Build a personal server (parts walkthrough)
This is a practical, real-world run through sourcing parts for a budget-friendly personal server you can own.
Video
What you’ll learn
The “why” behind the build
This isn’t a gaming PC and it isn’t a status object. It’s an appliance-style computer that exists to bring your services back under your roof—where you can inspect, control, and keep them running without permission.
The practical selection logic
The walkthrough focuses on constraints that matter: form factor, storage topology, power delivery, and cooling.
Parts (high-level)
This is a reference build. Part availability changes, prices change, and “the best buy this week” changes. Use this as a pattern you can adapt, not a brittle shopping list.
Compute
Micro-ATX motherboard + CPU (integrated or socketed), chosen for simplicity and cost control.
Storage
One fast OS drive + separate user-data drives, so the system stays legible and maintainable.
Power + cooling
A real PSU with the right connectors, and enough airflow to keep everything stable under load.
GPU
A used-market 16GB-class accelerator can enable local inference—but only if you cool it properly.
Enclosure
A case that fits the form factor and has enough fan positions to support sane thermals.
Reality checks
Mechanical clearance, connector types, drive sizes, and where “spec sheets” lie by omission.
Want the living “canonical” record?
The website stays intentionally high-level. The current detailed records live in the repos, where changes are tracked and versioned.