Скачать или смотреть Mac Mini M1 Homelab in 2026 - Thunderbolt Killed It

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 -    • Stop Buying Enterprise Gear - This £250 Bo...  

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