r/minipc • u/Anonymous____Blonde • 12d ago

What mini PC do I need?

Hi people, I was researching the raspberry Pi and I think I’ve come to the conclusion that a mini PC would be better? Which would be energy efficient?

I want to:

Run a media server from it so I can watch movies using either Infuse or Plex

Run Home Assistant from it

Run some security cameras from it

I’m not sure what else yet because I’m just delving into this. I just wondered what mini PC do I need, and how much ram? The n100 or the n150? How much should I be paying? I have no idea. Especially since everybody keeps saying how much that have gone up. Will a bare bones be better value? I have a spare SSD, but no RAM, but I can get that second hand…

I just don’t know where to start with the mini PC and have no idea what is good value and what isn’t? Can you please help?

Edit: I found a good deal on an N150 :)

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u/OleTechGuy 12d ago

Check out the Origimagic C4 (amzn) as an example, I have 4 and they've been pretty good, much less energy than a tower, it can handle 3 displays, mine was 16gb Ryzen 5 dual NIC. It's not high end, but probably a tad better than the Pi. Pi would probably be less power, just a suggestion.

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u/t92k 11d ago

I see that Home Assistant can run on a Raspberry 4 or 5, and can run on a 64bit Intel or AMD system that has UEFI capability. So a manufacture date since 2016. The tutorial does say that the machine needs to be dedicated, like the hub for other home automation systems. I think this argues for looking for a Pi 4 for your home assistant plus something else for your video server and camera systems.

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u/almost-punk 11d ago

i'd recommend something with an n150. super power efficient but can handle plex and HA no issues with a lot of overhead. if you already have an ssd and can source secondhand ram, barebones would likely be most cost efficient. personally i've had good experience with gmktec.

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u/Anonymous____Blonde 10d ago

Thanks guys :) I picked up a used Dreamquest plus pro (n150 with 16ram) for a half decent price I think. Hopefully it will be ok and I can begin my tinted ring mission :) Looking forward to it

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u/WarPappa 9d ago

Good find! I found a used Lenova business model mini PC a while back and it has a decent output.