🛡️ GuardDex Node Kit

What to buy · how to bring it up · taps remembered on this phone

🛒 Shopping

🔧 Bring-up

The one spec that matters: RAM (and being able to upgrade it). The full node runs on 4 GB, comfy at 8 GB. Your N4020 floor (.161) uses ~1 GB. x86 for full nodes; a Pi is only for the thin "picket" edge.

i5 Tiny/Mini/Micro best value ~$70–110

Real quad-core i5, silent, ~35 W. Tons of headroom — could even host light local AI later. Get a "T" CPU (6500T/7500T/8500T).

8–16 GB DDR4M.2 NVMe + 2.5" SATAx86

🔎 EliteDesk 800 Mini 🔎 ThinkCentre M910q 🔎 OptiPlex 7050 Micro

Dell Wyse 5070 good buy ~$60

Quad-core J4105, fanless. Upgradeable RAM (one DDR4 SODIMM) — that's the win over the t430. Target: bump to 8 GB. "Extended" version adds a PCIe slot.

→ 8 GB DDR4M.2 SSDx86 · low-watt

🔎 Search Wyse 5070

ThinkPad laptop (T430/T440s/T480) has a built-in UPS ~$45–70

A laptop node = the battery rides through power blips + a screen for setup. Great for an always-on DNS box.

8–16 GBbattery = UPSx86

🔎 T480 🔎 T430

HP t430 thin client the floor ~$45

Works (it's .161) but 2 cores + soldered RAM + tight /var. Buy only as a basic single-purpose node.

2–4 GB (soldered)eMMC + USB

🔎 Search HP t430

Raspberry Pi 4/5 (4–8 GB) picket edge ~$50–80

For the lightweight picket (:8077 OCR + share) — not a full node. ARM.

🔎 Search Pi 5

Buy checklist

When a box arrives, work top to bottom. Full mothership how-to lives in the Admin Reference on the dashboard.