Minimum Requirements

Bitcoin Core full nodes have certain requirements.

If you try running a node on weak hardware, it may work---but you'll likely spend more time dealing with issues. If you can meet the following requirements, you'll have an easy-to-use node.

• Desktop or laptop hardware running recent versions of Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux.

• {{site.text.bitcoin_datadir_gb_pruned}} gigabytes of free disk space, accessible at a minimum read/write speed of 100 MB/s.

• 2 gigabytes of memory (RAM)

• A broadband Internet connection with upload speeds of at least 400 kilobits (50 kilobytes) per second

• An unmetered connection, a connection with high upload limits, or a connection you regularly monitor to ensure it doesn't exceed its upload limits. It's common for full nodes on high-speed connections to use 200 gigabytes upload or more a month. Download usage is around 20 gigabytes a month, plus around an additional {{site.text.chain_gb}} gigabytes the first time you start your node.

• 6 hours a day that your full node can be left running. (You can do other things with your computer while running a full node.) More hours would be better, and best of all would be if you can run your node continuously.

  Note: many operating systems today (Windows, Mac, and Linux) enter a low-power mode after the screensaver activates, slowing or halting network traffic. This is often the default setting on laptops and on all Mac OS X laptops and desktops. Check your screensaver settings and disable automatic "sleep" or "suspend" options to ensure you support the network whenever your computer is running.