Repurposed laptop (8 GB) for self-hosting
An older x86 laptop with 8 GB of RAM, reused as a home server.
Key facts
TypeRepurposed PC
Architecturex86_64
RAM8 GB
What fits in its RAM
8 GB, less a 25% safety margin and about 512 MB for the OS and Docker, leaves roughly 6,041 MB for apps — the same arithmetic our stack builder uses to size a VPS.
306 of 312 catalog apps would fit on their own. Of all 312 apps, 268 have a measured idle figure; the rest use the project's own documented minimum. The median measured app idles at 175 MB, so about 34 such apps side by side.
- Monitoring14 of 14
- Project Management11 of 11
- SSO & Identity11 of 11
- Observability9 of 9
- CRM8 of 8
- Notes8 of 8
- Workflow automation8 of 8
- AI Chat Interfaces7 of 10
- Backend & BaaS7 of 7
- Media automation7 of 7
how to read thisRAM is the only limit modelled here. These figures are idle footprints at first boot, so CPU, disk and a busy app can all need more. Treat the numbers as a floor, not a promise that a stack will run.
Our recommendation
Often the cheapest way to start: an old x86 laptop matches our measurements, and the battery gives a little power-cut cover.
What you take on
non-negotiableAge varies, so check the RAM is really 8 GB and whether it can be upgraded.
non-negotiableOlder laptops can idle at a higher power draw than purpose-built small servers.
non-negotiableCore count and storage differ by model, so we do not give one for this class; check yours.
Would you rather rent than own? See the best VPS by use case, or browse every app we have tested.