My server is powered by a Dell Optiplex 7050 which I bought on ebay for $120 shipped. It came with 8gb of memory and no storage. I purchased the remaining components (used 16gb ram + storage) for roughly $175 bringing the total cost of the server to just under $300.

This is a very capable machine despite its small price tag and might even be overkill for my needs. The extra power gives me a peace of mind though and will probably last me a very long time.

PC

• CPU: i7-7700
• ram: 24gb
• storage: 5.25tb
  • 256gb SSD: proxmox
  • 1tb nvme: vm drives, iso
  • 4tb HDD: backups, data

This is what it is currently running:

Host

• OS: Proxmox VE
• file system: ZFS

VM/Containers

• document management: paperless-ngx
• media server: jellyfin
• file server: turnkey file server
• DNS: pi-hole
• home automation: home assistant
• home security: frigate
• docker:
  • portainer
  • monitoring: uptime kuma
  • dashboard: homer

I am also using pfsense as my firewall/router on an old HP desktop running an i3-4130 that my friend gave me along with a generic 8-port switch.

Backups

To backup my data, I am running sanoid which does automatic snapshots of the zfs filesystem. Then I use syncoid (part of sanoid) to sync my server to an external SSD on my main desktop. The data is also automatically backed up to Backblaze using a cronjob. If the data starts to grow and becomes more complex, I will eventually have to build a remote NAS with raid.