Here’s a shopping list of recommended hardware to run Proxmox VE with a Windows VM for Sage 50 (5 users). I’ve listed three tiers — Budget, Mid-Range, and Premium — depending on your needs for performance, power efficiency, and longevity.
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Key Requirements Recap
To support 1 Windows VM with 5 concurrent RDP users running Sage 50, you’ll need:
• 4+ CPU cores
• 16–32 GB RAM
• 250 GB+ SSD (preferably NVMe)
• Reliable network port (preferably Intel)
• Quiet, low-power if run 24/7
• USB or NAS for backups
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- Budget Tier (~£250–£400)
Mini PC: Beelink SER5 / Minisforum UM350 / GMKtec Nucbox 5
Component Recommendation
CPU AMD Ryzen 5 5500U or Ryzen 7 5800U
RAM 16 GB DDR4 (upgradeable to 32 GB)
Storage 500 GB NVMe SSD
Network 1x Gigabit LAN
Cooling Quiet active fan
Power ~15–25W idle
Example: Beelink SER5 Pro Ryzen 5 5600H, 16GB RAM, 500GB NVMe SSD – ~£280
Pros:
• Very compact, silent
• Good Linux/Proxmox support
• Excellent price/performance
Cons:
• Limited I/O
• Not rack-mountable
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- Mid-Range Tier (~£450–£700)
Mini Server: Intel NUC 11 Pro / 12 Pro or Lenovo ThinkCentre Tiny
Component Recommendation
CPU Intel i5-1135G7 or i7-1165G7
RAM 32 GB DDR4
Storage 500 GB–1 TB NVMe SSD + optional SATA SSD
Network 1x Intel Gigabit LAN
Extras VESA mount, TPM 2.0, M.2 + SATA slots
Example:
• Intel NUC 11 Pro i5, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD – ~£600
• Lenovo ThinkCentre M70q Gen 2 – refurbs from £400
Pros:
• Excellent Linux and Proxmox support
• Efficient, durable
• TPM support (if you want full Windows 11 in VM)
Cons:
• Slightly more expensive
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- Premium Tier / Server-Class (~£800–£1,500)
Home Server: HP ProLiant MicroServer Gen10+ or Dell PowerEdge T40
Component Recommendation
CPU Intel Xeon E-2224 or i5-10500T
RAM 32–64 GB ECC or DDR4
Storage 2–4 x SATA SSDs + optional NVMe cache
Network 2x Intel LAN (iLO remote management on Gen10+)
Expansion PCIe slot for 10GbE / HBA / GPU
Example:
• HP MicroServer Gen10+ Xeon E-2224 – ~£950
• Dell T40 – Xeon E-2224G, 32GB RAM – from ~£850
Pros:
• ECC memory support
• Expandable, server-grade
• Can run multiple VMs beyond just Sage
Cons:
• Larger footprint
• Louder fans unless modded
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Optional Accessories
Item Why It’s Useful Cost
1TB External USB Drive (SSD/HDD) For Proxmox backups £50–£100
Small UPS (e.g. APC Back-UPS 700) Power protection for graceful shutdown £80–£120
MicroSD Card (32GB+) For booting/installing Proxmox £10
2.5” SATA SSD (250GB+) For daily Sage data snapshot £25–£50
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Software Licences Needed
Software Type Notes
Windows 10/11 Pro OEM or Retail For the VM (use KMS or activate properly)
Sage 50 (5 user) Commercial licence Talk to Sage or a reseller for quotes
Proxmox VE Free (GPL) Paid support optional
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Next Steps
Would you like help with:
• Choosing between two options based on your budget?
• A list of UK shops/vendors with good reliability?
• A complete Proxmox install and VM config script?
Let me know how hands-on or hands-off you want to be — I can give fully scripted builds or manual guides.
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