Decisions, not winner badges
Compare the Trade-offs
Comparisons based on matched workloads, measured limits, and the deployment decision each result actually supports.
Every build decision is a trade-off. Our comparison articles measure the same workload side by side so you can pick the option that matches your budget and performance ceiling rather than chasing marketing numbers that do not translate to your use case. Each comparison links back to the raw bench data so you can reproduce the test yourself on your own hardware.
Start with the wired Ethernet vs Wi-Fi 6 comparison if you are deciding how to wire a home server. If you already picked Mini PC hardware and are wondering how many concurrent media transcodes it can handle, the two vs four QSV workloads test gives you a hard capacity number. For storage builders, the USB path comparison shows why not every port on a Mini PC is equally fast, and the NVMe vs USB SSD vs network share comparison turns those measured rates into a placement decision for each workload.
More comparisons are added as we finish new measured builds. If there is a trade-off you want us to run, drop a note in the community discussion.
TrueNAS vs Unraid vs OpenMediaVault on a Mini PC
Three NAS operating systems judged against a measured i3-1215U with one 512 GB NVMe: official RAM floors, the USB-storage reality, and 2026 license prices.
Jellyfin vs Plex on a Mini PC
Two real-time 4K60 Quick Sync transcodes measured on an i3-1215U at 13 W, plus what a Plex Pass actually buys in 2026 — the media server decision with numbers.
Self-Hosted Google Photos Alternative on a Mini PC
Size an Immich library with measured Postgres, Redis, NVMe and power data from the EQi12 — component benchmarks, honestly labeled.
EQi12 Wired Ethernet vs Wi-Fi 6
Compare both gigabit ports with the Intel AX200 near-range result and understand why negotiated Wi-Fi speed is not file speed.
Two vs Four Intel QSV Workloads
Two 4K60-to-1080p60 jobs stayed real time; four completed below real time. See the exact boundary and caveats.
Fast vs Slow USB Paths on One EQi12
Three USB-A paths reached useful SSD speeds while one repeatably negotiated near USB 2.0-class throughput.
NVMe vs USB SSD vs Network Share
Measured 623, 301 and 112 MiB/s paths, plus a decision tree for Docker volumes, media libraries and backup targets.
Windows + Docker vs Proxmox on One Mini PC
Measured 12 W idle, 13 W QSV transcode and 12.57-hour zero-failure stability on Windows, plus the structural case for moving to Proxmox on the same EQi12.