Requirements
Let's sum up what's involved in setting up a node. You have several options that influence the final price. Although we are talking about a few dozen euros, it is useful to name them.
| Part | Price |
|---|---|
| Raspberry Pi 4B - 4 GB | €70.40 |
| Raspberry Pi power supply (go for the official one!) | €9,95 |
| MicroSD 16GB | €9,95 |
| Heatsink | €16,95 |
| Network cable | €2,95 |
As for the microSD card, you can also go for a version with more storage. The 32 GB variant is only four euros more expensive and you can use it again for other purposes. Or maybe you still have such a card somewhere in the house. You need the microSD in this guide only once and then it is useless.
From the shopping list you can see that we use wired internet.
Solid state drive
Go for a Samsung T7. Really. Do it. It will save you a lot of hassle.
Every node has to keep the big Bitcoin ledger. In recent years, that has grown to 360 GB. This is where the SSD comes in. It's wise to be generous and go for 1 TB. After all, the blockchain continues to grow and later in the process, the necessary gigabytes will add to this. You have a few options:
- An external SSD. Such a device costs around €110.00.
- A separate SSD with an adapter to USB-A 3.0. The combination is somewhere between €80.00 and €120.00.
An off-the-shelf external SSD is the simplest and if you go for the Samsung T5, you can be sure it will work with the Pi. But it is also possible to go for a separate SSD and buy an adapter at €3.85. The separate SSD can be purchased new for €100.00 or second-hand via marketplace. The latter is not a bad option considering an SSD can last decades. If you buy second hand you have to take into account an amount of €75.00.
Total
The entire lot will be between €190.00 and €230.00.