If your licences are under Software Assurance then you are bound by the SQL 2012 licensing rules even if you are running an older version of SQL Server.
You have to license at least 4 cores, even on a server that only has 1 core, so there are NO license cost savings from reducing the core count below 4.
Original author: https://github.com/SQL-FineBuild/Common/wiki/ 1-click install and best practice configuration of SQL Server 2019, 2017 2016, 2014, 2012, 2008 R2, 2008 and 2005.
When I give food to the poor they call me a saint. When I ask why they are poor they call me a communist - Archbishop Hélder Câmara