> Colo space is fairly cheap

I'm not sure you have the same definition of "cheap" as I do. $5/mo for a 1GB DigitalOcean droplet is cheap.

Buying old-but-badass hardware seems to be similarly cost-effective for that purpose (if that link is to be believed), but where (other than "a friend in ops") can you get 1U/2U of colo hosting for anywhere near that price?

I guess, if you're talking about the marginal price of an extra 1U/2U on top of your existing production rack, it can be negligible. For non-business-affiliated goofing-around, though?

I mean actual colo space, like you just pay for 4u, 8u, bandwidth and power. No machines, just space.

Both are "cheap" just along different axis.

Right, that's the same thing I was talking about. But again, how is paying for 4u/8u of space at all "cheap", when all you want to stick in it is your own 1u junk server?

But I don't want to stick my own 1u junk server (although I do have those, 4 cores, 8gb). The low end SSD back VPS are phenomenal for what you get.

Is that ad for real? Seems to good to be true? What is the catch?

Sounds like a jet? Hardly any ram? Crappy drives? You can't just put any old hardware in these things.