If you’ve been following my homelab journey, you’ll know I’m a fan of compact, efficient lab servers that can run reliably 24/7. Nearly three years ago I put the Beelink Mini S to the test running Proxmox VE as the hypervisor, and today I’m sharing my full experience — uptime, hardware, performance, and why this little system continues to impress.

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Why I Chose the Beelink Mini S

The Beelink Mini S is one of those mini PCs that punches well above its weight for home labs. With its:

• Intel N100 CPU with 4 cores
• 16 GB RAM
• 1 TB SSD
• Small footprint and low power draw

…it struck the perfect balance between performance, efficiency, and cost for a 24/7 homelab server.

The N100 series CPU is designed for low-power tasks while still offering enough headroom for virtualization, containers, and always-on services — ideal for running Proxmox and multiple VMs or containers for home projects.

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Three Years of 24/7 Reliability — No Failures

Since February 2023 this Beelink Mini S has been running non-stop, hosting my Proxmox VE environment — and it hasn’t missed a beat.

• Uptime: 24/7/365 for nearly three years
• Stability: Zero crashes, no hardware failures
• Maintenance: No forced reboots other than planned updates

This level of uptime is rare in hobby homelabs — especially on such an affordable platform.

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Proxmox VE — The Heart of My Homelab

Proxmox VE has been the perfect hypervisor for this mini homelab server. It’s lightweight, efficient, and gives me enterprise-grade virtualization features without the bloat.

On this system I’m running:

• Multiple Linux VMs for services like file sharing, DNS, VPN, and self-hosted apps
• Containers for lightweight services
• Networking and routing services

Despite this workload, the N100 hasn’t struggled — thanks to Proxmox’s efficient resource scheduling and the Mini S’s balanced spec profile.

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Quiet, Efficient, and Affordable Hardware

One of the biggest benefits of the Beelink Mini S is its efficiency:

• Low power consumption: N100 mini PCs typically draw very little power even under load — often under 10–15 W in typical homelab use.
• Small size: It fits easily on a shelf or in a rack-style setup with other network gear.
• Silent operation: No loud fans or distracting noises — ideal for a home environment.

Compared to larger desktops or tower servers, this unit costs only a fraction in power and space over several years of uptime.

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Lessons Learned & Tips for Your Homelab

1. Maximize RAM Where Possible
   I upgraded to 16 GB early on, and that was a key step. While 8 GB can handle light workloads, having more RAM makes Proxmox and multiple VMs much smoother.
2. Use a High-Quality SSD
   A 1 TB SSD gives plenty of headroom for VM disks, containers, and local backups.
3. Monitor Temperatures & Load
   Even small mini PCs benefit from occasional monitoring via Proxmox or tools like Grafana to make sure nothing is pushing the system too hard.
4. Plan for Expansion
   If your homelab grows beyond what a single unit can handle, it’s easy to add a second — or even build a cluster with identical hardware.

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Final Thoughts

Running a reliable homelab server doesn’t have to mean buying expensive enterprise gear. My Beelink Mini S has proven that:

• ✔️ A small, efficient box can run 24/7 for years
• ✔️ Proxmox VE on N100 hardware is a rock-solid combo
• ✔️ Homelab performance for self-hosting and experimentation can be both cheap and reliable

If you’re building out a lab on a budget, or just want a server that just works day after day, the Beelink Mini S is one of the best values I’ve encountered.

I’ll continue documenting the life of this Beelink Mini S for as long as it runs — hopefully helping others along the way.