The Pi has very slow disk speeds over USB, which causes disk cache to build up. Once the cache nears 8GB, all operations will be sent to disk and become extremely slow. This is made worse if you are trying to run other services as well. We no longer recommend the Pi for Bitcoin under any configuration”[/i]
Yea, slow disk speeds and limited RAM can lead to a bottleneck which would cause the whole system to slow down in future. 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?
UmbrelOS looks fine for me if you still going with the Raspberry Pi. The interface is very user-friendly. Good side-effect: If you decide to use other hardware over time, you will most likely be able to continue using UmbrelOS because it is compatible with most hardware options.If you asked me for a personal opinion, I would recommend an Intel NUC.
There are of course many versions of hardware there. I think with a good i5 and 16gb RAM you are on the safe side. As storage I would recommend 1TB SSD to ensure enough speed and storage for the blockchain data.
You are then also flexible whether you want to use umbrelOS or a full node via Bitcoin Core.
Of course there are also cheaper solutions as @mocacinno already mentioned. That's up to each individual, but the NUCs have proven themselves time and again to be the most powerful Mini-PCs over the years.
It's a shame that the production of new devices is now stopped.
