New to HA. Would Ace PC GK1 be good to setup?

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Hi, I’m new to Home Assistant and I have an old Ace PC GK1 that has been sitting around. I was thinking of using it. If so, what is the recommended install method?

I am planning to replace my Smartthings hub with it. I currently have lights, plugs, blinds, thermostat using smartthings and google home.

Thanks for any advice!

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We need more to go on. Is this one of those Franklin Ace Apple II Clones? Then no.
If it’s a PC built since 2010, then probably OK If it has UEFI Bios, I suggest HAOS. Otherwise pick something from the list you will be able to maintain.

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The Ace GK1 was released about seven years ago.

Put a comparison sheet up and look at the vital specs comparing it to a Raspberry Pi 5 with 8Gb RAM and a decent size disk drive.
Are they cost competitive? Processor speed? Upgradeability (remember RAM prices have recently skyrocketed)? Power consumption? Noise with fans? Are you prepared to contend with compatibility and driver issues that may possibly arise?

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Some more detail…I have Plex and was running a plex server from an old desktop until about three years ago. I was also running my home automation mostly on Smartthings hub. Recently, we moved into our new home. I would like to transition from Smartthings hub to Home Assistant. I have a bunch Z-wave switches and window shades along with some wifi switches and a nest thermostat. I plan to add a few cameras in the future. I would also like to add Plex back into the mix.

I am a beginner and want to learn. Since I already have the old desktop and the mini pc, I thought I should see if either of them are a good option to use as my starting point. Or if id be better of getting a HA Green. It will be in a closet, so noise isn’t a concern.

Here are some details on the two devices I have.

ACE PC GK1
Mini PC, GK1 Plus Mini Computer Intel Gemini Lake Celeron J4125
Windows 10 Pro(64 bit)
4K@60fps
4GB DDR4/64GB
Dual Wi-Fi
Gigabit Ethernet
Bluetooth 4.2

Dell Vostro 460
This is much older and started as WIndows 7.
Intel(R) Core™ i5-2400 CPU @ 3.10GHz, 3101 Mhz, 4 Core(s), 4 Logical Processor(s)
8 GB RAM
Gigabit Ethernet

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If you don’t mind the form factor, the Dell will beat the living snot out of both the ACE & the Green. It should also handle Plex (provided you install proxmox on it and have it run both HAOS and Plex separately).

If you do mind the form factor, both the ACE and the Green are perfectly suitable to run HA and mostly equal. The Ace has more storage and lower cpu base frequency (but higher burst frequency), while the Green has higher base frequency.
Neither are suitable to run Plex and both use approximately the same power, so I wouldn’t get the Green since that doesn’t give you any additional benefits apart from a preinstalled HAOS.

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I think I’m gonna use the Dell and install Proxmox. This will be a great opportunity to get my feet wet.

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