Considering switching from my old laptop to a Mini PC for Proxmox + home server apps — good idea?

Hi everyone,

I’m currently running Proxmox on my old XMG Fusion 15 laptop from 2019, hosting a few services like Immich, Paperless, Navidrome, Jellyfin, Stirling PDF and maybe Home Assistant in the future.

It’s mainly for me and my wife, but one or two family members also access Immich through Tailscale VPN.

The laptop is working quite well, but I’m wondering if it would be worth switching to a dedicated Mini PC instead. I’m looking at options such as used Dell Optiplex models or entry-level Intel N100/N150 mini PCs.

My main goals are reliability, quiet operation, and efficient power usage as a home server. I have stored all my data on a Synology NAS, but want to use a separate machine for the computing power.

Has anyone here made a similar move? Would getting a Mini PC bring significant benefits over using a powerful laptop for running these containers and VMs? Would you recommend something specific or consider it overkill for my use case?

Thanks in advance for your advice!