Used PC as OPNsense router?

[Irredio_Revancho]

Greetings People of OPNsense,
I have a 5-6 year old desktop that I planned to use with OPNsense. However it came with the infamous Intel Vpro and the Management Engine / AMT "features". A surprise bonus, not mentioned in the listing! It listed a 6 core i5-10500 cpu, 16gig ram, and 256gig NVME storage. New hardware with specs like those would be faster (not really needed), but probably 3-4 times more expensive.

Intel's CSME vulnerability detection tool reports the firmware patched, and the unit was made 3 years after the big scandal broke over the remote administration "feature." It has the most recent vendor firmware which got applied immediately after the shipping carton was opened.

How bad an idea would it be to use this system as a router?
A) A bad idea
B) A Truly Stupid idea bordering on lunacy
or
C) Maybe no worse a risk than using a cheap router made in a faraway land and sold in big electronics chain stores.

or, something else?

I just don't have the money right now for serious gear with the cost of ram, etc. I did drop $25 in the Donation jar last night.
Thanks for your thoughts.

[nero355]

Just disable whatever bothers you in the BIOS/UEFI and use it for OPNsense or Proxmox + OPNsense ?!

Also check if there are any BIOS/UEFI updates or alternatives like CoreBoot/LibreBoot/etc. for the used Mainboard :)

[petri]

" ... a 6 core i5-10500 cpu, 16gig ram, and 256gig NVME ... " - for me that sounds pretty serious gear for opnsense. Already paid for hardware vs higher wattage usage with mini pc you should consider the years the new fancy mini pc has to last in working condition before it's a breakeven just for the electricity bill. Of course you can try to sell your current in pieces or a whole package - it might get sold easily.

I used an old AMD Kabini 5350 with 60GB ocz for 7-8 years - they were still going on when they got changed to Ryzen 5600 with mirroring zfs ssd:s and yes surprisingly(?) with even higher wattage being used than an mini pc would. If I wanted/needed lower wattage I would consider Lenovos m920x tiny. The 'x' gives 2 nvme slots. But I'll be satisfied with more modern 4 ports intel nic than the current 82571.

[nero355]

If I wanted/needed lower wattage I would consider Lenovos m920x tiny.

You don't need Thin Clients or Mini PCs/NUCs for low power consumption setups : It can be done with DIY PC builds too! :)