Procuring your hardware
Key considerations
As a home staker, some of the key considerations you'd have are:
Space and aesthetic constraints in your home
Getting familiar with hardware assembly
The Intel NUC and ASUS Mini PC form factors are recommended here because of these reasons. They have similar compact sizes, sleek black design, in-built cooling system, and a standardised motherboard layout — which are ideal properties for new learners to get up to speed on hardware requirements rapidly.
Suggested Shopping List
*Prices in USD
Essentials
Either builds are good options but the Intel NUC CPU set is slightly more expensive on Amazon. The RAM and storage components are also interchangeable across both builds so it ultimately comes down to which components you are able to get at the cheapest price based on your location (i.e. vendor availability).
Intel (ASUS now) NUC Build
| Component | Model | Estimated Cost | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
CPU + motherboard + case | Intel NUC i5-1240P bare bones + case | $508 | |
RAM | 32GB Lexar DDR4-3200 SODIMM | $68 | |
Storage | ADATA S70 2TB NVMe Gen4 SSD | $157 | |
Total | $733 |
ASUS Mini PC
| Component | Model | Estimated Cost | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
CPU + motherboard + case | ASUS Mini PC Ryzen 7 4700U | $350 | |
RAM | Crucial RAM 32GB DDR4 3200MHz | $73 | |
Storage | SAMSUNG 980 (or 990) PRO SSD 2TB | $165 - $185 | |
Total | $588 - $608 |
If you plan to purchase any other SSDs, you should first refer to this list compiled by Yorick Downe and prioritise SSD models listed in the “Good” category — https://gist.github.com/yorickdowne/f3a3e79a573bf35767cd002cc977b038
You may also refer to the full list in this google sheet and filter for models with DRAM and TLC (under NAND type) - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1B27_j9NDPU3cNlj2HKcrfpJKHkOf-Oi1DbuuQva2gT4/edit#gid=0
Optional
| Component | Model | Estimated Cost | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
4TB SSD Storage* | TEAMGROUP MP34 4TB | $210* | |
Networking (Optional if your current router works well) | TP-Link Wifi 6 AX1500 Smart WiFi Router | $81 | |
Power | Cyberpower CP425SLG** (or another USB compatible UPS if not available in your region) | $58 | |
Miscellaneous | 2x CAT7 LAN cables, 2x new 8GB USB drive | $27 |
*Actual price of this 4TB SSD might depend on the promotion period. Given that the Dencun upgrade is likely to arrive in a couple of months, it might be good to future-proof your build with a 4TB SSD in exchange for a slight increase in cost.
**Setup instructions for an automatic shutdown in the event of a power outage and subsequently powering on after recovery can be found in the corresponding link.
Cost considerations
Revenue: A single ETH validator will generate between 4.0% (median) to 5.3% (mean) yield. At ETH price = USD2300 (28th Jan 2024), this will give you an income of between USD2944 to USD3900 per year.
Cost: The minimal hardware cost described here is USD753 and electricity is negligible at around USD90 (SGD120) per year
Payback Period: ~3 months at median; ~5 months if no block proposals are received
However, you will be able to run many "vanilla" validator keys, along with multiple liquid staking service on just a single set of hardware to make your operations more capital efficient — e.g. running with 2 validator keys doubles your revenue without increasing your cost base.
Leveraging on liquid staking services like Diva Staking will allow you to further scale your TVL and income as a solo staker without increasing your capital proportionally.
Other Considerations
For learners with more advanced knowledge in building home servers, you might want to consider building a device that supports ECC RAM. This will cost slightly more but can potentially save a large amount of troubleshooting time if there is a RAM failure. More information around this topic can be found on the Ethdocker resources below:
The trade-offs, however, are that (i) you will likely require a larger form factor and (ii) because ECC RAMs non-consumer components, it might take a few weeks for your vendor to replace (not readily available) your RAM if there is a RAM failure.
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