Back to Technical Insights
Key Principle
When building a home server, you need to think about power usage. Unless you’re likely to be running high-performance tasks consistently, you can wait a short while for a task to complete. This allows us to choose a cheaper, and less power-hungry CPU.
Chosen Specifications
Core Components
| Component | Selection |
|---|---|
| Motherboard | ASRock Z790 Pro RS Intel Z790 |
| CPU | Intel Core i5 (12th Gen) i5-12500 3 GHz |
| GPU | NVIDIA GTX 1080 (already had on hand) |
Storage
| Component | Selection |
|---|---|
| Primary | WD_BLACK 4TB NVMe |
| Secondary | Western Digital Black 4TB (x2) |
Memory & Power
| Component | Selection |
|---|---|
| RAM | Crucial Pro 48GB DDR5 (2x24GB), 5600MHz |
| PSU | Corsair 500W (already had on hand) |
Cooling
Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE Black CPU Cooler — 6 Heat Pipes PC Cooling, Dual Towers and Dual PWM Fans
Case
Reused existing case
Power Efficiency Achievement
The real key to low-power operation is how well the CPU + motherboard + OS can enter deep power-saving states (C6, C7, C8).
Choosing the right CPU and motherboard combo allows the server to enter super low power usage, sometimes around single-digit wattage. I was able to achieve 17 watts with both HDDs idle.
Noise and Power Optimization
With the GPU in idle and the CPU cooling fans being controlled by PWM, we can really reduce the noise and power generation of the server. This creates a quiet, efficient home server that won’t disturb your living space while providing the computing power you need for development and personal projects.