Earlier quoted context omitted.
You can hit this now with the CM4 modules, For qty 1 @ $30 you get 2GB and 4 cores, you could put 2 more ethernet ports on the PCIe port for a total of 3. That gets you into the same-ish performance regime. I am all for aggregates of low end compute, but I think something with more processing power and more PCIe lanes would scale better. https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/raspberry-pi/SC02...
Availability is a Real Issue, tho. 16-week leadtime on that URL.
16 weeks will come sooner than you realize. For other parts I need, I am seeing 40-60 week lead times.