how low can you go? running an i5-3230M with proxmox, a pfsense VM and a pop-os desktop VM with pihole for now... everything was free or almost free : r/homelab
Intel Core i5-3230M (SR0WY) 2.60GHz Mobile Processor
HP ProBook 6470B I5-3230M Laptop | Super Deals Refurbished Laptops | ECOPC.com