Detailed comparison of Intel N100 and N305 processors for home server builds. Analyze performance, power consumption, pricing, and which is right for your workload.
| Spec | Intel N100 Mini PC | Intel N305 Mini PC |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $160-$260 | $320-$520 |
| CPU | Intel N100 (Alder Lake-N) | Intel N305 (Alder Lake-N) |
| Cores/Threads | 4C / 4T | 8C / 8T |
| TDP | 6W | 15W |
| Idle Power | 6-10W (typical) | 8-15W (typical) |
| Memory | Up to 16-32GB DDR4/LPDDR5 | Up to 32GB DDR5 |
| Storage | 1x M.2 + 1x SATA (varies) | 1x M.2 + 1x SATA (varies) |
| Network | 2.5GbE on many models | Dual 2.5GbE common |
The Intel N100 offers the best value for 80% of home server users. Its 4 cores handle Plex, containers, and basic services efficiently. Only upgrade to N305 if you need heavy multi-threaded performance for VMs, multiple simultaneous transcodes, or compilation workloads. The price difference is significant.
Only if you need heavy multi-threaded performance. For basic home server tasks like Plex, Pi-hole, and a few Docker containers, the N100 is sufficient and costs $160-260 less.
The N305 has double the cores (8 vs 4) and threads (8 vs 4). In multi-threaded workloads, it's roughly 70-90% faster. For single-threaded tasks, the difference is minimal (5-15%).
Intel N100 uses less power with 6W TDP vs 15W TDP for N305. At idle, N100 systems typically draw 6-10W while N305 systems draw 8-15W.
Yes, N100 can run Proxmox with 2-4 light VMs. For 5+ VMs or resource-intensive VMs, the N305 with its 8 cores provides better performance and headroom.
Want to calculate the running costs for these options?
Use Power Calculator