I was actually looking into getting a Raspi on either StartOS or Umbrel OS to enhance my self-sovereign computing journey with many apps on top of it. Should I refrain from getting one? What are some best "starter packs" out there for node nubies?
Big advantage using Rpi4 for me is that it spends little electricity and it can work silently (in same cases), but I am not if it still works fine for Bitcoin node.
There is new Raspberry Pi 5 released recently and it is 2-3 times faster than previous generation, and I think this won't have any issues for bitcoin in next few years.
This is going to be more expensive, so if you already have old laptop that you don't use you can just use that instead.
found a link
https://www.raspberrypi.com/products/raspberry-pi-5/"Does Raspberry Pi 5 need active cooling?
Raspberry Pi 5 is faster and more powerful than prior-generation Raspberry Pis, and like most general-purpose computers, it will perform best with active cooling. The Raspberry Pi Case for Raspberry Pi 5, with its integrated fan, is one way to provide this."
wants a fan so it is not silent
maxes at 8gb ram
more specs from website
"Features:
VideoCore VII GPU, supporting OpenGL ES 3.1, Vulkan 1.2
Dual 4Kp60 HDMI® display output with HDR support
4Kp60 HEVC decoder
LPDDR4X-4267 SDRAM (4GB or 8GB)
Dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi®
Bluetooth 5.0 / Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)
microSD card slot, with support for high-speed SDR104 mode
2 × USB 3.0 ports, supporting simultaneous 5Gbps operation
2 × USB 2.0 ports
Gigabit Ethernet, with PoE+ support
(requires separate PoE+ HAT)
2 × 4-lane MIPI camera/display transceivers
PCIe 2.0 x1 interface for fast peripherals
(requires separate M.2 HAT or other adapter)
5V/5A DC power via USB-C, with Power Delivery support
Raspberry Pi standard 40-pin header
Real-time clock (RTC), powered from external battery (battery sold separately)"
I have purchased from them .
https://www.canakit.com/raspberry-pi-5-8gb.html?cid=USD&src=raspberrypibut $159 and you need a bigger sd stick
https://www.amazon.com/PNY-Elite-Class-Flash-Memory/dp/B08NCBVTJS/ref=sr_1_7_sspa?so 159 + 119 = 278
or go external ssd for 89. which is 159+79= 238
https://www.amazon.com/SAMSUNG-Portable-Photographers-MU-PE1T0S-AM/dp/B09VLK9W3S/ref=sr_1_6?I have run rasp pi's and do not like them for this task but my power cost is less so getting a laptop on eBay and adding parts keeps me under 200 and it is better for me than a rasp pi.