Real hardware guides from someone who actually uses this stuff.
No sponsored picks. No affiliate-first recommendations. 13 years of building PCs and running servers — just what I use and why.
RTX 5060 vs RX 9060 XT: The Budget GPU Showdown
Real benchmarks, real prices, and an honest verdict on the RTX 5060 (8GB) vs RX 9060 XT (16GB) in 2026.
Best Mini PCs for Your First Homelab in 2026
Five mini PCs tested with real idle power, NIC counts, and pricing. MS-01, MS-A2, MS-02 Ultra, Beelink SER8, and AI X1 Pro 470 compared.
The Gaming PC I Actually Use in 2026
My real build with two GPU options for 4K and 1440p — plus why the Ryzen 5800X3D is a trap in 2026.
The Best Gaming Monitor You've Probably Never Heard Of
The Gigabyte AORUS FO48U is a 48-inch 4K OLED with DisplayPort and a KVM switch. Almost nobody talks about it.
Proxmox vs ESXi in 2026: Free ESXi Is Back, But Does It Matter?
Free ESXi 8.0 returned with limits. Proxmox VE is open source with no VM caps. Real benchmarks, feature comparison, and an honest verdict for homelabs.
Best Budget NAS Builds for Home Users in 2026
Build a 4-bay NAS under $900 with real hardware, measured power draw, and the right OS. AOOSTAR WTR Pro N100 and 5825U compared with TrueNAS, Unraid, and OpenMediaVault.
Best Homelab Networking Gear Under $200 in 2026
Seven pieces of networking gear under $200 with real throughput numbers. MikroTik, Ubiquiti, GL.iNet, and TP-Link compared for switches, routers, and access points.
Self-Hosting Essentials: What to Self-Host First and Why
Six services in the right order with real hardware requirements. Pi-hole, Uptime Kuma, Jellyfin, Nextcloud, Immich, and Home Assistant — honest priorities for new self-hosters.
DDR5 RAM Buying Guide for 2026: Stop Overpaying for Speed You Can't Feel
DDR5-6000 to 6400 is the smart money. Real benchmark scores, specific kit recommendations at 32/64/96GB, and the gotchas nobody warns you about.
How to Set Up Proxmox on a Mini PC — Box to First VM in Under an Hour
Step-by-step Proxmox VE setup on a mini PC. BIOS config, USB boot with Ventoy, install, post-install repo fix, first VM, first LXC container.
Proxmox vs TrueNAS vs Unraid in 2026: I've Used All Three — Here's What Actually Matters
An opinionated comparison of Proxmox VE, TrueNAS SCALE, and Unraid for homelab use. Real experience, real tradeoffs, actual recommendations.
10GbE Homelab Networking for Your Homelab: The $150 Upgrade That Changes Everything
10GbE dropped below $150 for a full homelab setup in 2026. Mellanox cards for $20, budget SFP+ switches for $90, and real use cases that justify the upgrade.