Replace a server with a NUC

[bar1]

I did this a few years ago and ended up regretting it.

Thing is, server hardware is generally built for an always on use case, NUC is not technically designed for this. First the power adapter failed, then display port failed, then I ended up with motherboard problems.

Granted they are likely built better now than when I last tried but my guess is that you too will run into similar issues when it comes to running the NUC in a server type of environment.

I currently have an Intel nuc as my main PC....I don't switch it off at all

 

[bar1]

8Gb version?
Boots and runs nicely off SSD.

Yes, running from SSD, it's great actually.

 

[Wakandafication]

I think people using Win 10 will find the NUC slow, as Windows is crap especially if you use Office 365 apps locally like Outlook, Excel, OneDrive as they're not well optimised and have all that telemetry background crap.

With multiple Linux VMs on a 7th Gen i3, I have no performance issues with a 256GB SATA SSD and 12 GB of RAM. I can put many more Linux headless VMs or containers on there with no performance issues.

The NUC is a joke for gaming, though for a 24x7 low powered x64 server it's very very hard to beat as second hand in SA they're available for like R3k for my config.

I looked at a Deskmini A300/X300 and while the performance is much better it's also ended up being like 3-5 times the price with all the customs, taxes, etc etc depending on the config.

I'd rather then just get another NUC and have two or get a i5 newer generation. I think the best proper server would be a HP microserver if you want multiple disks, the gen 10 and gen 10 plus are really nice, but again expensive and very rare second hand which is why I ended up with a NUC myself as around 5W idle, it's using almost no power.

I'll move to an ARM setup once the hypervisor offerings are more abundant and mature.

 

[Vis1/0N]

I bought myself a second hand nuc, 8 gen i3. I have added a 512GB Evo Nvme SSD, and a shitload of RAM for VM usage, and learning purposes. The the loadshedding issues discouraged me from leaving it as a always on server, knowing that SSD is more susceptible when not being gracefully shut down. I need to change the battery in my basic UPS, but went down a rabbit hole looking at alternate power which distracted me.

The other worry for this small device was regarding heat, sitting in the Durban summer with a corner room getting the sun from dawn to late afternoon. This is a small box and I am distracted by all kind of ways of removing heat. In the least I have (quite badly) added solar film to the windows.

In computing terms I don't need raw power, I think it should suffice. I am thinking of running a 2.5" 4TB drive via the USB 3 slot to serve media. Again, I haven't quite done it, the pitfalls leaving me distracted.

 

[krycor]

I have been running an entire media server off one for close on 3 years.

Docker compose is running traefik, Plex, enby, sonarr, radarr, transmission, home assistant, cloudflare dns, whoami, hydra2 and jackett.

Have a 512ssd as the main with 8gb ram and a 4tb external for the actual media. Only time it runs into issues is if it has to transcode, but that very seldom happens and is usually the result of a borked download.

Use a fs cache?, ram drive (for transcode) etc in able to transcode hd on a n54l

Actually using an old laptop now to act as a 2ndary processor box for transcoding too but yah waiting to get hands on a Mac Mini M1 with 16Gb ram.. I’ve seen people transcode 4+ or was it 7 4K streams check Reddit.. the mac cpu is crazy.

I’m actually waiting to get an 8tb usb drive to replace my old 2TB one and consolidate older media onto it. Basically I use the raid disks (9tb + 1tb) on a 16GB n54l as a cache disk for new media and main disk reducing the incidence of disk buggering (which if I recall happens when u pull a lot of media or write and yank power).. so far it seems to do the job amicably for hardware that’s what 8yrs old?

Anyways.. here’s hoping my hardware survives Eskom a bit longer while I procure better stuff.

 

[bar1]

by the way....is the PC i posted above (AMD Ryzen5 3550H Radeon Vega 8 ) better then the
NUC8i7HVK(what i currently have).