Bring your own hardware.
We'll take it from there.
HexOS runs on the computer you already have, one you build, or one you buy ready-made.
Most 64-bit Intel and AMD computers will do. Here's what HexOS needs, which parts to pick, and which to skip.
What HexOS needs:
less than you'd think.
The short answer is that a mid-range PC from the last ten years will probably do. The long answer is the same baseline as TrueNAS, which HexOS runs on. Meet it and you're ready to install; go past it and you'll have room for more apps.
- Processor
- 2-core, 64-bit Intel or AMD
- It needs SSE4.2 and POPCNT, which nearly every Intel and AMD chip from the last decade has. More cores help when you run lots of apps or virtual machines.
- Memory
- 8 GB
- Enough to start. Apps and virtual machines add to it, so memory is the easiest upgrade to plan for.
- Boot drive
- 20 GB SSD
- A drive of its own, never part of a storage pool. An inexpensive SSD is perfect here.
- Storage drives
- 1 to try, 3 to grow
- One drive is for trying HexOS out, with no protection if it fails. Two make a mirror. Three or more make a pool you can grow one drive at a time.
- Firmware
- UEFI, Secure Boot off
- HexOS works best in UEFI mode, and it doesn't start with Secure Boot on.
- Installer
- 8 GB USB stick
- A good-quality USB 3 stick, written with HexOS Imager or balenaEtcher.
The details, and what to check in your BIOS, are in the docs. Full system requirements
Three ways to get there.
No hardware lock-in. Pick the path that fits your budget and how hands-on you like to be; HexOS sets up the same way on all three.
Repurpose an old PC
The desktop in the closet makes a great first home server. Add a small SSD to boot from and a couple of drives for your data, and you're most of the way there.
Build your own
Choose every part for quiet, low power, or room to grow. The part-by-part guide below covers what to pick and what to skip.
Buy one ready-made
TrueNAS's own servers are tested to run HexOS. Any off-the-shelf Intel or AMD PC that meets the requirements works too.
Browse TrueNAS serversHexOS knows
your hardware's quirks.
The Hardware Advisor checks your parts against known problems.
Turn it on and HexOS matches your exact parts, revisions and TrueNAS version against issues a person has reviewed and sourced, then tells you in plain words what to change. It never changes your server by itself.
Known hardware issue
Intel I225-V, revision 2
Fix: replace the card
No known issues
Storage controller
The HexOS hardware database:
real answers before you buy.
Every server that shares with the Hardware Advisor teaches HexOS what works and what doesn't. We're opening that up on this site, so you can check a part before it's in your cart.
Look up a part
Drives, network cards, controllers and boards, with what HexOS knows about each one.
See what others run
How common a part is across HexOS servers, from real installs, not spec sheets.
Proven, not promised
Parts that run clean on hundreds of servers for months get the all-clear.
Until then, the guide below, the docs and the community have you covered.
Part by part:
what to pick, what to skip.
You don't need to read this to get started. HexOS checks your parts for you and warns you about anything on this list. It's here for the day you're shopping and want to know what to look for.
Hard drives
Regular hard drives, all the same size.
SSDs
A mainstream SSD, not the bargain-bin one.
Network
Intel, on the board or on a card.
USB drives
Great for installing and copying in. Not for your pool.
Graphics and virtual machines
Only matters if you want virtual machines.
BIOS settings
UEFI on, Secure Boot off. Setup tells you if it's wrong.
Good questions.
Planning a build? Get a second opinion.
Share your parts list on Discord with people who run HexOS at home, and get an email when the hardware database opens.