If you’re setting up your first home lab, almost any hardware will work. PCs and mini PCs are usually a good choice.
If you want to buy an actual server, try browsing around on https://www.labgopher.com/. Look for something that uses DDR4 RAM. (Update September 2025: the site unfortunately hasn’t been updated in 3 months.)
HP:
Anything older than the G8 won’t handle third-party hard drives well. Anything older than G9 will use DDR3 or worse.
DL360 G9
DL380 G9
Dell:
The R710/R720 used to be very popular for home labs but are a bit too old to recommend at this point.
R730
Keep in mind that these servers are loud and power-hungry. If Mindy’s ever given you a tour of the server room, you’ll have a good idea of just how loud they are. Also, be careful of cheap options when you’re shopping around. Servers with DDR3 or DDR2 RAM may look tempting but are almost always a bad choice.
Poor man’s 19 inch 9U rack: https://wiki.eth0.nl/index.php/LackRack https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/lack-side-table-black-brown-80104268/