Seeking Advice on Buying a Used Machine for Media and Docker Apps - What to Look For? reddit / selfhosted ---------------------------------------------------------------------- youmeiknow 路 2023-10-10 19:10 Hey, fellow self-hosters! I'm in the market for a used old machine from eBay or a marketplace, and I'd love some guidance on what to consider before making a purchase. I plan to use this machine for media storage and running various Docker applications. Here are a few things I'm pondering: 1. **Configuration:** What specifications should I prioritize when looking at used machines? CPU, RAM, storage capacity, or any other specific components? 2. **Brand Reliability:** Are there any brands or models that are known for their longevity and reliability when it comes to repurposing old hardware for self-hosting? 3. **Upgradability:** How important is it to have an easily upgradable machine? Should I be looking for models with room for additional RAM or storage? 4. **Power Consumption:** Given that this will likely run 24/7, how should I consider power efficiency in my choice of hardware? 5. **Compatibility with Docker:** Are there any compatibility issues or considerations I should be aware of when it comes to running Docker applications on older hardware? 6. **Price vs. Performance:** Any tips on finding that sweet spot between affordability and performance when shopping for used hardware? I'd greatly appreciate your insights, experiences, and any specific models or configurations you've had success with. Your advice will help me make an informed decision and embark on my self-hosting journey. Thanks in advance! 馃殌馃攳 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- no-fapping-way 路 2023-10-10 19:26 Look on eBay for ex-corporate PCs from Dell, HP etc. For 拢110, I got one with an i3-8300 CPU. I put in 32GB RAM, an Intel quad port network card and a 2TB m.2 NVMe stick in it. It now runs ESXi and I have a handful of Debian 12 VMs running approx 15 Applications 24/7. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- DoTheThingNow 路 2023-10-10 19:27 I recommend an older NUC from the 4th gen higher. You'll obviously get better performance the newer you go - but you can find some 4th/5th/6th gen NUCs that are quite cheap (under $100 and sometimes as long as \~$50). Try to get one that has a 2.5" drive slot so you can add a large SSD (or larger spinning rust). Since you are just starting out - picking up one of these and then maxing it's RAM and Storage will "hold you over" while you learn to tinker with your Docker containers. Instead of upgrading the individual machine you'd think in context of "moving up a notch" when purchasing your next device. Unless you have some specific CPU-intensive application you need to run - these guys will do you just fine to "tinker on". ---------------------------------------------------------------------- youmeiknow 路 2023-10-10 19:29 Thanks! Few questions 1. With "ex-corporate pc" I got no results on ebay or Amazon. May be I need to check again once I am home with laptop. 2. Is cpu not much important? Need to invest more on RAM? 3. Does media works good with i3 over i5/7? 4. How about AMDs? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rhysode 路 2023-10-10 19:37 I just bought 3x dells that were listed as i3 8100 for US$56/ea and two of them came with 8400s. Yay ebay! I slapped 32GB and 2TB nvmes in mine as well. Now I am screwing around with all of the fun HA/ceph stuff. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- no-fapping-way 路 2023-10-10 20:18 Search for the words reconditioned or renewed instead. CPU isn鈥檛 important passed a certain point. I could be wrong but 8th Gen or later Intel CPUs have an iGPU for transcoding in JellyFin if you plan to use that. Your RAM requirements depend on what you plan to do. Start with at least 8 GB. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- mjh2901 路 2023-10-10 22:18 There are a lot of options. At this point only look at options that use DDR4 or DDR5 memory. The DDR3 stuff is to long in the tooth and will cost you a lot more in power. I like workstations vs PC's (xeons instead of Core i based processors) but there is a lot out there. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- GrumpyCat79 路 2023-10-10 22:51 I would go 6th or higher personally. I like the business USFF like HP Minis, Lenovo Tiny and Dell Microa. Easy to find for cheap locally due to business upgrading them every few years! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- youmeiknow 路 2023-10-11 01:24 you mean building a TrueNAS server is better than SFF machines ? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- F_Degrain 路 2023-10-11 02:43 Try searching with the following keywords "HP Elitedesk" "Dell Optiplex" or "Lenovo Thinkcentre". You will get plenty of options to choose from. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- kmisterk 路 2023-10-11 04:57 ## Post Removed Hey, youmeiknow! Thanks for your submission on selfhosted. Your post has been removed due to a violation of the purpose of the subreddit: **Self Hosting** ## Not Self-Hosted When it comes to posts regarding applications in this subreddit, they must feature a self-hosted tool, or a tool that *can be* self-hosted, or some kind of related information, help request, or otherwise related to a tool that is something that one can self-host. If you believe this post *is in fact* relevant to /r/selfhosted, feel free to [message the mods](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to= /r/selfhosted&subject=Removed For Not Being Self- Hosted&message=[Removed Post](https://www.reddit.com/r/selfhosted/comments/174tcme/-/\)) with your concerns.