Last updated: October 24, 2026
The short version
- Today, our comparisons are built from official specifications and public sources. We read manufacturer spec pages and manuals, public documentation, and independent third-party reviews, and compare them for each use.
- We label what each statement rests on. Every recommendation page shows an evidence level.
- We never claim a test we didn’t run. “We tested,” “we measured” and “in our lab” appear on a page only if the page is labeled Hands-on tested and shows the method, date and results. We do not claim to operate a laboratory.
- No score on this site is a measured result. Our “best for” labels are editorial judgments based on the criteria below.
- Prices carry a date. See Price and data policy.
The three evidence levels
| Badge | What it means | What the page must show |
|---|---|---|
| Hands-on tested | We ran the test ourselves on a unit we obtained. | Where the unit came from (bought, loaned, or provided by the brand), test date, BIOS/firmware, operating system and software versions, the method, and the raw results. |
| Official specs | Taken from the manufacturer’s own page, manual, or store listing. | A link to the source and the date we read it. |
| Third-party sources | Taken from independent reviews, benchmarks, or vendor documentation (for example, a chip maker or software project). | A link, the name of the source, and wording such as “reported by …,” never “we measured.” |
A page can carry more than one badge, and individual statements can be tagged inside the page. If a statement has no source we can show, we leave it out or say we could not verify it.
Status at the time of writing: no page on this site is labeled Hands-on tested. If that changes, we will publish the full test protocol on this page and label each tested page.
What we compare
We look at the same things for every model, then weigh them differently by use:
- Processor and graphics, including any NPU the maker lists.
- Memory: type, whether it is soldered or upgradeable, and the maximum the maker supports.
- Storage: number and type of drive slots.
- Ports and networking: network ports and their speeds, USB and display outputs.
- Cooling, noise and power use — only as reported by the maker or by named third-party sources.
- Expandability and what is included: barebone (no memory, storage or OS) or ready-to-run.
- Price and availability where bought, with the date checked.
- Warranty and return terms as published by the seller, linked.
How we weigh them by use
These are the editorial criteria behind our “best for” picks. They are a method, not measurements.
- AI and Ollama: memory capacity and whether the graphics share it, GPU/NPU software support as documented by the chip maker and the software project, and memory price per gigabyte.
- Proxmox and homelab: number and speed of network ports, memory limits, storage slots, virtualization features as listed by the maker, and reported power and noise.
- Home Assistant: low idle power, USB ports for radios, and compatibility with the install method per the Home Assistant documentation.
- Plex: hardware transcoding support as documented by Plex and the chip maker, storage options, and network.
- Budget: what you get for the price, the upgrade path, the cost difference between barebone and ready-to-run, and the seller’s published support terms.
How we pick a “best” label
“Best overall,” “best budget,” and similar are editorial picks from the comparison above for a stated use. They are not awards from the manufacturer and they are not purchased. They are not based on commission rates. See the Editorial policy.
Limits you should know about
- Manufacturers can change a model’s parts without changing its name. Always check the exact configuration, seller and revision before buying.
- Sources can be wrong or out of date. We link them so you can check, and we correct errors.
- Software moves fast. Compatibility statements show the version and date they were checked against.
- What works for another user, or in a published benchmark, may not match your setup.
Older articles
Some older articles on this site were published before this method and are being revised to follow it. If an article claims testing we cannot support, please tell us.
Independence
We earn commissions from some links, which doesn’t change prices or rankings. See the Affiliate Disclosure.