All your node needs to do is stay in sync. You don't need much performance for that.
It's true that you can get better performance/price from used laptops and other alternatives. But a raspberry pi is fine if you want something straight forward (just use a good SD card, rated for endurance).
Also, it's perfectly fine to run a node on your desktop/laptop. Bitcoin Core is just software.
Sorry, I wasn't clear. I ment LN node.
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Ah, yes, LN does want more performance than Bitcoin Core. Though if you just want to learn about LN, you can still run a node on Raspberry Pi. It just won't work as well.
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Ah, yes that helps tremendously
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Like I said, you can do better than a raspberry pi in terms of performance/dollar. But the claim that Raspberry Pi's are too slow to be full nodes simply isn't true. They'll stay in sync just fine given time to catch up. That's sufficient to be useful.
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They're a great learning tool, but once you have your bearings, it's a good idea to upgrade from the pi. I had an LN node on a pi for well over a year before migrating it to a 2012 MacBook, and now it screams in comparison.
Also, less power issues. The pi4 is so finicky with external drives.
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