Deals · Black Friday & Cyber Monday
Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2026: home server and local AI deals
By Tiny · how I pick
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Black Friday 2026 is Friday, November 27, and Cyber Monday is Monday, November 30. This year the best home server deals are open-box and renewed: used business mini PCs, renewed servers that come loaded with RAM, and open-box graphics cards.
New hardware that needs RAM costs more than it did last year because of a global memory shortage. Used, renewed, and open-box gear was built or bought before prices jumped, so that's where the real savings are.
Where are the Black Friday deals on Amazon?
Start with these four. Black Friday prices show up in Today's Deals first, and the open-box and renewed sections are where this year's biggest discounts on home server gear sit.
Jump straight to a category:
- Open-box graphics cards
- Renewed servers
- Renewed mini PCs
- RAM
- NVMe SSDs
- NAS hard drives
- UPS battery backups
- 2.5GbE switches
Words you'll see in this guide
- Open-box: an item someone bought and returned, checked and resold for less. Amazon sells these in Amazon Resale with a condition grade like Like New or Very Good.
- Renewed: a used device that's been checked and resold, often with a short warranty.
- Off-lease: business computers returned after a few years and resold used, usually cheaply.
- RAM: your computer's main working memory. More RAM lets it run more apps at once. AI models can run from it too, just slower than from VRAM.
- VRAM: the memory on your graphics card. AI models load into it, so more VRAM means you can run bigger models.
- ECC memory: RAM that catches and fixes small memory errors. Common in business servers.
- CMR / SMR: two ways hard drives store data. CMR is the one you want in a NAS. SMR is cheaper and can be very slow when rebuilding.
- UPS: a battery backup that keeps your server running through short power cuts and lets it shut down safely in long ones.
When are Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2026?
| Event | 2026 date |
|---|---|
| Black Friday | Friday, November 27 |
| Cyber Monday | Monday, November 30 |
| Early Black Friday sales | Usually start about a week before. In 2025, Amazon's event ran November 20 to December 1. |
Why is open-box the best deal this year?
Memory is the story of 2026. AI data centers are buying up RAM and flash storage, and everything that uses them has climbed all year.
- RAM: a 32GB DDR5 kit cost roughly six times more in late October 2026 than in early 2025.
- New mini PCs: most models built on DDR5 or LPDDR5X memory cost more in October than in August.
- Used, renewed, and open-box: held steady or got cheaper. Sellers aren't paying 2026 memory prices on machines that were built years ago, and a renewed server often ships with 64 to 128GB of RAM already inside.
- Hard drives: price per terabyte rose roughly 15 to 92% between March and August 2026, depending on the line.
- Graphics cards: prices went up in September and didn't come down during October's Prime sale.
What should I buy on Black Friday 2026?
| Category | My call | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Renewed business mini PCs | Buy | RAM is already installed, and prices held or fell. |
| Renewed servers | Buy if you want lots of RAM | The cheapest way to get 64GB or more this year. Loud and power hungry. |
| Open-box graphics cards | Buy at the right price | The best way under new prices that rose in September. |
| N100 and N150 mini PCs with RAM included | Buy on a real discount | The cheapest new way in. Skip barebones models. |
| UPS battery backups | Buy | No memory inside, so the shortage doesn't touch them, and they discount every Black Friday. |
| NAS hard drives | Buy new, if you need them | Prices climbed all year, so a holiday dip may be the best chance for a while. |
| RAM and SSD upgrades | Only what you need now | A discount won't undo this year's increase. |
The Black Friday watch list
Best value this year
Renewed business mini PCs (ThinkCentre, EliteDesk, OptiPlex)
A renewed Lenovo ThinkCentre M920q or HP EliteDesk Mini already has its RAM installed, so the memory shortage barely touches it. It runs Proxmox, Jellyfin, Home Assistant, and a stack of Docker apps on about 10 to 18 W at idle.
- Look for: an 8th gen Intel chip or newer, 16GB of RAM installed, and an NVMe drive.
- Who it's NOT for: anyone who needs a graphics card for AI. These are for always-on apps, not big models.
Alternatives: HP EliteDesk 800 Mini (renewed), Dell OptiPlex Micro (renewed)
Most RAM for the money
Renewed Dell PowerEdge servers
A renewed Dell PowerEdge R640 or R630 often ships with 64 to 128GB of ECC RAM and dozens of CPU cores. In a year when 128GB of RAM on its own costs a fortune, that's the cheapest way to get a lot of memory for Proxmox, a pile of virtual machines, or running big AI models on the processor.
- The catch: rack servers are loud and often draw 100 W or more at idle. Check the yearly cost with the power cost calculator before you buy.
- Quieter option: a tower server like the PowerEdge T340 sits under a desk and is far quieter.
- Who it's NOT for: apartments, bedrooms, and anyone with expensive electricity.
Alternatives: Dell PowerEdge R730 (renewed), HPE ProLiant DL360 (renewed)
Local AI
Graphics cards with 12GB or more of VRAM
For running AI models at home, VRAM decides what you can run. The RTX 3060 12GB is still the budget pick, and it's the card I chose for my own AI rig. Open-box cards in Amazon Resale are the best way under this fall's higher prices. Skip 8GB cards for AI, however cheap they get.
Check price on Amazon Open-box RTX 3060Alternatives: RTX 5060 Ti 16GB, open-box RTX 5060 Ti 16GB, renewed RTX 3090 24GB. Every card is compared in the Black Friday GPU picks for local AI.
Cheapest new box
Intel N100 and N150 mini PCs
A Beelink EQ14 or similar N150 box with 16GB already installed is still the easiest new first home server. It idles around 6 to 10 W and has Quick Sync for Jellyfin or Plex. Budget brands like Beelink and GMKtec usually cut prices for Black Friday.
Check price on Amazon Open-box on AmazonAlternatives: Beelink S12 Pro (N100), GMKtec NucBox G3 Plus. More picks in the Black Friday mini PC picks.
Upgrades
RAM: buy only what you need
RAM is the most overpriced part of 2026, so buy the exact type your machine takes and only the amount you'll use this year.
- Used business mini PCs (ThinkCentre, EliteDesk, OptiPlex): DDR4 SODIMM, the small laptop-size sticks.
- Newer mini PCs: DDR5 SODIMM. Check your model first, since some have RAM soldered in and can't be upgraded.
- Servers: DDR4 ECC RDIMM server memory.
Fast storage
NVMe SSDs for your OS, apps, and AI models
AI models are big files, and an NVMe drive loads them in seconds. Flash prices rose this year too, so stick to name brands at 1 or 2TB and watch for a real dip. The WD Black SN7100 and Samsung 990 EVO Plus are solid picks.
Check price on AmazonAlternatives: Crucial P310, Samsung 990 Pro
Storage
CMR NAS hard drives
For a NAS or a media server, the WD Red Plus and Seagate IronWolf are the drives to watch. Make sure they're CMR, and buy two if you want a mirror. Buy hard drives new, not open-box: you can't see how a returned drive was treated.
Check price on AmazonAlternative: Seagate IronWolf
Ready-made NAS
UGREEN NASync NAS
If you'd rather not build a NAS, a UGREEN NASync DXP2800 (two bays) or DXP4800 Plus (four bays) runs on an Intel chip, so it can run Docker apps and Jellyfin as well as store files. UGREEN has cut NAS prices hard during past sales.
Check price on Amazon Open-box on AmazonAlternative: TerraMaster F4-424 Pro
Protect your server
UPS battery backups
A power blip can crash a server in the middle of writing a file. A CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD keeps it running through short cuts and can tell it to shut down safely in long ones. There's no memory inside, so the shortage hasn't touched UPS prices, and they discount every Black Friday.
Check price on Amazon Open-box on AmazonAlternatives: APC BR1500MS2, CyberPower CP850PFCLCD for a single mini PC
Networking
2.5GbE switches
Most new mini PCs and NAS boxes have 2.5GbE ports, but a regular switch holds them back to 1GbE. A small unmanaged 2.5GbE switch fixes that, and it's a cheap Black Friday upgrade with no memory inside.
Check price on AmazonAlternative: 8-port 2.5GbE switch with a 10G uplink
Smart home
Home Assistant Green
The Home Assistant Green is the zero-setup smart home hub. It doesn't discount often, so a Black Friday dip to its list price or below is worth taking.
Check price on AmazonHow do I know if a Black Friday deal is real?
- Look up the exact model on a free price tracker like Keepa or camelcamelcamel.
- Compare the sale price with its lowest price over the last few months, especially the summer.
A real deal: at or near that low. Not a deal: the same price it sold for all fall.
- Check the exact configuration. Sale versions sometimes ship with less RAM or a smaller SSD.
- For open-box, pick Like New or Very Good, and read the note on what's missing.
- For renewed, check the seller rating and that it's covered by the Amazon Renewed Guarantee.
- Test anything used or open-box under load in the first week, while you can still return it.
Quick answers
When is Black Friday 2026?
Black Friday 2026 is Friday, November 27, and Cyber Monday is Monday, November 30. Early sales usually start about a week before.
What are the best Black Friday deals for a home server in 2026?
Renewed business mini PCs like the Lenovo ThinkCentre M920q, renewed Dell PowerEdge servers for lots of RAM, open-box graphics cards, and UPS battery backups. New hardware that needs RAM costs more this year because of the memory shortage.
What is Amazon Resale?
Amazon Resale, formerly Amazon Warehouse, sells returned and open-box items that Amazon has inspected and graded, from Used Like New down to Acceptable. They come with the same return rights as other Amazon orders.
Is a renewed server worth it for a home lab?
Yes, if you want 64GB or more of RAM and have somewhere to put a loud machine. Renewed Dell PowerEdge servers often include 64 to 128GB of ECC RAM, but rack models can draw 100 W or more at idle.
Should I buy RAM on Black Friday 2026?
Only if you need it now. RAM prices rose sharply through 2026, and a holiday discount won't bring them back to 2025 levels.
Are graphics cards cheaper on Black Friday 2026?
Some will be discounted, but prices rose in September. Open-box cards in Amazon Resale are the best way to pay less, and a card is only a real deal if it falls back to roughly its summer price.
Your next step: open Today's Deals and Amazon Resale in two tabs, and check the one thing you actually need against its price history.
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