Question Looking for a Mini PC to Use as a Game Server

[malachiv]

The title says it all: I’m looking for a Mini PC to install Linux on and run it as a 24/7 gaming server. Games that friends and I would be playing include ARK, Conan Exiles, and Valheim, among others, probably no more than 10 at a time. Based on the recommendations from each game, I’ll probably need something midrange, but I always like to shoot for a bit more headroom just in case. Given all that, this is my requirements list:

• CPU with 4+ cores at 3.4+ GHz
• 16+ GB RAM
• 500 GB SSD
• I want something quiet and low power consumption
• Preferably headless
• Budget no more than $500

Based on that criteria, the closest I found was the Beelink SER5-PRO 5800H. My main concern is that the CPU might be more of a power hog than what I would like, ~11 watts in idle, I believe, though I don’t really have anything to benchmark that against. I’m just worried about running that little baby 24/7.

What are your opinions? Is there anything out there that comparable? Any second opinions? Any feedback would be much appreciated!

 

[lvt]

For such config I'd prefer an Intel based box.

 

[malachiv]

For such config I'd prefer an Intel based box.

Any recommendations you can make? I feel like any mini PC with a more modern chip that has NUC would be above my budget.