<p>Syncing the bitcoin blockchain on lower-end hardware takes it's time. Just let it run.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-27T12:10:09.800Z
2018-07-27T12:10:09.800Z
0xb10c
<p>The hardware and the disk are the limiting factors. I had two mini Macs (32 and 64 bit) and a RasPi, and could repeat the scenario several times. I also installed SuSE Linux and OpenBSD, changed parameters, looked at disk I/O and CPU load. </p>

<p>The blockchain is currently +160 Gig, with many blocks and transactions. As the initial sync starts from the very first block, each block and. Each transaction inside a block is verified. A transaction consists of inputs, which references previous transactions. This creates much of the disk activity. An SSD can speed up this process dramatically. </p>

<p>At the beginning, the blocks were nearly empty, but nowadays they are full. So the process to load blocks is rather quick at the beginning, and slows down when it comes to mid 2017...</p>

<p>Then there is the CPU. A dual core Intel has some work to do, to get the Crypto work done. And it has to wait for the disk to provide data (when loading goes high, mostly above 4 all the time).</p>

<p>I couldn‘t put my MAC Mins into the trash, and decided to go with the blockchain. It took 3 weeks on 2017 to load the whole blockchain (with 5400rpm HDD). So really need to think, if time is an issue, or if more powerful Hardware shall do the trick.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-27T20:56:24.060Z
2018-07-27T20:56:24.060Z
pebwindkraft
<p>It is Jul 2018, I need help after several attempts to sync a full node running on a Mac Mini.</p>

<p>I have tried several times and Bitcoin-qt starts pretty well for the initial sync, downloading with progress that ranges from 1% per hour up to 3 % per hour. But when sync goes around 30% (blockchain around 50 GB) sync slows down to 0.2% per hour so it'd take weeks.</p>

<p>HARDWARE:</p>

<ul>
<li>1.4GHz dual-core Intel Core i5  </li>
<li>OSX 10.13.6  </li>
<li>500GB (5400-rpm) hard drive   </li>
<li>RAM 4GB of 1600MHz LPDDR3 memory   </li>
<li>Good internet speed.  </li>
</ul>

<p>SOFTWARE:</p>

<ul>
<li>Installed Bitcoin Core implementation 0.16</li>
<li>I tried both, installing the .dmg for mac and also tried to homebrew </li>
<li>Both successful in the beginning, and then sync goes down</li>
</ul>

<p>I get good connections, and I have the port 8333 opened so I have no clue of what is going on, whether it is problem with the hardware (mac works fine) or the implementation.</p>

<p>Actually I have been running Litecoin and Monero nodes in the same hardware, implementing OSX builts and those worked fine, but Bitcion Core doesn't .</p>

<p>I hope someone can help me, if faced the same difficulties with bitcoin.
I really would like to succeed in this and support the network</p>

<bitcoin-core><network><synchronization><mac>
Slow sync running Bitcon full node on Mac Mini OSX
PlatoWright
# Slow sync running Bitcon full node on Mac Mini OSX

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-07-27)

It is Jul 2018, I need help after several attempts to sync a full node running on a Mac Mini.

I have tried several times and Bitcoin-qt starts pretty well for the initial sync, downloading with progress that ranges from 1% per hour up to 3 % per hour. But when sync goes around 30% (blockchain around 50 GB) sync slows down to 0.2% per hour so it'd take weeks.

HARDWARE:

* 1.4GHz dual-core Intel Core i5
* OSX 10.13.6
* 500GB (5400-rpm) hard drive
* RAM 4GB of 1600MHz LPDDR3 memory
* Good internet speed.

SOFTWARE:

* Installed Bitcoin Core implementation 0.16
* I tried both, installing the .dmg for mac and also tried to homebrew
* Both successful in the beginning, and then sync goes down

I get good connections, and I have the port 8333 opened so I have no clue of what is going on, whether it is problem with the hardware (mac works fine) or the implementation.

Actually I have been running Litecoin and Monero nodes in the same hardware, implementing OSX builts and those worked fine, but Bitcion Core doesn't .

I hope someone can help me, if faced the same difficulties with bitcoin.
I really would like to succeed in this and support the network

**Tags:** bitcoin-core, network, synchronization, mac


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2018-07-27. Score: 1

Syncing the bitcoin blockchain on lower-end hardware takes it's time. Just let it run.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2018-07-27. Score: 1

The hardware and the disk are the limiting factors. I had two mini Macs (32 and 64 bit) and a RasPi, and could repeat the scenario several times. I also installed SuSE Linux and OpenBSD, changed parameters, looked at disk I/O and CPU load.

The blockchain is currently +160 Gig, with many blocks and transactions. As the initial sync starts from the very first block, each block and. Each transaction inside a block is verified. A transaction consists of inputs, which references previous transactions. This creates much of the disk activity. An SSD can speed up this process dramatically.

At the beginning, the blocks were nearly empty, but nowadays they are full. So the process to load blocks is rather quick at the beginning, and slows down when it comes to mid 2017...

Then there is the CPU. A dual core Intel has some work to do, to get the Crypto work done. And it has to wait for the disk to provide data (when loading goes high, mostly above 4 all the time).

I couldn‘t put my MAC Mins into the trash, and decided to go with the blockchain. It took 3 weeks on 2017 to load the whole blockchain (with 5400rpm HDD). So really need to think, if time is an issue, or if more powerful Hardware shall do the trick.


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