Do I have to buy old hardware if I want to use an old Linux Kernel?

I don't currently have access to a computer to boot my ssd and add drivers before trying new hardware. I want to buy a new mini pc with a processor released this year but my OS is rhel 8.6 and I'm worried that it won't boot. It's kernal was released in 2018 so, do I have to buy an old processor from 2017 to ensure it will boot or, can I buy the latest processor?