Greetings TE!
Wanted to ask the community if they have any experience with repurposing an unused PS3 into a homelab server to run proxmox and a few containers, including HomeAssistant.
Is this even a viable option or should I just look to offload the PS3 at this point?
Thank you for your time and attention!
Something like reusing the shell or the system itself??
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The system itself. I believe there is a GPU and a CPU which is still functional. But probably locked in to the Sony ecosystem. Was wondering if there was a chance to use it…
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Someone has installed custom fedora linux in PS3 and turned it into a linux server.
Check the below links.
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Sounds fun as a novelty project. But as a server you actually depend on or run 24/7? It would probably be very slow as the cell processor is old, package compatibility would be quite bad and you’d have zero / very little support. Also 256mb ram + 256 vram means you can run a few services in the best case. Certainly not enough to run proxmox in any useful way, I think.
Honestly if you take the power cost into account too, it might even be cheaper to get a $3-5 monthly vps with better performance. Assuming 100W, you’d consume 72 units a month with 24/7 operation.
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Thanks for the links. Will give it a try!
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Valid counter point… Will need to consider before I do something drastic like jailbreak the PS3.
Much better to sell it for 6-8k and get an intel mini PC for the same price.
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Sell it and get raspberry pi 5. Or super cheap NUC
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A late reply, but considering your options, a quad-core NUC or a Ryzen mini PC are excellent choices. These are often available second-hand at very affordable prices, especially models with 7th-generation or older Intel chips. Alternatively, older ThinkPads or Dell Latitudes also serve well and can be found for less than 10,000 rupees for old enough but sufficiently capable models. For a more scalable solution, consider workstation or business-class mini PCs like the OptiPlex Micro or HP EliteDesk. These might cost a bit more initially but offer greater expandability and upgrade potential. If you decide to sell your PS3, you could fetch between Rs. 5,000 and Rs. 12,000, depending on its model.
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Picked up a optiplex 3050 from the classifieds here! Need to think of how to get rid of the ps3 now.
Some of your options in increasing order of cheap offers: TE > Facebook Marketplace > OLX
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Reminds the days of :
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