Home OPNSense setup: reliable, budget-friendly fanless Mini PC suggestions?

[binaryanomaly]

I am currently testing the Asus NUC 13 rugged x7425E with 16 GB RAM. It is a well balanced device made for 24/7 operations that is relatively cheap (~350-400$ with RAM).

https://www.asus.com/displays-desktops/nucs/nuc-kits/asus-nuc-13-rugged/

So far it has been working well since a day and I expect it to continue ;-)

[aleco]

I am currently testing the Asus NUC 13 rugged x7425E with 16 GB RAM. It is a well balanced device made for 24/7 operations that is relatively cheap (~350-400$ with RAM).

Thanks. I still have the NUC 13 Rugged Short (with Intel N50) on my short list. Even if the N50 is just a binned N100 with only 2 cores active instead of 4 it should be fast enough for various applications.

[binaryanomaly]

<<Removed>>

Edit: There seem to be NUC13 rugged stability / performance issues. https://forum.opnsense.org/index.php?topic=42296.0

[aleco]

I ended up purchasing a Protectli V1410 with an N5105 CPU, 4x Intel NICs, 8GB RAM, passive cooling, and a USB-C COM port. It is their most affordable and newest 4-port model.

I chose Protectli over Aliexpress brands because I trust their reputation, appreciate the support, and value that it's designed for 24/7 operation. The downside is the soldered RAM – 8GB feels limiting, and the 2-port V1210 only comes with 4GB. I'm holding out for future models with more RAM and newer CPUs (Intel N95/N97/N100/N250), as I'm aiming to set up a compact home server for Proxmox.

Interestingly, they recently pulled the 6-port V1610 from their website, even though it was just released.