.com/list/46vm4p). Bundling the CPU, motherboard, and memory at Micro Center will save me about $200. Would love to hear any further thoughts on my updated choices!
What kind of server applications are you planning to run? Just curious if you're focusing primarily on media serving.
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I recommend using pcpartpicker.com for planning your build; it makes everything a lot easier! Also, the Ryzen 7600X3D might not be the best choice since the 3D cache doesn’t significantly benefit typical server tasks. If you're mainly going for media serving, an Intel chip like the i5-12400 from the 12th or 13th gen could be a better fit, plus it allows for using cheaper DDR4 RAM. You might not even need a dedicated GPU unless you plan to run heavy encoding or AI tasks; Intel's Quick Sync is great for that! And don’t buy extra thermal paste since the one included with the cooler works perfectly fine.
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Thanks for the advice!
$270 for 32GB of DDR5 is a fantastic deal! You should definitely grab that while it's available, especially since prices can fluctuate a lot.
Yes, I thought so too! It's only in-store at Micro Center and part of a bundle with the motherboard and CPU.
I'm mostly thinking about using Jellyfin and Immich. My Beelink S12 Pro Mini PC struggled with importing photos, so I want a stronger setup. I'm planning to run everything in Docker on Linux.