TechFuel HQMake the next hardware or homelab decision with the receipts open.
First-party benchmarks, long-term ownership notes, browser tools and source-linked guides, with the buying route on the same page as the verdict.
By Lowell K. Wood IV, 13-year homelabber and PC builder in St. Louis
- 26 free calculators
- 11 hardware reviews
- 12 open datasets
What are you trying to decide?
Each route pairs an answer with the evidence, calculator, or current retailer check that supports it.
- Build Plan a compatible PC Open the PC Builder Pick parts with socket, chipset, RAM, PSU, and case-clearance checks.
- Host Choose homelab hardware Explore the homelab lane Compare mini PCs, NAS builds, Proxmox capacity, storage, and idle power.
- Buy Read the ownership verdict Browse hardware reviews See what held up, what failed, and what is actually worth buying now.
- Verify Inspect the underlying data Open the data catalog Download the raw measurements, check the method, or reuse the open datasets.
How I test
From 2024 through early 2026 I ran a home test bench in St. Louis County, Missouri: idle power draw at the wall, thermals under sustained load, and benchmarks on hardware I bought myself. Most of that gear has since been sold or retired; About and the Colophon carry the full timeline. Today the site combines that hands-on history with cited third-party benchmarks from ServeTheHome, Phoronix, Tom’s Hardware and TechPowerUp, plus first-party runs on the rigs I still own, most recently the ASUS ROG Astral RTX 5080 OC dataset. I have published zero sponsored posts, and every part I test is one I paid for.
First-Party Data & Tools
Original benchmark data and free calculators you will not find anywhere else.
ASUS ROG Astral RTX 5080 OC — First-Party Bench Dataset
First-party 3DMark Time Spy, clocks, thermals, board power, DLSS 4 MFG, and 4K native gaming results from the ASUS ROG Astral RTX 5080 OC by TechFuelHQ.
PC Builder: Parts Picker with Compatibility Checks
Pick PC parts with socket, chipset, RAM-type, PSU, motherboard/case fit and GPU-length checks, plus Amazon and Newegg searches. Open CC BY 4.0 dataset.
PSU Calculator: Power Supply Wattage Calculator
Free PSU calculator sized from your actual parts: pick CPU and GPU to see peak draw, minimum wattage, and the efficiency sweet spot. Runs in-browser.
Hardware Reviews
Long-term reviews of gear I bought, ran, and measured myself.
ROG Astral RTX 5080 OC Review: First-Party 4K Benchmarks
ASUS ROG Astral RTX 5080 OC review with TechFuelHQ benchmarks: 3DMark, Cyberpunk 4K path tracing, DLSS 4 MFG, plus power and thermals across three profiles.
Ryzen 7 7800X3D Review (2026): Still the Gaming CPU Standard
Ryzen 7 7800X3D review from 3 years of daily use: is it still good in 2026? 3D V-Cache gaming lead, where the gap to the 9800X3D closes, and buy advice.
ROG STRIX B650-A Gaming WiFi Review: AM5 ATX for the Homelab
ROG STRIX B650-A Gaming WiFi review from a Ryzen 7 7800X3D build: DDR5 tuning, X3D power delivery, WiFi 6E, PCIe slot layout, and what ASUS got wrong.
Homelab Guides
Run a home server the smart way: Proxmox, TrueNAS, NAS builds, and mini-PCs.
Proxmox vs TrueNAS vs Unraid: ZFS, btrfs, and Homelab IOPS
Unraid vs TrueNAS vs Proxmox in 2026: which storage platform to pick, how their ZFS and btrfs backends really differ, and the IOPS and rebuild tradeoffs.
Best Mini PC for a Homelab 2026: MS-01, NUC, SFF
The best mini PC for a homelab in 2026, ranked by budget: MS-01 for dual 10GbE, ASUS NUC 14 for 8W idle, used OptiPlex under $200. Real idle watts and picks.
HardwareHow to Set Up Proxmox on a Mini PC: First VM in Under an Hour
Set up Proxmox VE on a mini PC step by step - install, storage, networking, and your first VM in under an hour (MS-01, NUC 14 Pro, EliteDesk 800 G4).
PC Hardware & Builds
Parts picks and full build guides, from a budget AM5 box to a flagship 4K rig.
The $1,500 RTX 5060 Ti Mid-Range 1440p Build for 2026
The best RTX 5060 Ti 1440p build for 2026: Ryzen 7 7700, 32GB DDR5, tested at 78-312 fps in 7 games, repriced live for the memory shortage (~$2,050).
Build guideDDR5 RAM Buying Guide (Sep 2026): Prices + Which Kit to Buy
DDR5 prices, September 5, 2026: 32GB DDR5-6000 kits ran $379.99 to $499.99 at named US retailers, index floor $489.99. Which kit to buy at each price.
Build guideAORUS FO48U Review (2026): 48-inch 4K OLED Gaming Monitor
AORUS FO48U review: 48-inch 4K 120Hz OLED with DisplayPort 1.4, two HDMI 2.1, and a built-in KVM. First-hand daily-driver take, a stock check, pros and cons.