I tried a Mac Mini for a while, but they're just not designed to run headless and I ultimately abandoned it because I wanted it to either work or be fixable remotely. Issues I had:
- External enclosure disconnected frequently (this is more of an issue with the enclosure and its chipset, but I bought a reputable one)
- Many services can't start without being logged in
- If you want to use FileVault, you'll have to input your password when you reboot
Little things went wrong too frequently that needed an attended fix.
If you go off the shelf, I recommend Synology, but make sure you get an Intel model with QSV if you plan to transcode video. You can also install Synology OS to your own hardware using Xpenology - its surprisingly stable, moreso than the mac mini was for me.
> Get a Synology Intel model with QSV if you plan to transcode video
How about if you _don't_ plan to transcode video? For example, this years models DS425+ uses the (six year old) Intel Celeron J4125, while the DS925+ uses the (seven year old) AMD Ryzen Embedded V1500B. Why choose one over the other?
That’s a damn good question. I’d probably go with the intel model that had qsv just in case. Especially compared to an equally ancient AMD processor that doesn’t.
- External enclosure disconnected frequently (this is more of an issue with the enclosure and its chipset, but I bought a reputable one)
- Many services can't start without being logged in
- If you want to use FileVault, you'll have to input your password when you reboot
Little things went wrong too frequently that needed an attended fix.
If you go off the shelf, I recommend Synology, but make sure you get an Intel model with QSV if you plan to transcode video. You can also install Synology OS to your own hardware using Xpenology - its surprisingly stable, moreso than the mac mini was for me.