Balancing Home Lab Servers with Gaming Setup – Need Advice

Hey everyone,

I’ve been experimenting with a small home lab recently, mainly for learning and running some lightweight VMs. Right now, I’m using an older desktop as a makeshift server, but it gets pretty noisy and heats up the room when running for long hours.

At the same time, I also use the same space for gaming, so I don’t want the server setup to interfere with performance or power usage. I’ve been reading about low-power rack units and even mini servers that can run 24/7 without drawing too much electricity.

Has anyone here tried balancing servers for home labs while still maintaining a decent gaming environment? I’m looking for suggestions on:
  • Noise and cooling solutions
  • Power consumption tips
  • Whether it’s better to buy a dedicated small form factor server or just stick to repurposing older desktops
Would love to hear your experiences before I make any investment.

Thanks in advance!