Is an Intel N100 or N150 a better value than a Raspberry Pi?

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

General Value Comparison

  • Many argue N100/N150 mini PCs are now better value than full-size Raspberry Pis for general compute, homelab, NAS, media, and firewall use.
  • Key points: far higher performance, proper SSD/NVMe support, more RAM (32–48 GB possible), built‑in RTC, better video decode/QuickSync, and often similar or lower total cost than a fully kitted Pi 5.
  • Counterpoint: in some regions, new mini PCs are significantly more expensive than a Pi 5 once taxes/import are included; used x86 is also not always cheap or power‑efficient.

Power and Efficiency

  • Load power: N100/N150 systems do more work per unit energy than Pi 4/5, so for “get task done fast then idle,” x86 can win.
  • Idle power: claims range from ~2–9 W idle for efficient N100 setups, comparable to or slightly higher than Pi 5. HDDs can dominate NAS power budgets, shrinking Pi’s advantage.
  • Several note Pi 5 is not especially low‑power; Pi Zero/Zero 2 and microcontrollers remain the “true low‑power Pi” niche.

GPIO, Form Factor, and Tinkering

  • GPIO and HAT ecosystem remain the strongest arguments for Pi, especially for IoT, radio, cameras, HMIs, and “stick it in the attic/roof/outdoors” style deployments.
  • Some use mini PCs plus USB GPIO boards or microcontrollers (ESP32, RP2040) to regain hardware I/O while keeping x86 for compute.
  • Standardized Pi hardware and massive how‑to ecosystem still reduce friction for beginners and hardware projects.

Software and Ecosystem

  • x86 mini PCs benefit from mainstream Linux and Windows distros “just working” and having more up‑to‑date packages; fewer ARM‑specific build headaches.
  • Others emphasize Pi’s educational appeal and volume of tutorials, though many guides are outdated or don’t use Pi‑specific features anyway.
  • For homelab (Proxmox, pfSense/OPNsense, containers, media servers), x86 is widely reported as smoother.

Mini PC Practicalities

  • Concerns: fan noise (some go fanless), PoE stability on specific models, random-brand reliability, BIOS/driver support (especially under Windows).
  • Fans of N100/N150 highlight excellent price/performance, quiet operation when well‑designed, and strong media/emulation capability.

Philosophical and Vendor Opinions

  • Some see Pi as having drifted “upmarket” since shortages and price rises; others say it simply shifted focus toward industrial stability.
  • A minority distrust Intel on security and product strategy and prefer ARM or AMD despite the N100’s practical advantages.
  • Repeated theme: there’s no one-size-fits-all; Pi still excels for GPIO‑heavy and ultra‑low‑power nodes, while N100/N150 dominates for small general‑purpose servers and desktops.