About ScaleAtHome

ScaleAtHome is an independent review site covering AI infrastructure, homelab hardware, and self-hosted software. Every review is based on hands-on testing with gear that actually runs in a production homelab — not spec sheets, not press samples, not AI-generated summaries.

What we cover

• Refurbished hardware — enterprise gear at consumer prices (OptiPlex SFFs, Lenovo Tinys, off-lease servers)
• Local AI hardware — mini-PCs and GPUs for running LLMs with Ollama, llama.cpp, and LM Studio
• Storage & NAS — Synology, TrueNAS, and DIY builds with real uptime data
• Networking — UniFi, Tailscale, WireGuard, and the gear that connects it all
• Self-hosted software — Proxmox, Docker, monitoring stacks, and the tools that replace cloud SaaS
• Developer & AI tooling — coding against local infrastructure, running agents on your own metal

The approach

We have a bias toward value-tier, refurbished, and self-hosted alternatives to mainstream cloud services. If a $200 refurb mini-PC does 80% of what a $600 new one does for your use case, we'll tell you that.

Every piece includes original photos, real benchmarks or uptime data, and a clear recommendation. We don't publish content unless we can demonstrate a genuine original contribution — a test we ran, a comparison we measured, a problem we solved.

Affiliate disclosure

This site earns revenue through affiliate links. When you buy through our links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This never influences our recommendations — we recommend gear we actually use. Full disclosure here.