Depends, I get a lot of utility from mine, as it manages my media collection for streaming at home and on the go. I've tried using SaaS alternatives and managed hosting of the apps I run, but those experiences were both lackluster and relatively expensive. And since the apps I run and my media collection aren't locked behind proprietary systems or limited APIs that might disappear, the amount of integration and automation makes for a very pleasant experience.
> In reality, at home, we have some serious CPU horsepower just spinning billions of empty cycles per second. Consumer hardware is insane.
I just add my old devices to my cluster and call it a day. Even ancient hardware is suitable for it, especially if you're using old laptops that are optimized for power savings. Even old Core 2 processors in laptops can idle at a low wattage, and TDP can be less than a light bulb's when maxed out.