Proxmox struggles on Lenovo L480 laptop with limited specs

In a recent publication, a tech enthusiast named eisa01 shared their experiences of testing Proxmox on a spare Lenovo L480 laptop. This laptop is powered by an 8th generation Intel CPU, has 8 GB of RAM, and a storage capacity of 250 GB SSD. Initially, eisa01 considered purchasing a mini PC but opted to utilize the spare laptop due to its low power consumption of 10 watts. The decision came as they sought to determine their specific needs in setting up a homelab environment while keeping costs minimal. The user plans to establish various services such as a Home Assistant virtual machine (VM), which is essential due to the integration of an Apple TV acting as a Thread border router. They are also considering the inclusion of Zigbee/Zwave radios, given the current lack of Matter devices. Additional planned services include qBittorrent and Jellyfin containers, alongside an OpenMediaVault VM. This setup aims to facilitate file sharing between the media drive and other devices. In their publication, eisa01 expressed the intent to back up their Proxmox environment and containers despite not storing critical data on the machines. They pondered over backup strategies, contemplating options like using Rsync to cloud storage or personal laptops for backup solutions. Furthermore, considering potential upgrades to a mini PC in the future, they expressed the need for a straightforward restoration of their setups to maintain continuity. Lastly, eisa01 highlighted the renewed built-in backup system of Home Assistant, indicating its importance as the most crucial service in their proposed setup. They concluded by sharing a guide that aligns with their objectives, revealing the thoughtful approach taken towards building their homelab environment with Proxmox on the Lenovo L480.