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Hardware

22
Jun
Prime Day 2026: Homelab, Networking & Budget PC Deals Worth Your Click

Prime Day 2026: Homelab, Networking & Budget PC Deals Worth Your Click

Don't waste hours scrolling through consumer trash. I dug through the active Prime Day catalog to pull out the hardware genuinely worth your click - most of which is currently running inside my own infrastructure.
17 min read
03
Jun
Picture of Codex - 80+TB Custom NAS/Server All in One, serving Core Lab and my digital life.

The Ultimate 18-Drive Self-Hosted Monolith: Why the Fractal Design Define 7 XL is Still the Best Home Server Case in 2026

A long-term review of the Fractal Design Define 7 XL configured as an 18-drive custom DIY NAS and home server running 58 Docker containers, Home Assistant, and n8n natively.
10 min read
12
May
A picture showing the top of my server showing the USB3.0 enclosure connected to a USB3.0 port on the Fractal Design Define 7 XL.

The SATA Pivot: Mitigating IOPS Bottlenecks in a 18+ Drive Homelab

Is your ZFS array thrashing under Docker logs? You don't need a new server; you need a better bus. Learn how moving my OS to USB reclaimed SATA III ports for SSD caching - solving IOPS bottlenecks and extending drive life for under $20.
8 min read
12
May
A picture of Core Lab's own Codex NAS & Server, she's a dusty girl before my bi-annual cleaning attack!

🛠️ The Homelab Physical: A Guide to Annual & Bi-Annual Maintenance

Neglect is the quiet killer of uptime. Don't let dust or "chip creep" sabotage your ZFS pools. This guide covers essential bi-annual routines - from LSI HBA cooling to reseating the "Big Three" - to keep your custom server healthy for the long haul.
11 min read
18
Apr
Comic-style illustration of Synology, QNAP, and UGREEN NAS units side by side, highlighting storage vs computing differences.

NAS vs Server: What’s the Difference? (2026 Guide for Homelabs)

NAS vs server isn’t just semantics - it’s the difference between smooth performance and constant frustration. Learn when to use each and how to build the perfect homelab in 2026.
18 min read
07
Apr
KDiskMark benchmark comparison on Linux showing Samsung 990 EVO Plus vs Sabrent Rocket 4.0 NVMe SSDs.

The Hybrid Gen 5 Experiment: High-Speed Linux Storage Without the Gen 5 Heat

Can a "Hybrid" SSD outperform the flagship Gen 5 screamers? I test the Samsung 990 EVO Plus on CachyOS to see how it handles BTRFS, thermals, and 2.5GbE NAS transfers in my newest workstation.
5 min read
17
Mar
A three-part composite showing an old Dell PC, a modern white cube server, and a professional rack-mounted server with glowing green lights on a wooden desk against a bookshelf.

Best Plex Server Hardware (2026): Budget Builds to Enterprise NAS Guide

Building a Plex server in 2026? Learn how to choose the best hardware for 4K transcoding, from scavenged Intel QuickSync builds to high-end enterprise ZFS rigs.
21 min read
15
Jan
Side view of white Lian Li O11 Dynamic XL PC with black Fractal Celsius S36 AIO, MSI 3070 Ti, glowing white fans, and a TIE fighter model inside the glass panel.

The 2026 Hybrid Workstation: Building "Dirty Snow" (Ryzen 9800X3D + Linux)

I retired my Ryzen 5800X for the new 9800X3D to build "Dirty Snow"—a high-contrast hybrid workstation running CachyOS. See how the world's fastest gaming CPU handles Linux, virtualization, and thermals in this Black & White build.
6 min read
28
Nov

Fantastic Friday!

Hello everyone, a quick update on new posts from this week and reminder about all the Holiday sales going on.
3 min read
17
Nov

🚨An Early Gift for My Subscribers: Pre-Holiday Tech Deals & Exclusive Codes❗

Hey everyone, As we get closer to the holiday rush, the "deals" are about to become overwhelming. Most
8 min read