In 2017, even people who do not have access to the Internet know about what Bitcoin is. BUT active users networks have information not only about the features and the rapidly growing bitcoin rate, but also about the specifics of the issue of this cryptocurrency, namely, the possibility of mining it on your own. Therefore, it is natural that in stores selling powerful video cards, from time to time there is a shortage of hardware - people are buying up cards to create their own bitcoin farms and mine cryptocurrency on them. But in order to profit from the mining of digital coins, acquiring a card with a high hash rate and installing it on your PC will not be enough. You also need to understand how a bitcoin farm works, how to assemble it yourself and how to start mining. Let's try in simple words answer these questions, and also tell you how to build a farm for bitcoins for 50,000 rubles. And separately we will figure out whether it is possible to earn bitcoins by playing virtual games with money withdrawal.

Bitcoin farm: what is it in simple words and how it works and mines cryptocurrency

The custom of calling computers used to mine cryptocurrency farms came from the United States, because it was American miners who, in communication with each other, jokingly began to call their PCs equipped with several video cards that way. Now the term bitcoin farm is used all over the world, and in any country this phrase is understood as computers connected to one network with powerful equipment connected to them, on which digital coins are mined.

Theoretically, processors, video cards, and specialized equipment - ASIC miners - can theoretically be used as "hardware" for bitcoin mining. But in practice, the power of the processor and even the gaming video card today is no longer enough to extract the most expensive and popular cryptocurrency. Therefore, bitcoin farms that bring consistently high profits operate on the capacities of ASICs of the latest models.

If you answer the question, bitcoin farm - what is it in simple words and how does it work, then we can say this: it is one or more powerful machines connected together that mine bitcoin. Of course, a bitcoin farm is always connected to the Internet without fail, because all operations to create new coins are carried out online. And due to the fact that there is only one bitcoin in the system new block, bringing today 12.5 coins, is mined in an average of 10 minutes, computers must work around the clock. The reason for this is simple - 24/7 mining maximizes the chances of cracking each new block before other miners do.

Software Tasks Performed by a Bitcoin Farm

The task of a bitcoin farm is only one - to solve a new block before other miners and thereby earn a reward for its owner. That is why the characteristics of the processor, motherboard, RAM and hard drive the computer on which mining is performed does not play any role. But the performance of video cards or ASICs, on the basis of which cryptocurrency is mined, are key. The fact is that both the complexity of bitcoin mining and the number of bitcoin farms are increasing every day, and in order to successfully compete with other "diggers" of electronic coins, you need to have very powerful equipment with a high hash rate.

Mining itself in terms of solvable program objectives is the following sequence of actions:

1. The Bitcoin system provides all miners with the hash function of the new block, and some of the signs for hashing were taken from the previous, newly created block, and the other part were arbitrary.
2. The software installed on mining farms around the world, using the brute force method, solves a new block in parts - that is, selects such characters that would fit the given hash function (for reference, each block contains tens of thousands of characters, and the hash function is a string of several dozen characters).
3. When a mining farm manages to solve a block, it will immediately be entered into the blockchain, and the system will give the miners a new hash function that must be solved to get a new block.
4. For the solved block, the miner who mined it receives a reward - 12.5 btc. Those who have not coped with the task simply begin to unravel the new block.

According to the principle described above, new blocks are created not only in bitcoin, but also in other cryptocurrency systems. Only hashing algorithms differ: BTC uses SHA-256, Ethereum uses Ethash, Litecoin, Dogecoin and Digitalcoin use Scrypt, etc.

On video cards, you can mine cryptocurrency with almost any hashing algorithm, the main thing is to install the appropriate software on your computer. But ASIC miners are initially "sharpened" for a specific algorithm, so each model is suitable for mining a limited number of electronic currencies.

Bitcoin farm - how to start mining digital coins

Considering cryptocurrency mining as a way to make money on the network, novice miners first of all ask themselves how a bitcoin farm is going and how to start mining bitcoins on it. In fact, there is nothing complicated in assembling a mining farm for bitcoins or any other cryptocurrency, and any user who knows how to connect to motherboard other equipment, will be able to complete the farm in less than an hour.

Assembling a small farm for bitcoin is to remove from system block computer case, and install it on a rack made in the form of a frame, and then connect to the motherboard using the video card risers and place them on the rack, at a distance of at least 10-15 cm from each other. Since powerful video cards require additional power, they come with special wires through which the cards installed on the motherboard are connected to the power supply.

Nowadays, cryptocurrency mining is gaining more and more popularity. On the this moment one of the most popular coins after Bitcoin is Ethereum or Ethereum. Bitcoin is already mined by large farms and ordinary users there is little chance of getting anything, while less popular cryptocurrencies are easier to get, which is why Ethereum has earned such popularity. Thus, if we need best computer for mining, you need to select a machine for the requirements of the ether, in principle, they are the same as for other cryptocurrencies. But what kind of computer is needed for mining?

You need to start with video cards. GPUs- this is the most important equipment for creating cryptocurrency systems. While Nvidia dominates the gaming market, AMD Polaris graphics cards like the Radeon RX 480 and 580 are best suited for Ethereum. In addition, some graphics cards from Nvidia also do a good job of this task. In this article, we have collected the best computers for mining in 2018.

This cryptocurrency appeared in 2015. It is an improved version of Bitcoin. The same blockchain principle is used here, when the chain of blocks is simultaneously located on many computers on the network. But Ethereum has a few differences. Ethereum is more than money, it is an entire platform for the exchange of funds. Developers are betting heavily on smart contracts and the Ethereum platform. Smart contracts make your transactions more secure and also allow you to organize a fundraising campaign. There are also more subtle differences between platforms. Ethereum works much faster, 12 seconds are enough to process the operation. Another difference is the number of blocks. The third part of bitcoins has already been mined, while the ether is endless. The reward system is geared more towards rewarding individual people for mined blocks rather than large farms.

What is hashrate?

The hash is the result of the hash function. Thus, the hash rate is the rate at which hash function, so you'll need a graphics card with a higher hash rate. This will determine how many ethers you can get in a certain time. Your best bet is a GTX 1070, RX 580, RX 480, or RX 470. A GTX 1070 card at 32 MH/s consumes only 140 watts of power. The RX 580 is capable of delivering 29 MHash/s and consumes 135 Watts, while the RX 480 delivers 27 Mhash/s with a power consumption of 150 Watts, the RX 470 delivers 29 MHash/s at 140 Watts. A computer for mining ether most often uses these cards.

The best computers for mining 2018

Computer hardware depends very much on what you intend to use it for. While Nvidia graphics cards are better suited for gaming, AMD products have the best price/performance ratio. Xenon processors are great for servers, and Intel processors provide faster video encoding than AMD counterparts.

Recently, NVIDIA and AMD released the first graphics cards for mining, they do not have video outputs such as HDMI or DisplayPort, in addition, they have a lower clock speed. There are also motherboards specifically designed for mining. For example, ASRock H110 has 13 slots PCI Express and set Intel chips H110. Processors are not that important when choosing the best mining computer, so you can get by with a budget option.

1. CyberPowerPC Gamer Ultra 2235

CyberPowerPC Gamer Ultra 2235 comes with AMD FX-6300 processor, 8GB DDR3 RAM, hard drive 1 TB and graphic AMD card RX480. The motherboard has a PCIe x16 port, a PCIe x1 slot, and standard PCI. Since there is practically no data transfer between the cards, it does not matter which PCI version use. You can expand the number of graphics cards up to three. Most regular computers don't just provide slots like a motherboard specifically designed for Ethereum mining. This is the best computer for mining 2018.

2. Acer Aspire T AT3-715A-UR11

As in previous version, is used here AMD graphics card RX 480. But the processor is installed here Intel Core i7-6700. In the processor board, this computer loses to CyberPowerPC, since using such an expensive processor for mining is superfluous. The video card already provides high speed hash processing.

Besides, Acer Aspire T The AT3-715A-UR11 has two free PCIe x1 slots. Because the throughput GPU does not matter, this system is ideal for mining ether or other cryptocurrencies.

3. CybertronPC Rhodium

CybertronPC Rhodium computer uses graphics card AMD Radeon RX580 with 8GB of DDR5 memory, so it is well suited for Ethereum mining. Also installed on the computer AMD processor Ryzen, which has better performance than AMD's previous line of processors. But there is one drawback, only one additional PCI slot is available.

4. CyberPowerPC Gamer Xtreme S630

This is one of the best gaming computers. But, nevertheless, it is great for mining Ethereum. Used here Intel processor Core i7-7700, SSD drive 120 GB and HDD with a capacity of 1 TB. However, the AMD RX 580 graphics card makes it the best choice as desktop computer for Ehtereum. In addition, there are two more free slots here so you can place up to three video cards.

5. Building a computer for mining

Many users don't want to buy computers, they love to build them. And it's more practical because you can collect exactly what you need and still save money. Most PCs with the RX 480 and RX 580 are gaming machines and therefore contain other powerful hardware that is not really needed. Because of this, you will pay a lot. It's easier to collect gaming computer and add the required video card to it.

Motherboard- Biostar TB250-BTC. It is clear that all motherboards will be suitable for Ethereum mining. But if you charge a fee meant for mining, you get something else, this is a number PCI slots e. The Biostar TB250-BTC board has one PCIe x16 slot and five PCIe x1 3.0 slots, which are great for connecting graphics cards. The only thing here is the LAG 1151 socket, so you'll need an Intel processor.

CPU- Intel Pentium G4400 SkyLake LGA 1151. You don't need much powerful processor, so you can get the relatively inexpensive Intel G4400. High price processor will not help you in any way, but this way you can reduce the price of your assembly. This processor does its job quite well, since Ethereum does not load it very much.

video card- Visiontek AMD RX 480. RX 470, 480 and 580 cards have best ratio in terms of price / quality among video cards for cryptocurrency mining. The GTX 1070 could also be a great solution, but it's hard to recommend because of the price. The Visontek Radeon RX 480 has 8GB of GDDR5 memory and is available for purchase for less than $300. Sapphire and MSI cards are also great options. From NVIDIA graphics cards best suited for this task GeForce GTX 1070.

Other components are not as significant. But if you want to use a computer in parallel, then you'd better install at least 8 GB random access memory. Another important point is cooling. Since you will have several graphic cards working together will generate a lot of heat. So choose the right case and install enough fans. Only you can build the best mining computer 2018.

conclusions

Now the mining of cryptocurrencies is gaining very great popularity, especially the ethereum. But it is best to make a computer for mining cryptocurrencies and in parallel for some other purposes, for example, as a server or media center. It is not known how this or that cryptocurrency will behave in the future, and whether you will be able to recapture the resources spent, otherwise you will not lose in any case.

The whole world is crazy about cryptocurrencies. And it all started with the triumphant 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 a whole philosophy. Its basis is the lack of control of the currency by the state.

Any person can produce cryptocurrency with the appropriate equipment. The complex for cryptocurrency mining has a name in the IT environment - cryptocurrency mining farms(Crypto Mining Farm). Today we will try to explain in simple terms the principle of its operation and necessary components to build a farm.

What is a mining farm?

The term "mining" comes from the English word "mine" ("mine"). A mining farm is a platform for mining cryptocurrency. There is a well-known analogy: the farm owner, like an underground mine worker, extracts virtual money like minerals. The farm is a collection powerful computers needed for the calculation.

How does a mining farm work?

The main function of the mining farm is the extraction of cryptocurrency. Virtual money is produced as a result of the most 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 made according to certain rules.

As a result of data processing, miners receive new blocks. Time costs for receiving cryptocurrency can be different: from 1-2 minutes to several days.

What does it depend on? Let's take Bitcoin as an example. The volume of this cryptocurrency is limited. The more units mined, the more powerful they should be computing power to get new blocks.
Let's take a look at the step by step process:

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

Miners can work together to pool power. This is needed to increase performance. The extracted units are distributed in proportion to the invested capacities.

How to build a mining farm?

There are different ways to create a farm. The easiest for a beginner is mining with 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's not all. Productive devices are characterized by high heat dissipation.

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

• Overheat warning.
• Extending the life of your computer.
• Improved mining performance.

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

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

What to choose: self-assembly of the farm or its turnkey purchase?

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

Consider the benefits of a turnkey farm:

• Saving time. When assembling a farm, time will have to be spent not only on the purchase of equipment, but also on studying the fullness of information about its choice. Ignoring the need to study all the information will lead to the fact that the performance of the mining farm will be low.
• Technical support. For any questions, you can contact the consultants. A person who assembles on his own has only the help of forum participants at his disposal.
• High power guaranteed. People who have been assembling for a long time will help to maximize productivity.

This option is not without its downsides. There are many companies selling turnkey farms, but their reliability is in question. Consider the advantages of self-assembly:

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

The disadvantages of independent work are obvious: spending a lot of time, the risk of low productivity.

What to choose? It all depends on the initial needs. If a person has a lot of time and limited quantity funds, it is recommended to assemble it yourself. If there is no time at all, it is better to contact a specialized company.

What do you need to build a mining farm?

To assemble the farm, you will need the following equipment:

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

Also, the miner will need a tool: a riveter, a drill, metal shears for cutting aluminum corners, a tape measure.

Frame and housing for mining farms

When assembling mining farms, it is not the case in the usual representation (closed box) that is used, but the frame. This need is associated with the requirement to ensure high-quality air circulation. The frame contributes to cooling, which prolongs the life of the equipment. You can make it yourself from the following materials:

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

The frame must be spacious. It can be used as a standard open stand.

You can buy a suitable frame on Avito.

IMPORTANT! A novice miner should take care of reliable wiring in the apartment, as it is under a huge load. Otherwise, it may simply melt.

Choosing a video card for a mining farm

In theory, any video card can be used for mining, but in practice it is not so simple. For good performance, you need to select modern equipment. Consider 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, the hash rate is 26 Mh/s. The approximate cost is 22,000-25,000 rubles, the payback period is 105-140 days.
• Geforce GTX 1 060. The amount of memory is 3-6 GB, which negatively affects performance. The hash rate 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 off within 150 days.

When choosing, 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:

• Graphics card chip manufacturer. Various video cards are tailored for the extraction of a particular cryptocurrency. For example, on Nvidia models it is convenient to mine Zcash, on AMD - Ethereum. Incorrect selection of a video card leads to a decrease in performance, which negatively affects the income of the miner.
• Number of video cards. The more graphics cards, the higher the power. The best option is to buy a lot of devices with average performance.
• Mined cryptocurrency. The most famous is Bitcoin, but not the only cryptocurrency. Different currencies are sold at different prices.

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 electricity costs must be deducted from the income.

Mining Farm Calculator

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

• Type of cryptocurrency.
• Hashrate.
• Power consumption in Wh.
• The cost of electricity.
• The complexity of the calculations (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:

• Crypto Kurs. Allows you to analyze a wide variety of cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Monero.
• 99Bitcoins. This calculator only calculates farms for the production of bitcoins. The parameters are set manually.
• Bits Media. Also analyzes only bitcoins. The calculation takes into account such indicators as the contribution to the farm, the cost of electricity, the exchange rate.
• ASICTRADE. The calculator supports the calculation of a number of cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Zcash or Monero.

Different calculators take into account a different number of parameters. The more 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 unambiguously answer the question about the relevance of mining farms.

Focus on objective facts. The most popular cryptocurrency right now is bitcoin.

It is he who wants to be mined, with rare exceptions, by novice miners. However, as already mentioned, the number of bitcoins is limited, and the smaller they are, the more difficult it is to mine them.

Assembling a mining farm for the extraction of ether is not only a fun pastime, but also a good source of passive income. This instruction will help you put together the best configuration for mining ether. Assembly time is about three hours. Profitability depends on the Ethereum exchange rate, but during 2017 it ranged from $300 to $1500 per month. You can also mine other cryptocurrencies like Zcash, Monero, VertCoin, Decred (etc.).

List of hardware for building a farm: You will need the following devices:

1 power supply for 1000 W(For example, Corsair RMx Series, RM1000x, 1000W, Fully Modular Power Supply, 80+ Gold Certified) - here you need honest 1000W, and if you take it with PLUS® Gold or PLUS® Platinum certification, then in the long run you will save some expenses on electricity.

1 motherboard + cpu. What is the best motherboard for mining ether? At a minimum, it should support 6 video cards.

I advise (and many farms use MSI Pro Solution Intel Z170A LGA 1151 DDR4 USB 3.1 ATX Motherboard (Z170A SLI Plus)) . But if this is difficult to find on sale, then you can take one of these:

1 operating system- if you settled on Nvidia 1070, then Windows 10 is best for you, because. him best support drivers for these cards.

Monitor, mouse and keyboard for initial installation and software settings.

Farm assembly order

1. Unpack everything you bought

2. Assemble the case

3. Install the processor and RAM on the motherboard

4. Connect all risers to the motherboard

5. Install the motherboard into the case, connect it to the power supply (the unit itself does not need to be connected to the network)

6. Connect a hard drive or flash drive from which you will install the OS

7. Connect the graphics cards to the raisers, place the graphics cards in the case away from each other

8. Connect all power wires

9. Connect the monitor, mouse, keyboard and wire (or usb-wifi) to connect to the network.

10. Check again all connections of all connectors

11. Run and install operating system and mining software (see below)

12. Make sure all coolers are working properly. Run the mining software, set the optimal settings and let it work!

Setting up the motherboard, Windows and mining software

Update the BIOS on the motherboard to the latest version. For Z170 SLI Plus you can find latest version.

Set up the BIOS as follows:

Settings > Advanced > PCI subsystem Setting: PEG 0 and PEG 1 set to Gen1

OS settings: disable Windows 7, allow Windows 10

Save and Reload

OS, drivers, mining settings:

Boot from flash drive with Windows 10

Install Windows 10 Pro x64