🖥️ HomeLab Hardware Guide

UK-focused · Proxmox-tested picks · Budget to enterprise

🔧 Recommendations based on real use in our Proxmox cluster (64 GB RAM, 816 GB storage, running Hermes Agent + Home Assistant + LXC containers). Prices checked May 2026 from UK retailers: Scan.co.uk, Amazon UK, eBay UK refurb, CCL Computers, Box.co.uk, GEEKOM UK store.

📦 Mini PCs

The sweet spot for homelab: low power, silent, powerful enough for most workloads. In 2026, dual 2.5GbE is standard and Intel N100/N150 (Twin Lake) dominate the budget segment. Ryzen alternatives are increasingly competitive.

Intel N100 / N150 Mini PC

Best value

Intel N100/N150 (4C/4T, Twin Lake) · 8-16 GB · NVMe + SATA

🔌 ~6W TDP · Dual 2.5GbE · Silent fanless

Our pick: Proxmox node, Pi-hole, lightweight services

~£150-200 Amazon UK / GEEKOM UK

Intel N305 / Beelink Me Pro

Best balance

Intel N305 (8C/8T, Alder Lake-N) · 16-32 GB · NVMe + SATA

🔌 ~15W · Internal SATA bay (NAS use) · Dual 2.5GbE

Our pick: Primary VM host + lightweight NAS

~£250-350 Amazon UK / Beelink UK

Minisforum MS-01

Premium pick

Intel i9-13900H / i7-13620H · Up to 96 GB · Triple NVMe

🔌 Dual 2.5GbE + Dual SFP+ 10GbE · PCIe 4.0 x16 slot

Best for: All-in-one router/NAS/homelab powerhouse

~£500-620 Amazon UK / Minisforum UK

💾 NAS & Storage

TrueNAS Scale is the go-to for DIY NAS builds in 2026. For turnkey, Synology remains solid but check QNAP's latest too.

Synology DS224+

Best starter NAS

2-bay · Intel Celeron N5095 · 6 GB

🔌 ~17W · DSM 7 · Docker, VMs

~£280 Scan / Amazon UK

DIY TrueNAS Scale Build

Best flexibility

N100/N150 mini PC + USB/PCIe SATA · 2-4 bay

🔌 ZFS · Docker · ~15W total · Dual 2.5GbE

Our pick: Beelink Me Pro with internal SATA bay

~£180-300 Amazon UK / CCL Computers

WD Red Pro / Seagate IronWolf

Best HDD for NAS

4-8 TB · CMR (not SMR) · 5yr warranty

🔌 RAID-friendly · NAS-optimised firmware

~£95-170 Amazon UK / Scan

🌐 Networking

2.5GbE is now standard on consumer mini PCs in 2026. For the homelab, 10GbE SFP+ backbones are increasingly affordable.

TP-Link TL-SG108E

Budget smart switch

8-port Gigabit · VLAN support · Web managed

🔌 ~5W · Silent · Fanless

~£30 Amazon UK / Scan

MikroTik CRS326-24G-2S+RM

Best homelab switch

24-port Gigabit · 2× SFP+ 10GbE · Rack mount

🔌 ~15W · RouterOS + SwitchOS

~£140 Broadband Buyer

MikroTik CRS310-8G+2S+IN

2.5GbE switch

8-port 2.5GbE · 2× SFP+ 10GbE · Fanless

🔌 Perfect match for 2026 mini PCs with dual 2.5GbE

~£180 Broadband Buyer / Amazon UK

🔋 UPS & Power

APC Back-UPS Pro 1200VA

Best for homelab

720W · 8 outlets (4 battery + 4 surge) · USB management

🔌 ~30min runtime for typical homelab (100W load)

~£140 Amazon / Scan

Eaton Ellipse ECO 1200VA

Best value UPS

650W · Pure sine wave · USB + RJ45 protection

🔌 Eco mode for efficiency · LCD display

~£100 Amazon / Scan

🏗️ Rack & Infrastructure

StarTech 12U Open Frame Rack

Best starter rack

12U · 600mm deep · Adjustable · Castors

🔌 Open frame = easy cable access

~£90 Amazon

PDU Power Strip 8-Way

Essential

1U rack mount · 8 UK sockets · Surge protected

🔌 13A rated · 2m cable

~£25 Amazon

Patch Panel CAT6 24-Port

Cable management

1U · CAT6 rated · Tool-less (some models)

🔌 Pair with keystone jacks

~£18 Amazon

🍓 Single-Board Computers

Great for dedicated lightweight services: Pi-hole, Home Assistant, Tailscale exit nodes.

Raspberry Pi 5 (8 GB)

Latest gen

ARM Cortex-A76 · 8 GB RAM · PCIe 2.0

🔌 ~7W · USB 3 · Dual HDMI 4K

Our pick: Pi-hole, Home Assistant, light Docker services

~£80 PiHut / Amazon UK

Orange Pi 5 (16 GB)

More power

RK3588S · 16 GB RAM · M.2 NVMe · WiFi 6

🔌 ~10W · Better than Pi for heavy workloads

~£120 AliExpress / Amazon UK

Radxa Rock 5B

Best RK3588 SBC

RK3588 · 16 GB · M.2 NVMe · 2.5GbE · WiFi 6

🔌 ~10W · PCIe 3.0 x4 · Better community support

~£110 Amazon UK / PiHut

💡 UK Shopping Tips

GEEKOM UK Store

Best source for Intel N100/N150 mini PCs. Official UK store with 2-year warranty. Check for seasonal sales — often £20-30 off. Also check Amazon UK for price matching.

Scan Computers / CCL / Box.co.uk

UK-based retailers great for NAS, SSDs, networking, and components. Scan offers free delivery over £20 and has a "Today Only" deals page. CCL and Box.co.uk are solid alternatives for price comparisons.

eBay UK Refurbished

Still great for used enterprise gear (rack switches, servers, UPS units). Search for IT clearance sellers. Look for 99%+ feedback and 12-month warranty options. Genuine bargains on last-gen hardware.

Broadband Buyer

Best UK source for MikroTik and Ubiquiti networking gear. Often cheaper than Amazon with knowledgeable support. Also stock MikroTik's 2.5GbE CRS310 series — essential for modern homelab builds.

📡 Live Deals Feed

Homelab-relevant deals from HotUKDeals, updated hourly. Proxmox for virtualization, Docker for services, TrueNAS Scale for storage.

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🔥 Popular Self-Hosted Services in 2026

Pi-hole Home Assistant Jellyfin Nextcloud Vaultwarden Tailscale Immich Nginx Proxy Manager