Mini PC vs Raspberry Pi: Which Is Better for a Home Lab?
· DVN Cyber Labs
Small computers are perfect for a home lab: they're quiet, cheap to run and fit anywhere. The two most popular options are a Raspberry Pi and an x86 mini PC. Here's how they compare.
Raspberry Pi: best for learning and single projects
- Lowest cost and very low power use
- Huge community, with guides for almost every project
- ARM processor, so a few programs aren't available
- Runs from a microSD card or USB drive
Mini PC: best for running many services
- Standard x86 processor, so it runs almost any Linux distribution and software
- More memory and faster storage for several services or virtual machines
- Good for virtualization platforms like Proxmox
- Faster networking on models with 2.5G Ethernet
Which should you choose?
Pick a Raspberry Pi 4 kit if you're new to Linux or want one dedicated project, like an ad blocker or a file server. Pick a N5105/N6005 mini PC if you want to run many services at once, try virtual machines or build a home network router.
Many people start with a Pi and add a mini PC as their lab grows. Browse both in our Home Lab Computers & Boards collection.