JASN_DE

I’d suggest at least 3-2-1, if documents and photos and other personal data are involved (think *cloud) have a look at https://www.elovade.com/blog/die-3-2-1-1-0-backup-regel-der-neue-standard-fuer-datensicherheit/

Edit: not necessarily with their product (haven’t heard of them before), just as a basis.

Don’t forget a solid backup strategy.

Yeah, that’s fair. I currently run a Ryzen 5700g-based system with 32GB RAM, 3 SSDs for system, docker and additional docker storage, also 2x8TB HDD for media storage and backups. The whole thing “idles” at about 37 watts and currently handles Nextcloud, Opencloud, Immich and Jellyfin, along about 40 other smaller containers. Unless something’s really active, the machine is at about 5% load.

So as long as you don’t need to do too many things at the same time (initial Immich scan is a bitch), even a relatively low-powered system can get you a lot.

As the other commented mentioned, each spinning disk will add quite an additional baseload, 5W at least each.

But what do you want to do with the machine? More towards services, more towards storage? Because both RAM and storage are expensive at the moment and will rather get more expensive.

One option would be to buy used, e.g. a DDR4-based system. It’s still not going to be pretty.