Two network ports, 32 GB or more, and memory you can add to.
For virtual machines, compare installed RAM, replaceable memory, storage locations and network controllers. These recommendations start at 32 GB with replaceable RAM and two wired ports. A single-port host can also use VLANs with a compatible managed switch. Choose for your actual VM allocations and driver support rather than a fixed number of virtual machines.
Compare these local configurations by price, connections and upgrade options. Choose the features you need; their order does not establish a performance winner.
AMD Ryzen 5 7640HS · 32 GB · 512 GB
£579.46 ·
For a Proxmox host with room to expand. It has the lowest current UK price among these recommendations. Choose it for replaceable RAM: 2 slots and a documented limit of 128 GB, subject to compatible modules.
Trade-off: Check network-controller and storage support for your Proxmox version. Two ports do not establish driver compatibility.
AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS · 32 GB · 1024 GB
£789.96 ·
For a Proxmox host with room to expand. Compare its price with GMKtec NucBox M6 Ultra; pay extra only for features you will use. Its installed SSD is 1024 GB, compared with 512 GB in GMKtec NucBox M6 Ultra. Choose it for replaceable RAM: 2 slots and a documented limit of 128 GB, subject to compatible modules.
Trade-off: Check network-controller and storage support for your Proxmox version. Two ports do not establish driver compatibility.
Intel Core i5-12600H · 32 GB · 1 TB
£935.00 ·
For a Proxmox host with room to expand. Compare its price with GMKtec NucBox M6 Ultra; pay extra only for features you will use. Its installed SSD is 1000 GB, compared with 512 GB in GMKtec NucBox M6 Ultra. Its 4 wired network ports offer more physical connections than the 2 on GMKtec NucBox M6 Ultra. Its 3 M.2 slots provide more drive locations than the 2 on GMKtec NucBox M6 Ultra; check which are already occupied. Choose it for replaceable RAM: 2 slots and a documented limit of 96 GB, subject to compatible modules. The recorded built-in network connections are 2x 10GbE SFP+, 2x 2.5GbE; useful for a suitably equipped NAS or host network.
Trade-off: Check network-controller and storage support for your Proxmox version. Two ports do not establish driver compatibility.
Two physical ports can separate management, VM and storage traffic. They are convenient rather than a universal requirement: VLANs can share one link through a suitable managed switch. Check controller support in your Proxmox version and plan how you will reach management if a VM or network rule fails.
Size RAM from the guests and services you intend to run, including host and storage-cache overhead. The configurations shown start at 32 GB, but lighter hosts may need less and larger guests may need far more. Check module compatibility and the documented upgrade limit.
Look at the network chipset, not just the speed: Intel i226 and i225 parts have broad driver support, and some Realtek parts need more attention on a hypervisor. A second M.2 slot lets you keep the boot disk separate from virtual machine storage, which makes a rebuild much less painful. Confirm the memory is socketed and note the maximum, since the figure on the listing is rarely the ceiling.
8 mini PCs
Why32 GB installed. 2 network ports. 2 memory slots, not soldered. 2.5GbE. 2 M.2 slots.
Why32 GB installed. 2 network ports. 2 memory slots, not soldered. 2.5GbE. 2 M.2 slots.
Why32 GB installed. 2 network ports. 2 memory slots, not soldered. 2.5GbE. 2 M.2 slots.
Why32 GB installed. 4 network ports. 2 memory slots, not soldered. 2x 10GbE SFP+, 2x 2.5GbE. 3 M.2 slots.
Why32 GB installed. 2 network ports. 4 memory slots, not soldered. 10GbE, 2.5GbE. 2 M.2 slots.
Why32 GB installed. 2 network ports. 2 memory slots, not soldered. 2.5GbE. 2 M.2 slots.
For the models below, check the highlighted specification with the manufacturer or seller before deciding whether it suits your setup.
Check the number of network ports for these 3 configurations.
Check the amount of memory installed for these 2 configurations.
Add the memory allocations of your planned VMs and containers, then leave space for the host, filesystem caches and growth. VM count alone does not determine RAM needs. Check the requirements of each guest and any ZFS workload.
Replaceable memory gives you room to expand. Soldered memory can still suit a fixed workload if the installed capacity is sufficient; choose it with future requirements in mind.
10GbE can help network storage, migrations and large backups when the switch, other hosts and storage can keep up. For lighter workloads, 1GbE or 2.5GbE may be sufficient. Decide whether separate physical links or VLANs suit your network.
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