Set up SSD storage for a Malairte node running beside your miner

A practical setup walkthrough for choosing and configuring drive storage when you run a Malairte node on the same machine that mines, covering SSD type, capacity, endurance, and data directory layout.

Mining and running a node are two different jobs that often share one machine. The mining side barely touches storage, but a node is a different animal: it reads and writes a growing chain database constantly. Getting the storage choice right keeps the node responsive and protects your data over years of continuous operation.

Why an SSD, not a hard drive

A spinning hard drive can technically hold a blockchain, but the constant small random reads and writes a node performs are exactly the workload mechanical drives are worst at. On an HDD, a node falls behind, validation crawls, and the disk thrashes audibly. A solid state drive is effectively mandatory for a node you intend to keep synced and useful.

1. Choose between SATA SSD and NVMe

For a home node, a quality SATA SSD is genuinely sufficient — the chain workload is not bandwidth-bound so much as latency-bound, and SATA latency is fine. An NVMe drive is nicer and increasingly cheap, but do not feel you must buy NVMe to run a node well. Either will comfortably outpace a hard drive.

2. Plan capacity with headroom

System drive: 250GB SSD minimum for the OS, drivers, and mining software
Node data: size for the current chain plus years of headroom; a 500GB to 1TB drive gives generous room as the chain grows
Keep the node database on a drive with free space; databases dislike running near full

3. Check the endurance rating

A node writes continuously, so pay attention to the drive's TBW rating (terabytes written), which estimates how much data you can write over its life. Cheap QLC drives have low TBW and wear faster under a node's steady write load. A mainstream TLC drive from a known brand has plenty of endurance for years of node operation.

4. Lay out the drives

Install the OS and mining software on the system SSD
Add a dedicated TLC SSD for the node database if you can
Point the node's data directory at the dedicated drive
Leave at least 20 percent of the drive free at all times
Check drive health monthly with a SMART tool

5. Back up what cannot be rebuilt

The chain data itself is reproducible by re-syncing, but your wallet keys and configuration are not. Back those up separately and often. Storage hardware fails eventually; plan as if yours will.

Published May 17, 2026

Frequently asked questions

Can I mine Malairte on a gaming PC?

Yes - in fact a gaming PC is almost ideal. The same CPU and GPU you use for games will mine Malairte well. Many miners run the software in the background or overnight when they are not gaming. Just keep an eye on temperatures and dust, and consider running at reduced power for longer hardware life.

Do I need a special motherboard to mine Malairte?

No, you do not need a dedicated mining motherboard for a typical home setup. Any modern consumer board with one full-length PCIe slot is enough to start mining Malairte with a single GPU and your existing CPU. The dedicated mining motherboards you see online, with six or more PCIe slots, were built for the Ethereum era and are overkill for most home miners. If you plan to run two or three GPUs in the same machine, look for a regular ATX board with two physical x16 slots spaced at least three slots apart, and at least one extra x4 or x1 slot for flexibility. B550, X570, B650, and X670 boards on the AMD side, or Z690 and Z790 on Intel, are all sensible choices. Avoid the cheapest entry-level boards as their VRMs are not built for sustained load.

How many watts does a CPU plus GPU mining PC actually pull?

A typical home mining PC running one mid-range GPU and a modern six- or eight-core CPU pulls between 250 and 400 watts at the wall under sustained load. The GPU is usually the biggest share, drawing 130 to 220 watts depending on the model and any power limits you have set. The CPU adds 65 to 125 watts when fully loaded, less if you are only running it at partial utilisation. Motherboard, RAM, drives, and case fans together rarely exceed 30 watts. If you add a second GPU you can expect another 130 to 220 watts on top. Over a month of continuous mining, a 300 watt setup uses about 216 kilowatt-hours, which gives you a concrete number to multiply by your local electricity rate when you plan your budget.

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Start mining Malairte the right way

Malairte (MLRT) is a CPU and GPU mineable coin — no ASICs, no specialized hardware. Download the official wallet and put this guide into practice on the computer you already own.

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Educational resource only — not financial advice.