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Homelab Planner

Toggle your workloads and see a real parts list update in real time. We model CPU/RAM pressure, storage layout, power draw, and monthly operating cost.

What will you run?

Scale

Simultaneous transcode streams1
0 (no media)2 (typical)8 (heavy)
Docker containers running8
015 (typical)60
Storage needed10 TB
0 (NVMe only)40TB200TB

Preferences

Budget$800
Electricity$0.18/kWh
Mini-PC

ASUS NUC — Intel N305 (8-core)

A silent, always-on mini-PC covers this at ~26W — about $3.37/mo to run.

RAM

16GB

CPU

8c / 8t

Idle

~26W

Monthly

$3.37

Storage

16TB

Layout

RAID5 / Z1

Estimated build cost

$1,384

$584 over budget

Budget: $800

Parts list

Platform

ASUS NUC — Intel N305 (8-core)

32GB DDR5 · 1TB NVMe · 2.5GbE

$339

More cores for VMs while staying near-silent.

Check price
Storage

WD Red Plus 14TB

NAS-rated CMR

3×$229

each

Conservative, quiet NAS drive.

Check price
Cache

WD SN850X 2TB NVMe

App + database tier

$159

Fast pool for containers & metadata.

Check price
Power

CyberPower 1500VA UPS

Line-interactive · USB monitoring

$199

Clean shutdowns protect your array.

Check price

FAQ

How accurate are the power estimates?

Idle watt figures come from published TDP specs and community measurements. Real-world numbers can vary ±20% depending on your workload mix.

Are the prices up to date?

Prices are updated monthly from major retailers. Always click through to check current pricing before purchasing.

Do you earn commissions on links?

Yes. We earn affiliate commissions from Amazon, Newegg, and others when you purchase via our links. This never influences which products we recommend — see our disclosure page.