Quiet Homelab
A homelab is a collection of computer hardware and software that is used to learn about and experiment with information technology (IT) technologies. Homelabs can be as simple as a Home Server or as complex as a cluster of servers. No matter what type of homelab you run Silent PC is here to help make sure it does not distract you with unwanted noise!
Homelabs can be used for a variety of purposes, including:
- Learning new IT skills. A homelab is a great way to learn new IT skills, such as virtualization, networking, and security. You can experiment with different technologies and configurations without having to worry about affecting a production environment.
- Preparing for a career in IT. A homelab is a great way to prepare for a career in IT. By building and maintaining a homelab, you can demonstrate your skills and knowledge to potential employers. You might be able to earn a CCNA or VCP using the hands-on experience you've gleaned from running your own homelab.
- Testing new software and technologies. A homelab is a great way to test new software and technologies before deploying them in a production environment. This can help you to identify and fix any potential problems before they impact your users.
- Providing services to your home network. A homelab can be used to provide a variety of services to your home network, such as file sharing, media streaming, and web hosting.
- Saving Money. Host your own services and cut the costs of cloud providers. Access your important files from your own server anywhere on the globe.
- Preserving Privacy. Take control of your data, block adds on your network, filter traffic and ensure you own data privacy.
- Having fun! Building and maintaining a homelab can be a lot of fun. It's a great way to learn new things, experiment with new technologies, and challenge yourself.
Challenge Yourself!
Whether you are preparing yourself for a career in IT or just want to know how things work, a homelab is a great place to start!
You can challenge yourself by learning how to build you own home automation system with Home Assistant. Or steam your favorite content across the house by building a media streaming system with Plex, Jellyfin, or Roon. Live Ad free by running an AdGuard or Pi-Hole server to block unwanted DNS requests. Host your own game server, play with your friends, and design your own levels in Minecraft. Sync all your files across your devices with Syncthing or NextCloud or simply set up some SMB shares and know that all your files are secure with UnRAID or TrueNAS. The list is endless!
You can set up multiple servers on one hypervisor with virtualization technologies such as KVM or VMware, or with containerization technologies such as Docker and Portainer. What used to be a full rack of servers can now run on one small box in the corner. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination and drive to learn.
You can also build special purpose servers on dedicated hardware to keep all the processes separate and secure.
Build a Quiet Homelab
Most servers are typically very loud, some even will come with hearing protection and can be upwards of 80dba! They are typically designed to run in specialized rooms or data centers and not on the desk next to you. Our servers are different! You can run them right next to you in your office and not even know they are there. Using our extensive experience in quiet computing we can even bring the even the highest-end server down to just a whisper. From a small NAS to a truly EPYC 192 core behemoth we can make sure you won't be pulling your hair our with the noise.
Conclusion
Building a homelab is a fantastic way to acquire new IT skills, pave the way for a career in tech, test cutting-edge software and technologies, support your home network, and have a blast doing it. Your homelab does not need to be loud and intrusive, at SilentPC we can tame even the loudest server!
Here are some systems recommended for a Quiet Homelab
Small Silent NAS with 8 Drive Bays
- Intel Xeon Entry up to 8 cores
- Max 64GB ECC DDR5-4800
- 8.3in W x 14.2in D x 11.2in H
- Quiet NAS with 8 drive bays for storage scalability with 1x PCIe 4.0 M.2 Drive and 2x Gigabit LAN and widespread compatibility with open-source NAS software.
Starting at $2,640.00
EPYC Tower Server - 4th/5th Gen. Genoa/Turin
- AMD EPYC up to 192 Cores
- Max 768GB ECC DDR5-4800
- 7.9in W x 22.1in D x 16.9in H
- Quiet 4U RACK Server with DUAL 10GBase-T LAN and Dedicated IPMI LAN Port. Options for 2 x NVME PCIe 4.0 M.2 and up to 8x SATA3 storage, plus 3 PCIe 5.0 x16 and 2x PCIe 5.0 x8
Starting at $7,830.00
EPYC Rackmount Server - 4th/5th Gen. Genoa/Turin
- AMD EPYC up to 192 Cores
- Max 768GB ECC DDR5-4800
- 19.0in W x 17.5in D x 6.9in H
- Quiet 4U RACK Server with DUAL 10GBase-T LAN and Dedicated IPMI LAN Port. Options for 2 x NVME PCIe 4.0 M.2 and up to 8x SATA3 storage, plus 3 PCIe 5.0 x16 and 2x PCIe 5.0 x8
Starting at $7,810.00
Quiet Xeon Scalable 5th Gen Emerald Rapids Tower Server
- 5th Gen Intel Xeon up to 48 Cores
- Max 512GB ECC DDR5-4800
- 7.9in W x 22.1in D x 16.9in H
- Quiet 5th Gen Xeon Tower Server with dual 10GBase-T LAN and 1x Dedicated IPMI LAN Port. Options for 2x NVME PCIe 4.0 M.2 and up to 8x SATA3 storage options, and 3x PCIe 5.0 x16 and 2x PCIe 5.0 x8 for serious expandability.
Starting at $4,040.00
Raptor Lake Fanless 1U Rackmount Server
- Intel 14th Generation up to 20 cores
- Max 96GB DDR4
- 19in W x 10.9in D x 1.7in H
- 2.5 Gigabit LAN
1U rackmount case
Starting at $2,250.00
H5 Fanless Xeon Server
- Intel Xeon E (2400 Series) up to 8 cores
- Max 64GB ECC DDR5
- 16.9in W x 14.0in D x 4.3in H
- Half Height or Full Height card support
600W Fanless Internal Power Supply
Starting at $3,020.00
Rackmount Value Server
- Intel Xeon Entry up to 8 cores
- Max 128GB ECC DDR4
- 19.0in W x 17.5in D x 6.9in H
- Basic Small Business or Home Rack Server with 2x GbE LAN + 1x Mgmt LAN Port. Options for up to 2x NVME PCIe 4.0 M.2.
Starting at $2,840.00
Small Business Value Server
- Intel Xeon Entry up to 8 cores
- Max 64GB ECC DDR5
- 7.23in W x 12.68in D x 18.82in H
- Basic Small Business or Home ITX Tower Server with 2x Gigabit LAN + IPMI Dedicated GLAN.
Starting at $2,560.00
2U Rackmount Value Server
- Intel Xeon Entry up to 8 cores
- Max 128GB ECC DDR5
- 19.0in W x 16.5in D x 3.5in H
- 2u Value Server with 2x 10 GbE LAN + 1x Mgmt LAN Port. Options for up to 2x NVME PCIe 4.0 M.2.