An affordable server needs slightly more attention to configuration than a powerful one: here, unnecessary services and programs immediately eat a noticeable share of the resources.
The first thing to do is turn off what the server does not need: search indexing, background defragmentation, automatic error reporting. On a work computer these are trifles; on two gigabytes of memory they make a tangible difference.
Set the power plan to “High performance”. By default Windows economises on processor resources, and on a modest configuration that adds delays when connecting over RDP.
Keep an eye on the disk. Logs, temporary files and restore points fill a small SSD faster than you would think. Once a month it is enough to look into Disk Cleanup and check the updates folder.
If you start running short of resources in a couple of months, the plan can be changed without reinstalling the system: data and settings stay where they are.