What you need to know about mining
The main way of mining at the moment is computing according to the PoW algorithm, according to which keeping a blockchain network operational allows receiving remuneration corresponding to the amount of computation performed – a share of the work done. With this method of maintaining network performance, it is possible to receive income that is proportional to the available power of computing equipment.
Rather high cost of basic cryptocurrencies using this method of maintaining their performance allows one to earn on the equipment installed in a regular home environment. Such equipment, as a rule, uses capacities of video cards and central processors, as the most productive computing devices, which can be used without transforming a dwelling into an industrial workshop.
The most important components of a home mining farm are the video cards.
Assembling a mining farm requires some capital investment. The best option is to buy new Nvidia RTX 30 series graphics processors or analogs from AMD Navi series. As a budget option you can consider the purchase of GTX 1660 Super graphics cards. There are quite a few older models left on store shelves, AMD and Nvidia. As long as the digital coin market is in an uptrend, they seem quite profitable. But keep in mind that after the rise there will definitely be a correction, and then, more power-consuming and obsolete video cards will become a burden, and it will not be easy to sell them at the secondary market.
With the selection of other components, everything is much easier. Any modern motherboard will do, as long as it has plenty of PCIe ports for connecting video cards. If necessary, you can put an expansion card, but they sometimes have difficulty connecting the maximum number of gpu-devices. The processor can be the most budget-friendly if, of course, you are not planning to mine Monero cryptocurrency. But you can not save money on the power supply in any case. The minimum amount of RAM is 4GB, but it is better to put 8GB.
Where to buy hardware and the necessary components for the farm
There are different ways to buy the equipment for mining farms, among which the most common are the purchase in online stores and on the secondary market. They have their pros and cons, which allow you to choose the necessary equipment according to your available resources and desires.
Internet stores
The optimal options for the purchase of mining equipment are online stores. They allow you to buy the necessary equipment at a reasonable price, while ensuring the security of the transaction and receiving warranty documents.
Important: It is not advisable to purchase mining equipment on credit, expecting to repay it on the income from mining, as its size cannot be guaranteed in the long term.
Used components
Buying used components carries the risk of a quick failure of such equipment. This can be a good option, provided that a competent inspection of such iron. It is best to have it done by an experienced miner or computer repair specialist.
Nowadays, due to the decrease in profitability of mining, it is possible to buy good computer equipment at a normal price, but you need to have some knowledge or enlist the help of a specialist.
The main nuances of assembling a farm, the connection of video cards
Assembling a farm for mining at home requires taking into account a number of nuances:
- It is necessary to determine exactly the maximum possible input power of the power grid to the house. For older apartments with aluminum wiring, the maximum power consumption is estimated at 2-3 kilowatts, of which at least 1-2 kilowatts should be left for household consumption. Thus, in houses with old wiring it will be possible to install a rig that consumes no more than 1-1.5 kilowatts, which theoretically allows using no more than 12 graphics cards of GTX 1660Super or AMD RX 5700XT level with maximum reduction of their power consumption.
- In modern apartments and housing, equipped with electric stoves, the issue of electricity supply is not so acute, but for the normal functioning of the Rig it is still necessary to take care about reliability and sufficient power line capacity.
- At home, this parameter is very important, because, in the presence of weak electrical wiring, the purchase of expensive equipment can be a waste of money due to the lack of ability to provide it with power. Mining nowadays is a very power-consuming activity, so it is necessary to calculate exactly how much power your home power grid can provide for mining.
- It is necessary to determine the place of installation of the Rig and to make sure that it will provide a normal heat removal and ventilation of video cards. The main prerequisite for the operation of the Rig in the summertime is to ensure constant air ventilation. Air conditioning in a room with a rig will very much dry out the air, making it uninhabitable, as well as require a lot of extra electricity, which is usually not enough when mining at home. When selecting a location for the reega, care must be taken to keep it free of moisture, dust-free, and easily de-energized if necessary, as well as preventative work involving dust blowing and periodic inspections for possible problems.
- From experience, for every kilowatt of power you use, you should be able to circulate at least 300 cubic meters of air per hour. This figure is important when installing a reega on a balcony, where the total air volume is small and it is necessary to ensure constant air circulation. Therefore, in summer time in a small room with a reega it is desirable to install a supply fan closer to the floor and another fan for exhaust closer to the ceiling.
- This indicator is especially important due to the fact that the constant operation of the mining farm involves heat emission, which is proportional to the power consumption. Consuming 1 kilowatt of electricity will generate the same amount of heat as if it were an electric heater of the same power. In winter time it is an additional bonus of mining, allowing you to heat the room, and in summer time it can be a source of hellish heat and, if illiterate operation, cause a fire.
- It is necessary to determine the budget that can be allocated for the assembly of the mining farm.
- This figure is important based on the need to optimize the efficiency of the rig as much as possible, while taking into account the available power resource, heat sink conditions, and other important parameters. It is impossible to create a single instruction that answers the question of how to assemble a mining farm, but, in general, the process of assembling a rig and mining consists of such actions:
- Assembling or acquiring a framework for the rig;
- Installing the motherboard, power supply and disk drive on it;
- Installing the video cards with raisers;
- Connecting all the equipment with each other;
- Checking the correctness of the assembly and connections;
- Installing the operating system, drivers, mining software, connecting the Rig to the Internet;
- Selecting the pools for mining and configuring the mining software;
- Launching of mining;
- Monitoring the operation of equipment, the correctness of the programs for mining and accumulation of cryptocurrency. The framework for the mining farm should provide conditions for the placement of all components, their connection and the subsequent safe operation. Not a bad option for the assembly of the framework is the use of aluminum corners or other aluminum profile. It is easy to handle, lightweight, fairly durable and not flammable. When installing the motherboard, make sure there are no kinks along its entire plane.
- With competent assembly you can also use wooden structures, but you need to take care of fire safety.
- Assembling/purchasing a separate frame is necessary to ensure optimal cooling of computer components when mining. No enclosure can provide this without installing high performance coolers. In a home environment, such an enclosure will make a lot of noise, so it is best to use a frame design for the home.
