Direct from the desk of Dane Williams.
Simple WAX tutorial outlining the difference between CPU, NET and RAM + How much of each resource you need to start using WAX today.
Did you click on the official WAX Medium blog hoping that you could quickly find the difference between CPU, NET and RAM?
But found yourself overwhelmed by how complex the concept of resource allocation on the WAX blockchain is?
If this is you, then don’t worry because you’re certainly not alone.
I’ve got you covered right here on LeoFinance with this extremely SIMPLE WAX tutorial that first outlines the difference between CPU, NET and RAM.
Most importantly however, this simple WAX tutorial also gives you the answer to exactly how much CPU, NET and RAM you need to start.
THAT is what you really need from a Simple WAX tutorial.
So let’s jump right in.
The difference between CPU, NET and RAM on WAX?
CPU, NET and RAM are different types of resources that every WAX account requires in order to transact on the network.
Think of these as how you will pay transaction fees on WAX - With a catch!
On Ethereum or BSC you always use the blockchain’s native token to pay consumable transaction fees known as gas.
Consumable because once you spend them, they’re gone.
But depending on the type of transaction, fees on the WAX blockchain can be both consumable or renewable.
By allocating your account’s staked WAX for resources accordingly, you aren’t just constantly spending dead money on fees over and over… for all types of transactions at least.
This makes WAX a much cheaper blockchain to use than the aforementioned Ethereum and even the budget EVM option in BSC.
Pretty cool, right?
The next step within this simple WAX tutorial is to go over the specifics of CPU, NET and RAM on WAX in a little more detail.
What is CPU on WAX?
The first WAX resource we need to cover is CPU.
CPU is a renewable resource that works the same way Resource Credits work on Hive.
You need CPU for the most common types of transactions including claiming NFTs, staking NFTs and claiming rewards.
When I say CPU is a renewable resource, what I mean is that when you use it to cover the costs of a transaction, your balance will slowly replenish.
This means that when you’re spending CPU, you’re not actually spending it all.
All you’re really doing is tying up those resources for a couple of days.
Your CPU balance is based on a three day average and will therefore replenish to 100% after that.
As CPU is the processing time of an action, there is a supply/demand element to how it is calculated.
For example, transacting during times of high network traffic will require more CPU than transacting when network traffic is low.
To receive CPU, simply stake WAX for it inside your wallet.
How much WAX CPU do you need?
With the tech out of the way, I can answer the question I know you’re here for.
How much you need to start and therefore just how much WAX to stake for CPU.
If you're just looking to buy and sell some NFTs, you can get away with staking as low as 10 WAX for CPU.
But in order to never have to worry about pushing your CPU limits day to day, you could consider staking 100 WAX and being done with it.
If you’re more serious like an NFT creator or developer however, you’re going to need a lot more.
Like 10x or even 20x more, depending on the size of your project.
What is NET on WAX?
The second WAX resource to cover is NET.
Another renewable resource that just like we outlined for CPU, NET is based off of a three day average.
As the throughput capacity of the WAX network, measured in bytes, NET is basically used to reserve your transaction a spot on the network.
During times of high network traffic, those with more NET have their transactions prioritised over those with less.
To receive NET, navigate to the same Network Resources section of your WAX wallet and stake WAX for it.
How much WAX NET do you need?
That is how much you need to start and therefore just how much WAX to stake for NET.
While the amount of NET you need is based on network activity, I’ve never personally experienced extended times of extremely high demand.
I have just 10 WAX staked and never see the amount of NET used creep anywhere close to 100%.
Stake just 20 WAX for NET and once again you’ll likely never have to worry about this resource again.
What is RAM on WAX?
The third and final WAX resource we need to cover is RAM.
RAM allows the data storage of dApps in the blockchain and must be allocated in advance.
Therefore, RAM is bought/sold, rather than allocated for simply staking WAX like we saw with CPU and NET.
It is a consumable resource, meaning that when you spend RAM on transaction fees, it is permanently gone.
RAM is usually required for transactions such as listing NFTs for sale on websites like Nefty Blocks.
How much RAM a transaction uses will depend on its complexity, but large amounts will only be needed by NFT creators and devs.
Ultimately, you don’t need to worry if you buy too much RAM because it’s not wasted.
You’re always able to sell RAM back to the blockchain’s native RAM market at any point in time.
To buy RAM, go to the same Network Resources section of your WAX wallet and buy it.
How much WAX RAM do you need?
Finally, an answer to how much you need to start and therefore just how much RAM you should buy.
1 WAX will currently buy about 50K of RAM.
If you’re just playing around on WAX, then 5 or 10 WAX worth will be more than enough to get you started.
As expected, NFT creators and devs will need upward of 100 WAX worth depending on the size of your project.
Remember, you can always buy more or sell it back to the market if you mess up your calculations!
Final thoughts on WAX CPU, NET and RAM
You should now have a basic understanding of how transaction fees work on the WAX blockchain.
This extremely SIMPLE WAX tutorial has answered all the questions around the difference between CPU, NET and RAM that I had, when first getting involved in the GM:FRENS project.
It also discussed how much of each resource you need, plus how much WAX to stake in order to get there.
Any final answers to questions around WAX CPU, NET and RAM that you think I’ve missed, simply drop them in comments.
And of course, have a GM 💚😵.
Best of probabilities to you.
Update after using WAX a bit more
After having used WAX a little more since writing this tutorial, I'd like to revise my recommendation a little.
For absolute beginners, I'd recommend starting with:
CPU: 5
NET: 1
RAM: 5
But if you plan on trading a little on Alcor and playing a game like Alien Worlds, I'd recommend bumping up your CPU a lot more:
CPU: 100
NET: 1
RAM: 5
Right now, you can see I have 50 WAX staked for CPU and after an hour of clicking in Alien Worlds, I have hit 100%:
Stake 100 WAX and you won't have to worry about it.