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# Node Specifications & Income Projections

This page provides detailed specifications for all node types, including hardware costs, resource allocations, and income projections based on the slices model.

:::info Price Assumptions
- **Cloud Credits (CC)** pegged at 1/1000 gram of gold ≈ **$0.128 USD** (as of Oct 8, 2024)
- **Hardware costs** amortized over **5-year lifespan**
- **Revenue share**: 80% to farmer, 10% burned, 10% to ThreeFold
- **No CPU oversubscription** in current calculations
:::

---

## Non-Certified Nodes

Non-certified nodes are community-contributed hardware that meets minimum specifications but hasn't gone through the formal certification process.

### 3Node Home

**Target**: Home users, hobbyists, small-scale farmers

| Specification | Value |
|--------------|-------|
| **Estimate Cost** | $500 |
| **CPU Cores** | 16 |
| **Passmark** | 22,000 |
| **Memory** | 32 GB |
| **SSD Storage** | 1,000 GB |
| **GPU Memory** | - |
| **TPS** | - |

**Slices Economics**:

| Metric | Value |
|--------|-------|
| **Max Slices** | 25 |
| **HW Cost/Month (5Y)** | 8 CC |
| **Min Income/Month** | 10.92 CC |
| **Max Income/Month** | 126 CC |
| **Typical Active Slices** | 7 |

**Per Slice Resources**:
- CPU: 2.3 cores
- Performance: 3,143 Passmark
- Memory: 4.0 GB
- Storage: 143 GB
- Price Range: 1.2 - 12.0 CC/month

**ROI Analysis**:
- **Break-even**: ~3-4 years at minimum income
- **Best case**: 6-8 months at maximum utilization
- **Realistic**: 12-18 months at 50% utilization

---

### Large TFGrid Node

**Target**: Dedicated farmers, data center deployments

| Specification | Value |
|--------------|-------|
| **Estimate Cost** | $2,000 |
| **CPU Cores** | 36 |
| **Passmark** | 20,000 |
| **Memory** | 512 GB |
| **SSD Storage** | 4,000 GB |
| **GPU Memory** | - |
| **TPS** | - |

**Slices Economics**:

| Metric | Value |
|--------|-------|
| **Max Slices** | 100 |
| **HW Cost/Month (5Y)** | 33 CC |
| **Min Income/Month** | 198.12 CC |
| **Max Income/Month** | 2,286 CC |
| **Typical Active Slices** | 20 |

**Per Slice Resources**:
- CPU: 1.8 cores
- Performance: 1,000 Passmark
- Memory: 25.4 GB
- Storage: 200 GB
- Price Range: 7.6 - 76.2 CC/month

**ROI Analysis**:
- **Break-even**: ~10-12 months at minimum income
- **Best case**: 1 month at maximum utilization
- **Realistic**: 4-6 months at 40% utilization

:::tip High Memory Advantage
This node's high memory (512 GB) makes it ideal for memory-heavy slices, commanding premium pricing.
:::

---

### Large TFGrid Node 2

**Target**: Budget-conscious farmers, balanced workloads

| Specification | Value |
|--------------|-------|
| **Estimate Cost** | $1,200 |
| **CPU Cores** | 36 |
| **Passmark** | 20,000 |
| **Memory** | 128 GB |
| **SSD Storage** | 2,000 GB |
| **GPU Memory** | - |
| **TPS** | - |

**Slices Economics**:

| Metric | Value |
|--------|-------|
| **Max Slices** | 100 |
| **HW Cost/Month (5Y)** | 20 CC |
| **Min Income/Month** | 48.36 CC |
| **Max Income/Month** | 558 CC |
| **Typical Active Slices** | 20 |

**Per Slice Resources**:
- CPU: 1.8 cores
- Performance: 1,000 Passmark
- Memory: 6.2 GB
- Storage: 100 GB
- Price Range: 1.9 - 18.6 CC/month

**ROI Analysis**:
- **Break-even**: ~2-3 years at minimum income
- **Best case**: 2-3 months at maximum utilization
- **Realistic**: 8-12 months at 40% utilization

---

## Certified Nodes (New Batch Q4 2025)

Certified nodes are pre-configured, tested hardware packages from approved vendors, ensuring quality and reliability.

### Mini 1

**Target**: Entry-level certified farming

| Specification | Value |
|--------------|-------|
| **Estimate Cost** | $350 |
| **CPU Cores** | 16 |
| **Passmark** | 16,000 |
| **Memory** | 32 GB |
| **SSD Storage** | 1,000 GB |
| **GPU Memory** | - |
| **TPS** | - |

**Slices Economics**:

| Metric | Value |
|--------|-------|
| **Max Slices** | 25 |
| **HW Cost/Month (5Y)** | 6 CC |
| **Min Income/Month** | 11 CC |
| **Max Income/Month** | 126 CC |
| **Typical Active Slices** | 7 |

**Per Slice Resources**:
- CPU: 2.3 cores
- Performance: 2,286 Passmark
- Memory: 4.0 GB
- Storage: 143 GB
- Price Range: 1.2 - 12.0 CC/month

**ROI Analysis**:
- **Break-even**: ~3 years at minimum income
- **Best case**: 3-4 months at maximum utilization
- **Realistic**: 10-14 months at 50% utilization

---

### Mini 2

**Target**: Mid-range certified farming, small business

| Specification | Value |
|--------------|-------|
| **Estimate Cost** | $800 |
| **CPU Cores** | 24 |
| **Passmark** | 25,000 |
| **Memory** | 64 GB |
| **SSD Storage** | 2,000 GB |
| **GPU Memory** | - |
| **TPS** | - |

**Slices Economics**:

| Metric | Value |
|--------|-------|
| **Max Slices** | 25 |
| **HW Cost/Month (5Y)** | 13 CC |
| **Min Income/Month** | 23 CC |
| **Max Income/Month** | 270 CC |
| **Typical Active Slices** | 15 |

**Per Slice Resources**:
- CPU: 1.6 cores
- Performance: 1,667 Passmark
- Memory: 4.0 GB
- Storage: 133 GB
- Price Range: 1.2 - 12.0 CC/month

**ROI Analysis**:
- **Break-even**: ~2.5-3 years at minimum income
- **Best case**: 3-4 months at maximum utilization
- **Realistic**: 10-12 months at 55% utilization

---

### Mini 3

**Target**: Serious certified farmers, enterprise edge deployments

| Specification | Value |
|--------------|-------|
| **Estimate Cost** | $1,000 |
| **CPU Cores** | 24 |
| **Passmark** | 25,000 |
| **Memory** | 128 GB |
| **SSD Storage** | 4,000 GB |
| **GPU Memory** | - |
| **TPS** | - |

**Slices Economics**:

| Metric | Value |
|--------|-------|
| **Max Slices** | 25 |
| **HW Cost/Month (5Y)** | 17 CC |
| **Min Income/Month** | 48 CC |
| **Max Income/Month** | 558 CC |
| **Typical Active Slices** | 25 |

**Per Slice Resources**:
- CPU: 1.0 cores
- Performance: 1,000 Passmark
- Memory: 5.0 GB
- Storage: 160 GB
- Price Range: 1.5 - 14.9 CC/month

**ROI Analysis**:
- **Break-even**: ~1.5-2 years at minimum income
- **Best case**: 2 months at maximum utilization
- **Realistic**: 6-8 months at 60% utilization

:::tip Sweet Spot
Mini 3 offers excellent balance of cost, performance, and storage. Strong ROI potential with good network utilization.
:::

---

## AI-Focused Certified Nodes

These nodes include dedicated GPU hardware for AI/ML workloads, representing the future growth area of TFGrid.

### Mini AI 1

**Target**: Entry-level AI workloads, inference, development

| Specification | Value |
|--------------|-------|
| **Estimate Cost** | $2,000 |
| **CPU Cores** | 32 |
| **Passmark** | 50,000 |
| **Memory** | 128 GB |
| **SSD Storage** | 4,000 GB |
| **GPU Memory** | 128 GB |
| **TPS** | 20 |

**Slices Economics**:

| Metric | Value |
|--------|-------|
| **Max Slices** | 4 |
| **HW Cost/Month (5Y)** | 33 CC |
| **Min Income/Month** | 52 CC |
| **Max Income/Month** | 600 CC |
| **Typical Active Slices** | 4 |

**Per Slice Resources**:
- CPU: 8.0 cores
- Performance: 12,500 Passmark
- Memory: 31.0 GB
- Storage: 1,000 GB
- GPU: Shared access
- TPS: 5
- Price Range: 10 - 100 CC/month

**ROI Analysis**:
- **Break-even**: ~3 years at minimum income
- **Best case**: 3-4 months at maximum utilization
- **Realistic**: 8-12 months at 70% utilization

---

### Nvidia 6000 (Single GPU)

**Target**: Professional AI training, high-end inference

| Specification | Value |
|--------------|-------|
| **Estimate Cost** | $15,000 |
| **CPU Cores** | 24 |
| **Passmark** | 35,000 |
| **Memory** | 128 GB |
| **SSD Storage** | 4,000 GB |
| **GPU Memory** | 96 GB |
| **TPS** | 350 |

**Slices Economics**:

| Metric | Value |
|--------|-------|
| **Max Slices** | 1 (dedicated full node) |
| **HW Cost/Month (5Y)** | 250 CC |
| **Min Income/Month** | 390 CC |
| **Max Income/Month** | 4,500 CC |
| **Typical Active Slices** | 1 |

**Per Slice Resources**:
- CPU: 24 cores (full node)
- Performance: 35,000 Passmark
- Memory: 124 GB
- Storage: 4,000 GB
- GPU: 96 GB dedicated
- TPS: 350
- Price Range: 300 - 3,000 CC/month

**ROI Analysis**:
- **Break-even**: ~3 years at minimum income
- **Best case**: 3-4 months at maximum utilization
- **Realistic**: 10-14 months at 60% utilization

:::note High-Value Target
These nodes target high-value AI workloads. Even at minimum pricing, they generate significant income if utilized.
:::

---

### Nvidia 6000 (Dual GPU)

**Target**: Large-scale AI training, enterprise ML operations

| Specification | Value |
|--------------|-------|
| **Estimate Cost** | $30,000 |
| **CPU Cores** | 24 |
| **Passmark** | 35,000 |
| **Memory** | 128 GB |
| **SSD Storage** | 8,000 GB |
| **GPU Memory** | 192 GB (2x 96GB) |
| **TPS** | 700 |

**Slices Economics**:

| Metric | Value |
|--------|-------|
| **Max Slices** | 2 (can be sold separately) |
| **HW Cost/Month (5Y)** | 500 CC |
| **Min Income/Month** | 780 CC |
| **Max Income/Month** | 9,000 CC |
| **Typical Active Slices** | 2 |

**Per Slice Resources**:
- CPU: 12 cores
- Performance: 17,500 Passmark
- Memory: 62 GB
- Storage: 4,000 GB
- GPU: 96 GB dedicated per slice
- TPS: 350
- Price Range: 300 - 3,000 CC/month per slice

**ROI Analysis**:
- **Break-even**: ~3 years at minimum income
- **Best case**: 3-4 months at maximum utilization
- **Realistic**: 12-16 months at 50% utilization

---

### Tenstorrent 8x

**Target**: Cutting-edge AI acceleration, next-gen ML workloads

| Specification | Value |
|--------------|-------|
| **Estimate Cost** | $30,000 |
| **CPU Cores** | 24 |
| **Passmark** | 35,000 |
| **Memory** | 128 GB |
| **SSD Storage** | 8,000 GB |
| **GPU Memory** | 192 GB |
| **TPS** | 2,000 |

**Slices Economics**:

| Metric | Value |
|--------|-------|
| **Max Slices** | 2 |
| **HW Cost/Month (5Y)** | 500 CC |
| **Min Income/Month** | 780 CC |
| **Max Income/Month** | 9,000 CC |
| **Typical Active Slices** | 2 |

**Per Slice Resources**:
- CPU: 12 cores
- Performance: 17,500 Passmark
- Memory: 62 GB
- Storage: 4,000 GB
- AI Memory: 96 GB dedicated per slice
- TPS: 1,000
- Price Range: 300 - 3,000 CC/month per slice

**ROI Analysis**:
- **Break-even**: ~3 years at minimum income
- **Best case**: 3-4 months at maximum utilization
- **Realistic**: 12-16 months at 50% utilization

:::tip Tenstorrent Advantage
With 2,000 TPS (vs 700 for Nvidia), Tenstorrent offers superior AI performance for specific workloads at the same price point.
:::

---

## Comparison Table: All Nodes

| Node Type | Cost | Monthly HW Cost | Min Income | Max Income | Break-Even (Min) | Break-Even (Max) |
|-----------|------|-----------------|------------|------------|------------------|------------------|
| **Non-Certified** |
| 3Node Home | $500 | 8 CC | 10.92 CC | 126 CC | 3-4 years | 6-8 months |
| Large TFGrid | $2,000 | 33 CC | 198.12 CC | 2,286 CC | 10-12 months | 1 month |
| Large TFGrid 2 | $1,200 | 20 CC | 48.36 CC | 558 CC | 2-3 years | 2-3 months |
| **Certified Q4 2025** |
| Mini 1 | $350 | 6 CC | 11 CC | 126 CC | 3 years | 3-4 months |
| Mini 2 | $800 | 13 CC | 23 CC | 270 CC | 2.5-3 years | 3-4 months |
| Mini 3 | $1,000 | 17 CC | 48 CC | 558 CC | 1.5-2 years | 2 months |
| **AI Nodes** |
| Mini AI 1 | $2,000 | 33 CC | 52 CC | 600 CC | 3 years | 3-4 months |
| Nvidia 6000 1x | $15,000 | 250 CC | 390 CC | 4,500 CC | 3 years | 3-4 months |
| Nvidia 6000 2x | $30,000 | 500 CC | 780 CC | 9,000 CC | 3 years | 3-4 months |
| Tenstorrent 8x | $30,000 | 500 CC | 780 CC | 9,000 CC | 3 years | 3-4 months |

---

## Key Insights

### For Standard Compute Nodes

- **3Node Home / Mini 1**: Good for hobbyists, learning the ecosystem
- **Mini 2 / Mini 3**: Best balance of cost and ROI for serious farmers
- **Large TFGrid**: Premium option for those with high memory workload expectations

### For AI-Focused Farming

- **Mini AI 1**: Entry point for AI farming, lower risk
- **Nvidia 6000**: Industry-standard, proven demand
- **Tenstorrent 8x**: Higher TPS for specific AI workloads, emerging technology

### General Observations

1. **AI nodes have higher upfront costs** but command premium pricing
2. **Certified nodes** coming Q4 2025 provide quality assurance
3. **Memory-heavy configurations** can charge more per slice
4. **Break-even highly dependent** on network utilization
5. **80% revenue share** means farmers keep majority of value

---

## Important Notes

**(*) Revenue Distribution**: 80% to hoster/farmer, 10% burned, 10% to ThreeFold

**No CPU Oversubscription**: Current calculations assume no CPU oversubscription. In reality, users will have more CPU available during low-demand periods, and potential oversubscription could increase effective income.

**Cloud Credit Conversion**: CC can be acquired by converting 2 TFT or by purchasing at fiat equivalent of 1/1000 gram of gold price = ~$0.128 USD (price as of Oct 8, 2024)

---

## Next Steps

- **[Pricing Model](/node-economics/pricing-model)** - Deep dive into income scenarios and ROI calculations
- **[TF Bid Packages](/node-economics/tf-bid-packages)** - See what ThreeFold is willing to buy
- **[Slices Overview](/node-economics/slices-overview)** - Understand the slice concept

:::tip Hardware Planning
Use these specifications to plan your hardware investment based on your budget, risk tolerance, and market expectations.
:::