Been using Bitcoin Core for a decade now. I used to just keep my coins in a wallet but switched to cold storage. Still have it running on an old laptop, though I haven't upgraded since version 0.26.0. It works fine when it's open, but I’m curious what specs are best for running it 24/7 without issues. It tends to freeze and takes ages to sync if I turn my computer off.
Honestly, any laptop can do the job as long as it meets the basic specs for Bitcoin Core. A lot of folks prefer dedicated setups like Raspberry Pi. You’d definitely want something better than a Pi 4 or 5. But hey, if you get a solid system, it should handle Bitcoin Core 24/7 just fine.
If you're looking at upgrading to a better laptop, then you’re good to go. Not sure how outdated your current setup is, but consider updating Bitcoin Core too. What specs are you currently using though? Might need to check that out.
128 GB of RAM is pretty overkill, man. Honestly, a laptop with 32 GB should handle running Bitcoin Core and other apps just fine. It’s about picking the right hardware combo with decent cooling instead of going all out on power.
That should work. Are you running a full node though? Do you use your PC for anything else heavy? The specs of your processor could be a factor here too.
An SSD really speeds things up, especially with 16 GB of RAM. If you're multitasking, it could slow down syncing. If you’re running heavy tasks, maybe think about setting up a separate node. A mini PC with m.2 SSD and 16 GB of RAM, plus Linux, sounds like a solid choice.
I’m running a Bitcoin Core node headless on a couple of Raspberry Pi 4B units with 8 GB of RAM. I also run Electrs or Fulcrum as personal Electrum servers. Bitcoin Core plus Electrs just fits on a 1 TB SSD, but for Fulcrum, I’d need a 2 TB SSD to keep everything running smoothly.