How to assemble a mining case. Creating a mining farm with your own hands

The whole world has gone crazy over cryptocurrency. And it all started with the victorious march of bitcoins, the cost of which soared from $30 to $2,500 in 5 years. Cryptocurrency is not just a new monetary unit, but an entire philosophy. Its basis is the lack of currency control by the state.

Anyone can produce cryptocurrency if they have the appropriate equipment. The complex for mining cryptocurrency has a name in the IT environment - cryptocurrency mining farms(Crypto Mining Farm). Today we will try to explain in simple language the principle of its operation and the necessary components for assembling the farm.

What is a mining farm?

The term “mining” comes from the English word “mine”. A mining farm is a platform for mining cryptocurrency. There is a well-known analogy: the owner of a farm is like a worker in an underground mine, extracting virtual money like minerals. A farm is a collection of powerful computers needed for calculations.

How does a mining farm work?

The main function of a mining farm is the extraction of cryptocurrency. Virtual money is produced as a result of complex calculations. To do this, a set of computing equipment is connected to the blockchain network. Blockchain is a chain of blocks of transactions that are carried out according to certain rules.

As a result of data processing, miners receive new blocks. The time required to receive cryptocurrency can vary: from 1-2 minutes to several days.

What does this depend on? Let's look at the example of Bitcoin. The volume of this cryptocurrency is limited. The more units are mined, the more powerful the computing power must be to obtain new blocks.
Let's look at the step-by-step process:

1. Mining programs are installed on the PC.
2. The programs are synchronized with the cryptocurrency wallet.
3. PCs operate in single mode around the clock.

Miners can work together to combine power. This is needed to increase productivity. The extracted units are distributed in proportion to the invested capacity.

How to build a mining farm?

There are different ways to create a farm. The easiest one for a beginner is mining using video cards. That is, the first step is to purchase a powerful video card and install it. The maximum number of video cards is 6 pieces. But that is not all. Productive devices are characterized by high heat transfer.

It can reach 120 degrees Celsius. For this reason, proper cooling must be provided to prevent overheating. The way out is to install additional ventilation equipment, which allows you to achieve a number of advantages:

• Overheat warning.
• Increasing the lifespan of your computer.
• Increased mining performance.

Ignoring the need for cooling leads to rapid deformation of semiconductors on boards. Miners are advised to install the video card on a rack and secure ventilation equipment around the perimeter.

IMPORTANT! The owner must be mindful of energy consumption. Powerful equipment consumes large amounts of energy, resulting in large payments.

What to choose: self-assembly of the farm or purchasing it turnkey?

Demand creates supply, and the demand for mining farms is now very high. Companies have appeared that offer to buy a turnkey set of equipment for receiving cryptocurrency. What to choose?

Let's consider the advantages of a turnkey farm:

• Save time. When assembling a farm, time will have to be spent not only on purchasing equipment, but also on studying all the information about its choice. Ignoring the need to study all the information will lead to low mining farm performance.
• Technical support. If you have any questions, you can contact our consultants. A person who assembles it himself has only the help of forum participants at his disposal.
• High power guarantee. People who have been involved in assembly for a long time will help maximize productivity.

This option is not without its drawbacks. There are many companies selling turnkey farms, but their reliability is questionable. Let's consider the advantages of self-assembly:

• Relatively lower costs. A person will not have to pay for the services of third-party companies. The only costs involved are the purchase of equipment.
• Gaining new experience. If a person wants to become a professional miner, he needs to know all the intricacies of the assembly.
• Assembly according to your own wishes. You can independently assemble just such a farm that meets all the miner’s needs.

The disadvantages of working independently are obvious: waste of a lot of time, risk of low productivity.

What to choose? It all depends on the initial needs. If a person has a lot of time and a limited amount of funds, it is recommended to carry out the assembly independently. If there is absolutely no time, it is better to contact a specialized company.

What is needed to build a mining rig?

To assemble the farm you will need the following equipment:

• Motherboard with several slots for video cards.
• Hard drive 60-160 gigabytes.
• Processor (average power allowed).
• RAM (4 GB is enough).
• Video cards with at least 2 gigabytes.
• Power supply 750 W.
• Adapters (it is preferable to purchase devices with additional power supply).
• Button to start.
• Cooler for additional cooling.

The miner will also need a tool: a riveter, a drill, metal scissors for cutting aluminum corners, and a tape measure.

Frame and housing for mining farms

When assembling mining rigs, it is not the case in the usual form (closed box) that is used, but a frame. This need is related to the requirement to ensure high-quality air circulation. The frame promotes cooling, which extends the life of the equipment. You can make it yourself from the following materials:

• Tree. Advantages: low cost and ease of implementation.
• Aluminum. Advantages: durability and high-quality cooling.

The frame should be spacious. You can use a standard open stand as it.

You can purchase a suitable frame on Avito.

IMPORTANT! A novice miner must take care of reliable wiring in the apartment, since it is subject to a huge load. Otherwise, it may simply melt.

Choosing a video card for a mining farm

In theory, you can use any video card for mining, but in practice it’s not so simple. For good performance you need to select modern equipment. Let's look at examples of video cards that can be used for mining in 2017:

• Radeon RX 470. Memory is 4-7 gigabytes. The approximate cost is 15,000 rubles. The approximate payback period is 105-125 days.
• Radeon RX 480. This is a more expensive model with similar memory. The frequency is 1320 Mhz, hashrate is 26 Mh/s. The approximate cost is 22,000-25,000 rubles, the payback period is 105-140 days.
• Geforce GTX 1060. The memory capacity is 3-6 GB, which negatively affects performance. The hashrate is only 20 Mh/s. The frequency is 1800 MHz. The cost of the model starts from 15,000 rubles. The device pays for itself within 120 days.
• Geforce GTX 1 070. The memory is 8 gigabytes, the power is the highest of the listed models - 28 Mh/s. The approximate cost is 27,000-30,000 rubles. The model pays for itself within 150 days.

When selecting, you need to focus on the ratio of power and cost.

How much can you earn on a mining farm?

Earnings from a mining farm depend on the following factors:

• Manufacturer of video card chips. Various video cards are designed for mining a specific cryptocurrency. For example, on Nvidia models it is convenient to mine Zcash, on AMD – Ether. Incorrect selection of a video card leads to a decrease in performance, which negatively affects the miner’s income.
• Number of video cards. The more video cards, the higher the power. The best option is to buy many devices with average performance.
• Mined cryptocurrency. The most famous is Bitcoin, but not the only cryptocurrency. Different monetary units are sold at different values.

Earnings are determined, first of all, by the capacity of the farm.

When mining ether, for example, you can get a monthly income of 25,000-30,000 rubles.

However, the profit will be less, since considerable energy costs must be deducted from the income.

Mining farm calculator

You can find mining farm calculators on the Internet. They display the miner’s income per day, week, month. The calculation is made based on the following parameters:

• Type of cryptocurrency.
• Hashrate.
• Energy consumption in W/hour.
• Cost of electricity.
• The complexity of the calculations performed (entered automatically).

The result obtained is converted into various currencies according to the current exchange rate: rubles, euros, dollars. Consider the list of the most popular calculators:

• KriptoKurs. Allows you to analyze a wide variety of cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Monero.
• 99Bitcoins. This calculator only calculates Bitcoin farms. Parameters are set manually.
• Bits.Media. Also analyzes only Bitcoins. When calculating, such indicators as the contribution to the farm, the cost of electricity, and exchange rates are taken into account.
• AsicTrade. The calculator supports the calculation of a range of cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Zcash or Monero.

Different calculators take into account different numbers of parameters. The more of these parameters, the more accurate the result will be.

Are mining farms relevant today?

Disputes about the profitability of cryptocurrency production do not subside even now.

It is impossible to unequivocally answer the question about the relevance of mining farms.

You should focus on objective facts. The most popular cryptocurrency now is Bitcoin.

This is what novice miners, with rare exceptions, want to mine. However, as already mentioned, the number of bitcoins is limited, and the fewer there are, the more difficult it is to mine them.

The wild growth in popularity and, more importantly, the cost of cryptocurrency has expectedly led to an increase in the number of “miners” who want to make money from the extraction and sale of bitcoins, ether, etc. Today, everyone has the opportunity to assemble a mining farm from video cards at home.

What are we talking about?

People over 30 have hardly heard of cryptocurrency and all sorts of “miners” with their farms. In fact, it is quite difficult to understand the essence of digital currency mining and why the currency is worth a lot of money. Therefore, it is necessary for those who are already planning to earn money to delve deeply into the calculation process. In the meantime, we will talk about assembling the farm, costs, possible income, etc.

Home mining

Essentially, mining is a computational process based on the creation of new blocks in the platform. As the total number of cryptocurrency itself and miners increases, the process of calculating transactions becomes longer and more expensive, since mining is provided by powerful computer equipment, which costs money.

For calculating blocks, the miner receives a reward in the form of a digital counting unit, i.e. cryptocurrency. Bitcoin, the very first cryptocurrency, gained particular popularity. There was a particularly active price increase in 2017. In the spring, BTC cost around $1,000. In October, the rate rose to almost $5,000.

Demand for currency from investors only provokes an increase in the exchange rate. Today, there is more and more talk about the recognition and legalization of Bitcoin in some countries of the world with developed economies. Bitcoin may actually become official in some countries in the near future. This will only have a positive impact on strengthening the cryptocurrency market.

There are other opinions: many believe that the bubble will soon burst. But the miners are not going to give in yet. They believe that cryptocurrency is the future, and bitcoins mined today will only increase in price. Therefore, mining remains relevant today.

Don’t neglect Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum (ether) and Ripple (ripple). The same ether is showing excellent dynamics today and has potential: many experts are confident that in the near future, ether will overtake Bitcoin in price.

How does a mining farm work?

Anyone on the blockchain network can track and process new blocks of transactions. To be more precise, this is done by equipment - farms. Each discovered block brings miners income in the form of cryptocurrency. The speed of finding a block takes time (even in a few minutes you can calculate a block) and depends on 2 key factors:

1. Productivity. For example, the speed of Bitcoin calculation depends on the power of the farm.
2. Network complexity. The number of miners is growing, which increases the time spent searching for each new block.

The farms themselves are divided into 3 types:

1. Devices with video cards as the main computing element. At the beginning of their journey, AMD video cards showed good performance in calculating Bitcoin. Now this method of mining is unprofitable. But for the production of, for example, ether, such a farm is suitable.
2. FPGA modules. Such equipment does not require a cooling system, and is not inferior in performance. Cost-effectiveness and compactness are the advantages of the device.
3. ASIC processors. Such equipment is relevant today for Bitcoin mining. The price of the farm is justified due to its high productivity. However, other cryptocurrencies cannot be mined on ASIC.

You can mine cryptocurrency through the farm alone (solo). There is a minus - you need to buy equipment and assemble the farm yourself, and it will take a lot of time to calculate the blocks. There is another option - pools. This is a network to which different miners connect their farms. Blocks are found relatively quickly, but the profit is also divided among the pool participants in proportion to the power of each person’s equipment.

People are also interested in the question of buying a farm. Now there are enough offers for the sale of farms. The answer here is simple: if a person does not understand anything about computer technology, then he may have problems with self-assembly. If someone is “exploring” the topic, then assembling a farm of 6 productive cards will cost about 90-100 thousand rubles. If you buy a farm with the same productivity, it will cost up to 200 thousand rubles.

Farm components:

• CPU. Performance plays almost no role, i.e. there is no point in spending money on buying a high-performance processor.
• Motherboard with multiple slots.
• RAM. As long as it fits the slot, but not less than 4 GB.
• HDD. The optimal volume is 80 GB. Less than 40GB will not work.
• Video cards. This is the basic piece of equipment. Important: the higher the performance, the better, but cards smaller than 4GB will not work. For example, the ZOTAC GeForce GTX1060 card is suitable. Powerful cards from NVidia and AMD RX (470 and above) are also good options.
• Power unit. A farm of six cards must be equipped with a unit with a power of 1500 V.
• Razer adapters. They are needed to connect video cards.
• 4 coolers to ensure high-quality cooling.
• Frame. It can be purchased online for a low cost.
• Start button.

DIY mining rig assembly steps

1. The mother card should be installed in the center on the bottom shelf of the frame. This will provide an air cushion for improved cooling.
2. A processor with a cooler is installed on the board.
3. Installing the power supply.
4. Connecting the start button and installing the hard drive.
5. Coolers for cooling are mounted on the side panels, 2 on each side of the rack.
6. The video cards themselves are suspended on the crossbars using ties. Cards are connected to the motherboard using Razer adapters.

There is nothing particularly difficult to assemble. You just need to see the frame for yourself, and it will become intuitively clear what and where to connect and mount. Mining itself is possible through special programs for operating systems. The algorithm for starting the calculation may differ, so it is better to find out on your own on the Internet how to start the calculation and where the “coins” will be credited.

When assembling a farm, attention is paid to the performance of the devices. Hashrate is a unit of power measurement. The optimal figure is approximately 25 megahash per second per video card. Knowing this indicator, you can roughly calculate the profitability of mining using ether as an example. If a card produces 25 megahash, then a farm of 5 cards produces 125 units. Considering the average ether exchange rate for the fall of 2017, with such a farm’s power, the profit per day will be approximately $5. This is provided that the farm operates around the clock.

The problem is that the farm “eats” a lot of electricity, which in this example reduces the net profit by 2 times. And if we take into account the total costs of assembly and mining, the payback will be almost 2 years, although this is only an example. The total income directly affects the value of the cryptocurrency. And according to the forecasts of many experts, it will only grow in the near future.

In this article we will talk about the main tool through which cryptocurrency is mined. Let's consider the configuration, assembly and configuration of the farm for, as well as the selection of the optimal configuration.

A mining farm is a regular computer with video cards connected to it; a standard home farm includes from 4 to 6 video cards. This quantity is optimal from the point of view of choosing a motherboard and power supply (server or two regular synchronized ones). With the help of a special program (miner), the farm computer ensures the transfer of computing power in favor of the Blockchain system, the cryptocurrency that you are currently mining.

As a rule, regular serial video cards are used (both for games and normal work), but since mid-2017, special lines of video cards for mining from NVIDIA P106-100 and P104-100 (analogues of the serial GTX 1060 and GTX 1080) began to appear.

They are adapted for mining and differ from serial ones in the higher issued hashrate (mining speed is 30% higher), but also lower warranty - 3 months. Due to the very short warranty period, these model lines have not gained much popularity among miners. We will tell you more about choosing a video card and other components below.

Material navigation:

Why are miners needed in the Blockchain system?

What will we mine on the farm - bitcoins or altcoins?

It makes no sense to mine Bitcoin on video cards today, since the complexity of the network is too high, so we mine alternative coins on GPUs (altcoins - Ethereum, Zcash, Monero). If you want to mine Bitcoin (BTC), then there are the following options:

• on services and is the best option for mining bitcoins for 2019, and, in principle, the best option for mining any popular cryptocurrency because does not require large investments, quickly pays for itself and there are no problems with setting up and maintaining the functionality of the equipment.
• A special one designed exclusively for mining BTC (the most expensive solution and it takes a very long time to pay off).
• Mining altcoins with a video card with instant conversion to Bitcoin (not the most profitable option for video cards, but earnings go directly to BTC).

List of stages to start mining cryptocurrency

1. You buy several video cards (optimally 4-6) with good cooling and the best hashrate (performance)/cost ratio; you also shouldn’t forget about the amount of memory, for example, since 2017, some cryptocurrencies (in particular Ethereum) cannot be mined with cards 2 Gb or lower due to DAG file size, and in 2019 it will grow to 4 Gb and to extract it you will need cards of 6 Gb or higher.
2. Purchase a good powerful power supply because consumption will be high from 0.7 to 1.5 kW. There are two options - a server power supply or two regular ones (synchronized with a special cable). Both options have their advantages, it's up to you.
3. A structure similar to a server rack is constructed on which the farm is mounted and assembled. There are many such designs for sale on Avito and forums, the average price is 1,500 rubles.
4. Everything is connected and assembled like a regular PC, but video cards are connected with special risers (Molex or 6pin).
5. We install Windows (preferably version 10), configure the software (miner, overclocking utility, etc.), and start mining!

Of course, this is a very short list of actions, then we will look at the assembly and configuration process in more detail and analyze all the details.

What does a standard mining rig consist of?

A mining farm is an assembly of several components that are combined with each other and produce virtual currency. The technology continuously solves complex mathematical problems, the result of which is a converted program code, which is a cryptocurrency.

The farm is based on video cards, since they are the ones that handle the computing processes. The more powerful the video card, the faster it selects numerical variations, the more coins can be mined in a limited period of time. Accordingly, the more video cards, the more income they will bring in total.

The farm consists of a complex of various components:

• SSD disk (its advantages are stability and speed). 60 gigabytes may be enough, but it is better to take 100-160.
• (optimally 4-6 pieces).
• . An ordinary motherboard with the required number of connectors for a video card will be sufficient.
• (with a margin of 20-30% of the maximum consumption of the entire system). Farms with 4+ video cards often require more than one power supply. They basically buy several 750-watt units and simply connect them together to work.
• (one for each video card).
• RAM (4 GB is enough).
• USB WatchDog.
• Frame. It is best to make the frame from wood or aluminum. The size of the mining rig will be slightly larger than its frame due to protruding parts, adapters and the cooling system. An average truss will be approximately half a meter high, 70cm long and 50cm wide. A large mining rig can reach length and height parameters of one meter.
• Monitor emulator.
• It would be advisable to buy 1-2 more coolers for better cooling, but this depends on the location of the farm and the conditions in the room where it is located.

The last two points are not required for the operation of the farm, but USB WatchDog increases the stability of operation when you are not around and there is short-term electricity. And the monitor emulator allows you to run the farm without a monitor; you first need to install TeamViewer in startup.

Discount coupon when purchasing equipment for a mining farm in the Computeruniverse.ru online store:

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How to assemble a mining rig yourself - two best video instructions!

How to assemble a farm yourself is described in detail in these videos; each demonstrates the process of connecting and setting up from start to finish, including registering on the pool and setting up the miner.

Tips for choosing farm equipment:

motherboards

Most miners encounter the first problems already at the stage of choosing a motherboard. There is little reliable information on the Internet about which hardware is guaranteed to work with multiple video cards. The classic scheme for assembling a farm for broadcast is 4, 6 or 8 video cards. Accordingly, not every motherboard will support so many devices along the bus. This is where many people get caught.

The main criteria for choosing a motherboard for mining:

• Number of PCI-E x16, PCI-EXPRESS x1 and M.2 ports

Note: all PCI ports must be ACTIVE (they can be paralleled and then only one of the pair works!).

The price should be as cheap as possible, and there should be as many ports as possible and they should be located as conveniently as possible. There are boards positioned as specialized motherboards for mining, for example, the ASRock BTC series or boards from Biostar.

To assemble a budget-level farm, miners choose used motherboards based on socket 775. As a rule, mid- and premium-segment boards on this platform have 4 or more PCI-E ports and can easily detect all video cards on board. Among them, the most famous are motherboards based on P45, P43 and P35 chipsets (Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3L or Asus P5Q Deluxe).

However, the best option is still current, but already inexpensive motherboards in a simple design on the Z270 chipset. For example, Gigabyte GA-Z270P-D3, which works with six video cards without “dancing with a tambourine.” Such a piece of hardware can be purchased for about $90-$100.

ASUS PRIME H270-PLUS boards are popular in mining, but they are almost out of stock anywhere, due to the fact that they are in various guides. Usually people do not want or cannot choose for themselves, so they blindly follow what is written to them. But there are a great many similar options.

For adherents of the AMD platform, there is also a good option in this price category - Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3P. But this board only supports 5 video cards.

Setting up a motherboard for mining

For normal operation, disable all unnecessary functions in the BIOS, for example, sound and usb 3.0 ports. Next, in Standard SMOS Features, switch the Halt on item to No Errors (this is necessary so that there is no error checking at the beginning and the farm starts quickly after the same reboot). Disable (DISABLED) the HDD S.M.A.R.T function. We look for the AC Back function and turn it on (the farm will automatically start after power is applied).

At the end, we set to boot from a flash drive to install Windows 10. For some boards, additional settings are required, for example, for ASUS PRIME H270-P you need to enable the 4g Decoding (advanced\system agent) item, if this item is not there, then just update the BIOS.

Raisers

The cards will be connected through risers (special adapters). They are universal, connecting to both PCI-E x16 and PCI-E x1 ports. You need to buy only USB 3.0 raisers and make sure that the wire is longer, for example, 60 cm.

The technological feature of PCI Express wiring does not allow using all connectors at once to directly connect video cards to the motherboard. They will certainly interfere with each other's cooling, or they will not be able to be installed at all.

There is a way out - a PCI-e extender, or riser. They come in two types - a cable with connectors or a separate board with a full PCI-e 16x connector and additional power distribution. The common form of the adapter looks like this: a riser, a contact pad and a USB 3.0 wire.

Such adapters differ in the type of power supply. The most common and reliable ones are powered through molex connectors of computer power supplies (connectors for powering DVD drives, old HDDs).

For video cards without external power supply, it is strictly necessary to install risers with power via the PCI-e connectors of the power supply. These wires are designed to withstand heavy loads and will not overheat.

For powerful video cards with external power supply, it is better to buy the molex version. Since the graphics card power load is removed from the PCI-e connectors, there will be no strong current at the riser power terminal, which means there is no need for powerful wires.

The average price for a riser in Russia fluctuates around $6−$7. In China, such an adapter costs no more than $5.

The risers differ in versions, the main difference being the power connectors. Choose them based on those available on your power supply. When connecting power to the farm, add to the power consumption of your card and risers, about 80 W. BE CAREFUL WHEN CONNECTING THE RISER INTO THE PCI-E x16 SLOT, it can be connected on the wrong side and it will fit into the connector. The result will be disastrous. Watch the position of the key on the connector.

In order to connect an additional card to the M2 port you will need a special adapter.

CPU

CPU mining is not relevant in 2019. Therefore, choose the simplest and most inexpensive processor for your farm, based on the socket of your motherboard. The processor must be able to handle Windows 10 and the work of the miner. Processors of this type Celeron G1840 BOX are suitable.

To assemble a simple configuration for Ether and similar coins, you can install the most affordable processors:

• Celeron G3900 (G3930) for a farm on an Intel platform with a Z270 chipset (about $40);
• Core 2 Duo E7300(any C2D series, starting from 7xxx) for a farm on an Intel platform with P45, P43, P35 chipsets (price negotiable, no more than $10−$15);
• Athlon X3 445 for a farm on an AMD platform with a 970A chipset (in China the processor can be found for less than $10).

For CPU mining, you can consider multi-core stones that mine coins using the Cryptonight algorithm. For example, Core i3, i5, i7 for the platform based on the Z270 chipset.

Although there are other, more profitable options. For example, Xeon E5-2650. But this is server-grade equipment, so it is better to entrust the search for components and configuration to a knowledgeable person. And for a “home” miner, a farm on a weak processor is enough.

We recommend purchasing the BOX version of the processor, since this package includes a cooler. The price difference between BOX and OEM versions is minimal, but purchasing a third-party cooling system will cost more. Plus, the warranty on the “boxed” cooler is no longer 12, but 36 months.

Video cards for mining

For an approximate analysis of earnings from mining on specific video cards, there are special ones that provide up-to-date data online at the moment because Network complexity and course are constantly changing. Here you can see how much a farm with certain cards on different coins will bring you.

Nvidia and AMD graphics chips have their advantages and disadvantages. But the main difference between them is the efficiency in mining. Depending on the coin, miners select exactly those video cards that provide more power and consume less electricity using a certain algorithm, for example, it is efficient to mine Ethereum on cards from AMD, and Zcash on Nvidia cards.

The main pros and cons of cards from two manufacturers can be outlined as follows::

• Nvidia is easier to set up, has fewer cooling issues, but slightly higher power consumption. After mining, you can sell it profitably.
• AMD is more difficult to configure and maintain, there are nuances in cooling, but there is a solution to gluttony (fine-tuning the voltage in the firmware). Less popular among gamers, they sell worse.

Video cards are selected taking into account what needs to be mined. The GTX line is best suited for coins based on the Equihash algorithm. For example, Zcash or Bitcoin Private. All this is thanks to the architectural features of green graphics chips. So, the GTX 1060 produces a little more than 310 soles, and the Radeon RX580 only 290. The difference is especially noticeable if you turn on two 1050Ti versus one RX580. Then the difference in power will exceed 20% in favor of Nvidia.

But for ether and other coins based on the Ethash algorithm, it is better to look towards the red camp. From the same RX580 you can squeeze more than 30 megahashes, while the GTX 1060 with 6 GB of video memory accelerates to only 22. And the price difference between such video cards is minimal.

However, buying video cards is not limited to choosing a graphics chip manufacturer. In any case, the video card will mine and earn money. Therefore, the reliability and durability of equipment plays a primary role in mining:

• The cooling system should consist of copper heat pipes. Memory chips must be cooled by a main heatsink or a copper plate through thermal pads. Power batteries on the board (mosfets, transistors) must be cooled by common or separate radiators.
• High-quality cards are reinforced with a metal plate - backplate. This promotes good heat dissipation from the PCB and affects its rigidity (the risk of chip failure due to board misalignment is reduced).
• An additional 4 or 8 pin power supply is required. This will reduce the load on the riser and PCI-e lines of the motherboard.
• It's good if the coolers are assembled on rolling bearings. With proper care, such fans work for a very long time even in mining (bearings are found in video cards from MSI).

At the moment, the following cards are most relevant:

To begin, click on the main page “Create an account” or “Register” and get to the registration page.

Note! When registering, it is advisable to enter a strong password containing upper and lower case characters, numbers and special characters. It should not be the same as other passwords you use. Remember your safety.

After entering the data, click the checkbox to agree to the terms of service (the Russian version of the translation is lame here, yes), and proceed to the next stage. You will need to move the slider so that a separate piece of the puzzle aligns with the main image.

Now all that remains is to check your email and confirm registration on the exchange by clicking on the “Verify Email” button, which is contained in the letter. After this, you can log into the exchange by entering your email address and password.

When we first launch, we are asked to set up two-factor authentication using a Google Authenticator key or SMS confirmations. But this is not necessary.

It is a set of computers that are combined into one network and perform calculations around the clock. The purpose of the machines is to form blocks of the cryptocurrency chain, and the main function is performed by video cards or special chips. The most preferred type of hardware is .ATI RADEON 7th generation, while NVIDIA are considered practically useless. Power supplies are no less important.

Cryptocurrency equipment is expensive, making starting a farm an expensive and unpopular business. Considerable expenses also go towards paying electricity bills, ventilation and solving other problems. If the farm has already been created, the result of its work is the generation of cryptocurrency with the possibility of subsequent sale and covering costs.

What types of mining farms are there?

Today there are several options for farms based on:

• FPGA modules.
• Video cards. Here, the speed of work and the number of coins generated depend on the total amount of capacity.
• ASIC processors. A modern and effective way to generate cryptocurrency.

The most expensive farms are those based on FPGA modules. Their main disadvantage is the need for maximum cooling. In second place are video cards, but they are characterized by high energy consumption, which means high electricity costs. Advantages: reliability and smaller area. The best option is to create a farm on ASIC processors, but the main disadvantage here is the high price, so not everyone can buy such equipment.

Operating principle

Let's figure out how a cryptocurrency mining farm works. It was noted above that a “farm” is a group of devices (computers) that are connected to the blockchain network for data processing. In turn, the blockchain network is a chain of blocks of transactions carried out taking into account certain rules. In other words, it is a distributed database that underlies cryptocurrency.

It is on this system that the Bitcoin cryptocurrency is built. Transaction blocks are processed (found) by network participants (miners). The time it takes to mine a block can vary, from 1-2 minutes to several days. The purpose of the farm is to obtain new blocks and cryptocurrency.

What causes the difference in block search speed? A number of nuances are worth highlighting here:

• Network complexity. Older blockchain networks require more miners and more power. Consequently, the size of the reward gradually decreases, and it takes more time to mine a new block.
• Equipment capacity. The higher this parameter, the greater the power and the higher the probability of finding a block in a short time.

Cryptocurrency mining can be done in several ways:

• On your own (SOLO).
• Together with other miners (pool).

The second option with a pool looks more attractive, which is a network where miners use available farms to mine new blocks in the blockchain network. The received Bitcoins or other cryptocurrency are divided among all participants, taking into account the share of power that was invested in the mining process. This path is more attractive for people who do not yet have experience, and the available mining equipment does not allow obtaining sufficient hashrate (mining speed).

The first option (self-mining) is suitable for those who have sufficient power to mine blocks. To evaluate which option is better, you can work one by one. For example, you can mine currency on your own for a week, and then work in a pool.

Is it possible to assemble a mining farm with your own hands, and how to do it?

​The easiest way for beginners is to create a farm on video cards. But simply installing the equipment into a PC case will not be enough. The reason is that the heat transfer of such cards is high, reaching 120 degrees Celsius. A logical question arises: how to set up the farm and ensure normal operation from a cooling standpoint. Due to the operation of equipment at maximum power, overheating becomes commonplace, and this must be dealt with.

The optimal solution is to install additional fans, which activate air movement and increase the service life and efficiency of the finished farm. If cooling is not provided, the semiconductors on the boards are destroyed, and the equipment itself turns into a mountain of useless iron.

But it’s possible to build a cryptocurrency mining farm. The best option is to mount the video card on a special rack and attach fans around the perimeter for cooling. The maximum number of connected cards is up to six.

Next, you need to solve the issue with electricity, because the connected equipment consumes a lot of current, and this is a “blow” on your pocket. When building a DIY farm, it is important to make decisions to reduce energy consumption. Otherwise, it will be difficult to recoup the costs.

The lower power limit for devices in the mid-price range is 50 Wh. More expensive equipment consumes more - up to 100 W. If you multiply this figure by six units (the maximum number of connectors), the consumption turns out to be 600 Wh. If the farm operates 24 hours a day (which is exactly what is needed), the daily consumption will be 14.4 kW.

It is worth considering one more point. Installation of the mentioned equipment is not everything, because the devices are not able to work on their own. It's essentially a regular PC that requires RAM, a CPU, fans, and a hard drive. The elements discussed above also consume electricity (up to 400 W). So you can add 8.8 kW to the mentioned figure, and the total number reaches 23.2 kW per day. Such consumption is typical for an apartment or even an office. Almost 700 kW is generated per month.

Another disadvantage of a farm that you created yourself is its large dimensions. The size of the device is in no way inferior to a diesel generator or other similar equipment. Interestingly, farms on ASIC processors are also not compact. Some installations can reach a weight of 25 kg or more.

What other options are there?

In 2012, ASIC controllers appeared, which significantly surpassed video cards in their efficiency. As a result, the latter are used less frequently in professional applications. But here the situation is ambiguous. To understand the capabilities of each option, it is worth citing their differences.

So, a farm consisting of 6 video cards and a power supply consumes about 500 W. The system of microcircuits has a higher consumption - 1.5 kV. The computing power is strikingly different. If in the first case it is only 210 Mhash per second, in the second this parameter reaches 13-14 thousand. The cost also differs. It costs $900-1200 to build a farm of video cards and power supplies. While a solution on a chip will cost $2000-2100. In addition, the noise level of ASIC processors is lower - 40 dB versus 60 dB (for video cards).

As you can see, the costs of a microprocessor farm are higher, but it pays off 70 times faster. That is why this nuance must be taken into account when choosing the appropriate option.

Results

Is it worth making a mining farm with your own hands? If you have the required amount on hand, such a decision may be justified. But it’s worth considering that the process of mining cryptocurrency is constantly becoming more complicated, and the requirements for equipment are growing. This means that you need to buy equipment with a reserve, which entails even greater costs. When they will pay off is a big question. This can be either 3-4 or 60 months.

Bitcoin mining is one of the first options for earning money, which appeared along with the entry of the first cryptocurrency into the market. He didn’t disdain her either, who, even before the surge in popularity of his brainchild, was able to form about a million new military-technical cooperation. At the current exchange rate, such capital will be enough for the rest of his life - he owned the first mining farm.

Even those far from the topic of technology could hear about people who purchased video cards in huge quantities and invested tens of thousands of dollars in the extraction of some kind of virtual money. This is where questions arose about what a cryptocurrency mining farm and the like are. Now mining, although it has partially come to naught, is still excellent as a way to provide yourself with passive income. But first you need to sort out the details?

Mining farm: how does it work?

It is worth taking a short excursion into the functioning algorithm. Even the uninitiated probably know that this cryptocurrency (like any other) operates without any single center. Data and transactions are processed by a special algorithm. And the entire database of transfers and information about wallets is located and duplicated many times on every device on the network.

But the passive participation of every personal computer and portable device is not enough to ensure the cryptocurrency infrastructure and the normal speed of transactions. And this is where mining farm monitoring comes to the rescue. In fact, this procedure is a voluntary rental of one’s computing power, which has prompted many to create Bitcoin farms to make money. The reward for this is the generated virtual coin. In a sense, mining means “growing bitcoins.”

How does a mining farm work? Data is stored in a database of unique chains - blocks. Each computer assembles its own chain separately from the others. And if he managed to get ahead of all the others, he receives a reward in the form of a fixed amount. No, less powerful computers or a bitcoin farm will lose to faster ones. But the probability of receiving bitcoin in this case is proportionally reduced. In fact, miners ensure the functionality of the cryptocurrency in the form in which it exists.

Bitcoin farm: how it works

The total amount of mining rewards is limited by the system algorithms and amounts to 3,600 BTC per day. The distribution of funds in this case occurs in direct proportion to the power that you give for the benefit of the cryptocurrency. Almost from the very first months of Bitcoin becoming widely available, enterprising and far-sighted people began assembling mining rigs. For some, the cryptocurrency farm became a source of enrichment, while others picked up the idea too late.

What is a mining farm? In the traditional version, these are cascades of video cards connected to one or more computers. A central processor could also be used for mining, but its performance in calculating this type of data (SHA-256 hash) was extremely low.

What is needed for a mining farm? With the increase in the number of video cards, they began to purchase more powerful power supplies and take care of cooling. Over time, entire premises with huge areas and server racks were allocated for mining. Electricity costs also increased, but this did not reduce the return on investment. Even after the exchange rate fell in 2011, the number of miners did not decrease.

Changing layouts

There are quite a number of people who have become millionaires (and in the case of the creator, billionaires) thanks to mining. The BTC mining industry shook when they announced SHA-256 for computing. In fact, these are special-purpose microcircuits that have only one function - hash calculation, that is, a kind of turnkey mining farm. The performance of 2012 microcircuits in this field has become significantly higher than traditional for those times when a Bitcoin mine farm of 6 was the standard, and consumed a hundred times less electricity. The second generation has become even more powerful - using a more advanced technical process and numerous improvements, productivity has increased by another order of magnitude.

At the moment, it is ASICs that provide the highest possible return on investment for a mining farm and are easily ahead of flagship video cards like the Radeon R9 380 by three to four orders of magnitude in performance. Equipment costs are significantly lower. After all, the energy consumption of the microcircuit and power supply is ten times less. In fact, the production and development of ASICs buried the hopes of miners for serious earnings using video cards, because their share in the system fell sharply. From that moment on, the payback on such installations decreased greatly and began to tend to zero.

Mining: bitcoin farms in China - a look from the inside (video).

Mining farm: what is it? How is a Bitcoin mining farm assembled?

If you still have no idea how to create a bitcoin farm, here are step-by-step instructions especially for you:

1. Buy several video cards with good cooling and the best hashrate (performance)/cost ratio.
2. A separate powerful power supply is purchased for this installation - each of the boards consumes more than 300 watts.
3. A structure similar to a server rack is constructed on which this solution is mounted and assembled.
4. Provides maximum air circulation and cooling.
5. The assembly is connected to the computer, and it, in turn, is connected to.
6. Mining starts.