Hi all,
See previous post for context, still trying to make up my mind on homelab hardware: https://www.reddit.com/r/homelab/s/GWCSZi7io2
Are there any downsides to using an Inspiron model as compute for a homelab versus as an Optiplex (which is more commonly used I think). It will be for proxmox running Plex, Home Assistant, plus 20/30-ish docker containers, etc to supplement a Synology NAS.
The options I am looking at are
Inspiron 3020 Small Desktop £534
i7 13700 16GB RAM 512GB SSD Specs
i5 13500 16GB RAM 512GB SSD Specs
The upsides of the Optiplex Model are 3x SATA3 ports vs. one SATA2 and one SATA3, full height cards, and an extra 1x PCIe slot (2 vs. 1). Are there any other upsides other than the cheaper price that I am missing?
I would intend to get a 64GB RAM kit for either of these options.
Also open to other suggestions with similarish specs.
Go to Dell’s Web site, find service manuals for both models and see which fits your plans better. Down to the number of available SATA ports and the specs of the PCI slots.
Also, Dell’s top desktop line for business is Precision. There’s also XPS, but these days, it’s mostly Precision in a slightly fancier case… Precision lineup goes all the way up to Xeon…
Any thoughts on the reliability of the business (OptiPlex) versus consumer (Inspiron) desktop skews? I have generally found the business dell machines especially laptops to be more reliable but not sure if that applies to desktops too.
Inspiron models are tempting on cost grounds but wondering if there are any less obvious downsides?
None whatsoever. From where I sit, it’s all about you accidentally spilling liquids into the unit. Or putting the unit somewhere where said liquids can condense from the air and short out the motherboard…
Also, some time in the 2010s, Dell adopted model numbering in which 3xxx models are “value”, 5xxx models are “mid-range”, and 7xxx models are “top of the line”. There’s also the 9xxx range, but that’s usually either Precision or XPS. That, not the product line, is the real clue. If a 7xxx model has a motherboard with four RAM slots and four PCI slots, a 3xxx model of the same vintage may have two of each and ship without an HDD cage (with only an SSD on the motherboard). That sort of thing…