This is the third (and finally the last) episode of my Budget Server Saga, and I’m basically just trying to get this thing over the line: all the parts have arrived, all the cables are here, and I can finally get the server up and running. The main thing I was waiting on was the M.2 SSD—ended up accidentally getting two because of a delivery fee mess and the seller sending a replacement. I picked the Intel one (because it’s a brand I’ve actually heard of), wrestled with the hard drive cage, hunted down a random screw for way too long, and got Windows installed after confirming it boots into BIOS. Then, because nothing can ever be simple, I found out one of my RAM sticks was dead. The server kept crashing, then started beeping on reboot, so I tested each stick one-by-one and confirmed the HP stick had given up. I went and grabbed a cheap set of Corsair Vengeance DDR4 (2x4GB) and since swapping that in, it’s been solid. Once it was stable, I showed what I’m actually using it for: Plex and a couple of services that start on boot (including AdGuard Home, plus a Hyper-V VM). The Pentium in this thing surprised me—Plex streaming barely touches the CPU, even with 4K in the living room and 1080p/720p around the house. Overall, it’s a massive upgrade from my old HP setup and it just works.