Where 300W of idle homelab power actually goes, and how to claw most of it back: C-states, ASPM, powertop, HDD spindown, BIOS settings, consolidation onto mini-PCs, and scheduled wake-on-LAN — with the savings math worked out at real electricity prices.
Mini-Pc
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Why Your Homelab Burns 300W Doing Nothing -
Mini PC Deep Comparison: Beelink, Minisforum, Topton, and GMKtec for the Homelab The mini PC has become the default homelab node for most use cases. This is the practical guide to choosing between Beelink, Minisforum, Topton, and GMKtec: idle power, thermal headroom, NIC quality, NVMe slots, and which specific models are worth the money in 2026.
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Homelab Hardware Guide: Mini PCs, Used Enterprise Gear, NAS Picks, and Power A comprehensive hardware guide for homelabbers at every level — covering mini PCs, used enterprise servers, NAS platforms, networking gear, rack vs desktop tradeoffs, power consumption math, and tiered starter build recommendations.