How much hardware is needed to run a full node?

[MrRickle]

Old Laptop with Linux Lite (Sony VGN BX660P), 2Gb ram, 2 core ~1.8Mhz, 200Gb internal and 1 TB USB external USB drive.
and Windows 10 Asus I7, 3.4Gh, 16GB, 500GB SSD, for setup.
Installed Bitcoin Core  and Armory on Windows 10, using the external USB drive for both Blockchain and the Armory databases with a new empty wallet on local C drive.
I shut down Armory and Bitcoin Core. removed USB drive, and plugged it in to the Laptop.
Installed Bitcoin Core  and Armory on the Laptop. Bitcoin Core comes up syncs OK, obviously much slower than the I7, but still reasonable.
Start Armory, again with an new empty local wallet,  it comes up, says it is connected, builds and processes the database in a few minutes.

Then it starts scanning transaction history, first it says it will take days, then it after an hour or so it is saying it will take 5 hours. On the bottom right it is  still saying connected (0 blocks)

I did shut it down, put it back on the I7, and it comes up and spends very little time scanning the transaction history, put it back on the laptop, and transaction history still is going slow.

My plan was to just let the old laptop chug away, it really doesn't matter if it takes hours to come up, as long as I can see my balances and it is reasonable  when I import an offline transaction.
I don't want a node on my good computer, I'm rebooting and messing with it all the time.

Comments?

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[achow101]

Bitcoin Core and Armory are fairly memory intensive. You're going to have a hard time with anything less than 4 GB of RAM, especially with running both software.

[goatpig]

You can download the chain and build the DB on your main machine, then take that to the laptop, if you know what you're doing with the pathing. Read up on it in here:

https://btcarmory.com/docs/pathing

[Holliday]

I ran Bitcoin Core and Armory on a 13 year old computer (which can currently be purchased used for a couple hundred bucks) with an 8 year old SSD. I only recently retired that because I built myself a new PC and therefore had a newer spare to use as my Bitcoin fullnode.

I would not use a low power laptop (a high end gaming laptop is fine) and definitely would not use an external HDD for any software dealing with the block chain.

If you want more of my thoughts on Armory, hardware, and various other things, see here: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=2803610.msg28724831#msg28724831

[jojo69]

Holliday, your views are understood and appreciated, I agree.

That said, I never dissuade experimenters from plumbing the depths of minimalism, it is good to know what is possible.

[Holliday]

That said, I never dissuade experimenters from plumbing the depths of minimalism, it is good to know what is possible.

It certainly wasn't my intention to dissuade people from experimenting! My comments are definitely directed towards those who are experiencing difficulty and frustration and hopefully seen as potential ways to preemptively avoid such things. I would hope those who are purposely experimenting aren't also frustrated... as difficulty is to be expected, even welcomed!

As far as minimalism goes, I still say that a low power laptop CPU and any HDD, especially an external HDD, is just going to cause unwanted pain when dealing with the block chain. Is it possible: sure. Is it going to be smooth: doubtful. Can an expert make it a reasonably smooth experience: yes.