Mac Mini M1 Homelab So Close To Perfection!

I spent £220 on a Mac Mini M1 to run my entire homelab. For 3 weeks it was SO close to perfect - until one fatal flaw killed the whole idea. Here's what I tested, what broke, and the £250 alternative that's actually working... Zimaboard 2 Review - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCcLRlkd2EQ&pp=2AYD Mac Mini M1 on eBay: https://amzn.to/49Emroy (Affiliate link UK) Zimaboard 2: https://amzn.to/49EmsJ8 (Affiliate link UK) Asahi Linux: https://asahilinux.org ⏰ TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 – The £220 homelab idea 00:14 – Specs and why it's tempting 01:07 – 3 weeks on macOS: Docker + caching 01:47 – Thunderbolt dreams: NAS over TB3 02:33 – Installing Fedora / Asahi Linux 02:44 – The fatal flaw: no Thunderbolt on Linux 03:03 – Overkill for just Docker 03:43 – Power draw vs old corporate minis 04:17 – Enter the Zimaboard 2 04:45 – Pricing and ecosystem 05:09 – Why Zimaboard wins for homelab 05:29 – Mac Mini's second life as a PC 06:15 – Dreaming of Proxmox on M1 06:39 – Is this idea stupid or viable? 🧪 WHAT I TESTED: - Mac Mini M1 8GB/256GB (£220 used) - Asahi Linux / Fedora ARM64 - 8–10 Docker containers simultaneously - Power consumption: 8–10W idle (Mac only) ❌ THE PROBLEM: Thunderbolt ports don't work on Asahi Linux (Jan 2026). This killed my ZFS‑over‑Thunderbolt NAS plan. ✅ THE ALTERNATIVE: Zimaboard 2 (£250–270 with cage) - native Linux, SATA ports, ZFS support, full OS flexibility. If you're considering Mac Mini M1 for homelab, self‑hosting, or NAS - watch this before you buy. 👇 What do YOU think? Viable homelab idea or waste of time? Let me know below. #MacMini #Homelab #AsahiLinux #SelfHosting #Zimaboard