So, you have decided to build a mining farm. It does not matter how exactly you came to such a decision, but if the decision is made, then the main thing is to choose the right equipment.

The first step is to decide on the amount that you are going to spend on creating a farm. Now, when the crypto-currency boom has subsided, the cost of the NEW, cheapest farm, which can at least pay off in the next 7-8 months, will be at least $ 3,500.

It is important to understand that only video cards bring income, but in order for them to be able, they need additional equipment in the form of a motherboard, processor, memory, hard drive, power supply. All this costs about as much as one video card. In the future, if you decide to continue mining, then the same equipment can be used further, changing only video cards to newer ones.

For a simpler understanding of the issue, as well as in order not to be confused with prices and names, only new components will be considered.

Mining farm size selection (motherboard)

The most common motherboards for mining are motherboards with the ability to connect six video cards at once. However, before you go to the store and buy the first thing from this series, read on the Internet about what pitfalls this or that motherboard can hide. To do this, collect information about all the offers that are available (it makes no sense to wait more than 1-2 weeks) and spend the evening looking for information about possible problems. Try to choose a model where the number of possible problems is minimized. If you are not a specialist or at least not an advanced user in computer hardware, then the proposed approach will solve a huge part of the problems already at the initial stage. The average price of a mining motherboard will be approximately $100-150. Everything will depend on the number of PCI-E 16x and PCI-E 1x slots. The more PCI-E 16x slots, the more expensive the motherboard will cost, but there is no need for PCI-E 16x slots. The PCI-E 1x slots do the job quite well.

Ideally, this is a motherboard with one PCI-E 16x and five PCI-E 1x. The rest of the parameters are not significant. The picture above shows the ideal motherboard for such purposes.

The choice of video cards for mining

Video cards are best to choose one series. In this case, you also reduce the risk of equipment conflicts and minimize the time that you have to spend on setting up and further maintaining the farm.

It is impossible to say for sure which cards are better. You should always look at additional options that cannot be listed within the scope of this article, and some options are already changing.

Everything will depend on the ratio between the algorithm of the coin you want to mine and the energy efficiency of the card. This is how the profit received from is calculated. The only parameter you should pay attention to is the number of shader units. The higher the value of this parameter, the more efficient the video card is in mining.

At the moment, AMD cards are the most efficient at mining Ethereum, but nVidia graphics cards are the most efficient at mining most other cryptocurrencies that are mined using video cards. The most effective at the moment is zCash. The efficiency of mining zCash on nVidia video cards is 20-30% higher than that of AMD video cards.

Perhaps you need to choose only among the top manufacturers. Such as ASUS, GIGABYTE, MSI, PALIT, ZOTAC. Speaking specifically for today, then based on the budget, you need to choose Palit GeForce GTX 1070 GameRock Premium Edition cards. Their price today fluctuates within 500 dollars.

There are many services on the network that will show you what speed your card will give and on what algorithm, as well as how much you will earn according to today's rate and taking into account its current complexity.

Warranty for video cards is usually 24-36 months, 12 with very rare exceptions. Which more than covers the payback time of the video card.

Once again, we note that the payback time for the entire farm is from 8 to 12 months. The payback time of the card is about 5-6 months.

The choice of power supplies for mining

Perhaps one of the most important components in the entire farm. After all, the stability of the entire farm will largely depend on the power supply. If you make a mistake with the choice, then at best you will have to remove a couple of cards so that there is enough power for the rest of the components. You also need to choose from top manufacturers, since only they guarantee that their device will produce the declared power and even a little more. It is better to choose from such brands as Chieftec, Cooler Master, Deepcool, INWIN, Thermaltake, Zalman. But again, for each model, you need to look at the reviews on the network, since any product has a marriage or some specific features. For a 6-card farm, you need to take a power supply unit of at least 1200 watts, and such units are not cheap, and here you can either take two 750 watts each and connect them in parallel (one to the motherboard and three video cards, the second to the hard drive and the remaining three video cards), or take a 1500-watt server power supply and solder it to the required number of connectors. Both alternative solutions are already for advanced users, but otherwise you will not fit into the budget. 1200 watt power supplies start at $400.

To power the second power supply without a motherboard, you need to close 2 contacts, as shown in the figure (before this, be sure to turn off the power supply from the button that all power supplies have today. And in the future, turn it on / off only from it):

Choice of other accessories

Other components can be selected only on the basis of compatibility. But as a rule, today, such a problem is no longer there. Take the smallest processor available. If it's an Intel platform, then take Celeron, if it's AMD, then take Sempron. If you do not plan to mine on the processor in the same way, then any will do. Same with the hard drive. You can take the cheapest one, but it is recommended to take an SSD, at least 64 GB, at least 32 GB. First of all, it is more profitable in terms of energy costs. SSD drives consume much less electricity. 2 gigabytes of memory is enough, since the system will go there with a maximum of windows 8, and most likely windows 7.

Don't try to stuff it all into a computer case. Even if you succeed, it will all overheat terribly, which means it will fail and fail. To fix all this, assemble a small structure from an aluminum corner. It is often used as furniture fittings. But in fact, any metal corner will do, from which you can assemble the structure as in the picture below:

You will also need raisers (this is an adapter from a PCI-E 16x slot to a PCI-E 1x slot):

The number will depend on the number of PCI-E 1x slots and, of course, the video cards that will be connected there.

Choosing a farm space

For this kind of farm, it makes no sense to allocate a separate room. The maximum that can be used for these purposes is a garage, but on condition that there is a stable and fast Internet. And you may also need a UPS for voltage equalization and for possible disconnections from power surges. And so, if a little noise does not bother you, then you can leave it in the room or move the farm to the balcony if it is glazed and there is no dampness and dust.

Also, the room should have good ventilation or be regularly ventilated, as a lot of heat will be generated.

The cost of electricity in Russia on average is 6-7 cents. Farm consumption will be about 1000 watts per hour.

Internet for the farm

The Internet for the farm needs a stable and fast one. Preferably wired, but if you have good 3G / 4G Internet in your area, then it will pull. If the Internet is not fast enough, then there will be losses during the transmission of the “ball”. In simple words, the cards will solve the problem, but they will not have time to transfer it before someone else passes the solution to the same problem and it turns out that your cards will work in vain. Ideally, the ping should be no more than 50 ms. Good mobile Internet usually gives out 100-200 ms. If the ping is more than 200, then there will already be losses. Wi-Fi is also better not to use.

Setting up and installing mining software

As mentioned above, it is best to install windows 7 and 8. Download and install the latest drivers from the video card manufacturer's website. Nothing else is recommended. Especially antiviruses and firewalls, as they will block mining programs. Maximum browser and desktop remote access control program.

Selection, installation and configuration of mining software is selected according to the selected video cards and the selected cryptocurrency algorithm. All this is on the mining pools of cryptocurrencies.

Farm Automation

If you install a farm in a garage or want to control the operation of the farm remotely, it is recommended to install TeamViewer. With it, you can monitor the work of the farm even from your phone or tablet.

It is also desirable to install any program that would monitor the temperature readings of all systems and keep logs so that in the event of equipment failure it would be possible to understand and solve the problem as soon as possible.

If the farm will constantly freeze, first of all look for a problem in the software. If there is no such problem, then start removing one card at a time. Do not forget that the problem may be in one of the key components of the farm, such as the motherboard, processor, hard drive, memory, or power supply. In this case, it will be possible to find what exactly is not working correctly only by replacing each of the components. But as a rule, this is unlikely and is possible only in the case of a factory marriage.

Overclocking video cards

Beginners are advised to overclock only using programs provided by card manufacturers. Each manufacturer usually has its own program and all of them can be found on the website or bundled with drivers. The increase in power with such overclocking will be from 10 to 15% (depending on the video card and manufacturer). All other programs are very specific and each has its own individual settings. Almost all professional overclocking programs change the BIOS settings, and this is no longer a warranty case if something goes wrong. The map will simply turn into a “brick”. And the gain from such in-depth overclocking will be no more than 10-15% (plus those that have already been squeezed out of overclocking by the basic program) with the finest tuning. In addition, an overclocked video card will consume more electricity, sometimes disproportionately more than the profit received. Therefore, it is also important to strike a balance here.

In conclusion, to summarize, if you are not advanced enough in terms of setting up computer hardware, then we recommend buying everything new and under warranty. More advanced users will be able to pick up the same on cheaper and used ear equipment. However, the risks and the time spent increase. But in any of the options, you need to take video cards with new ones, since this is your main investment, on which your further earnings will depend. At the end of the warranty period, it is better to sell video cards and upgrade to newer ones.

Also once a month it is desirable to arrange the prevention of equipment. Clean dust from coolers and lubricate them if necessary.

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Many miners who have literally plunged into the world of mining cryptocurrencies, including bitcoins, decide to make a mining farm with their own hands. Most of them see the assembly of a mining farm as something of an entertaining puzzle. But is it really so? Is it easy to set up the equipment and “force” it to mine cryptocurrency, including bitcoins? Another issue that deserves close attention is the profitability of such a process. However, it is worth sorting everything out in order in order to assemble a mining farm with high quality or decide to abandon this idea.

Required accessories

So, if you decide to independently assemble a farm for mining, then it is very important to correctly select all the components of the system. In order for a do-it-yourself mining farm to be done correctly and to be able to mine successfully, you need to take care of acquiring the following structural elements:

1. Motherboard. At its core, this is the "heart" of the farm. The number of modules, video cards and ASIC controllers possible for installation depends on its power. This, in turn, determines the likelihood of successful mining. That's why the motherboard must be 100% reliable.
2. Farm building. Such a frame can be made with your own hands from improvised materials. It is better not to order it from various companies, since the standard options are not focused on the installation of several powerful modules, video cards and controllers. It is optimal to use steel or aluminum corners or wooden blocks to assemble the frame.
3. RAM, which is responsible for the functioning of the operating system and its launch.
4. CPU. When choosing it, it is very important to consider that it fits the motherboard and can smoothly ensure the functioning of the OS.
5. Power Supply. It is important to pay close attention to power here. It must be maximum. It is equally important to pay attention to the power margin within 20%. In addition, the power supply must match the parameters of the system in terms of power consumption.
6. HDD. It should be of high volume and be very reliable.
7. Devices that are focused on the process of mining cryptocurrency. These are ASIC controllers, several powerful video cards or FPGA modules. It is optimal to use versions from Radeon. As a rule, they are connected through the PCI-E ports of the motherboard. So this also needs to be foreseen in advance.

At least 4-6 video cards with maximum cooling are selected especially carefully. They will be connected to the power supply via PCI ports. If the user is familiar with the principle of assembling a conventional computer, then assembling a farm is also not difficult.

Then you need to choose a high-quality power supply with high power. You can use 2 conventional power supplies, which are synchronized with each other with a special cable (these are PCI ports on the blocks), or server equipment.

Special attention deserves the purchase of coolers for cooling the system and ventilation units. They also need to be purchased in advance. Otherwise, mining will be in jeopardy, because the computer, like the entire farm, will constantly overheat, hang and break one day completely. This is especially dangerous for video cards that are connected to the power supply via standard PCI ports.

Building a farm for mining

As a rule, assembling a farm for mining cryptocurrencies does not cause any particular difficulties. A simple step-by-step guide will help miners create a mining farm from scratch.

Now you can proceed directly to the process of assembling a block for mining with video cards and other equipment:

1. To do this, you need to make a kind of frame. This design resembles a server rack. A farm for mining digital money will already be mounted on it.
   

   

2. Further, the equipment is assembled and connected, like the most ordinary personal computer. That is, after creating (or installing) the frame, you need to fix the motherboard. It must be placed in the center of the lower shelf of the structure. In this case, it is recommended to make a slight elevation so that the motherboard does not come into contact with the surface. To do this, you can take small plastic pieces.

   

3. The processor with a cooler is attached to the motherboard.

   

4. The next step in self-assembly of a farm for mining is the installation of a power supply. It is recommended to fasten it to a metal corner with self-tapping screws or screws. Reliable fixation is the basis of security. Otherwise, there is a high risk of spark formation in the contact.
   

   

5. Next, indicator elements and a power button are installed.
   

   

6. Then you need to install the hard drive using the stand. It should be connected with special cables to the power supply and the motherboard.
   

   

7. A video card is connected through the elements of additional power and risers. If you decide to use several of them, then you need to do the same with each of them.
   

   

8. That's all! It remains to connect the farm to the power supply system and the Internet.

Note! Connecting video cards to blocks for mining is carried out through special risers. For video cards, it is optimal to use 6pin or Molex.

What remains to be done by the miner? You will need to install Windows. In this case, it is recommended to use version 10. Next, the selected program is configured. It can be an overclocking utility or a special miner software. That's all! It remains only to start the process of earning bitcoins or other cryptocurrencies.

Software

Software deserves special attention. When creating a mining farm on your own, it is very important to use high-quality and functional programs. However, it should be borne in mind that the specific list of software that a miner will need depends primarily on which video cards are used and what digital money he decided to mine. As an option - for the extraction and earnings of such a type of cryptocurrency as Ethereum, it is optimal to stop at the programs:

• ccminer-1-8-3-git-tpruvot;
• Ethminer;
• sgminer-gm-windows.

The beauty of this software lies in its simplicity. Installing the software is as easy as shelling pears, as well as adjusting the necessary program parameters. Each of these options is a great solution for mining Ethereum.

If the miner has not yet decided on a specific cryptocurrency and plans to mine various types of electronic coins, it is worth choosing other programs. For example, you can use Claymore’s Dual to mine Sia and Ethereum. The attractiveness of this program lies in its simple interface, intuitive installation and the ability to quickly set all the necessary parameters for mining digital coins.

Parts and service costs

The most difficult and sensitive issue is the costs that are needed to assemble the farm. Usually the most expensive are video cards, and the cheapest item of expenditure is the purchase of bars or corners to create a rack. If you do not hire a locksmith, but do everything yourself, then you can put in about 800 rubles.

However, all the fun begins at the time of purchasing components. So, the most inexpensive motherboard (for example, ASRock FM2A88M Extreme4+R2.0) will cost 3700 rubles. It is only worth remembering that professional mining on it is unlikely to succeed. Here you need a more powerful option, for example - AsRock H81 PRO BTC R2.0. It costs more than 6.5 thousand rubles. This solution allows you to install 6 video cards or more, which is exactly what you need.

The next important expense item is the purchase of a processor. It must match the power and parameters of the motherboard. At the same time, even the economy option from category A-4 costs about 2,800 rubles.

It is equally important to take care of spending on RAM. To mine cryptocurrency, including bitcoins, you need a device of 4 GB or more. It is expensive. You can buy 2 boards of 2 GB each, as this is considered a more budget option. Then it should be borne in mind that the cost of each board is about 1 thousand rubles.

Still need to think about upgrading the hard drive. It must be of high quality and powerful, since it is on it that the miner will store the wallet and all important programs. That is why its volume should not be less than 1 TB. With minimal investment, this is about 2500 rubles.

This does not take into account the payment of the Internet and electricity. Do not forget that periodically you will have to change certain spare parts of the farm, because with constant work, some parts quickly fail.

Profitability of major cryptocurrencies

The main issue that worries real miners and beginners in the field of cryptocurrency mining is the profitability of the main types of digital money. It is worth mentioning right away that the most expensive of them (bitcoins) are too late to mine today. That's what most experts think. The whole point is that the system has gained an excessively large number of participants. To find a hash and get a reward for it, you need surprisingly large capacities, expensive equipment, and not a farm based on a couple of video cards.

Bitcoin mining today requires an initial investment of more than just a few thousand. It will take hundreds of thousands. But the result can be disastrous. That is why only very large companies located in countries with low electricity tariffs can afford to earn bitcoins today.

It is optimal to start mining altcoins now, these are digital money alternatives to bitcoins. Among them are:

• Ripple
• Ethereum;
• dash;
• Litecoin.

Ethereum has the highest yield. The cost of 1 coin of the so-called ether is $339.

Profitability mining farm (mining farm)

Most miners who decide to start mining bitcoins or other cryptocurrencies on their own are afraid to miscalculate. And this is absolutely fair! To begin with, it is worth calculating the profitability of a mining farm. Here are a few key factors to consider:

• hash rate;
• cost of equipment;
• the current value of bitcoin or other cryptocurrency that is planned to be mined;
• power consumption and cost of 1 W.

Taking into account at least these criteria will allow you to find out the approximate time for which the initial investment will pay off. Unfortunately, as practice shows, with the increased complexity of hash calculation and the high cost of equipment, the creation of a mining farm today is an unprofitable project. Moreover, it is more likely to bring losses to its owner. If the investment to create a viable farm varies within a few thousand dollars, then you can get about a hundred.

Possible risks

The purchase of all components and self-assembly of a mining farm does not at all guarantee profitable earnings. There are certain risks here. So, before you start diving into mining, you should get acquainted with the opinions of analysts.

Morgan Stanley bank experts say that soon the growth of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies will stop. The thing is that so far in most countries digital money is considered illegal. Accordingly, they are not taxed. As soon as the authorities of the leading states deal with this issue, there will be a powerful collapse of the cryptocurrency exchange rate.

Other experts, such as CERIC Capital Management, assure that in the near future only the growth of bitcoins and other digital coins will be observed. However, this cannot happen indefinitely. That is why the main risk of arranging and creating a farm for mining is the instability of the btc exchange rate and its analogues.

Another risk, as shown above, is the lack of profitability. The thing is that assembling a farm and acquiring all the components for it is a very costly business in terms of finances. Recently, however, the level of complexity of the mining process itself has increased. That is why experts consider such investments unreasonable, which then will not be able to recoup even the cost of electricity.

Video: how to build a mining farm from scratch

If you still have not lost faith in the prospects of bitcoins and other digital money, dream of earning cryptocurrency at home and want to make a mining farm from scratch with your own hands, then you should watch a few thematic videos:

Does cryptocurrency have a future?

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 earn money by mining and selling bitcoins, ether, etc. Today, everyone has the opportunity to build a mining farm from video cards at home.

What are we talking about?

People over 30 have hardly heard of cryptocurrencies 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 going to earn money to go deeply into the calculation process. In the meantime, we will talk about assembling the farm, costs, possible income, etc.

Home mining

In essence, mining is the process of computing based on the creation of new blocks in the platform. With an increase in the total number of the cryptocurrency itself and miners, the process of calculating transactions becomes longer and more expensive, since mining is provided by powerful computer equipment that costs money.

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

Bitcoin Growth investing.com

The demand for the currency from investors only provokes the growth of the exchange rate. Today, more and more people are talking about the recognition and legalization of bitcoin in some countries of the world with developed economies. Bitcoin may actually become official in some states in the near future. This will only positively affect the strengthening of the cryptocurrency market.

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

Do not deprive Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum (ether) Ripple (ripple) of attention. 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 a mining farm works

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. performance. For example, the speed of calculating bitcoin depends on the capacity of the farm.
2. Network complexity. The number of miners is growing, which increases the time spent searching for each new block.

Farms themselves are divided into 3 types:

1. Devices with video cards as the main computing element. At the beginning of the journey, AMD video cards showed good performance in calculating bitcoin. Now this method of mining is unprofitable. But for the extraction, for example, of ether, such a farm is suitable.
2. FPGA modules. Such equipment does not need a cooling system, while not inferior in performance. Profitability 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 the 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 a 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 divided among the pool participants in proportion to the capacity of each equipment.

More people are 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 in computer technology, then he may have problems with self-assembly. If someone "fumbles" in the subject, then assembling a farm of 6 productive cards will cost about 90-100 thousand rubles. If you buy a farm with the same productivity, then it will take up to 200 thousand rubles.

Farm accessories:

• 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. If only it fit the slot, but not less than 4 GB.
• HDD. The optimal amount 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 less than 4GB will not work. For example, a ZOTAC GeForce GTX1060 card will do. Powerful cards from NVidia and AMD RX (from 470 and above) are also well suited.
• Power Supply. A six-card farm must be equipped with a 1500 W unit.
• Adapters Razer. They are needed to connect video cards.
• 4 coolers to ensure high-quality cooling.
• Frame. It can be bought online for a small cost.
• Start button.

Do-it-yourself mining farm assembly steps

1. In the center on the bottom shelf of the frame, you should install the motherboard. This will provide an air cushion to improve cooling.
2. A processor with a cooler is installed on the board.
3. Installing the power supply.
4. Connecting the start button and installing a 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 hung on the crossbars due to the ties. Cards with the help of Razer adapters are already connected to the motherboard.

There is nothing particularly difficult to assemble. You just need to see the frame 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’s better to find out on the Internet yourself how to start the calculation and where the “coins” will be credited.

When assembling a farm, attention is paid to device performance. Hashrate is a unit of power measurement. The optimal figure is approximately 25 megahash per second for 1 video card. Knowing this indicator, you can roughly calculate the profitability of mining using the example of ether. If a card produces 25 megahash, then a 5-card farm produces 125 units. Considering the average exchange rate for the fall of 2017, with such a farm capacity, the profit per day will be approximately $5. This is provided that the farm will work 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 you take into account the total cost of assembly and mining, then the payback will be almost 2 years, although this is just an example. The cost of cryptocurrency directly depends on the total income. And it, according to the forecasts of many experts, will only grow in the near future.

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 in terms 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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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).
4. 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.

It is important to consider that buying one or more ASIC miners is not enough to create a full-fledged farm. You will need a powerful computer to which the equipment will be connected. When choosing it, it is also worth considering a number of nuances, which will be discussed below. In particular, you need a good processor, capacious RAM, a capacious HDD and fans.

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 .

Modern ASICs are vastly superior in hashrate to graphics cards, making them the preferred choice when building a farm. In addition, it takes less time to collect it, and it takes several minutes to connect and configure. The main disadvantage is the cost, because the total costs can reach 8-10 thousand dollars (when connecting 3-5 devices).

Below we consider the advantages and disadvantages of a mining farm on ASICs.

Advantages	disadvantages
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. This 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 is 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:

1. 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).
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. CPU- an element that ensures the operation of a computer. Here, simple options are allowed due to the lack of a large load.
5. HDD. There are no additional criteria here, so it can be anything, but the recommended capacity is 100 GB or more.
6. 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.
7. Video card. In the case of ASICs, the video card can be any, without special performance requirements.

The main element of the farm is ASIC. When buying, you should proceed from the budget, algorithm and mined cryptocurrency. The following options are available here:

• 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

All prices are from official websites. In Russian online stores, the cost can be 30-70% higher. In addition to those listed, you can also use professional asics - Prospero X1, Prospero X2, SP35 Yukon and others, but their cost will be higher.

Do-it-yourself ASIC farm assembly sequence

ASIC farm assembly takes place in several stages:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Fixing ASIC miners.
5. Assembling a computer, connecting power supplies and asic devices using cords (when buying, it is important to control that there is enough length).

As you can see, creating an ASIC farm with your own hands does not cause difficulties. The main problem is the high price of devices. In addition, power consumption is higher than that of video cards, which must be taken into account when performing calculations. Special attention is paid to heat dissipation and sound insulation (if the equipment is installed in a residential apartment). This option is suitable for miners who are willing to make significant investments in the purchase of expensive equipment.

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).

Here is a brief business plan for an ASIC farm:

1. Buying bars and a corner - $ 130-150.
2. 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.
3. Processor - $50–60.
4. RAM 4 GB or more - $50-60.
5. Hard drive with memory from 100 GB - 40-50 dollars.
6. Asic miners (4 units) - 8-10 thousand dollars.
7. Room rental (if required) - $80-$100 per month.

Total total costs are somewhere around 10,300 thousand dollars. If you mine Litecoin and use four BW-L21 Litecoin ASIC Miners (550 Mh / s, 950 Watts), the monthly profit on February 10, 2018 (at a rate of $ 0.09 per 1 kWh) will be $ 829. This means that full payback can be achieved in 12-13 months. When calculating, it is worth considering the cost of renting a room (if the farm is not mounted in your apartment or house).

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 only be taken after detailed calculations (drawing up a business plan), if there are free financial resources and after analyzing future changes in the cryptocurrency network.

https://www.site/2017-06-23/kak_sobrat_fermu_dlya_mayninga_i_kakuyu_valyutu_nado_dobyvat_vmesto_bitkoina

How to build a "farm" for mining, and what currency should be mined instead of bitcoin

Jens Kalaene/dpa-Zentralbild / Global Look Press

In June, the rate of the most popular cryptocurrency, bitcoin, rose sharply again and overcame the $3,000 mark (however, it has now fallen to $2,700). Many people wanted to start mining cryptocurrency on their own, and amid the hype in Russia, powerful video cards have run out, on the basis of which miners (those who mine bitcoins and analogues) build “farms”. the site succumbed to the general excitement and decided to find out how and from what they build cryptocurrency "farms", how much it costs, how much you can earn and whether it is worth joining this process.

What is bitcoin, mining and blockchain

To understand what bitcoins and mining are, you must first understand what a blockchain is, on the basis of which the entire cryptocurrency system is built. Blockchain, literally, is a “chain of blocks”, a decentralized system in which millions of computers around the world are pooled to solve crypto problems (a certain formula). Each member of the system has a file with absolutely all transactions of all users of the system. That is why it is believed that the system cannot be faked or hacked - to do this, you need to change not only your file, but also the files of all millions of users. The system is absolutely transparent, there are no names in it, but there are wallet numbers by which transactions can be tracked. Blockchain technology can be used not only for finance, but also in public services, which, for example, the head of Sberbank German Gref dreams of.

If we omit the complex description of the process, then the essence of the bitcoin system boils down to the following: participants in the system create transactions that are assembled into a block. A special hash sum (formula) is calculated in the block header. The hash is always unique, so it is considered a selection of numbers - this is a very complex process, it requires powerful video cards. Whoever managed to calculate the hash receives a conditional "reward" - a cryptocurrency. Miners are those who mine bitcoins, maintain the system, conduct transactions for which they receive a commission. They are also needed for security.

Currency

It's too late to mine bitcoins. There are too many participants in the system, therefore, in order to solve the hash and get the currency, too much power is needed, for which video cards alone are not enough. For bitcoin mining, there is already special equipment that is geared exclusively for the extraction of this cryptocurrency. To assemble a powerful workshop, you need to invest millions and find a source of cheap electricity. Now only large companies that build factories, for example, on the territory of Ukraine, where energy is inexpensive, can afford it.

All beginners mine altcoins - alternative currencies that are built in approximately the same way based on bitcoin and which can be exchanged for bitcoins. The most popular currency right now is Ethereum (“Ether”), because it has a fairly high exchange rate of $339.

How to build a farm

In fact, a “farm” for mining is a computer with powerful video cards. It is believed that it is necessary to buy video cards worth about 100 thousand rubles, but on specialized forums they tell how to assemble an economical version of the “farm”.

For an inexpensive “farm” where you can mine “ether”, you will need four video cards (we chose the ZOTAC GeForce GTX1060, each costs about 12 thousand rubles), a motherboard, a power supply, a processor, RAM, a hard drive or flash drive, a monitor emulator and four raisers (adapters that allow you to connect video cards). All equipment will cost 69.5 thousand rubles. You can manage the farm remotely using the TeamViewer program. To work on a computer, you will need a special program - Claymore is suitable for mining "ether". In addition, you need to select a pool - a site where miners unite in order to work more efficiently, and to which you need to deduct a commission, for example, this one.

channel AsicTrade.com / YouTube

In Russia, powerful video cards really ran out, so we looked for ZOTAC in German stores. Now the equipment ends there. You can still buy it in the US, as well as on Amazon, but in this case you are unlikely to receive a guarantee.

On the "farm" you need to install a Watch Dog control scheme that will automatically restart the system if it freezes or something else goes wrong. Video cards heat up during complex computing work, so many advise installing a cooling system, but this is true for large “farms” - industrial fans are installed there. On a small "farm" like ours, it is enough to put additional coolers on video cards. If 3-4 "farms" are assembled in the room, the miners install conventional air conditioners or fans. But do not collect more than one "farm" in the apartment where you live, otherwise it will be difficult to be in it because of the heat - the temperature in the rooms can rise to 40 degrees. Better, of course, to find an empty office.

Money

Complex equipment consumes large amounts of electricity. There are calculators on the sites where you can set the parameters of video cards, the currency and the price of electricity and calculate when the equipment will pay off and how much the “farm” will bring profit per month. At the same time, miners are constantly looking for various illegal ways not to pay for electricity and steal it.

With the video cards we have chosen for the "ether" currency and with the cost of electricity of 3.8 rubles per kW, we will be able to recoup the investment in 91 days. For a month, at the rate of "ether" on June 22, 2017, it will be possible to earn 22,860 rubles.

The peculiarity of cryptocurrencies in their unstable exchange rate is that it can rise or fall by several percent in a day. At the beginning of 2017, bitcoin was worth $970, in June it was already $3,000, now the currency has fallen in price again. Sharp jumps in bitcoin are very difficult to predict, they happen after the fact. For example, the April jump is associated with the fact that Japan officially recognized bitcoin.

One cryptocurrency can be exchanged for another or for the usual dollars on special exchanges. There is a site where you can sell bitcoins for rubles (they will be transferred to a Sberbank card). In cities, there are even physical exchange offices where you can literally turn in bitcoins and get banknotes. Real money comes to the bitcoin market through large investors who want to invest in cryptocurrency without building "farms", as well as through illegal markets. Almost the entire “shadow” Internet is now selling drugs through cryptocurrencies, miners say.

There are firms and shops that already accept bitcoins as payment. They can be used to buy cars, bus tours around Europe, rent apartments, visit a Buddhist monastery and do much more.

Is it worth the risk

Analysts disagree on the future of cryptocurrencies. Morgan Stanley believes that the growth of the bitcoin rate will stop until it becomes more regulated. Now in most countries, including Russia, there is no legislative regulation of cryptocurrencies, therefore they are not taxed. The government of the Russian Federation has been thinking about what to do with bitcoin for many months. According to the latest information, the Ministry of Finance wants to recognize them as "another type of property." Prior to this, cryptocurrencies were simply going to be banned.

The investment company CERIC Capital Management assumes that the bitcoin rate will continue to grow, but everyone should understand that this is a high-risk asset, since it is impossible to develop clear criteria by which its value should be assessed. “The current boom in high technology leaves a wide scope for forecasts regarding the possible rate of growth of the exchange rate: for example, $4,000 per bitcoin by the end of this year or $8,000 by 2020. All this further fuels interest in cryptocurrencies and allows them to be considered as a promising investment asset. However, investors should be aware that this is a high-risk asset, and therefore they should be prepared for both potentially high profits and possible losses,” said Oleg Yakushev, an expert at JSC IC ZERICH Capital Management.

There is also a certain difficulty with the fact that the number of bitcoins is finite - the formula is drawn up in such a way that only 21 million can be “mined”. The mathematical justification for the rate of emergence of bitcoins roughly corresponds to the rate of gold mining. This also has a certain threat, for example, deflation. However, there are also disputes among analysts on this issue.

According to financial analyst Vitaly Kalugin, if the growth of bitcoins, the emission of which is limited, is somehow justified, then in the case of altcoins we are talking about a financial pyramid: as soon as the buyers run out, the system will crumble.

The possibility of hacking the system is also questionable. Theoretically, for example, China has it - today 70% of companies owning pools (sites that unite miners) are located there. But so far, hacking is not profitable for them - to implement it, gigantic capacities are needed, and investments in hacking will exceed the profit from it. In some altcoin systems, there have already been cases of hacks, for example, $ 50 million was stolen from the DAO cryptocurrency system, the developers promised to return the money to users.

Miners believe that someday cryptocurrencies will replace physical money, and the owners of large “farms” will become an infrastructure that will replace banks, since they receive small deductions in the form of a commission for each operation with bitcoins.

Vitaly Kalugin believes that bitcoin will never be able to replace real money, because the capitalist system works differently. “There is a fundamental problem - the world is built on fiat (credit) money, which is printed if necessary. It is impossible to lend in bitcoins, because their number is limited. This cryptocurrency will take its place in the market, but a small one, about 2-3%,” the expert believes.

As of June 23, the market capitalization of bitcoin is $44.95 billion, and "ether" is $32.1 billion.