At some point, power efficiency may become an issue. Let's say you server uses 100W, continuous and runs 24/7, that's 876 kWh per year, at $0.20/kWh, that's $1

At some point, power efficiency may become an issue. Let's say you server uses 100W, continuous and runs 24/7, that's 876 kWh per year, at $0.20/kWh, that's $175 at the end of the year. Something like a Raspberry Pi is maybe $100 with shipping and accessories, and uses less than a tenth of that power, the hardware will pay for itself in less than a year. Note that the "old hardware" is an enterprise class, 10 year old file server. Hard to replace with a Raspberry Pi, but some old servers could be. Virtualization is another option, a common one for businesses.