2026 Homelab Gear That Beats 2025’s Picks: Pricing, Power, Benchmarks

By LK Wood IV · 2026-05-04 · ~14 min read

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The honest year-over-year read

Every spring somebody posts a thread arguing this year’s homelab gear is a meaningful upgrade. Most years it isn’t. The chassis change, the chip stepping, a new logo on the front — none of it moves the needle for a 24/7 box that runs LXC containers and a hypervisor.

2026 is different in two specific spots. AMD mini PCs hit dual SFP+ at a price Intel didn’t match, and 10GbE switching finally got cheap enough to put in a closet without a noise complaint. NAS appliances and used 1U enterprise moved sideways.

This piece walks four categories, name-by-name, with 2025’s pick on the left and 2026’s pick on the right. Real SKUs, MSRP at launch (street prices vary), measured watt draws where I have them, and a clear “skip the swap” verdict where 2026 didn’t earn it. I run all of this through Proxmox. If you’re still picking a hypervisor, the Proxmox vs TrueNAS vs Unraid breakdown is the prerequisite read.

Mini PCs: Minisforum MS-01 (2025) vs Minisforum MS-A2 (2026)

The 2025 pick was the Minisforum MS-01 with the i5-12600H — dual SFP+ 10GbE, dual 2.5GbE, three NVMe slots, half-height PCIe x16 slot, $423 barebone (Minisforum MS-01 product page). The networking was the entire argument.

The 2026 successor is the Minisforum MS-A2. Same chassis silhouette, same dual SFP+ 10G plus 2.5GbE RJ45, same PCIe 4.0 x8 slot — but AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX (16C/32T) or Ryzen 9 9955HX (Zen 5, 16C/32T), dual DDR5-5600 SODIMM up to 96GB, three M.2 NVMe slots with U.2/M.2 22110 support (Minisforum MS-A2 product page). Barebone pricing dropped to $559 in early 2026 per NotebookCheck, with the 9955HX barebone at $799.

SpecMS-01 (i5-12600H) — 2025 pickMS-A2 (Ryzen 9 7945HX) — 2026 pick
Cores / threads12C / 16T (6P+6E)16C / 32T
TDP class45W (cTDP up)55W base, 75W boost
Max RAM64GB DDR5-5200 SODIMM96GB DDR5-5600 SODIMM
NICs2× SFP+ 10G, 2× 2.5GbE2× SFP+ 10G, 2× 2.5GbE
NVMe slots3× M.2 (mixed PCIe 4.0/3.0)3× M.2 PCIe 4.0 + U.2 support
ExpansionPCIe 4.0 x8 (mech. x16)PCIe 4.0 x8 (mech. x16, splittable)
Barebone MSRP$423$559 (7945HX) / $799 (9955HX)
Idle (third-party measured)~25–29W per VirtualizationHowtoARTIFACT_REQUIRED below

ARTIFACT_REQUIRED: Wall-measured idle wattage for the MS-A2 7945HX configuration on my desk, taken via Kill-A-Watt P3 P4400 after 10 minutes of Proxmox idle with no VMs running. Capture model, BIOS version, RAM capacity, and the LCD reading. Repeat alongside the MS-01 for the same screen.

ARTIFACT_REQUIRED: Side-by-side bench photo of the MS-01 next to the MS-A2 — top-down, both rear panels visible to show the dual SFP+ cages on each. This is the lead photo for this section.

Verdict. Shopping new? The MS-A2 is the buy. 16 real cores instead of a 6P+6E hybrid, higher RAM ceiling, same networking, $136 premium at the 7945HX tier. Already own an MS-01? Keep it. The networking story is identical, the i5-12600H still chews through hypervisor work, and the CPU upgrade alone doesn’t justify a re-buy.

NAS hardware: 2025’s pick vs the 2026 entrants

Synology: DS923+ (2025) vs DS925+ (2026)

The DS925+ shipped in April 2025 (SpaceRex coverage). It’s the long-awaited 4-bay refresh, but the spec sheet is a downgrade where it matters. Same AMD Ryzen V1500B (4C/8T, 2.2GHz, no turbo), 4GB ECC DDR4 SODIMM, 32GB ceiling (Synology DS925+ product page). MSRP $620. What changed: built-in 2.5GbE replaces the DS923+’s dual 1GbE. What got removed: the 10GbE PCIe expansion slot. The DS923+ accepted a Synology E10G22-T1-Mini for 10GBASE-T uplink. The DS925+ does not.

Verdict. Skip the swap. Keep your DS923+. Entering Synology fresh in 2026? Buy the DS923+ on closeout, or look elsewhere.

Ugreen: DXP4800 Plus (2025) vs DXP4800 Pro (2026)

The DXP4800 Plus was the 2025 value pick — Intel Pentium Gold 8505 (5C/6T), 8GB DDR5 expandable to 64GB, four bays, two NVMe, 1× 10GbE plus 1× 2.5GbE. The new DXP4800 Pro swaps the Pentium for an Intel Core i3-1315U (6C/8T, up to 4.5GHz), bumps RAM to 96GB DDR5-5600, and keeps the same network layout per NAS Compares’ November 2025 reveal. Drive support, NVMe slot count, and chassis are identical.

Verdict. New buyer? Pro. Already on a Plus and 64GB is enough? Skip the swap.

ASUSTOR Lockerstor Gen3 — the wildcard

The ASUSTOR Lockerstor 4 Gen3 (AS6804T) at $1,299: 2× 10GbE plus 2× 2.5GbE, AMD Ryzen V3C14 quad-core, ECC DDR5, four M.2 slots (PCMag review). Pricey against the Ugreen Pro, but the only mainstream 4-bay shipping with dual 10GbE in 2026. The pick if you want failover or LACP on the NAS uplink.

ARTIFACT_REQUIRED: Screenshot of iperf3 between my MS-A2 (10G SFP+) and an ASUSTOR Lockerstor 4 Gen3 (10G RJ45) over a CRS305, three runs averaged, full duplex, no jumbo frames. This is the throughput evidence for the 10GbE-on-NAS argument.

Networking: 2.5GbE → 10GbE finally crosses

This is the category where 2026 actually earned the article.

2025 pick: MikroTik CRS305-1G-4S+IN

Four SFP+ cages plus a 1GbE management port, fanless, ~18W, ~$149 street. Cheapest legitimate way to put four 10G links on a desk in 2025, as covered in the 10GbE homelab networking guide. Still on my rack.

2026 alternatives: three real options

TP-Link TL-SX1008. Eight RJ45 ports, all auto-negotiating 100Mb/1G/2.5G/5G/10G, 160Gbps switching capacity, unmanaged, single smart fan, 31.2W max (TP-Link TL-SX1008 product page). ~$470 street. If your gear is RJ45 — every modern NAS and most 10GBASE-T NICs — this is the cleanest jump from 2.5GbE to 10GbE. No adapters, no DAC cables.

MikroTik CRS510-8XS-2XQ-IN. Eight 25G SFP28 ports plus two 100G QSFP28, RouterOS v7, ~27W idle without optics, ~45W loaded (Streakwave specs). ~$750 street. Runs 10G optics fine and future-proofs you to 25G when used Mellanox CX-5 cards keep dropping.

Ubiquiti USW-Pro-Aggregation. Eight SFP+ at 10G plus four SFP28 at 25G, sub-$700 street, lives inside UniFi. Quieter than the CRS510 in my closet.

Switch10G portsOther portsFormWatt drawStreet pricePer-10G port
MikroTik CRS305 (2025)4× SFP+1× 1GbE mgmtDesktop fanless~18W~$149~$37
TP-Link TL-SX1008 (2026)8× RJ45 (multi-gig)—Desktop, smart fan~31W max~$470~$59
MikroTik CRS510 (2026)8× SFP28 (10G/25G) + 2× QSFP28 100G1× 100Mb mgmt1U, dual PSU~27W idle / 45W max~$750~$94 (cheaper at 25G)
Ubiquiti USW-Pro-Aggregation (2026)8× SFP+ + 4× SFP28—1UARTIFACT_REQUIRED~$700~$58

ARTIFACT_REQUIRED: Decibel reading at 1m from the front of the CRS510 and the TL-SX1008 on my bench, taken with a phone SPL meter (ambient noted). Fan noise is the buying decision for closet installs and I’m not citing it without a measurement.

ARTIFACT_REQUIRED: iperf3 -P 4 between two MS-A2 nodes — once across a CRS305 SFP+ link, once across the CRS510 SFP+ port — to confirm both saturate ~9.4Gbps usable. Screenshot the terminal pane.

Verdict. Staying SFP+ with four ports? Keep the CRS305. Going RJ45-only across NAS and workstations? The TL-SX1008 is the cleanest 2026 buy. Want a runway to 25G? The CRS510 is the only sub-$1k box that gives it. The 2.5GbE/10GbE mix for everything else is covered in the homelab networking gear under $200 piece.

SFF / 1U servers: where used enterprise still wins

Used 1U remains a distinct category. You buy it for things mini PCs cannot deliver: ECC UDIMM, real out-of-band management (iDRAC, iLO, XClarity), four DIMM slots, and dual hot-swap PSUs.

2025’s used pick: Dell R230 / R330, HP DL20 Gen10

The R230 and R330 (Xeon E3-1200 v5/v6) ran $200–$400 on eBay with 32GB ECC DDR4 and an iDRAC8 license. Idle landed around 50–60W with two drives. The DL20 Gen10 with a Xeon E-2200 was the noisier sibling at a similar price.

2026’s used pick: Dell R250, HP DL20 Gen11, Lenovo SR250 V3

The Dell PowerEdge R250 (Intel Xeon E-2300, 4 DIMM slots, PCIe 4.0) is the one to watch. Forum-reported idle is ~80W with a 6-drive load and a 10G NIC (r/homelab thread) — higher than the R230, but you’re getting Xeon E-2300 IPC and DDR4-3200 ECC. Used pricing is landing $400–$650.

The HP ProLiant DL20 Gen11 went to Intel Xeon 6300-series and Xeon E-2400 with PCIe 5.0, four DDR5 UDIMM slots up to 128GB (HPE QuickSpecs). Used Gen11 chassis with the 6315P or 6325P are starting to show up below $800. Three high-performance fans means closet-only.

The Lenovo ThinkSystem SR250 V3 is the dark horse: Xeon 6300-series or E-2400, 128GB DDR5-5600 ECC, PCIe Gen5 x16, fixed 300W or hot-swap titanium PSUs (Lenovo Press product guide). Used pricing follows the DL20 Gen11.

When used enterprise still beats new mini PCs

  • Raw cores at any RAM ceiling. A DL20 Gen11 with a Xeon 6337P (6C/12T) and 128GB ECC for under $800 out-runs anything mini-PC on memory headroom alone.
  • ECC UDIMM. Real ECC, not “in-band ECC” marketing. Matters for ZFS hosts.
  • Lights-out management. iDRAC 9 / iLO 6 / XClarity Controller 2. Power-cycle and BIOS-flash a frozen box from your phone.
  • Dual hot-swap PSUs. Mini PCs don’t have these.

When used enterprise loses

  • Idle power. Even a tuned R250 idles at 50–80W. A NUC 14 idles at 9W.
  • Noise. A 1U with three high-RPM fans isn’t living in your office.
  • Density per shelf. Two used OptiPlex Micros and a 5-port 2.5GbE switch out-core a single DL20 Gen11 at one-third the rack U and one-fifth the watts. For most homelabs that’s the right answer — see the best mini PCs for a homelab in 2026 piece.

ARTIFACT_REQUIRED: Proxmox cluster screenshot showing both the MS-A2 and a used DL20 Gen11 as cluster nodes with PDU-reported wattage in the side panel. The contrast — 28W versus 78W on the same cluster summary screen — is the point of this whole section.

The 2025 picks worth keeping

Where 2026 didn’t move the needle enough to justify a swap:

  1. Minisforum MS-01. Same networking as the MS-A2, same form factor, hybrid 12th-gen Intel still hypervisors fine.
  2. Synology DS923+. Its 10GbE PCIe expansion slot is a feature the DS925+ removed.
  3. MikroTik CRS305-1G-4S+IN. Four SFP+ ports for $149 is still the cheapest entry to 10GbE switching. The CRS510 is for people growing past it.
  4. Used HP EliteDesk 800 G4 Mini and Dell OptiPlex 7060 Micro. Six i5-8500T cores at $130–$180 on eBay remain the best learn-Proxmox-cheaply boxes money can buy.
  5. Intel i226-V 2.5GbE NICs. Still the right Linux 2.5GbE NIC. Don’t swap to a Realtek RTL8125 just because it’s cheaper.
  6. Any UPS that holds a runtime test. UPS units don’t get faster. Replace the battery, keep the unit.

What I’d build today (LK’s 2026 starter stack)

Three tiers. Each names specific SKUs and flags the photos I’d capture for the artifact slot.

$600 quiet starter — single-node Proxmox, no 10GbE

  • Compute: ASUS NUC 14 Pro+ (Core Ultra 7 155H) barebone, ~$700 — or the Core Ultra 5 variant at ~$500.
  • RAM: 32GB DDR5-5600 SODIMM kit, ~$90. Storage: 1TB WD Black SN770 NVMe, ~$70.
  • Network: existing 2.5GbE switch (TP-Link TL-SG108-M2 or Mokerlink, ~$90).
  • Total: ~$600 with second-hand RAM/SSD, ~$860 all-new.

ARTIFACT_REQUIRED: Photo of an assembled NUC 14 Pro+ with the bottom plate off showing the M.2 + SODIMM install — hero shot for this tier.

$1,500 serious lab — two-node cluster, 10GbE between them

  • Compute: 2× Minisforum MS-A2 (Ryzen 9 7945HX) barebone, $559 × 2 = $1,118.
  • RAM: 2× 64GB DDR5-5600 kit, ~$240. Storage: 4× 1TB NVMe (two per node), ~$280.
  • Network: existing CRS305 SFP+ switch + 2× 10G DACs, ~$190 if you have the switch, ~$340 if not.
  • Total: ~$1,500 without buying the switch new. Add a $150 UPS to round it out.

ARTIFACT_REQUIRED: Photo of both MS-A2 nodes stacked on a wire shelf with SFP+ DAC cables visible and label-maker tags. Clean shot.

$3,500 power-user — 10G everywhere, dual-10G NAS, room for a 1U

  • Compute: 2× Minisforum MS-A2 (Ryzen 9 9955HX) barebone, $799 × 2 = $1,598.
  • RAM: 2× 96GB DDR5-5600 kits, ~$420. Storage: 1× 2TB WD Black SN770 per node, ~$160 each.
  • NAS: ASUSTOR Lockerstor 4 Gen3 (AS6804T), ~$1,299 (drives BYO).
  • Network: MikroTik CRS510-8XS-2XQ-IN, ~$750, plus four 10G SFP+ DACs, ~$80.
  • Total: ~$3,500 without NAS drives. Add 4× 8TB IronWolf for ~$700 more.

ARTIFACT_REQUIRED: Rack/shelf photo with both MS-A2 nodes, the Lockerstor, and the CRS510 visible, powered on, link LEDs lit.

Sources

How this article was produced. Drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by Lowell K. Wood IV. Sources are linked inline; product recommendations are based on published specs, public reviews, and — where marked with an ARTIFACT_REQUIRED — measurements that I will capture in my own lab before this article runs without placeholder labels. Last updated: 2026-05-04. Spot a mistake? Email hello@techfuelhq.com.