Running a mining farm. Building a mining farm
The increase in the popularity of cryptocurrency has led to a systematic increase in the interest of users - many began to find out whether it is possible, in general, in practice with their own hands. The situation is different for different types of means of payment, but the very construction of a coin-mining installation is a simple process. Even for people who are rather poorly versed in hardware and PCs. In the current century, all boards and components are modular in nature, and also abundantly supplied with manuals and drivers - any of you are unlikely to have any difficulties connecting them.
How it works?
A GPU farm for mining is a computer with equipment connected to it, which ensures the return of computing power in favor of the system. In the most common cases, such components are video cards - a standard tool used by ordinary users for games, rendering and other tasks.
But the mining farm on video cards will not be limited to just installing components on a rack or in a computer case. The fact is that the heat dissipation of these cards is very high - for some models, a temperature of 120 degrees Celsius is still acceptable for short-term loads. Those who want to earn money face the question of how to set up a farm for mining and maintain a normal heat exchange mode. Cryptocurrency mining, after all, involves constant hours of work “at high speeds”, therefore, the mining farm of video cards requires care about cooling as well.
Installing additional coolers increases air circulation and reduces the stagnation of hot masses in the space between video cards - so the mining farm will work longer and more productively. This not only increases their performance, but also prolongs the life cycle - not a single modern component is combined with excessive heat. Semiconductor elements on memory boards quickly begin to break down, if proper air circulation is not provided and if the bitcoin farm is not properly maintained, it will turn into a pile of failed components.
Basic nuances when assembling
And yet how to build a farm? In the ideal case, video cards are installed on a remote rack, coolers for blowing are attached to the structure from several sides. The maximum number of cards connected to a computer is 6 pieces - these are the capabilities of modern motherboards. But before you create a farm for mining, it is worth considering a lot of details.
The next issue that the future miner needs to solve will be energy consumption. If we collect a farm for mining, then this becomes a matter of first importance. The fact is that with all their energy-saving improvements and a decrease in the technical process, video cards devour a huge amount of current. If you are planning to build a mining farm from scratch, then electricity costs should also be taken into account - they will be very large.
The minimum power of devices in the middle price segment with not the best computing power is 50 watts per hour. For top-end solutions, the figure of 100 W per hour is more relevant, which, when multiplied by 6 (the maximum number of slots), gives an impressive 0.6 kilowatts. Building a mining farm will force you to consume current almost like any household electrical appliance.
But that's not all that you need to know for those who want to build a farm. The installation cannot work on its own - in fact, it is the same computer as everyone else, only with advanced features. Therefore, here we also add the central processor, RAM, hard drive and coolers on the racks and inside the system unit.
All of the components listed above can add another 200-400 watts, which in ideal conditions gives 1 kW per hour. Or about 24 kilowatts per day - for some citizens this is the consumption rate per month per person. Creating a mining farm will turn you into a current consumer comparable to a small office. Do not forget about the dimensions of the farm for mining with your own hands. The dimensions will be comparable to a small diesel generator or something similar. The size of an ASIC-based mining farm can also be huge. Some units weigh up to 25 kilograms.
Another way to mine cryptocurrency
The profitability of mining could not fail to attract large companies involved in high technology and electronics. Already in 2012, the first saw the light - specialized microcircuits for counting hash sums. In fact, instead of a video card, which is a multifunctional device, manufacturers simply created a mechanism that can only mine cryptocurrency.
Now users have stopped thinking about how to make a mining farm on video cards - it turned out to be simply irrelevant. In addition, I didn’t have to think about how to make a mining farm from a bunch of spare parts and maintain them all. The performance of such solutions is incredibly high. Current controllers outperform flagship graphics cards by about three orders of magnitude in processing power. Such figures gave birth to a bunch of questions about how to build a farm for mining. The step-by-step instructions for controllers turned out to be several times easier. Another thing is that the price of high-end miners is one and a half - two thousand dollars, and sometimes even higher. And therefore, not everyone could afford a do-it-yourself mining farm. 2017 was the era of these chips. At first glance, such a purchase looks unjustified and it is better to think about how to make a bitcoin farm on video cards.
But here it is worth comparing installation on video cards and miners in several key parameters. For example, the Radeon RX 550 and Antminer S9 are taken - the most popular solutions:
| Farm of six video cards + power supply | Miner |
|---|---|
| Power consumption - about 0.5 kilowatts per hour (not including the computer) | Power consumption - 1.5 kW (without system unit) |
| Computing power is about 210 Mhash/s. | Computing power - 13000-14000 Mhash / s. |
| The price (including the power supply, excluding additional coolers and racks) is almost $900 ($120 for each card and about $150 for the PSU). | Cost - $ 1900 (power supply built-in). |
| The noise level is about 60 dB. | Noise level - less than 40 dB. |
As a result: one miner with a loss in cost by 2 times has an advantage in power of almost 70 times. And given half the energy consumption, the profitability of this farm will be even higher. The payback is higher, which should also be taken into account before assembling a mining farm.
Profit and financial component
For performance calculations, we will compare a farm of six Radeon RX 550s with current models using calculators. We also use power databases, which can be found on the site with instructions on how to build a farm for mining in 2017. We will take the average price for electricity in the region of 4 rubles per kilowatt, for the convenience of the account. We select miner models according to the optimal ratio of price and performance.
For
Radeon RX550x6:
- productivity 60 Mh/s;
- net income of about $70 per week;
- electricity costs - $ 6 per week;
- price - $ 900;
- payback period - 3.5-4 months.
Miners are non-existent.
Consider how to build a budget farm for mining. Today there is a “cryptocurrency boom”, so issues related to the extraction of coins are gaining popularity. But how easy is it to do? How to purchase and configure equipment in such a way as to make a decent profit. Let's take a closer look at how to assemble a farm for mining and what you have to consider when assembling.
What to buy
Choosing the right equipment is half the battle. For work, buy the following components:
- Motherboard. The basis of the entire system. How many video cards can be installed depends on her choice. The most budget ASRock FM2A88M board costs $63. But use the more powerful option. For example, ASRock FM2A88X board. 6 video cards are installed on it. This is the best option. The cost of the board is $110;
- Frame. To save money, assemble the frame yourself. Use aluminum corners or wooden bars for this. If you do everything yourself, you will invest in $ 14;
- RAM. You need at least 4 GB to run the OS. You can buy two boards of 2 gigabytes each, this will be the most economical option. The cost of one board will cost $17;
- Medium processor. It must fit the motherboard. An economical option is an A-4 category processor, it costs $48;
- Power unit. Its main characteristic is power. The block must match the parameters of the system. Choose a block such that it provides a power reserve within twenty percent;
- Hard drive 60 gigabytes. With a minimum investment, it will cost $ 40;
- The video card itself. At least 2 gigabytes of memory;
- Adapters and switch button;
- Cooling elements, cooler, thermal paste.
How much does a video card cost
Since we are considering budget video cards for mining, we will focus on the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti models and the more expensive Radeon RX 470 Sapphire.
The first model will cost you $130, and Radeon products $300. Why are we considering Radeon video cards if their price is so much higher? They are the best devices for mining. Now video cards are more optimized for games, rather than mining, so it is difficult to find specialized models. In the market, only buy devices from Nvidia or Radeon.
How to buy cheaper
If we consider specialized stores, then everything is simple in them. No need to wait for delivery. But their cost is high. For example, a GeForce 1050 TI mining card costs $230, and you can buy it on Amazon for $130.
Therefore, if you buy components abroad, you will spend 20 percent less money than if you buy them in stores. If you are ready to wait 20 days, then buy them in the west. Ebay and Amazon will help you with this.
How is the assembly
Consider step by step what and why is going:
- Assembling the frame. It resembles a server rack. This is where the equipment will be installed;
- Components are assembled like an ordinary PC. We put the motherboard in the frame. We install it in the lower shelf, but on a dais so that it does not touch the surface;
- We install the cooler and the processor on the motherboard;
- Attach the power supply unit with self-tapping screws to the corner. Fasten it securely. This is the basis of security. Otherwise, there will be a risk of a spark in contact;
- We install indicators with the power button;
- We connect the hard drive;
- Through the raisers we connect the video card. Use Molex.
The budget farm for mining is almost ready. Next, install the operating system. Use Windows 10. Next, download special software for mining.
Software
Work with functional software. To mine coins, use the programs:
- Ethminer;
- sgminer-gm-windows.
Their convenience lies in their simplicity. Easy to install and set up. Use these programs to mine Ethereum. If you have not decided which coins you will mine, use Sia and Ethereum Claymore's Dual
Mining profitability
The main question of a person who collects a farm with his own hands is profitability. If we proceed from the fact that our farm is budgetary, then it will not work to mine bitcoin. The system has gained a large number of participants. To find the hash and get a reward for this, you will have to use high power and expensive equipment. The best option is mining:
- Ripple
- Ethereum;
- dash;
- Litecoin.
The most profitable option is Ethereum mining.
Build a budget farm for Ethereum mining. Specific example
- Motherboard GA-Z97X-Gaming 3. It has three PCI Express slots that house Radeon RX 480 video cards. Its hash rate is 30 Mhash / s. On the Internet project cryptocompare.com/mining/#/equipment, look at video cards filtered by cost and characteristics;
- To connect video cards, you will need risers. They can be purchased at risers.ru;
- 120 GB SSDNow V300 hard drive;
- RAM Kingston 4 gigabytes;
- Seasonic 1200W power supply.
Software choice
Install OS. As noted above, Windows 10 will do, but since we are considering a budget option, install the free Ubuntu. It is specially designed for Ethereum mining.
Conclusion
A budget farm for mining in 2018 can bring a yield of one hundred percent per annum. The cost of its assembly will cost 2 - 2.7 thousand dollars for one farm. Mining bitcoin is not profitable, but there are other promising currencies, the extraction of which will bring good earnings even using a budget farm. Do not rush to think it over well, and you will receive a stable income.
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This article provides a step-by-step guide to building and setting up an Ethereum mining farm on your own. The process takes place in several stages: selection of components, assembly of the structure, installation and configuration of software. The most suitable options for hardware, designs, as well as software for setting up and methods for mining cryptocurrency will be considered.
We select components
To complete the first stage, you will need to select all the necessary components for mining Ethereum. The performance and reliability of the farm depends on this. You should not save on equipment - this is a serious point. This will depend on income and length of service.
Motherboard
When choosing a card, you should pay attention to the number of PCI-E slots - it depends on how many video cards you can connect. The number of slots is at least 4. There are boards designed directly for mining. One of these is AsRock H81 Pro BTC.
GPU video cards
AMD Radeon (RX 470, 480, 570, 580 series) and Nvidia GTX (1060, 1070, 1080 series) graphics cards are recommended for Etherium mining. When selecting video cards, you should be guided by the optimal balance between performance, cost and power consumption.
To check the profitability, you can use special mining calculators, such as whattomine. There are quite a few of them on the web.
risers
Video cards are connected to the motherboard through special adapters - risers. This eliminates the problem of insufficient distance between PCI-E slots for installing video cards.
Power supplies
The main criterion for selection is reliability. Power supplies should be selected with a small margin of power in mind to avoid overloading the system and premature failure. Since the power consumption will be high, at least 1 kW may be needed. Based on your own preferences, two options are suitable: take a high-power server power supply, or several ordinary ATXs of lower power, which are synchronized with a special cable.
When choosing power supplies, an important criterion will be the availability of certification: preferably 80 Gold and above.
CPU
GPU mining does not require a very powerful processor. Its main tasks are to support the operation of the operating system and the miner.
RAM
The optimal amount of RAM for mining is 4 GB for 3-4 video cards.
HDD
The best solution would be to purchase an SSD hard drive, which has advantages in reliability and speed over an HDD.
A suitable drive is selected based on how it is planned to mine cryptocurrency. If alone, then it should be borne in mind that over time the size of the blockchain will grow and a memory reserve will be required. If in a pool, then there is no need to store the blockchain on the hard disk and a small amount of memory is required.
We collect a farm for mining Ethereum
First of all, you should take care of the temperature of the room: it should not be too warm and humid. It is best to place the system in a well-ventilated and cool room. This will help to achieve maximum performance and avoid overheating of the farm.
When assembling, you need to monitor how securely all components are connected and the load on the power supplies is distributed.
You may need to install additional coolers to cool the system. Another option would be to buy pre-made hulls that are specially designed for truss assembly.
After the farm assembly is completed, you can proceed to the next step - setting up the system.
Setting up a farm for mining
After completing the previous stage, you can proceed to install the operating system and specialized mining software. For such purposes, Windows 10 Enterprise is suitable. Ubuntu provides a wider range of customization options, but is quite complex for non-advanced users, and most configuration and driver installation will have to be done manually.
For mining Etherium, there is a special operating system EthOs. It contains a user-friendly interface for settings, flexible control over the GPU, provides reliable proxies for mining in pools, and contains detailed documentation.
Particular attention should be paid to the GPU settings. It is recommended to use no more than 70% of the total performance of the video card, this will slightly reduce the reward, but it will significantly increase the service life. Overclocking of video cards is carried out using programs provided by manufacturers.
Now we select the appropriate software. It is enough to install the miner and software to control the GPU. It is not recommended to install antiviruses and firewalls - they can block the work of the miner. If you do not have a wallet registered, then you need to create it. EthereumWallet and MyEtherWallet will do.
Remote system management is provided by Team Viewer. It needs to be installed because the farm needs constant monitoring.
Solo mining is carried out using a miner program, for example, Claymore's Dual Miner. However, with this method, having a low power of the miner, crediting to the wallet would have to wait up to several months.
If you are going to mine in a pool, then one of the best is Ethermine.org. Such mining is the most profitable. Firstly, there is no need to store the blockchain on a hard drive, and secondly, due to the large computing power, the extracted amounts will be credited much more often and the reward is distributed according to the provided power. Fees and electricity costs should be taken into account.
We have sorted out the main issues on assembling and installing an Ethereum mining farm. We picked up the right software and considered the main ways of mining cryptocurrency. Regularly monitor the equipment and carry out preventive maintenance so that it generates income for as long as possible.
Productive mining!
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Despite a significant decrease in the profitability of mining in 2018 compared to 2017, it continues to be a profitable activity that can generate income in cryptocurrency.
Despite a significant decrease in the profitability of mining in 2018 compared to 2017, it continues to be a profitable activity that can generate income in cryptocurrency. Given the possibility of increasing activity in the cryptocurrency market after a fairly long period of stagnation and the dominance of downtrends, mining can again become quite a profitable activity.
This article discusses how to build a mining farm step by step. The content of the article should not be considered as an instruction and guide to action, but is a recommendation for novice miners.
The main method of mining at present is the performance of computational work using the PoW algorithm, according to which maintaining the operation of the blockchain network allows you to receive a reward corresponding to the amount of computation performed - the share of work performed. With this method of maintaining the health of the network, it is possible to receive income proportional to the available capacity of computing equipment.
The rather high cost of the main cryptocurrencies using this method of maintaining their performance allows you to earn money on equipment installed in normal home conditions. Such equipment, as a rule, uses the power of video cards and central processors, as the most productive computing devices that can be used without turning the home into an industrial workshop.
The most important components of a home mining farm are video cards.
If you have a large amount of money and a small available power supply, it is better to focus on purchasing expensive video cards that have maximum energy efficiency indicators, for example Nvidia GTX1080Ti or other powerful modern video cards.
If you have a small amount of money and a lot of power, under good ventilation conditions, you can consider buying old cards like R9 290 from AMD. They consume a lot of power about 2-2.5 times more than modern video cards of the RX400/500 family), but have roughly the same processing power.
The best option for assembling a mining farm with an average budget is to purchase video cards from the company AMD a series RX400/500 or video cards from the company Nvidia GTX1060/1070/1080. When buying series cards GTX1060 it is better to focus on cards with memory capacity 6 gigabytes. They have more powerful GPUs installed and the amount of memory available allows them to be used for mining ether on any operating system.
The choice of motherboard, processor, RAM and power supply is also important, but they practically do not affect the computing power of the farm (with the exception of the processor, which can be used to mine the Monero cryptocurrency and similar crypto assets, but income from this is now very small).
Where to buy iron and necessary components for the farm
There are various ways to purchase equipment for mining farms, among which the most common are the purchase in online stores and in the secondary market. They have their pros and cons, which allow you to choose the necessary equipment according to the available resources and desires.
Internet shops
The most optimal options for purchasing equipment for mining are online stores. In them, you can purchase the necessary equipment at an affordable price, while ensuring the security of the transaction and receiving warranty documents.
You should not buy mining equipment on credit, hoping to repay it with mining income, since its size cannot be guaranteed to be calculated in the long term.
Used parts
The purchase of used components is associated with the risk of a quick failure of such equipment. This may be a good option, subject to competent verification of such iron. It is best to have it done by an experienced miner or computer repair specialist.
Currently, due to the decrease in mining profitability, it is possible to purchase good computer equipment at a normal price, but for this you need to have certain knowledge or enlist the help of a specialist.
The main nuances when assembling a farm, connecting video cards
Building a farm for mining at home requires taking into account a number of nuances:
- It is necessary to accurately set the maximum possible power input to the house. For old apartments with aluminum wiring the maximum power consumption is estimated at 2-3 kilowatts, of which at least 1-2 kilowatts must be left for home consumption. Thus, in houses with old electrical wiring, it will be possible to install a rig that consumes no more than 1-1.5 kilowatts, which theoretically makes it possible to use no more than 12 graphics cards of the GTX1060 or AMD RX570/580 level with the maximum reduction in their power consumption.
- In modern apartments and housing equipped with electric stoves, the issue of providing electricity is not so acute, but for the normal functioning of the rig, it is still necessary to take care of the reliability and sufficient power of the power line.
- At home, this parameter is very important, because, in the presence of weak electrical wiring, buying expensive equipment can be a waste of money due to the inability to provide it with power. Mining is currently a very energy-intensive activity, so it is necessary to accurately calculate how much power a home electrical network can provide for mining.
- It is necessary to decide on the installation location of the rig and make sure that it will provide normal heat dissipation and ventilation of video cards. The main condition necessary for the operation of the rig in the summer is to ensure constant air ventilation. Air conditioning in a room with a rig will dry out the air very much, making it uninhabitable, and also require a lot of additional electricity, which is usually not enough when mining at home. When choosing a place for a rig, care must be taken not to moisture got in, it was not dusty and, if necessary, it could be easily disconnected from power, as well as carry out preventive work related to purging from dust and periodic inspections for possible problems.
- Based on experience, for every kilowatt of power consumed, at least 300 cubic meters of air per hour must be circulated. This indicator is important when installing a rig on a balcony, where the total volume of air is small and it needs to be constantly circulated. Therefore, in the summer, in a small room with a rig, it is advisable to install a supply fan closer to the floor and another exhaust fan closer to the floor. ceiling.
- This indicator is especially important due to the fact that the constant operation of the mining farm is associated with the release of heat proportional to the power consumed. When consuming 1 kilowatt of electricity, the same amount of heat will be released as if it were an electric heater of the same power. In winter, this is an additional bonus from mining, which allows you to heat the room, and in summer it can be a source of hellish heat and, with illiterate operation, the cause of a fire.
- It is necessary to decide on the budget that can be allocated for the assembly of the mining farm.
- This indicator is important, based on the need to maximize the efficiency of the rig, and at the same time take into account the available resource for power supply, conditions for heat removal and other important parameters. It is impossible to create a single instruction that answers the question of how to assemble a farm for mining, but, in general, the process of assembling a rig and mining consists in carrying out the following actions:
- Assembly or purchase of a frame for a rig;
- Installing a motherboard, power supply and disk media on it;
- Installation of video cards with risers;
- Connection of all equipment with each other;
- Checking the correct assembly and connections;
- Installing the operating system, drivers, mining software, connecting the rig to the Internet;
- Selection of pools for mining and setting up programs for mining;
- Mining start;
- Control over the operation of equipment, the correct operation of programs for mining and accumulation of cryptocurrency. The framework for a mining farm must provide conditions for placing all components, their connection and subsequent safe operation. A good option for assembling the frame is to use aluminum corners or another aluminum profile. It is easily processed, light, quite durable and non-flammable. When installing the motherboard, you need to pay attention to the absence of kinks along its entire plane.
- With proper assembly, wooden structures can also be used, but fire safety must be taken care of.
- The assembly / purchase of a separate frame is necessary to ensure optimal cooling of computer components during mining. No closed case can provide this without the installation of efficient coolers. At home, such a case will make a lot of noise, so the most optimal for the house is to use a frame structure.
Connecting video cards
When installing video cards to ensure their cooling during mining, risers are used that connect the video cards to the connector PCI Express on the motherboard through an extension cable - a high quality USB cable and provide a separate power circuit for the video card, decoupled from the motherboard. Their selection is very important to ensure the reliable operation of the rig.
It is best to use the riser on 12 volt with 6 pin power connector, because they usually have a built-in fuse, and also have more reliable built-in power conversion circuits 12 volt to others required for video cards. In addition, 6-pin risers have three wires per power pole, which provides a more even load on the connectors.
Slightly worse than the riser with a 4-pin molex power connector, in which there are two ground wires and one 12 volt wire.
The worst riser option is the SATA power connector riser due to the thin pins it uses. Such risers are almost guaranteed to have mining problems over time due to burnout of contacts at the connection point.
When choosing risers, it is necessary to pay attention to the quality and capacity of the electrolytic capacitors installed on them. It is better to take risers with larger capacitors, they will provide better power quality for video cards.
It is necessary to pay attention to the quality of the soldering of the risers, the presence of short circuits from poor-quality soldering, flux streaks. If there is such a marriage, it must be eliminated, or the riser must be replaced.
There are also defective risers that supply increased voltage in the +3.3 volt or +5 volt circuits due to incorrect assembly. Therefore, when buying risers from unknown sellers, it is best to test the riser for proper output voltage.
To do this, they are connected to a power source and the voltages on the PCI-Express connector are measured according to its pinout. In the absence of skills in working with electrical circuits, it is better to entrust this check to a specialist.
Up-to-date OC and mining software
When using a home farm, it is best to use operating systems of the Windows family. They are easy to set up, provide a high-speed mining farm and allow, if necessary, to easily change the coin that is being mined.
Mining uses 64-bit versions of operating systems with the fewest installed utilities and running services.
Your best bet is to use Windows 7 as the fastest system with the fewest Microsoft spyware add-ons, or Windows 10 LTSB versions based on the same considerations. When building a rig for 12 AMD video cards, you need to use the latest version of Windows 10, otherwise the rig will not work. When using AMD and NVIDIA cards together, it is better to use the LTSB version.
It is better to select the most relevant miners by studying the specialized forums, recommendations on mining pools and experienced tips.
Before starting mining, you need to disable sleep mode, set the paging file to 30-40 gigabytes, disable operating system updates, make exceptions for miners in the firewall and antivirus.
Miners for video cards
The most common and well-proven in work are miners developed by a programmer. He releases programs for mining Ethereum, ZCash, Monero and other profitable cryptocurrencies. It is better to download all mining programs on the developers' pages on the forum bitcointalk, because on third-party resources they can be modified by hackers.
Consider which programs are best used for the most popular cryptocurrencies.
Important!! Ethereum and other cryptocurrencies with the Ethash mining algorithm are best mined with such programs:
Claymore's Dual Ethereum GPU Miner
- Claymore's Dual Miner - this miner allows you to simultaneously use video cards from companies AMD And NVIDIA, as well as simultaneously mining Decred, Siacoin, Lbry, Pascal, as well as cryptocurrencies on the Blake2s and Keccak algorithms. Available for download at: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1433925.0
Dual mining is currently only beneficial if free electricity is available. Ethereum mining in this program is stable and easy to set up. The developer takes a commission equal to 1% of the time of work for using the program when mining ether, by periodically switching it to mining in his favor.
Phoenix Miner
- Phoenix - this miner is very similar to Claymore, it supports the simultaneous use of AMD and NVIDIA cards. Most of the commands used to set it up are similar to the Claymore commands. The developer commission is 0.65%. It is 1-2% faster, but not as stable in operation. Available for download at:
Important!! Monero and other cryptocurrencies with the Cryptonight mining algorithm are best mined with such programs:
Claymore's AMD CryptoNight GPU Miner
- Claymore's AMD CryptoNight - this miner supports video cards from AMD. Available for download at:
There is no developer fee in the latest version 11.3.
XMRig Nvidia miner
- XMRig - algorithm miner Cryptonight on Nvidia cards. Available for download at:
The default developer commission is 5%, when setting the parameter --donate-level 1 is 1%.
Important!! ZCash, BTG and other cryptocurrencies with the Equihash mining algorithm are best mined with such programs:
Claymore's ZCash/BTG AMD GPU Miner
- Claymore's ZCash/BTG Miner - this miner supports video cards from AMD. Available for download at:
EWBF's Zcash cuda miner
- EWBF's miner is a miner for the Equihash algorithm on Nvidia cards. Available for download at:
The developer commission is 2%.
Dstm's ZCash Cuda miner
- Dstm's miner is a miner for the Equihash algorithm on Nvidia cards. Available for download at
The developer commission is 2%.
The configuration features of these and other programs can be found in their manuals.
Choosing a pool for mining and instructions for setting it up
When choosing a mining pool, you need to take into account its reliability, ease of use, minimum withdrawal amounts, what percentage it takes for services, physical remoteness of servers and other important factors. The farther the pool servers, the greater the ping to them, which leads to a delay in the share (solutions) that the mining farm finds (stale shares). They are usually not paid, so the number of these shares should be kept to a minimum. The statistics of the decisions made and other data, as a rule, can be viewed on the pool itself.
For mining ether and other popular cryptocurrencies, good pools are
- Coinotron
- Flypool
- Suprnova
- Nanopool
- Coinmine
- Dwarfpool
Pool setup instructions
For each specific pool, mining is configured according to the instructions that can be found on its website. In chapter help each pool has step-by-step instructions on how to mine cryptocurrency on it. In any case, the following information must be entered in the configuration files to run the miner:
pool network address and mining port;
password and login of a worker (of a specific rig), or a wallet address (depending on the pool);
service parameters that do not depend on the pool, regarding overclocking, temperature conditions, cooler operation mode, intensity, and other data necessary for the operation of the miner program.
Hardware and equipment maintenance costs
When assembling a rig, the greatest costs fall on video cards.
The cost of 1-2 video cards (depending on their model) is approximately equal to the total cost of the power supply, motherboard, processor, RAM, hard drive, frame and risers.
The best video cards currently are AMD's RX400-500 series and Nvidia's GTX1060 (6 GB)/1070/1080 (Ti) series. When choosing them, it is better to focus on cards with the most massive heatsinks and a large number of coolers. Based on experience, the best AMD graphics cards are produced by Sapphire, and Nvidia by ASUS.
As a disk drive, it is better to choose a 120 gigabyte SSD. These drives are fast, economical, and have enough space for a swap file.
The RAM for the rig needs at least 4 gigabytes, while it is enough to choose the cheapest memory, since its speed does not affect mining performance.
If the processor will not be used for mining, then you can buy the cheapest models. The main load during mining falls on video cards, the processor is practically not loaded. If you want to mine on the processor, you need to take care of the presence of good power circuits on the motherboard, capable of providing high-quality power 24 hours a day. The best motherboard power circuits ASrock, even the cheapest models have many phases in the processor power circuit and radiators installed on them.
Profitability of the main cryptocurrencies, how to quickly recoup the rig
For the fastest payback of the rig, it is necessary to constantly mine the most profitable cryptocurrencies and exchange them on cryptocurrency exchanges or exchangers for ordinary money. If there are free funds, it is necessary to consider the possibility of mining for a long-term period in order to exchange cryptocurrency at a more favorable rate.
Mining profitability is higher, the lower the complexity of the network, so you should pay attention to this parameter. With a strong increase in complexity, it makes sense to switch to mining other cryptocurrencies in order not to lose income. The current profitability, which allows you to choose the most profitable cryptocurrency at the moment, can be found on the websites Whattomine And Nicehash
Cryptocurrency mining on your own equipment will allow you to better understand cryptocurrency topics and computer settings, and will give you a certain life experience that will not interfere in the future. Therefore, assembling a mining farm can be considered not only as a means to earn money, but also as a way to learn how to operate computing equipment and work with cryptocurrencies.
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An ASIC mining farm is a construction that combines special equipment and is designed for cryptocurrency mining. Its main difference is the use of ASIC controllers, and not video cards or processors, as is the case with classic mining farms. Such farms are used to mine various virtual coins - Dasha, Litecoin, Bitcoin and others. Below we will consider what are the intricacies of creating a farm, whether it is possible to assemble it with your own hands and how much it will cost.
How does ASIC farm work?
With the growing demand for cryptocurrency, the activity of manufacturers producing specialized equipment has also increased. If at the initial stage PC power was enough for mining, then with increasing complexity, more productive devices were required. At first, farms on video cards appeared, but after the jump in the rate of the main cryptocurrencies, they also lost their relevance. It was the turn of special devices - ASIC. They work according to a certain algorithm and are “sharpened” exclusively for the extraction of cryptocurrencies.
To increase efficiency and speed up payback, miners create ASIC farms consisting of a computer and ASICs connected to it. The goal is to increase the power to mine new blocks in the cryptocurrency network of interest. Previously, processors and video cards were used to create farms, but today the best option is asics, which have high performance and relatively low energy consumption. The main disadvantage is high costs, but first things first.
The main nuances when assembling an ASIC farm
Creating an ASIC farm with your own hands means doing serious work aimed at finding and purchasing the necessary equipment. At the same time, the work is not limited to mounting elements on a rack. In some models, the heating reaches 100–120 degrees, which requires solving problems with cooling the mining farm on ASICs. To avoid overheating, it is important to properly configure the equipment, install additional fans (if required) and control the operation of the elements from the standpoint of performance and temperature.
Installation of auxiliary coolers helps to increase the circulation of air masses and timely removal of heated air from ASIC microprocessors. With this approach, the finished farm will last longer and give better performance. Without proper heat dissipation, expensive chips can be damaged, which will lead to additional costs. In such a situation, it makes no sense to build a farm with your own hands.
To avoid problems during the maintenance process and properly assemble a mining farm on asics in 2018, you need to consider the following:
- ASIC controllers are installed on a special rack. For cooling, additional fans are mounted on one or two sides to ensure the removal of hot air. As a rule, ASICs have their own coolers, but with round-the-clock work, they may not be enough.
- The number of ASIC controllers connected to the computer can be different. Much here depends on financial capabilities, cryptocurrency and goals. At home, 1-2 asic miners are used, but to create a powerful farm, you can combine from 4-5 devices.
- The more ASIC miners are used to mine cryptocurrency, the higher the noise level. In such a situation, there are two ways out - to provide good sound insulation (use special sound and vibration-absorbing boxes) or rent a separate room for creating a farm. The second option is more preferable, but additional costs will be required here (we will dwell on this in more detail).
- Connecting multiple ASIC controllers for cryptocurrency mining raises another issue regarding power consumption. One ASIC has an average power of 0.8–1.3 kW. If there are 4–5 of them, respectively, the figure increases to 6.5 kW. If we take into account that the equipment operates 24 hours a day and 30 days a month, the total consumption reaches 4680 kWh, which in money (for Moscow) is equal to 421 dollars. This is why energy costs are important to consider when writing a business plan. In addition, the electrical network and wiring must withstand such loads. For example, to power 6.5 kW, a wire capable of passing a current of 29 amperes is required. Ideally, use a copper conductor with a cross section of 4 square meters. mm. If the wiring in the apartment is laid with a wire of 2.5 square meters. mm (copper or aluminum), it may not withstand.
The mentioned components consume an additional 300-400 watts, which increases the cost of electricity. That is why creating a mining farm on ASICs with your own hands requires a detailed approach, and its use at home is almost impossible. The resulting equipment consumption is equivalent to what an office with 10-15 employees consumes. In addition, the dimensions and dimensions of the finished farm are very impressive and space is required to accommodate it.
Pros and cons of a do-it-yourself ASIC mining farm
Before drawing up a business plan and assembling a farm, it is important to determine the advantages and disadvantages of such a solution. As for the efficiency of mining virtual coins on asic miners, it is beyond doubt. The first ASICs appeared in 2012, since then they have been in great demand. From that moment on, new equipment is gradually replacing video cards, which are significantly inferior in performance to competitors.
There are dozens of ways on the Web, but they are no longer effective for mining Bitcoin or Litecoin. Such equipment is used for mining new cryptocurrencies that have not gained a foothold in the market and have an unstable exchange rate. At the same time, there is no guarantee of a quick return on investment.
- Read also how to create .
Below we consider the advantages and disadvantages of a mining farm on ASICs.
| Advantages | Flaws |
| It takes a minimum of time to set up and connect equipment. | High noise level. One ASIC miner makes 80-90 decibel noise. be with him in the same room is impossible. If there are several such devices, a separate room is required. |
| Fast payback. On average, it is possible to cover the cost of equipment for 10–12 months. | The price of ASICs is high for many and makes you think about the relevance of buying equipment. One average ASIC costs 1.5–2.5 thousand dollars. Plus the cost of buying a PC. |
| High performance (compared to GPU). | In the event of a marriage or breakdown with replacement (repair), there may be Problems. Many ASICs are made in China, so delivery takes a long time. For the miner, the loss of time is critical. |
| Reliability in operation (ASICs rarely break under normal care). | The device generates large amounts of heat, therefore, in addition to the built-in ventilation will have to provide additional airflow. It leads to increased noise levels and costs. |
| Availability of software that comes with device. | ASICs work on 1-2 algorithms. Reconfigure them if you want to go other algorithm will not work. |
| No difficulties with placement on racks and airflow. | Manufacturers regularly release new equipment that differs even further. more power. As a result, old ASICs quickly lose their relevance. This perhaps with a sharp rise in the price of cryptocurrency and an increase in the complexity of its production. |
Component parts for ASIC truss
If you have the necessary amount and decide on the relevance of creating an ASIC farm, you can start buying equipment. As a rule, an ASIC farm consists of the following elements:
- Frame. Additional construction may be required to accommodate multiple ASIC miners. For its manufacture, it is desirable to use special bars made of wood or corners (aluminum, steel).
- Motherboard- the basis of the computer to which the equipment for cryptocurrency mining will be connected. The main requirements are uninterrupted operation, reliability and build quality.
- RAM. This element does not affect the speed of production in any way, but the stability of the PC depends on it. In order to save money, you can install only one bar, but it is better that the RAM is 4 GB or more.
- CPU- an element that ensures the operation of a computer. Here, simple options are allowed due to the lack of a large load.
- HDD. There are no additional criteria here, so it can be anything, but the recommended capacity is 100 GB or more.
- Feed block. We are talking about a computer power supply, which should be taken with a power margin of 15-20%. In some cases, it is cheaper to purchase two devices and install them in parallel than to take two powerful PSUs.
- Video card. In the case of ASICs, the video card can be any, without special performance requirements.
- Canaan AvalonMiner 741 (7.3 TH/s) - $1450
- Ebit Miner E10 (18 TH / s) - $ 4,800.
- Bitmain Antminer L3+ (504 MH/sec) - $1536
- BW-L21 Litecoin ASIC Miner (550 MH/sec) - $2500.
- Innosilicon A5 DashMaster (32.4 GH/sec) - $3,300
Do-it-yourself ASIC farm assembly sequence
ASIC farm assembly takes place in several stages:
- Creating a drawing. At this stage, it is important to draw a diagram with the approximate placement of elements. To improve cooling, it is important to install the units at a distance of 10 cm or more from each other. In the case of a closer location, the devices may overheat. The dimensions of the ASIC farm depend on the number of miners, power consumption and dimensions of each of the devices.
- Case assembly. In the manufacture of this element, it is required to buy vibration-resistant materials that do not deform under the influence of high temperatures. For example, an aluminum corner is perfect for creating a farm at home. The devices are fastened using bolted or screw connections. To save money, the frame is made of wood. For fixing, the structural elements are glued together (for wood), and then fixed with self-tapping screws.
- Creation of holes for fixing devices. The quality of ASIC fixation depends on the correctness of the work. If possible, increase the distance between devices.
- Fixing ASIC miners.
- Assembling a computer, connecting power supplies and asic devices using cords (when buying, it is important to control that there is enough length).
ASIC farm business plan
The main task of the miner is to determine the costs and payback of the finished ASIC farm even before purchase. When calculating profitability, the following parameters should be taken into account:
- Hashrate of the equipment used.
- Price (total costs).
- The course and prospects of the cryptocurrency that will be mined on the ASIC farm.
- Energy consumption (total).
- Buying bars and a corner - $ 130-150.
- Motherboard -50–70 dollars. When creating a farm on video cards, specialized equipment with a large number of connectors is purchased (for example, AsRock H81 PRO BTC R2.0). If we are talking about ASIC mining, this is not necessary.
- Processor - $50–60.
- 4 GB RAM or more - $50-60.
- Hard drive with memory from 100 GB - 40-50 dollars.
- Asic miners (4 units) - 8-10 thousand dollars.
- Room rental (if required) - $80-$100 per month.
A brief calculation allows you to roughly estimate the payback of the mining farm. But it is worth considering that with a change in the market value, the profit will also change. This means that the coverage period is constantly shifting to one side or the other.
We must not forget about the risks that are associated with cryptocurrency. In the case of virtual coins, it is difficult to predict further price changes. This can be seen in the example of Bitcoin, which lost significantly in price in the first month of 2018, making many miners worry. The reason is that many countries have not decided on the status of cryptocurrency and do not know how to control it. That is why the purchase of expensive equipment and the creation of an ASIC farm is always a risk that should be taken only after detailed calculations (drawing up a business plan), if there are free financial resources and after analyzing future changes in the cryptocurrency network.
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