Hardware Setup Guide
Comprehensive guide to selecting, configuring, and optimizing hardware for SLYD provider operations.
Flexible Requirements
Scale from entry-level to enterprise with configurations for every budget.
GPU Support
Full support for consumer, professional, and data center GPUs.
Revenue Optimization
Hardware recommendations optimized for maximum revenue potential.
Minimum Hardware Requirements
Absolute minimum specs to join the provider network
These are the absolute minimum specifications required to join the SLYD provider network.
CPU Requirements
- 64-bit x86_64 processor
- Minimum 8 physical cores
- Hardware virtualization (Intel VT-x or AMD-V)
- AES-NI instruction set support
Memory Requirements
- Minimum 32GB DDR4 RAM
- ECC memory strongly recommended
- Dual-channel configuration minimum
- 2666 MHz or faster
Storage Requirements
- 500GB available storage minimum
- SSD for OS and container images
- RAID configuration recommended
- Enterprise-grade drives preferred
Network Requirements
- 100 Mbps dedicated bandwidth minimum
- Static IP address
- Low latency (<50ms to major cities)
- Unlimited or high data cap
Recommended Configurations
Configurations matched to your scale and target market
Choose a configuration that matches your scale and target market.
Entry Level Provider
Perfect for getting started with 1-2 servers
Professional Provider
For serious providers with dedicated hardware
Enterprise Provider
Data center scale operations
GPU Hardware Recommendations
GPU models and configurations for premium workloads
GPU instances command premium rates. Here's what to consider for GPU deployments.
Consumer GPUs
Good for development/testing
- NVIDIA RTX 4090
- NVIDIA RTX 4080
- NVIDIA RTX 3090 Ti
- AMD RX 7900 XTX
Professional GPUs
Ideal for most workloads
- NVIDIA A40
- NVIDIA A30
- NVIDIA T4
- NVIDIA RTX A6000
Data Center GPUs
Maximum performance
- NVIDIA H100
- NVIDIA A100
- NVIDIA V100
- AMD MI250X
GPU Revenue: GPU instances typically generate 5-10x more revenue than CPU-only instances, making them an excellent investment for providers.
Storage Configuration
Optimize storage for performance and reliability
Optimize your storage setup for performance and reliability with a tiered approach.
Tier 1: OS & Container Images
- Type: NVMe SSD
- Size: 500GB - 2TB
- RAID: RAID 1 (mirror)
- Purpose: Fast boot and image deployment
Tier 2: Instance Storage
- Type: SAS SSD or fast NVMe
- Size: 2TB - 10TB
- RAID: RAID 10
- Purpose: Active instance data
Tier 3: Bulk Storage
- Type: Enterprise HDD
- Size: 10TB+
- RAID: RAID 6 or RAIDZ2
- Purpose: Backups and archives
Network Infrastructure
Network equipment and connectivity requirements
Network performance directly impacts user experience and revenue.
Network Cards
- 10Gbps minimum for professional
- Intel X710 or Mellanox ConnectX
- SR-IOV support for performance
- Dual-port for redundancy
Switching
- Managed switches required
- VLAN support
- Low-latency switching
- Redundant power supplies
Internet Connection
- Business-grade SLA
- Multiple upstream providers
- BGP routing (advanced)
- DDoS protection
Power and Cooling
Infrastructure requirements for reliability
Proper power and cooling infrastructure is essential for reliability.
Power Requirements
Always provision 30-50% extra power capacity for future expansion and peak loads.
Cooling Requirements
Backup Power (UPS)
Hardware Optimization Tips
Maximize performance and efficiency
Maximize performance and efficiency with these optimization strategies.
BIOS/UEFI Settings
- Enable virtualization extensions
- Disable power saving features
- Set performance profile
- Enable NUMA if available
- Configure memory interleaving
Thermal Management
- Quality thermal paste application
- Regular dust cleaning schedule
- Monitor fan speeds and temps
- Consider liquid cooling for GPUs
- Maintain positive air pressure
Reliability Features
- Use ECC memory
- Implement RAID for all storage
- Redundant power supplies
- Out-of-band management (IPMI)
- Hardware monitoring alerts
Scaling Your Infrastructure
Plan for growth from the beginning
Plan for growth from the beginning to scale efficiently.