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Core Lab Joe

Core Lab Joe

Dad, IT guy, Self-Hosting Evangelist! https://www.reddit.com/r/corelabtech/

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Futuristic network graphic showing a Jellyfin media stream accelerated into a glowing HTTP/3 QUIC connection via SWAG proxy. — Accelerating Jellyfin video streams with low-latency HTTP/3 and QUIC multiplexing via a hardened SWAG reverse proxy.

Turbocharge Jellyfin Streaming: Enabling QUIC (HTTP/3) via SWAG

Want to enable cutting edge speed for Jellyfin? Your QUIC / HTTP3 setup is here, with example firewall rules and reverse proxy configs included.

A screenshot of Core Lab Jellyfin V12, showcasing the new top bar navigation in Jellyfin web. — Jellyfin V12 has arrived! New UI is better IMO with top bar navigation in Jellyfin Web.

How to Safely Upgrade to Jellyfin 12 (Fix Plugin Errors)

Jellyfin 12 has officially dropped! The upgrade process from 10.11.x is incredibly smooth, provided you follow a few critical steps regarding third-party plugins and database migrations.

Image of a PlayStation 5 tear-down completed, with the motherboard separated from the heatsink and backplate showing exposed components. — PS5 Tear-down completed, time to re-paste & rebuild!

The Definitive PS5 Teardown & Deep Clean: Diagnosing Thermal Failure, Liquid Metal & Fan Problems

Does your PS5 shut off while playing games? Follow this hands-on teardown guide to deep clean the heatsink and safely replace the APU's liquid metal.

News from Core Lab: Theme Upgrades & PC Builds & Overhauls — Photo by Ross Findon / Unsplash

News from Core Lab: Theme Upgrades & PC Builds & Overhauls

Happy Friday! If things look a little different around here, it's because Core Lab just underwent a massive infrastructure upgrade on the front end. I've migrated the site to a new premium theme designed specifically to fix some of the UX friction you've experienced, when reading massive 3,000-5,000-word guides on small screens. A staggering 84% of Core Lab visitors are hitting the site on laptops or mobile devices, so it made sense to switch to something even more modest-screen friendly. As al

Image of a dorm room facing a book-shelf, showing a small switch connecting a laptop, and some extra 3.5" hdds on the shelf, next to CS/IT books. — Your dorm room Data-centre, sitting on a shelf.

The Dorm Room Server: Beginner Homelab Setup on an Old Laptop

Learn how to build a cheap dorm room homelab on an old laptop. Bypass campus Wi-Fi restrictions, host your own media server, and sync your notes securely.

5 young adults gathered around a table, all with laptops and various peripherals in a coffee shop or dorm shared room setting, working together. — Photo by Annie Spratt / Unsplash

Back to School PC Build? Don't Pay Full Price for Software (15% Off Kinguin Promo)

Just built a new homelab or back-to-school PC? Get an extra 15% off Windows 11 Pro, Office 2024, and Adobe CC with our Kinguin promo code.

Picture of a laptop showing coding tools and Jarvis, and the background has a very large monitor or tv displaying the code being worked on. — Photo by Safar Safarov / Unsplash

Proxmox Helper Scripts: Spin Up Game Servers and Homelab Services in Minutes

Use Proxmox community helper scripts to spin up game servers, Plex, and homelab services in minutes instead of hours. What the scripts do, how to use them safely, and when to skip them.

Various PC parts in boxes, Gigabyte B850 Aorus Elite WiFi 7 ICE, Samsung 990 NVME, T-Force Vulcan DDR5 and a Ryzen 9800X3D. — Brand new gear, always an exciting time!

First Things to Do After Building a Gaming PC: Essential Software & Drivers (2026)

Every piece of software to install after building a gaming PC: OS and licensing, drivers, launchers, monitoring tools, security, and backups, in the order it actually matters.

PC Gaming Build Guide (2026): Budget to High-End

A tiered PC gaming build guide for 2026: CPU, GPU, RAM, storage, and PSU picks for budget, mid-range, and high-end builds, plus what changes if the box also runs a homelab workload.

PSU & Data cables being routed during the install of the PSU into the Core Labs' own custom NAS/Server.

Latest from the Lab: Summer 2026 Hardware, Trust Audits, & Core Series Overhauls

Latest Core Lab updates: Kinguin safety breakdown, 2026 RAM benchmarks, overhauled reverse proxy guides, and the upcoming OPNsense series rewrite.

How Much RAM Do You Actually Need for Gaming in 2026?

DDR5 prices have tripled thanks to AI datacenters eating the world's DRAM supply, but 16GB is still a completely viable amount of RAM for gaming in 2026. Here's the benchmark data, where 16GB actually breaks, and how to make it work on Windows 11 or Linux.

Kinguin is a trusted resource for Core Lab!

Is Kinguin Legit and Safe in 2026? A Trust Breakdown for Gamers

Is Kinguin legit? Yes. Here is the trust and verification model behind Kinguin's marketplace, in plain numbers: 13 years in operation, over 12,000 identity verified sellers, and a 4.6/5 Trustpilot score.