Supported Hardware

Supported hardware

Merka Vault™ starts free on the computer you already own. That laptop or desktop path is for single-user evaluation.

Multi-user access on your own always-on hardware has a higher bar. We only enable it when the machine can provide the hardware foundation Merka needs to protect more than one person’s data.

The short version

Evaluation path

Run Merka locally on Windows, macOS, or Linux. This path is single-user and is meant for learning, testing, and proving that the model fits your life.

Supported always-on hardware

Use a Dell Pro Max Micro or a validated Dell OptiPlex-class machine with TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, and Intel vPro / AMT features. Multi-user access can be enabled only when the hardware foundation is present and verified.

Factory-built hardware

Merka Vault (one node) and Merka Vault Business (three nodes) are proposed on the Dell Pro Max Micro. FCM2250 factory, storage and GPU qualification is still pending.

Merka Vault appliances

Every appliance node is one Dell Pro Max Micro. You choose the number of nodes and the spec.

Per node unless stated	Core	Plus	Max
Processor	Intel Core Ultra 5 235, 14 cores	Intel Core Ultra 7 265, 20 cores	Intel Core Ultra 9 285, 24 cores
Memory	16 GB DDR5-5600 (2 × 8 GB), non-ECC	64 GB DDR5-6400 (2 × 32 GB), non-ECC	96 GB DDR5-6400 (2 × 48 GB), non-ECC
Primary / system SSD	512 GB NVMe	512 GB NVMe	4 TB NVMe
Additional / data SSD	1 TB NVMe	2 TB NVMe	4 TB NVMe
Installed SSD capacity	1.512 TB	2.512 TB	8 TB (2 × 4 TB)
Graphics	Intel integrated	NVIDIA RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell, 16 GB GDDR7	NVIDIA RTX PRO 4000 SFF Blackwell, 24 GB GDDR7
Merka Vault planning price	$6,699	$14,799	$30,499
Merka Vault Business planning price	$18,799	$41,599	$85,599
Merka Vault equipment estimate*	$2,689.82	$6,721.67	$14,468.67
Merka Vault Business equipment estimate*	$8,867.46	$21,163.01	$44,904.01

*USD estimates (2026-09-08), not selling prices or configured quotes. Business includes three Dell nodes with 5 GbE NICs, one MikroTik CRS304-4XG-IN ($199.00 MSRP), one MikroTik hAP be³ Media ($179.00 MSRP; coming soon), and one 3D-printed enclosure (Core $300.00, Plus $500.00, Max $1,000.00; founder planning estimates). Excludes other integration, support adjustments, cabling, delivery, installation, tax and services.

Core and Plus have a 512 GB system SSD; Max has two 4 TB SSDs, with one dedicated to system use in the current layout. Installed capacity is not usable member capacity. Every proposed node requires TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, Intel vPro Enterprise with AMT, a 280 W power adapter, and 36-month ProSupport next-business-day onsite service after remote diagnosis, subject to the final Dell quote. Business nodes add a 5 GbE flex-port NIC and the selected MikroTik CRS304-4XG-IN switch, with compatible cabling. The hardware configuration and sustained throughput still need qualification.

Both Merka Vault and Merka Vault Business include 12 months of tier-specific Care: Core 1 TB, Plus 2 TB and Max 4 TB of current cloud data per system, plus one year of version history. Cloud allowance is separate from installed and usable local storage. After the included year, renewal follows the selected Storage/Care offer. The selected service includes 180 days of restore/download-only recovery after expiry; implementation and supplier qualification remain open.

What we test today for self-hosting

The current lab-supported self-host setup is:

Dell OptiPlex-class development hardware. The FCM2250 is the proposed production target and still needs separate qualification.
Intel vPro platform features.
TPM 2.0 enabled.
Secure Boot enabled.
Intel AMT available for out-of-band hardware management.
Wired Ethernet for always-on operation.

This is the configuration we use when we say “supported hardware” in public copy.

Why these features matter

TPM 2.0

TPM 2.0 gives the machine a hardware-rooted identity and a place to protect secrets that should not be treated as ordinary files.

Merka uses the presence of a trustworthy hardware foundation to decide whether multi-user access can be made safe on customer-provided hardware.

Secure Boot

Secure Boot helps establish that the machine is starting from the expected software path rather than from an unknown or modified boot chain.

For single-user evaluation this is not required. For multi-user access on always-on hardware, it is part of the supported foundation.

Intel AMT / vPro

Intel AMT is used for practical remote hardware management: power state, recovery workflows, and support situations where the operating system may not be reachable yet.

AMT is not the thing that protects your data. It is the management channel that makes always-on hardware easier to operate safely.

What is not currently supported for multi-user access

These can still be useful for evaluation, but they are not the currently supported self-host hardware path for multi-user access:

Ordinary laptop evaluation environments.
Cloud VMs or rented virtual machines.
Virtual TPMs provided by a cloud or hypervisor.
Machines without TPM 2.0.
Machines where Secure Boot is unavailable or disabled.
Wi-Fi-only always-on setups.

Buying guidance

For the current validated development path, choose a used or spare Dell OptiPlex-class machine, with Intel vPro / AMT support, TPM 2.0, and wired Ethernet. Plan for 16 GB of memory and two NVMe drives: a small system drive and a data drive.

If you do not want to check hardware details yourself, use Merka Vault or Merka Vault Business hardware instead. The factory-built path is planned to provide a selected and qualified hardware foundation; confirm availability and qualification before ordering.

Status

All six September 9 planning prices are calculated from public equipment costs plus delivery, service and risk reserves. See the shared hardware matrix above. A configured quote is not required for these planning figures; physical qualification and final service terms remain open.

If your machine is close to this profile but not identical, treat it as experimental until Merka explicitly reports that multi-user access is available on that hardware.

Hardware options reviewed September 8, 2026 against the Dell US FCM2250 configurator. Select Intel vPro Enterprise explicitly: Dell defaults to vPro disabled.

Business storage network

The proposed Business kit uses MikroTik CRS304-4XG-IN. Four RJ45 ports support 1/2.5/5/10 GbE: three vault links and one spare. A separate management port supports 1 GbE. The fanless switch includes its 48 V power adapter. Qualify NICs, cabling and hardware-offloaded switching before promising measured throughput. A single switch remains a failure point.

Manufacturer specifications and suggested price, reviewed September 8, 2026. The equipment estimates above exclude Merka integration and service obligations; final selling prices are confirmed separately.

Business management and enclosure

The proposed MikroTik hAP be³ Media gateway has five 2.5 GbE ports and a $179 manufacturer suggested price, with its 24 V adapter included. As of September 8, 2026, MikroTik labels it coming soon; availability and Merka qualification are pending. Its ports connect the three built-in 1 GbE node interfaces, the storage switch’s separate 1 GbE management port, and the internet uplink. Node management remains 1 GbE. The storage switch’s fourth fast port stays spare. Routing performance requires validation; the switch and gateway are each single failure points.

One 3D-printed enclosure houses the complete three-node Business system. Founder-set enclosure estimates are Core $300, Plus $500 and Max $1,000, included once per Business system. Manufacturing cost is unvalidated; Merka Vault uses its Dell chassis without an added system enclosure.