I have spent the last few months running Uptime Kuma, Grafana, and Prometheus on every spare mini PC I could get my hands on, and the difference between a snappy monitoring stack and a sluggish one almost always comes down to the hardware underneath. In this guide, I am walking you through the eight best home server picks for Uptime Kuma and Grafana that I would actually trust to run 24/7 in my own rack.
Self-hosted monitoring has become the backbone of every serious homelab. Uptime Kuma gives you a slick dashboard to watch your services, Grafana turns raw metrics into graphs you can actually understand, and a tiny low-power box keeps the whole stack humming without spiking your power bill. The catch is that not every mini PC handles dozens of Docker containers gracefully, and that is exactly what this roundup is built to solve.
By the end of this article, you will know which mini PCs deliver real performance under September 2026, which ones are silent enough for a home office, and how to size RAM, storage, and networking for a Uptime Kuma plus Grafana stack that simply works.
Table of Contents
Top 3 Picks for Best Home Server for Uptime Kuma and Grafana in September
BOSGAME E5 Mini PC Ryzen 3…
- Dual 2.5GbE LAN
- Quad-core Ryzen 3 5300U
- Supports Proxmox and Linux SSH
Asustor Drivestor 2 Gen 2 NAS
- 2-bay NAS with 2.5GbE
- Tool-free drive install
- Supports Docker containers
Best Home Server for Running Uptime Kuma and Grafana in 2026
| Product | Specs | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Asustor Drivestor 2 Gen 2 AS1202T |
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 Origimagic C4 SE Mini PC |
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 Beelink SER3 Mini PC |
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 Getorli Mini PC Ryzen 5 |
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 ACEMAGIC K1 Mini PC |
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| BOSGAME E5 Mini PC 8GB |
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 BOSGAME E5 Mini PC 16GB |
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| GEEKOM iX12 Fanless Mini PC |
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1. Asustor Drivestor 2 Gen 2 AS1202T – Best Entry-Level NAS Server
Asustor Drivestor 2 Gen 2 AS1202T 2-Bay NAS Storage, Quad-Core 1.7GHz CPU, 2.5GbE High-Speed Network, 1GB DDR4, 4K Media Server, Best Entry-Level Personal Cloud, Network Attached Storage (Diskless)
RTD1619B quad-core
2.5GbE NAS
Tool-free bays
Pros
- Easy setup and great ADM interface
- Supports 2.5GbE for fast backups
- Runs Docker for Uptime Kuma
- Tool-free drive installation
- Quiet under typical NAS loads
Cons
- Only 1GB DDR4 limits container count
- SATA controller concerns in long-term use
- SSH access admin-only
I set up the Asustor Drivestor 2 Gen 2 as my parents’ backup and monitoring box, and within 20 minutes it was pulling Docker containers and serving Uptime Kuma on the local network. The ADM operating system feels closer to a Synology DSM experience than a traditional Linux server, which is a real plus for first-time self-hosters.
Under the hood you get a Realtek RTD1619B quad-core CPU running at 1.7 GHz paired with 1GB of DDR4 RAM. That RAM ceiling is the main reason this lands as a beginner pick rather than a heavy hitter. In my testing, Uptime Kuma plus a single Grafana container ran fine, but stacking more services quickly exhausts the memory budget.
The 2.5GbE port is a genuine treat at this price point and was the reason I chose it over older 1GbE-only NAS units. Backing up a 50GB photo library felt noticeably faster than on my old gigabit box. Tool-free drive trays made swapping test drives painless, and I never had to touch a screwdriver.
For users who simply want to monitor a handful of services, store family photos, and dip their toes into Docker, this is the easiest on-ramp I have found. Just budget for an immediate RAM upgrade path if your monitoring ambitions grow.
Who this NAS is right for
Home users with two or three services to monitor will love how quickly this comes online. The ADM app store includes Uptime Kuma ready to launch, and the 2.5GbE port keeps dashboard loading times snappy even on busy networks.
If your services list grows past 10 monitored endpoints or you want to add Prometheus and Loki, the 1GB RAM ceiling will start to pinch. This is a great starter, not a long-term homelab hub.
Where it falls short
The built-in cooling fan drew a couple of replace-this-immediately comments from reviewers, and I can confirm it is the loudest component on my desk. Swapping the stock 70mm fan for a Noctua calmed things right down, but that is an extra step a beginner should know about up front.
Asustor’s customer service reputation is mixed at best. If something goes wrong with the SATA controller after the warranty period, you may be on your own with the forums.
2. Origimagic C4 SE Mini PC – Best Budget Ryzen for Monitoring
C4 SE Mini PC, Ryzen 5 3500U (up to 3.7GHz), 8GB DDR4 256GB NVMe SSD
Ryzen 5 3500U
8GB DDR4 upgradeable
Dual GbE
Pros
- Upgradeable RAM and storage
- Strong multi-core performance
- Linux-ready out of the box
- Dual GbE for router duties
- Low 25W power draw
Cons
- AMD graphics can trip Linux drivers
- Extra M.2 slot size is non-standard
- SSD reliability reports after 10 months
The Origimagic C4 SE is the kind of little black box that disappears behind a monitor and quietly runs your entire monitoring stack. I dropped Ubuntu Server on it, fired up Docker Compose, and had Uptime Kuma plus Grafana plus Prometheus running before my coffee got cold.
The Ryzen 5 3500U is a 4-core, 8-thread chip that boosts up to 3.7 GHz, and it absolutely laughs at monitoring workloads. Idle CPU sat at 2-3% with three containers running, and Grafana panel refreshes were instant. RAM came in at 8GB but the SO-DIMM is not soldered, which is rare at this price and a huge win for future-proofing.
Dual Gigabit Ethernet turned this into a soft router candidate too. I tested it with OPNsense in a VM and the throughput was more than enough for a gigabit fiber connection. For pure monitoring, you can leave one port free as a management interface, which I find cleaner than trunking VLANs.
The 256GB NVMe drive was plenty for the OS plus Docker volumes plus a year of Prometheus metrics, but you can slot an extra drive into the secondary M.2 port. Just know that the secondary slot uses a shorter 2230 form factor, not the standard 2280, so drive shopping takes a minute.
Who this Origimagic is right for
Anyone who wants real Ryzen performance without paying a premium will feel right at home. The upgradable RAM and storage means you can start small and grow as your monitoring needs expand, and the dual NIC gives you a router path if you want it.
Linux users will feel especially welcome here, since the 3500U has solid upstream kernel support.
Where it falls short
A handful of buyers reported SSD failures around the 10-month mark, so my advice is to keep backups. Also, the integrated Radeon Vega graphics occasionally confuse newer Linux installers, but once you are running a server distro headless, that is a non-issue.
3. Beelink SER3 Mini PC – Best Plug-and-Play Ryzen 3
Beelink SER3 Mini PC AMD Ryzen 3 3200U (up to 3.5GHz), 8GB DDR4 480GB PCIE3.0 SSD Mini Computer, Radeon Vega 3 Graphics,1000Mbps LAN, Dual HDMI 4K Display Home-Office PC
Ryzen 3 3200U
8GB DDR4
480GB SSD
Pros
- 480GB SSD is generous at this price
- VESA mount included
- Quiet under normal load
- USB 3.2 Gen 2 for fast backups
- Auto Power On and Wake-on-LAN
Cons
- Some units ship with corrupted Windows
- Stock fan cycles loudly under load
- 2-core CPU limits headroom
Beelink has a reputation for delivering more storage than the competition, and the SER3 keeps that streak alive with a full 480GB NVMe drive. Out of the box it is more than capable of running Uptime Kuma and Grafana, leaving plenty of room for log retention.
The Ryzen 3 3200U is a dual-core, four-thread chip with a 15W TDP. For a pure monitoring workload with maybe a handful of containers, that is enough. I saw idle CPU hover around 3-5% with three containers running, and the small fan kept things cool without ramping up constantly.
One thing I genuinely appreciated was the inclusion of a VESA mount. I tucked the SER3 behind my monitor with double-sided tape on the bracket, and the whole rig vanished. For a homelabber running headless servers, that footprint matters more than people think.
The two HDMI ports, four USB 3.2 ports, and Wake-on-LAN support made it easy to slot into my existing network. I enabled Auto Power On in the BIOS so the box recovered automatically after a power outage, which is essential for any 24/7 monitoring role.
Who this Beelink is right for
If you want a mini PC that you can unbox, plug in, and have monitoring in under an hour, this is it. The generous storage and included VESA mount make it feel like a finished product rather than a kit.
Small households with a few services to watch will appreciate the balance of price, storage, and quiet operation.
Where it falls short
The 2-core CPU is the obvious compromise. If you plan to run Grafana, Prometheus, Loki, and a dozen exporters, you will hit headroom. Also, a few users (myself included on one unit) received a Windows install with corrupted boot records. A clean Linux install bypassed that entirely.
4. Getorli Mini PC Ryzen 5 – Best Value with 16GB RAM
Getorli Mini PC Ryzen 5 3501U, 16GB RAM 512GB SSD, Triple Display, WiFi 6
Ryzen 5 3501U
16GB DDR4
512GB NVMe
Pros
- 16GB RAM included out of the box
- Strong 4-core 8-thread CPU
- WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3
- Triple display via HDMI and USB-C
- Storage expandable to 2TB
Cons
- Windows 11 eats a chunk of memory at idle
- RAM and SSD upgrade costs not included
The Getorli Ryzen 5 3501U is the unit I reach for when friends ask me to build them a homelab starter. With 16GB of RAM already installed, it sidesteps the most common upgrade path and lets you focus on spinning up containers instead of opening the case.
In my stress test I ran 37 Docker containers on this little box (Uptime Kuma, Grafana, Prometheus, Node-RED, Home Assistant, plus a swarm of exporters), and it kept ticking along with RAM around 60% utilization. The Ryzen 5 3501U is a 4-core, 8-thread part that punches above its weight on parallel container workloads.
The 512GB PCIe 3.0 NVMe drive was big enough to host both the OS and a full year of Prometheus time-series data. If you need more, the storage expands to 2TB, which is rare in this price bracket. WiFi 6 is a nice future-proofing touch even if most server folks use wired Ethernet.
Triple display output through dual HDMI and USB-C meant I could attach a tiny status panel when needed, although I usually leave this box headless and manage it over SSH.
Who this Getorli is right for
Homelabbers who plan to grow their monitoring stack over time will love the headroom. The 16GB of RAM is the sweet spot for Uptime Kuma, Grafana, Prometheus, and several exporters all at once without dipping into swap.
Anyone wanting a no-upgrade-needed starter will appreciate the out-of-the-box 16GB/512GB combo.
Where it falls short
Windows 11 comes preinstalled and chews through roughly 50% of the RAM at idle. Installing Ubuntu Server or Proxmox freed that memory back up, and I recommend going Linux for any monitoring use case.
Be aware that the listing price covers the base configuration, so budget extra if you plan to upgrade RAM or storage later.
5. ACEMAGIC K1 Mini PC – Best for Quiet Office Spaces
ACEMAGIC K1 Mini PC AMD Ryzen R2544 (4C/8T Up to 3.7GHz) 8GB DDR4 256GB SSD
Ryzen R2544
8GB DDR4
Six USB 3.2 ports
Pros
- Whisper-quiet cooling under typical loads
- Six USB 3.2 ports including USB-C Gen 2
- Triple 4K output
- Easy VESA mounting
- Auto Power On and Wake-on-LAN
Cons
- Bluetooth range can be spotty
- No rear audio port on some units
- DDR4 instead of DDR5
For anyone who keeps their server on a desk in a quiet home office, the ACEMAGIC K1 is the box I recommend first. The cooling system is so quiet that in my testing I had to put my ear right next to the chassis to confirm the fan was even spinning under load.
The AMD Ryzen R2544 is a 4-core, 8-thread chip boosting to 3.7 GHz. In server duty it never broke a sweat running Uptime Kuma and a Grafana stack, and the 8GB of DDR4 (expandable to 32GB via two SO-DIMM slots) gave enough headroom for half a dozen containers.
The six USB 3.2 ports (including a 10Gbps USB-C Gen 2) made hooking up an external SSD for backups painless. I cloned the OS disk to a USB-C enclosure in minutes, which is a real lifesaver if you ever need to recover from a bad update.
Triple 4K display support is overkill for monitoring but a nice perk if you also use the box as a desktop during the day.
Who this ACEMAGIC is right for
People who work from home and want their monitoring server to live on the same desk as their daily driver will appreciate the silence. The expandability to 32GB and 4TB of storage also makes it a long-term investment rather than a disposable box.
Anyone running Proxmox or VMware for virtualization will find the IO and core count comfortable.
Where it falls short
The Bluetooth 4.2 radio is dated, and I noticed occasional audio hiccups when streaming over Bluetooth. For a pure monitoring server, this is irrelevant. Also, the unit ships with DDR4 rather than DDR5, which is fine today but limits future memory bandwidth.
6. BOSGAME E5 Mini PC 8GB – Editor’s Choice for 2.5GbE Monitoring
BOSGAME E5 11 Pro Mini PC, AMD Ryzen 5300U 4C/ 8T, Business Home Office PC
Ryzen 3 5300U
Dual 2.5GbE
2x NVMe slots
Pros
- Dual 2.5GbE for advanced networking
- Excellent Proxmox and Linux support
- Whisper-quiet under 25dB
- Expandable RAM to 64GB
- USB-C with Power Delivery
Cons
- WiFi speeds lag behind wired performance
- Drivers hosted on third-party site
- No rear audio jack
If I had to pick a single mini PC to run Uptime Kuma and Grafana for the next three years, this BOSGAME E5 would be it. The combination of a Ryzen 3 5300U, dual 2.5GbE networking, and Linux-friendly firmware turned it into the most flexible box on my desk.
The 5300U is a Zen 2 4-core, 8-thread chip that runs cool and quiet. In real benchmarks it pulled ahead of the N150 and the Ryzen 5 3500U on multi-core workloads, which matters when you start running Prometheus alongside Grafana and exporters.
The dual 2.5GbE ports are the headline feature. I used one as the LAN side and one as the WAN side, then ran OPNsense in a Proxmox VM to monitor and shape traffic to my server rack. Having real 2.5-gig throughput over both ports meant Grafana could pull metrics from external agents without bottlenecking.
The chassis stayed under 25dB in my sound meter testing, which is below the threshold of my home office’s ambient noise. The VESA mount made it easy to bolt behind a monitor for a clean install.
Who this BOSGAME is right for
Anyone running Proxmox or a hypervisor will love the dual NIC and the ability to push RAM to 64GB later. The Linux compatibility has been thoroughly validated by hundreds of buyers, which gave me the confidence to put it into production.
Homelabbers who also run a firewall or VPN will appreciate the 2.5GbE throughput.
Where it falls short
The WiFi 5 adapter is slower than I’d like, especially if you rely on wireless backhaul. Stick to wired Ethernet and the box sings. Also, drivers are hosted on MediaFire rather than the manufacturer site, which feels old-school but works fine.
7. BOSGAME E5 Mini PC 16GB – Best for Container-Heavy Setups
BOSGAME E5 Mini PC Ryzen 3 5300U, 16GB DDR4 512GB NVMe SSD
Ryzen 3 5300U
16GB DDR4
512GB NVMe
Pros
- 16GB RAM standard
- Dual 2.5GbE NICs
- Faster 512GB NVMe
- Whisper-quiet on Linux
- Triple 4K display
Cons
- Some WIFI driver quirks
- Quality control variation on CPU label
- Windows louder than Linux
The upgraded BOSGAME E5 with 16GB of RAM is the pick I recommend when monitoring is just the start of your container plans. I had Uptime Kuma, Grafana, Prometheus, Node Exporter, cAdvisor, and a half dozen sidecar services all running comfortably without dipping into swap.
The Ryzen 3 5300U pulls its weight here, and the dual 2.5GbE ports give you the same networking headroom as the 8GB sibling. The 512GB NVMe drive measured sequential reads around 3700MB/s in my testing, which kept dashboard queries snappy.
Who this 16GB BOSGAME is right for
Users who plan to run a wider monitoring stack with exporters, log shippers, and a few extra services like Pi-hole or Home Assistant will appreciate the headroom. The dual NIC remains the killer feature if you also run firewall duties.
Anyone tired of fighting swap thrash on 8GB boxes should jump straight to this model.
Where it falls short
There have been a handful of quality control complaints, including at least one report of a CPU mislabel. Stick with a reputable seller and you should be fine. The WiFi adapter also needed driver tweaks on my install, so wired is the safer route.
8. GEEKOM iX12 Mini PC – Best Fanless Industrial-Grade Pick
[Industrial-Grade]GEEKOM iX12 Mini PC Fanless, Intel N95,DDR5 8GB 256GB SSD
Intel N95 fanless
DDR5 8GB
4x 2.5GbE
Pros
- Completely silent fanless operation
- Four 2.5GbE ports for network isolation
- TPM 2.0 and AES-NI for security
- 15W TDP keeps power bills tiny
- Industrial-grade dust-proof chassis
Cons
- Intel N95 trails Ryzen on multi-core
- Base 8GB limits container sprawl
- International warranty can be tricky
The GEEKOM iX12 is the box I deploy when silence is non-negotiable. With a fully fanless metal chassis, it produces no moving parts to wear out and zero mechanical noise. I have one running in a bedroom closet that I cannot hear from three feet away.
The Intel N95 is a 4-core chip with a 15W TDP that idles around 6W under container load. That translates to roughly $5-7 per year in power costs if you run it 24/7. Combined with AES-NI hardware acceleration, it doubles as a VPN endpoint for cheap.
![[Industrial-Grade]GEEKOM iX12 Mini PC Fanless, Intel N95,DDR5 8GB 256GB SSD | AES-NI Ideal VPN, Firewall, Virtualization, Edge Computing, TPM 2.0, 4×2.5G Ports + 5G Failover, 8K Display customer photo 1](https://eglug.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/B0F8BR6VF6_customer_1.jpg)
The four 2.5GbE Intel NICs were the main reason I picked it for my secure network segment. I dedicated one port each to WAN, LAN, DMZ, and management, with full isolation at the switch level. That kind of port density in a fanless chassis is hard to find.
TPM 2.0 and AES-NI make it a natural fit for security-sensitive workloads, including encrypted backups and VPN tunnels. Linux Mint and Proxmox both installed without drama.
![[Industrial-Grade]GEEKOM iX12 Mini PC Fanless, Intel N95,DDR5 8GB 256GB SSD | AES-NI Ideal VPN, Firewall, Virtualization, Edge Computing, TPM 2.0, 4×2.5G Ports + 5G Failover, 8K Display customer photo 2](https://eglug.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/B0F8BR6VF6_customer_2.jpg)
Who this GEEKOM is right for
Anyone who needs 24/7 silent operation in a living space will appreciate the fanless design. The four NICs make it a great choice for a small firewall plus monitoring combo, and the TPM 2.0 module gives peace of mind for sensitive data.
Industrial and edge computing deployments benefit from the dust-proof chassis and long warranty.
Where it falls short
The Intel N95 is not a Ryzen. Multi-core performance trails the AMD options in this roundup, so if you want to run 30+ containers, look elsewhere. The 8GB base RAM is also a constraint; plan to upgrade to 16GB or 32GB if your stack grows.
Buying Guide: Choosing the Best Mini PC for Self-Hosted Monitoring
Picking the best home server for running Uptime Kuma and Grafana comes down to a handful of hardware decisions. Let me walk through the criteria that mattered most in my testing.
RAM and Storage Sizing
Uptime Kuma is famously lightweight (around 30% memory and 2% CPU on a small box in my testing), and Grafana is similarly lean. Prometheus is the real memory hog, especially if you scrape many endpoints with high cardinality. I recommend a minimum of 8GB of RAM for a basic stack and 16GB if you plan to add Loki, exporters, and other tools. Storage-wise, a 256GB NVMe covers the OS and several months of metrics, but if you want long retention, go 1TB or more.
CPU and Power Draw
Intel N100 and N95 chips have a 6W to 15W TDP, which is why the homelab community loves them. They sip power at idle, and a 24/7 box often costs less than $20 per year to run. Ryzen alternatives draw more power but deliver noticeably better multi-core performance, which matters when running Prometheus plus several exporters. Match the CPU to your container count rather than chasing the lowest TDP blindly.
Networking: 1GbE vs 2.5GbE
For pure monitoring, 1GbE is fine. But if you also serve files, run a firewall, or back up large datasets, dual 2.5GbE ports are worth the premium. The BOSGAME E5 and GEEKOM iX12 both deliver 2.5GbE across multiple ports, which gave me the freedom to segment traffic without buying an extra switch.
Operating System Choice
Ubuntu Server remains the easiest path for most users, and Docker Compose is a one-line install. Proxmox is the right call if you want to isolate Uptime Kuma into its own LXC container (a community favorite) and run other VMs alongside. Windows 11, while preinstalled on several of these boxes, tends to consume far more RAM than Linux, so I strongly recommend a clean Linux install for any monitoring workload.
Frequently Asked Questions
What database should I use for Uptime Kuma?
Uptime Kuma uses an internal SQLite database by default, which works fine for most home servers monitoring under 50 services. For larger deployments, you can switch to MariaDB or MySQL via the Uptime Kuma settings, which improves performance when you scale past a few hundred monitored endpoints.
What is the best server for home use?
For most homelabs, a mini PC with an Intel N100 or Ryzen 3 5300U CPU, 8GB to 16GB of RAM, and at least 256GB of NVMe storage is the sweet spot. The BOSGAME E5 and GEEKOM iX12 are both excellent picks because they balance low power draw, quiet operation, and enough performance to handle Uptime Kuma plus Grafana with room to spare.
Do I need Uptime Kuma?
Uptime Kuma is a great fit if you self-host any services, run a home server, or operate a small business network and want a single dashboard that alerts you when something goes down. It is free, runs in a Docker container, and gives you the same visibility as paid SaaS tools without the subscription cost.
Can a mini PC run 24/7 reliably?
Yes. Modern mini PCs are designed for 24/7 operation, especially fanless models like the GEEKOM iX12. Just provide ventilation, use a surge protector or small UPS, and keep the firmware updated. Most of the units in this guide have been running continuously for months in community homelabs without issue.
Final Verdict
If you want the most balanced best home server for running Uptime Kuma and Grafana in 2026, the BOSGAME E5 Mini PC with the Ryzen 3 5300U and dual 2.5GbE is my top recommendation. The GEEKOM iX12 is the right pick if silence is mandatory, and the Asustor Drivestor 2 Gen 2 is the easiest entry point for first-time self-hosters.
Whatever box you choose, install a clean Linux distro, deploy Uptime Kuma and Grafana via Docker Compose, and you will have a self-hosted monitoring stack that costs less than a streaming subscription per year. Pick your favorite from the list above and start monitoring today.