Hardware for a Bitcoin node
Five options, one table. A pruned node needs about 12GB of disk and any modern CPU, so most of the money goes to the box and the SSD. Prices are ranges, checked October 2026, and say whether they are list (MSRP) or street prices.
Comparison
Not sure you need a node yet? Try the browser lab first, or read do you need a node?
| Device | Price | Idle power | Noise | Pick if | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raspberry Pi 5 (8GB) | MSRP $175 · street $180-200 (board only) | ~3-5W idle, ~12W under load | Silent with a passive heatsink; fan optional | Lowest power draw, learning, always-on in a living room | recommended |
| Intel N150 mini PC (Beelink EQ14) | $190-400, varies by seller and LAN variant | ~6-10W idle (typical for N100/N150 boxes) | Near-silent (Beelink quotes 32dB) | Best all-round price and speed, x86, set and forget | bestpick |
| Used business mini PC (ThinkCentre Tiny / OptiPlex Micro) | $190-300 | Varies by model; usually above an N100. Measure with a plug-in meter | Quiet at idle; fan spins up during sync | More CPU per dollar, cheap upgrades, repairable | value |
| Start9 Server One | $899-1,399 | Not published by Start9 | Not published by Start9 | You want a finished box and plan to run more than Bitcoin Core | premium |
| Umbrel Home | $599-949 | Intel N150 (6W TDP rating); whole-system draw not published | Actively cooled; level not published | Easy setup, Lightning and other apps on one box | premium |
No hardware at home? See VPS options. Initial sync takes roughly one to five days on an NVMe drive, depending on CPU, cache size and your connection (rough community figures). On a hard drive it can take weeks.
Storage: every build needs one
- Pruned node: about 12GB of data. Any 256GB-1TB SSD works, including the one that ships in a mini PC.
- Full node: the chain is about 800GB (mid-2026) and grows roughly 70-80GB a year. Buy 2TB. A 1TB drive fills up within a couple of years.
- What to look for: an NVMe or SATA SSD with TLC flash and either a DRAM cache or host memory buffer (HMB). Avoid QLC drives and USB sticks; a sync writes and rereads hundreds of gigabytes.
- Fit: mini PCs take 2280 M.2 drives. The Pi 5 M.2 HAT+ takes only 2230 and 2242 (the Compact version only 2230).
SSD prices roughly doubled in 2025-2026 because of flash shortages, so expect to pay more than you remember.
Mini PC and 2280 boards
The 990 EVO Plus is TLC flash with a host memory buffer.
Raspberry Pi 5 (2230)
Raspberry Pi sells its own 2230 NVMe SSD in 256GB, 512GB and 1TB, made for the M.2 HAT+. That covers a pruned node or a 1TB full node with little room to grow. For 2TB, use a board that accepts 2280 drives, such as the Pimoroni NVMe Base (2230 to 2280), and the 990 EVO Plus above.
Details
Raspberry Pi 5 (8GB)
Single-board computer
MSRP $175 · street $180-200 (board only)
Estimate for a full build: board, $12 M.2 HAT+, SSD, power supply, cooler and case come to roughly $350-450, depending on SSD size
- RAM
- 8GB LPDDR4X
- Storage
- None included. NVMe via the M.2 HAT+ (2230/2242 drives) or a third-party board that takes 2280, or a USB SSD
- Power
- ~3-5W idle, ~12W under load
- Noise
- Silent with a passive heatsink; fan optional
- Disk and ports
- NVMe over a single PCIe lane. Never run the chain from a microSD card
- Best for
- Lowest power draw, learning, always-on in a living room
Pros
- Lowest power of the five
- Official M.2 HAT+ is $12
- Large community and many Pi-specific node guides
Cons
- Raspberry Pi raised prices three times between late 2025 and April 2026 because of memory costs; the 8GB went from $80 to a $175 MSRP
- Everything is sold separately: HAT+, SSD, power supply, cooler, case
- ARM (aarch64): fine for Bitcoin Core, but some add-on software is x86 only
Buying advice
Buy the 8GB from an approved reseller (raspberrypi.com lists them). At $175 the board alone costs about as much as the cheaper N100/N150 mini PCs, which include RAM and an SSD, so compare totals before you buy. Prices checked October 2026.
Intel N150 mini PC (Beelink EQ14)
Mini PC
$190-400, varies by seller and LAN variant
Ships with 16GB RAM and a 500GB SATA M.2 SSD; add 1-2TB of storage for a full node
- RAM
- 16GB DDR4 (SO-DIMM)
- Storage
- Two M.2 2280 slots (PCIe 3.0). Reviews report the second slot runs at x1
- Power
- ~6-10W idle (typical for N100/N150 boxes)
- Noise
- Near-silent (Beelink quotes 32dB)
- Disk and ports
- The stock 500GB drive is SATA III, which is plenty for a pruned node. Put a 2TB NVMe in the main slot for a full node
- Best for
- Best all-round price and speed, x86, set and forget
Pros
- x86: any Linux distro and normal Bitcoin Core binaries work
- 16GB RAM is enough for Core plus an Electrum server
- Two M.2 2280 slots, so you can add a big drive without removing the stock one
Cons
- Street price swings a lot: listings ranged from about $190 to over $400 in 2026
- bee-link.com lists a three-year warranty; some reviewers report one year, so confirm with the seller
- BIOS defaults vary; check that power saving (C-states) is enabled
- Gigabit or 2.5GbE depends on the exact listing
Buying advice
Any N100 or N150 mini PC with 16GB works the same way; the EQ14 is one example. Check the LAN variant and who sells it before ordering.
Used business mini PC (ThinkCentre Tiny / OptiPlex Micro)
Refurbished
$190-300
Typical eBay listing: Core i5-8500T, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD
- RAM
- 16GB DDR4 is common
- Storage
- M.2 NVMe plus a 2.5" bay (varies by model)
- Power
- Varies by model; usually above an N100. Measure with a plug-in meter
- Noise
- Quiet at idle; fan spins up during sync
- Disk and ports
- NVMe if the model has an M.2 slot (most do)
- Best for
- More CPU per dollar, cheap upgrades, repairable
Pros
- Faster CPU than an N100 for the same money or less
- Standard parts, easy to upgrade RAM and storage
- Reuses hardware that would otherwise be scrapped
Cons
- Condition varies; test the drive and run a memory test before relying on it
- Uses more power than an N100
- Big retailers list the same models at $440-570, so buy from eBay sellers with returns
Buying advice
Look for a 6th-gen Intel Core i5 or newer with DDR4. Skip Celerons. Your 256GB drive is enough for a pruned node.
Start9 Server One
Plug-and-play appliance
$899-1,399
Depends on 2TB or 4TB storage and 16GB or 32GB RAM
- RAM
- 16GB or 32GB LPDDR5
- Storage
- 2TB or 4TB NVMe (Samsung 990 EVO Plus or similar)
- Software
- StartOS with Bitcoin Core and a marketplace of self-hosted apps
- Power
- Not published by Start9
- Noise
- Not published by Start9
- Disk and ports
- NVMe, 1 Gbit Ethernet, no Wi-Fi
- Best for
- You want a finished box and plan to run more than Bitcoin Core
Pros
- AMD Ryzen 5 6600H, the fastest CPU on this list
- Lifetime Start9 support membership is included
- StartOS is open source and also installs on your own hardware for free
Cons
- About three times the price of a DIY mini PC
- 1-year limited hardware warranty
- Some configurations were out of stock on the store at the time of checking
Buying advice
Only worth it for the software and support. For Bitcoin Core alone, a mini PC does the same job for far less.
Umbrel Home
Plug-and-play appliance
$599-949
1TB, 2TB or 4TB NVMe
- RAM
- 16GB DDR5
- Storage
- 1TB, 2TB or 4TB NVMe
- Software
- umbrelOS with Bitcoin Core, Lightning and an app store
- Power
- Intel N150 (6W TDP rating); whole-system draw not published
- Noise
- Actively cooled; level not published
- Disk and ports
- NVMe, Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi, 3x USB 3.0
- Best for
- Easy setup, Lightning and other apps on one box
Pros
- Same N150 and 16GB class as the DIY mini PC, in a finished package
- App store with one-click installs
- umbrelOS can also run on your own hardware
Cons
- Roughly double the cost of a DIY N150 box
- 1-year limited warranty
- umbrelOS is source-available under a noncommercial license, not fully open source
Buying advice
Pick the 2TB if you want a full node with room to grow. For Bitcoin Core alone, a mini PC is cheaper.
Next: install Bitcoin Core. Pi owners also want the Raspberry Pi guide. Sync looks frozen? Sync stuck. How these picks are made: methodology.