Bear in mind, a system that is built to be a dedicated server will be meant to crunch data. That means 2 things:
loud fans
heavy electricity use
If you just want a lab, I suggest getting a desktop PC and loading a server OS on it. Practical hardware experience isn’t too valuable because platforms change and they usually make them super simple to maintenance with lots of online support. Getting a desktop will also save you some bread on initial investment.
Bear in mind, a system that is built to be a dedicated server will be meant to crunch data. That means 2 things:
loud fans
heavy electricity use
If you just want a lab, I suggest getting a desktop PC and loading a server OS on it. Practical hardware experience isn’t too valuable because platforms change and they usually make them super simple to maintenance with lots of online support. Getting a desktop will also save you some bread on initial investment.