Looking for advice on low power homelab pc

[Roba Fett]

I am looking into setting up a proxmox server that has low power usage. I have found a lot of information about the following consideration:

 

I am looking into refurbished business computers like HP ProDesk 600 G5 Mini intel Core i7-8700T or Dell OptiPlex 7060 SFF i7-8700. The difference being the cpu with a lower TDP. I know that the 8700t and 8700 have the same idle power usage and the T variant is limited in its max power usage. So the 8700 has a higher processing capacity compared to the 8700T due to power limitations. Although the idle power usage of both cpu's is similar I wonder if the total power usage (from the wall) is lower for the 8700T pc's. I imagine that the low power setup of a pc with an 8700T is lower than a pc with a 8700. Is there anybody that can confirm my suspicion that the 8700T pc's are overall using less power?

 

If not, I would probably go for a 8700 machine because that would provide more options with regards to expandability.

[Needfuldoer]

4 minutes ago, Roba Fett said:

Although the idle power usage of both cpu's is similar I wonder if the total power usage (from the wall) is lower for the 8700T pc's.

Not necessarily. The non-T CPU would use more power, but finish and get back to idling sooner. Depending on the workload, the T variant machine might actually draw more power.

 

The T variant Intel CPUs are usually there for applications where cooling is limited, like ultra-small PCs. Like you said, they should idle about the same.

[QuantumRand]

If low power is your priority, it might be worth considering the Intel Atom C-series processors. The newest C5000s just hit the market, so C3000 gear is getting attractively cheap. The C3758 is an 8-ccore/8-thread chip that prioritizes IO and cryptographic applications. Here's an example of a unit on AliExpress https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256806005415760.html

 

It may or may not be a better option for you, depending on what kind of workloads/use-cases you have in mind. Worth looking into though!

[BitGhost]

If looking for used/refurbished you might look for something that allows undervolting and underclocking, just to give yourself more options.

[m9x3mos]

On 1/20/2024 at 9:30 AM, Roba Fett said:

I am looking into setting up a proxmox server that has low power usage. I have found a lot of information about the following consideration:

 

I am looking into refurbished business computers like HP ProDesk 600 G5 Mini intel Core i7-8700T or Dell OptiPlex 7060 SFF i7-8700. The difference being the cpu with a lower TDP. I know that the 8700t and 8700 have the same idle power usage and the T variant is limited in its max power usage. So the 8700 has a higher processing capacity compared to the 8700T due to power limitations. Although the idle power usage of both cpu's is similar I wonder if the total power usage (from the wall) is lower for the 8700T pc's. I imagine that the low power setup of a pc with an 8700T is lower than a pc with a 8700. Is there anybody that can confirm my suspicion that the 8700T pc's are overall using less power?

 

If not, I would probably go for a 8700 machine because that would provide more options with regards to expandability.

I have been running a beelink with a bit slower chip but idles at like 10w if I remember right. 

https://www.amazon.com/Beelink-Lake-N100-Mini-Computer-Supports-Home-Server/dp/B0C339KVH9/ref=mp_s_a_1_13?crid=HPCVY1PHAE9Z&keywords=beelink+n100&qid=1706296141&sprefix=beelink+n100%2Caps%2C111&sr=8-13

Sort of depends on what all you want to run on it. 

I picked this up for proxmox and with the Intel nic I haven't had any issues. 

Many other systems run Realtek nic and some Linux os don't play nice with that.