What hardware to build a homelab in 2026?

Choosing the right hardware for a DevSecOps homelab means finding the balance between computing power, power consumption and budget. Modern mini-PCs such as the Intel N100 or AMD Ryzen offer an excellent performance-per-watt ratio, and a managed switch at 50 € is already enough to segment your network into VLANs.

Partner links

Some links on this page are Amazon affiliate links. If you buy through these links, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It helps me fund the time spent on these guides. Thank you!

What you will learn

By the end of this guide, you will be able to:

• Identify the homelab profile that fits your goals
• Choose the right processor (Intel N100, AMD Ryzen, or second-hand)
• Select a managed switch for network segmentation
• Size your storage and backups
• Optimise your budget according to your priorities

Three homelab profiles

Before buying, identify your main goal. Each profile matches a different level of investment and different use cases:

Profile	Use	Machines	Indicative budget
Discovery	Learn the basics (Docker, Ansible, single-node Kubernetes)	1 mini-PC	200–400 €
Training	Several VMs, K3s cluster, OPNsense firewall	2–3 mini-PCs	600–1200 €
Personal production	Full infrastructure, HA, storage, backups	3+ mini-PCs + NAS	1500–3000 €

Swipe to see more

Discovery

Goal: get your hands dirty without financial risk.

What you can do with 1 mini-PC:

• Install Proxmox or Docker and create your first VMs/containers
• Deploy a reverse proxy (Traefik, Caddy) in front of your services
• Set up a Pi-hole or AdGuard Home to filter DNS
• Learn Ansible by automating the configuration of your machine
• Test K3s in single-node mode (enough to understand Kubernetes concepts)
• Host Home Assistant for home automation

Recommended hardware:

• A new Intel N100 mini-PC (150–200 €) or a second-hand mini-PC (100–150 €)
• 8–16 GB RAM minimum
• 256–512 GB SSD (NVMe preferably)

Limits of this profile:

• No high availability (if the machine goes down, everything stops)
• No advanced network segmentation (VLANs are hard without a managed switch)
• Limited performance if you run many VMs at the same time

Who is it for?

This profile suits those discovering DevOps, who want to validate their interest before investing more, or who have tight budget constraints.

Training

Goal: reproduce a professional architecture at small scale.

What you can do with 2–3 mini-PCs:

• Separate roles: 1 firewall machine (OPNsense) + 1–2 compute machines (Proxmox)
• Create VLANs to isolate your networks (admin, servers, IoT, guests)
• Build a multi-node K3s cluster with real load balancing
• Test high availability (VM migration between nodes)
• Deploy an observability stack (Prometheus, Grafana, Loki)
• Practise GitOps with ArgoCD or Flux
• Set up a secrets manager (HashiCorp Vault, OpenBao)

Typical architecture:

Machine	Role	Recommended specs
N100 mini-PC with 4 NICs	OPNsense (firewall, router)	8 GB RAM, 128 GB SSD
Ryzen 5/7 mini-PC	Proxmox node 1 (admin)	32 GB RAM, 512 GB NVMe
Ryzen 5/7 mini-PC	Proxmox node 2 (compute)	32 GB RAM, 512 GB NVMe
Managed switch	VLANs	8 ports, 802.1Q

Swipe to see more

What you additionally learn:

• Network segmentation: understanding VLANs and inter-VLAN routing
• Distributed architecture: communication between machines, shared storage
• Perimeter security: dedicated firewall, strict rules, centralised logs
• Resilience: what happens if a node goes down?

The sweet spot

This is the profile I recommend for anyone who wants to really progress in DevSecOps. The investment stays reasonable, and you can reproduce 90% of the architectures you will meet in a company.

Personal production

Goal: host critical services for yourself or your family, with reliability and backups.

What you can do with 3+ mini-PCs + NAS:

• A production Kubernetes cluster with 3+ control planes
• Redundant storage: NAS with RAID, replication between sites
• Automated backups: 3-2-1 rule, offsite to the cloud or a second site
• 24/7 monitoring with alerting (PagerDuty, Slack, email)
• "Production" services: Nextcloud, Vaultwarden, Immich, Jellyfin
• Site-to-site VPN with a second homelab (at a relative's, in a datacentre)
• Full CI/CD: self-hosted GitLab/Gitea with dedicated runners

Typical architecture:

Machine	Role	Recommended specs
N100/N150 mini-PC	OPNsense (main firewall)	8 GB RAM, 128 GB SSD, 4 NICs
Ryzen 7 mini-PC	Proxmox control plane 1	64 GB RAM, 1 TB NVMe
Ryzen 7 mini-PC	Proxmox control plane 2	64 GB RAM, 1 TB NVMe
Ryzen 7 mini-PC	Proxmox worker	64 GB RAM, 1 TB NVMe
4-bay NAS	Shared storage (NFS/iSCSI)	4 × 4 TB in RAID5/6
Managed switch	VLANs, trunk	16 ports, 2.5G if possible
UPS	Power protection	1000 VA minimum

Swipe to see more

Additional considerations:

• Power consumption: with 4+ machines, expect 80–150 W at idle
• Noise: even mini-PCs make noise under load, plan a suitable room
• Maintenance: updates, disk replacement, monitoring, it takes time
• Recurring cost: electricity, hardware renewal, cloud backup

Warning

This profile demands a significant time investment. If you do not have 2–3 hours a week to devote to maintenance, stay on the Training profile. A badly maintained homelab is worse than a managed cloud service.

Progressing between profiles

You do not have to buy everything at once. Here is a typical progression:

Months 1–3: Discovery

• 1 second-hand mini-PC (100–150 €)
• Goal: get familiar with Proxmox, Docker, Linux basics

Months 4–6: Building skills

• Add an N100 mini-PC for OPNsense (200 €)
• Add a managed switch (40 €)
• Goal: learn VLANs, the firewall, segmentation

Months 7–12: Serious infrastructure

• Replace or upgrade the first mini-PC with a Ryzen (400 €)
• Add a NAS or a second compute node
• Goal: K3s cluster, GitOps, observability

Beyond: according to your needs

• Add nodes, storage, network redundancy
• Always driven by a real need, not "just in case"

Advice

Start small. It is always possible to add machines. Buying a rack server with 128 GB of RAM "for later" is rarely worthwhile for a homelab.

My quick recommendation

• You just want to learn → 1 second-hand mini-PC or a new N100
• You want a real security-first homelab → 1 firewall mini-PC + 1 Proxmox mini-PC + 1 managed switch
• You want to move toward Kubernetes, GitOps and supply chain → plan for 2 compute nodes minimum from the start

Mini-PCs: the heart of your homelab

Why mini-PCs?

Traditional rack servers (Dell PowerEdge, HP ProLiant) are powerful but:

• Noisy: industrial fans
• Power-hungry: 100–300 W at idle
• Bulky: they need a rack or a dedicated room

Mini-PCs solve these problems:

Criterion	Mini-PC (Intel N100)	Rack server (second-hand)
Noise	Silent (fanless possible)	Loud (40–60 dB)
Idle consumption	6–15 W	80–150 W
Footprint	12 × 12 cm	1U+ rack
New price	150–300 €	N/A
Second-hand price	100–200 €	100–300 €

Swipe to see more

Intel N100, N150 and N250: the budget choice

The Intel N100, N150 and N250 processors belong to the same low-power family (Alder Lake-N / Twin Lake). They target budget mini-PCs, network appliances and small home servers.

How to choose in 2026?

• N100: excellent if you find a good deal
• N150: more recent variant, worthwhile if the price gap stays small
• N250: worth considering on recent models, but without overpaying for OPNsense or light services

Strengths:

• Excellent performance per watt: ideal for OPNsense, Pi-hole, Home Assistant
• Fanless possible: total silence
• AES-NI support: important for VPN and encryption
• Entry level: new machines between 150 and 250 € depending on RAM and storage
• 4 Ethernet ports on some models (perfect for OPNsense)

Limits:

• Only 4 cores: enough for a firewall or light services, but limited for many simultaneous VMs
• Intel officially announces up to 16 GB of memory on N100, N150 and N250: that is enough for light use, but quickly limiting for a loaded Proxmox host
• Modest CPU performance: not the right choice for heavy builds, demanding databases or local AI

Ideal use cases:

• OPNsense firewall (especially with 4 NICs)
• Light NAS server (TrueNAS Scale)
• Docker containers (Portainer, Home Assistant)
• Reverse proxy (Traefik, Caddy)

Consistent model examples for OPNsense:

Model	Features	NICs	Positioning
AIOPCWA N100 Firewall	N100, fanless	4 × 2.5G i226-V	Good candidate for a dedicated OPNsense
ANDAQI Firewall Appliance N150	N150, fanless	4 × 2.5G i226-V	More recent variant, same philosophy

Swipe to see more

Indicative budget: generally allow an entry level between 150 and 250 € depending on RAM, storage and the seller.

OEM / white-label brands

On Amazon France, this segment is dominated by little-known brands (OEM / white-label). The real criterion remains: 4 × 2.5 GbE ports, Intel i226-V, fanless form factor. Always check user reviews before buying.

That brand criterion hides a more decisive one for stability: the network chip fitted to the machine.

Beware of network cards

For OPNsense, check that the network cards are Intel i225-V or i226-V. Some cheap models use Realtek RTL8125, which can cause stability problems with FreeBSD/OPNsense. See the dedicated guide on choosing a mini-PC for OPNsense for details.

AMD Ryzen: power for virtualisation

To host several VMs or heavier workloads, AMD Ryzen mini-PCs are better suited:

Strengths:

• 8+ cores on Ryzen 5/7: real virtualisation capacity
• Up to 64 GB RAM: comfortable for Proxmox
• Excellent CPU performance: compilation, builds, tests
• iGPU: video transcoding, Jellyfin, even a little local AI

Relevant mini-PC examples for Proxmox:

Model	CPU	RAM / storage	Positioning
Beelink SER5	Ryzen 7 5800H	16–32 GB / 500 GB–1 TB depending on version	Very good compromise for several VMs
MINIS FORUM UM790 Pro	Ryzen 9 7940HS	32 GB / 512 GB depending on version	Good base for an admin or compute node
GEEKOM A6	Ryzen 7 6800H	16 GB DDR5 / 1 TB	More modern, premium option
MINIS FORUM NAB6	Core i5-12600H	32 GB / 512 GB	Intel variant with two Ethernet ports
MINIS FORUM MS01	Core i9-13900H	32 GB / 1 TB	High-end option for a very powerful admin node

Swipe to see more

Observed budget: from 400 to 1200 € depending on the processor, RAM and storage.

Second-hand: unbeatable value for money

Companies renew their mini-PC fleets every 3–5 years. The result: perfectly working machines on the second-hand market.

Where to buy:

• eBay: search for "Lenovo ThinkCentre Tiny", "HP EliteDesk Mini", "Dell OptiPlex Micro"
• Back Market: refurbished with warranty
• Leboncoin: negotiate!

What you find (March 2026):

Machine	Generation	CPU	Second-hand price
Lenovo M720q	8th Gen	i5-8400T (6c)	80–120 €
HP EliteDesk 800 G4	8th Gen	i5-8500T (6c)	90–130 €
Dell OptiPlex 7070	9th Gen	i5-9500T (6c)	120–160 €

Swipe to see more

Community feedback

French-speaking forums (Forum-NAS, LaFibre, HACF) confirm that the Lenovo M720q Tiny and other business mini-PCs remain excellent choices for Proxmox. An i5-8400T at 100 € does draw 10 W more than an N100, but offers much better performance. It is often the best deal for a homelab.

Managed switch: the basis of segmentation

What to check before buying

• 802.1Q VLAN support: essential for network segmentation
• Tagged/untagged port management: to configure trunks and access ports
• Acceptable web interface: avoid CLI-only switches for a homelab
• Silence: no fan or quiet fans
• 1G or 2.5G: 2.5 GbE is worthwhile if you have NVMe or fast NAS
• PoE: only if you have IP cameras, Wi-Fi access points or IP phones

Why a managed switch?

A "basic" switch connects machines to each other. A managed switch also allows:

• VLANs: separate traffic (admin, IoT, guests, workloads)
• Trunk ports: carry several VLANs over a single cable
• Monitoring: see traffic statistics per port
• QoS: prioritise certain flows (VoIP, video)

For a security-first architecture, VLANs are essential: you do not want your connected light bulb to be able to talk to your Kubernetes cluster.

Recommendations by budget

Range	Model	Ports	VLANs	Positioning
Entry	TP-Link TL-SG108E	8 × 1G	yes	Very good entry point to discover VLANs
1G comfort	TP-Link TL-SG608E	8 × 1G	yes	Easy Smart, up to 32 VLANs, compact and silent
PoE	Netgear GS308EP	8 × 1G	yes	Worthwhile if you power Wi-Fi access points or cameras

Swipe to see more

Observed budget: from 35 to 90 € depending on features (VLAN, PoE).

And for managed 2.5 GbE?

Affordable 8-port managed 2.5 GbE switches are mostly found at brands such as MokerLink, SODOLA, AMPCOM or Hasivo (often with a 10G SFP+ uplink port, around 130–200 €). TP-Link does not yet offer a consumer equivalent at this price: the JetStream range (TL-SG3210XHP-M2 and above) is much more expensive. Always check for 802.1Q VLAN in the datasheet before buying, some cheap 2.5 GbE models are unmanaged.

If those references feel like too many, a single model is enough to start with.

To get started

The TP-Link TL-SG108E at around 35 € is perfect to begin with. It supports 802.1Q VLANs, is configured through a web interface, and does the job very well for 3–5 machines. For a slightly more modern form factor while staying at 1 GbE, the TL-SG608E is an equivalent alternative feature-wise.

Typical configuration for a homelab

Here is an example VLAN configuration for a security-first homelab:

VLAN	ID	Subnet	Use
MGMT	10	10.0.10.0/24	Administration (Proxmox, OPNsense, switches)
SERVERS	20	10.0.20.0/24	Production VMs and containers
IOT	30	10.0.30.0/24	Connected objects (isolated!)
GUEST	40	10.0.40.0/24	Guest network

Swipe to see more

Storage and backups

Local storage: NVMe > SATA

Modern mini-PCs generally have an NVMe slot. Prefer this format:

Type	Throughput	Latency	Use
SATA SSD	500 MB/s	0.1 ms	Enough for light VMs
NVMe PCIe 3.0	3 GB/s	0.02 ms	Ideal for Proxmox, databases
NVMe PCIe 4.0	7 GB/s	0.01 ms	Overkill for a homelab

Swipe to see more

Recommended capacities:

• 256 GB: minimum for the OS + a few VMs
• 512 GB–1 TB: comfortable for Proxmox with several VMs
• 2 TB: if you host a lot of data (media, local backups)

NAS: centralised storage

For reliable backups and shared storage, a NAS is recommended:

Budget	Solution	Capacity
100–200 €	USB 3.0 disk + existing mini-PC	4–8 TB
200–400 €	2-bay NAS (Synology DS223, QNAP TS-233)	8–20 TB (RAID1)
400–800 €	DIY NAS or TrueNAS on a mini-PC	Flexible

Swipe to see more

3-2-1 rule

For serious backups, apply the 3-2-1 rule:

• 3 copies of your data
• on 2 different media
• with 1 offsite (cloud, at a relative's)

My current setup

Here is the setup I use day to day. The prices shown are those I observed when buying and may have changed since:

Machine	Role	Specs	Observed budget
DIVINPC T9 Plus	OPNsense (firewall)	N95, 8 GB, 256 GB SSD, 2 Ethernet ports	~100 €
2 x MINIS FORUM NAB9	Proxmox cluster	Core i9-12900HK, 64 GB, 1 TB NVMe	~400 €
TP-Link TL-SG608E	Managed 1G switch (802.1Q VLAN)	8 × 1G	~40 €
Synology DS223	Backup NAS	2 × 4 TB (RAID1)	Gift from a fan

Swipe to see more

Overall observed budget: around 1500 € for a complete infrastructure with a dedicated firewall, gigabit virtualisation and backups.

Measured power consumption: 45 W at idle excluding the NAS, which is about 394 kWh/year if the infrastructure stays on 24/7. At the current residential rate, that is in the order of 75 to 85 € per year depending on your contract.

Pre-purchase checklist

Before validating your basket, check:

• CPU: AES-NI supported (mandatory for VPN/encryption)
• RAM: expandable? Standard DDR4 SO-DIMM or soldered?
• NICs: Intel recommended for OPNsense (avoid Realtek for the firewall)
• Number of NICs: 2+ if you run OPNsense on this machine
• Storage: NVMe slot available? Possibility of adding a SATA disk?
• Consumption: check the TDP and user feedback on real consumption
• Silence: fanless or quiet fans? Look at the reviews

Next steps

Choosing a mini-PC for OPNsense Hardware criteria, Intel vs Realtek network controllers, 2026 references

OPNsense + Tailscale Lay the network foundations of your homelab

First Proxmox admin node Deploy the trust services (authentik, OpenBao)

OPNsense course Complete OPNsense guide: installation, VLANs, firewall

Key takeaways

• Intel N100: ideal for OPNsense, light services, low consumption (150–200 €)
• AMD Ryzen / Intel 12th+: recommended for Proxmox with several VMs (350–500 €)
• Second-hand: excellent value for money for refurbished business mini-PCs
• Managed switch: essential for VLANs, the TL-SG108E at ~35 € is enough to start
• Minimal budget: 200–400 € for a "discovery" profile, 1000–1500 € for a complete infrastructure

×

See in the glossary →