to create a solution to sync files from many devices, organize my movie collection as well as
having my own instance of some password manager. I knew what software I need, but I wasn't
sure about the hardware. And that's how I started spending more and more time on the
[r/selfhosted][selfhosted] and [r/HomeServer][homeserver] subreddits.
Oh man 💀, it was long hours of reading and making difficult decisions, after all,
I did not have an infinite amount of money, but I also wanted it to be equipment that
would last me a good couple of years and which will be easy upgradable. It was also
important to me that the server be quiet, and small so it wouldn't draw attention in
a home environment.
End of the day, I did it! I put together a server that has been running smoothly for a year now
and runs services I need in about 30 [docker containers][docker-containers]. If you are interested in what services
I selfhost and what software I use to manage the server, you can read about it [here][homeserver-repo].
Ok, but what about my hardware choices? Let's get down to it.
### 🔥 CPU
[Ryzen 3 2200G][cpu]
Since I didn't want to buy a separate graphics card, it had to be a processor with an integrated GPU
which will handle video transcoding with Jellyfin. The whole server was to use the Proxmox platform,
(I ended up with Ubuntu on bare-metal) so I wanted it to have at least 4 cores.
### 💨 CPU cooler
The only right choice, dead silent and beautiful [Noctua NH-L9a][cpu-cooler].
### ⚙️ Motherboard
Average and budget friendly [AsRock A320M-ITX][mobo].
### 📝 RAM
[Patriot Viper DDR4, 16 GB, 3200MHz, CL16][ram]
Many people on Reddit say that the only option for server usage is RAM with ECC (Error Correction Code),
to maximally protect the server from data loss. However, I did not opt for such because of the price and
the fact that the likelihood of an accident in which data will be corrupted by a RAM error is very low,
and I keep several backups offsite anyway.
### 💾 OS drive
Fast M.2 SSD with good price to value ratio - [Kingston A2000 250 GB][os-drive].
### 💿💿 Storage drives
2x [Sandisk Ultra 3D 2TB SSD][storage-drives]
Well... I planned to use HDD drives, but found they were too noisy for the server which is located in my living room where I spend a lot of time, so I had to get SSDs. Note that the best option for
server are SSDs with PLP (Power Loss Protection) but they are more expensive. 🤨
### 🔌 PSU
Reliable beast with passive mode - [Seasonic FOCUS GX-550][psu].
### 📦 Case
Good looking, small and very popular among selfhosted community - [Fractal Design Node 304][case]
(6x 3.5"/2.5" disk bays).
### 🔋 UPS
Inexpensive but sufficient [CyberPower UT850EG-FR][ups]. In my case it's used only to shut down the server gracefully in the event of a power outage.
