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This page covers the minimum and recommended hardware requirements for engaging with the NEAR platform as a validator node.

Overview

Running a validator node is a significant responsibility that helps secure and decentralize the NEAR Protocol. To ensure your node operates reliably and efficiently, meeting specific hardware requirements is essential. Validators that fail to meet performance expectations risk being "kicked" from the active set, resulting in a loss of potential rewards. The specifications outlined here are designed to prevent this and ensure smooth operation.

NEAR validators can perform different roles. Block Producers have the highest requirements as they are responsible for creating new blocks. Chunk-Only Producers have slightly lower requirements as they only validate segments of a block, known as "chunks". This guide provides specifications for both roles.

This document covers hardware for both Mainnet and Testnet. Mainnet is the live network with real value, demanding robust and reliable hardware. Testnet is used for experimentation and has more lenient requirements.

While we provide both minimal and recommended specifications, we strongly advise aiming for the recommended setup. This provides a buffer for network growth and ensures your node remains competitive and stable over the long term.

Mainnet

Block/Chunk Producers​

HardwareRecommended Specifications
CPU8+ Core Physical CPU (Intel/AMD x86_64) with AVX support
RAM48GB DDR4
Storage3TB NVMe SSD

Chunk-Only Producers​

HardwareRecommended Specifications
CPU8+ Core Physical CPU (Intel/AMD x86_64) with AVX support
RAM16GB DDR4
Storage2TB NVMe SSD

Minimal Hardware Specifications​

Block/Chunk Producers​

HardwareMinimal Specifications
CPU8+ Core Physical CPU (Intel/AMD x86_64) with AVX support
RAM48GB DDR4
Storage2TB SSD with 15k IOPS

Chunk-Only Producers​

HardwareMinimal Specifications
CPU8+ Core Physical CPU (Intel/AMD x86_64) with AVX support
RAM8GB DDR4
Storage1TB SSD with 15k IOPS

Cost Estimation​

Estimated monthly costs for Mainnet nodes, assuming 1-year reserved instances.

Cloud ProviderInstance TypeEstimated Monthly Cost (CPU + Storage)
AWSm5a.2xlarge~$160 CPU + ~$160 Storage
GCPn2-standard-8~$280 CPU + ~$240 Storage
AzureStandard_D8s_v5~$180 CPU + ~$200 Storage