I have decided that a thin client would be a suitable option to run HA alongside a Skyconnect dongle. It is only going to be managing a handful of devices and doesn’t need to be high spec.
I wanted to check recommended specs before I make a purchase (refurbished machine):
Must it be an Intel or would an AMD CPU work fine?
Is 4GB RAM sufficient?
Is 16GB SSD sufficient?
Is ethernet sufficient (no wifi)? I assume you plug into router or mesh to connect to home network?
Wifi card or USB port for wifi later?
Desired number of USB ports?
GFX and display ports matter or not?
Windows or not? As long HA can be installed via USB?
Must it be an Intel or would an AMD CPU work fine? - Won’t matter.
Is 4GB RAM sufficient? Yes and you will likely be able to upgrade this if necessary.
Is 16GB SSD sufficient? Maybe a bit small but, again, you’ll likely be able to upgrade this.
Is ethernet sufficient (no wifi)? I assume you plug into router or mesh to connect to home network? Don’t connect your HA machine to your network with Wi-Fi. It’ll only be something to go wrong.
Wifi card or USB port for wifi later? No need.
Desired number of USB ports? Depends on what you intend to do. You may want one for Zigbee, one for Z-wave and one for Bluetooth. There are always USB hubs anyway.
GFX and display ports matter or not? You won’t be using any graphical output from any onboard graphics.
Windows or not? As long HA can be installed via USB? Depends. If you run HA OS or some other Linux OS then not needed.
I have narrowed the choice to the below. The Lenovo seems better value due to better CPU and SSD space?
1
DELL WYSE 5020 (DX0Q) THIN CLIENT
CPU AMD GX-415GA QUAD CORE 1.50GHZ WITH RADEON HD GRAPHICS
RAM 8GB DDR3L
32GB SSD
6x USB PORTS
DISPLAY PORT
DVI PORT
2
Lenovo ThinkCentre M700 Mini Tiny
i3 6100T SSD
8GB RAM
120GB SSD
Windows 10
6x USB
2x DP
1x VGA
Both same prices. Appears many Lenovo boxes floating around and actually appear to have a decent physical footprint and layout. Intel chips and larger hard drives.