What's everyone recommend for a self-hosted personal cloud server these days?

I am currently running my old nostr:npub1aghreq2dpz3h3799hrawev5gf5zc2kt4ch9ykhp9utt0jd3gdu2qtlmhct node for this purpose, after uninstalling all the Bitcoin related services, but it's less than ideal since it is very limited running on a R-Pi 4 with only 4G of RAM. My nostr:npub126ntw5mnermmj0znhjhgdk8lh2af72sm8qfzq48umdlnhaj9kuns3le9ll is now my dedicated Bitcoin node and I would prefer to keep it dedicated to Bitcoin related services only.

So, I am looking for something separate to run NextCloud, Plex, Immich, and such, with the ability to access services via Tailscale, Tor, or clearnet on a per service basis, and maybe move my Haven relay over to that device, too. Should I just build a beefier rig running Umbrel OS, or would something else be better? Should I just wait until Start9 releases their next version with more options for remote connection and set up a separate Start9 server for this use-case, even though no one has any idea when that will be and I've been waiting over a year already? Is there another OS I should consider instead?

What hardware should I be looking at for this use-case? A Nuc or some other mini-pc? Looking to keep this around $500-$1,000.

#asknostr