When setting up my home server, I wanted a reliable, always-on core to manage my smart home and media library. When looking at prebuilt 4-bay NAS enclosures or dedicated automation servers, the price tags were around $800 before you even consider hard drives. So, instead of buying a locked-down appliance or building a bulky, power-hungry desktop tower, I looked at mini PCs instead and found the GEEKOM A5 2027.