Best used mini PCs for a Proxmox node
Proxmox itself is light; what limits a node is RAM for VMs, a second drive for storage or mirroring, and enough threads to run several guests. Intel vPro (AMT) on some configurations gives out-of-band remote control, handy for a headless cluster.
Criteria: Best CPU option has 6+ threads, room for two drives and 32 GB+ official RAM, plus at least one kind of headroom: two NVMe slots, 64 GB official RAM, or a PCIe slot. 13 of our models match. Data last reviewed 2026-09-25.
| Model | Year | CPU generations | Why it matches |
|---|---|---|---|
| HP Elite Mini 800 G9 | 2022 | 12th gen (Alder Lake) / 13th gen (Raptor Lake) | up to 20 threads (Core i5-13500T); 2× NVMe, 64 GB official; vPro on some CPUs |
| Dell OptiPlex 7080 Micro | 2020 | 10th gen (Comet Lake) | up to 16 threads (Core i7-10700T); 2× NVMe, 64 GB official, PCIe slot; vPro on some CPUs |
| HP EliteDesk 800 G6 Mini (verify) | 2020 | 10th gen (Comet Lake) | up to 16 threads (Core i7-10700T); 2× NVMe, 64 GB official; vPro on some CPUs |
| Lenovo ThinkCentre M70q Gen 1 Tiny | 2020 | 10th gen (Comet Lake) | up to 16 threads (Core i7-10700T); 64 GB official |
| Lenovo ThinkCentre M75q Gen 2 Tiny | 2020 | Ryzen 4000 (Renoir) | up to 16 threads (Ryzen 7 PRO 4750GE); 64 GB official |
| Lenovo ThinkCentre M90q Gen 1 Tiny | 2020 | 10th gen (Comet Lake) | up to 16 threads (Core i7-10700T); 2× NVMe, 64 GB official, PCIe slot; vPro on some CPUs |
| HP EliteDesk 800 G8 Mini | 2021 | 11th gen (Rocket Lake) | up to 12 threads (Core i5-11400T); 2× NVMe, 64 GB official; vPro on some CPUs |
| Dell OptiPlex 3080 Micro | 2020 | 10th gen (Comet Lake) | up to 12 threads (Core i5-10500T); 64 GB official |
| Lenovo ThinkCentre M720q Tiny | 2018 | 8th gen (Coffee Lake) / 9th gen (Coffee Lake Refresh) | up to 12 threads (Core i7-8700T); PCIe slot |
| Lenovo ThinkCentre M920q Tiny | 2018 | 8th gen (Coffee Lake) / 9th gen (Coffee Lake Refresh) | up to 12 threads (Core i7-8700T); PCIe slot; vPro on some CPUs |
| Lenovo ThinkCentre M920x Tiny | 2018 | 8th gen (Coffee Lake) / 9th gen (Coffee Lake Refresh) | up to 12 threads (Core i7-8700T); 2× NVMe, PCIe slot; vPro on some CPUs |
| HP EliteDesk 800 G4 Mini | 2018 | 8th gen (Coffee Lake) | up to 12 threads (Core i7-8700T); 2× NVMe; vPro on some CPUs |
| HP EliteDesk 800 G5 Mini (verify) | 2019 | 9th gen (Coffee Lake Refresh) | up to 8 threads (Core i7-9700T); 2× NVMe; vPro on some CPUs |
Guides
- Choosing a used mini PC for Proxmox: RAM, drives, NICs and clusters
- Mini PC RAM upgrade guide: DDR4 vs DDR5, speeds and slots
Related lists
Something wrong or missing? Send a correction. Lists are built from each model's documented specs; models marked "verify" have fields we could not confirm from an official document.