Cores
Compute splits along the line between shared and standalone. The Manor — the high-availability core — runs three identical server-grade processors, matched on purpose so any one node can take over another’s work without surprise. The Annex and the Outpost each run a single, more powerful desktop-class chip: the Annex a current-generation part for heavy build and I/O work, the Outpost an older auction-sourced one where the price won out and the workload can tolerate the age.
Matched-and-clustered versus powerful-and-standalone is the whole story of this layer. Counts, models, and generations are in the Hardware Manifest.