I’d lay awake at night planning out my first two rigs: I wanted to make sure I did it right from the beginning. So when I wasn’t researching hardware, I was assembling them in my mind. Truth is, I still made plenty of mistakes.

In this post I’ll be sharing what I know now in regards to hardware, and hopefully can put you on the right path to get going quicker while also saving money.

Save Where You Can

This should go without saying: If you have hardware laying around – even if it’s older – see if you can repurpose it. The goal with crypto mining should be to make your money back as quickly as possible. So – as our grandmas used to say – a penny saved is a penny earned.

If you or someone you know has an old functioning computer laying around – or even parts of one – see if you can use it in your new build.

Another option is to buy functioning hardware used off of local buy-and-sell groups. I’ve heard of people having a lot of success using local Facebook buy-and-sell groups. Just do your due diligence to make sure it still works before shelling out your hard earned money.

Best Graphic Cards (GPU) for Crypto Mining

The best graphics card to mine with is obviously the one you already have (assuming it can be mined with). I’d recommend heading over to What to Mine to see what you should be mining with it.

The best card to buy is the one that you can get your Return On Investment (ROI) quickest. Just about any latest generation GPU is a good investment IF you can get them at (or very close to) MSRP.

Personally I’d still try getting a 2000 series Nvidia card (ideally 2060 Super or 2070 Super). They are CRAZY efficient still and definitely a favorite of mine. The AMD variant (RX 5700 or RX 5700 XT) are also a miners dream card – largely because of how efficient they are – which makes them hard to get at a good price.

If you are on a budget, consider getting an older card at a good price. For example:

• RX 470 (8GB)
• RX 480 (8GB)
• RX 570 (8GB)
• RX 580 (8GB)
• RX 590
• GTX 1660 (any model)
• GTX 1060 (6GB)
• GTX 1070 (any model)
• GTX 1080 (any model)

I personally never buy a card that has less than 8 GB of VRAM just to future proof myself a bit, and still won’t pass up a good deal on any of the older RX series cards listed.

If you prefer going with newer (more efficient) GPUs, consider looking at some of these:

• Radeon VII
• RX Vega 56
• RX Vega 64
• RX 5600XT
• RX 5700
• RX 5700 XT
• RX 6600
• RX 6600 XT
• RX 6700 XT
• RX 6800 XT
• RX 6800
• RX 6900 XT
• RTX 2060 Super
• RTX 2070 Super
• RTX 2080 (any model)
• RTX 3060 (any model)
• RTX 3070 (any model)
• RTX 3080 (any model)
• RTX 3090

Some of these – especially the big cards – are still crazy expensive. While they tend to mine their fair share, they likely will have some of the worst ROI times.

Again, some of the best deals can be had through local marketplaces. I myself use GPU Drops to keep an eye on good deals for cards I am looking for and have bought pretty much all my cards through eBay or Amazon.

Best GPU Mining Motherboard

It’s easy to salivate over the latest and greatest crypto mining motherboards or one that promises to have slots for 19 graphics cards. I’ve been there and done that. So take my word for it: they are not worth it. Especially right now where such boards are ridiculously overpriced.

Yes, you can probably start with a basic motherboard that has room for 1 – 5 graphic cards. If you plan on only mining with a few GPUs, this is a fantastic cheap option. But if you plan on getting a real mining motherboard, an affordable one I use and HIGHLY recommend is the BTC-B250C.

• It’ll only cost you between $89 – $129 USD (other subpar boards cost double to five times that)
• It is about half the size of a standard gaming motherboard (this comes handy when building tight rigs)
• Is compatible with newer/faster hardware like DDR4 RAM
• Allows you to use older (more affordable) yet efficient LGA 1151 processors
• Allows you to plug HDMI directly into motherboard which helps with cable management.
• Allows you to plug riser cables directly into motherboard USB slots (not into flimsy PCIE bracket that then go into motherboard). This completely eliminates a common point of failure, which is a HUGE plus!!!

I bought my first one for about $128 USD and I was super impressed with it right from when I got it. It’s by far my favorite (also cheapest) mining board.

There are other 8 GPU On-Board (riserless) mining boards as well (BTC-37 or a variation thereof). They are basic (with older tech), but do the trick I am told and are mainly used in enclosed mining cases. I have no experience with them as they are more designed for older (narrow) graphic cards and limit how you can set up your rigs.

Still, not a bad option seeing that they come with a processor built in and can accommodate a bunch of graphics cards without you needing to use risers.

Best Processor (CPU) for GPU Mining Rig

Unless you plan on mining with your Computing Processing Unit (CPU), it does not have to be fancy. So, the cheaper, the better. I personally use a G3930 Intel CPU on the motherboard mentioned above and it does what I need it to do.

The G3930 used to sell for like $70 last year, but due to it’s popularity with miners, the price for it has gone up drastically. Meaning you (oddly) can buy a much better CPU for less now. So you might as well.

Main thing to look for is that it’s LGA 1151 (6 or 7 series).

A few options:

• G3930
• G4400
• Core i3 6320
• Core i5-6500

Any of these should work. As long as you buy from a reputable seller, buying a used CPU is not a bad option if it saves you a few dollars.

Best Risers for GPU Mining

GPU risers have evolved drastically over the last few years. Meaning just about any sold on the market today are going to be pretty good. I’ve bought different ones from different sellers. Some are fancier than others, some are pricier, but they all work just as well.

Here are a few options:

• Riser #1 (Older generation. Basic. Only has 6 pin power plug)
• Riser #2 (Newer. Plenty of safe power options)
  • Riser #2 in a pack of 6

Some people look for risers that have more capacitators to help protect their motherboard and graphics cards but most risers today should have plenty.

I know they all come with SATA cables but AVOID powering your risers via SATA. Too many fires have been started with those. ALWAYS opt for 6 pin PCI-E or 4 pin Molex

Best Crypto Mining Power Supplies (PSU)

A Power Supply Unit (PSU) is one you will NOT want to cheap out on. Each power supply has a different rating: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Titanium. Avoid anything that is not gold, titanium or platinum.

I once got cheap and bought a few bronze rated PSUs and believe it or not, they died on me (one after the other) a month in. They are probably okay for gaming but useless for mining, as they are just not built for constant power draw.

With that said, I have never had a gold or higher rated PSU die on me. Even with a better PSU, you want to do the math on approximately how much power you’ll need to power your rig, and then add 20% on top (as a safety buffer) to get an idea of how big of a power supply you will need.

Here are a few PSUs I own that I can recommend with confidence:

• Segotep: (Gold, 600W) *
• FSP Hydro G PRO: (Gold, 1000W)
• Cougar ATX12V: (Gold, 1050W)
• SilverStone Tek: (Titanium, 1500W)
• Server PSU: (Platinum, 1027W)

* NOTE: I personally no longer buy massive PC power supplies just because they can get very expensive. What I started doing is: I buy a smaller (600 Watt) PSU with gold (or higher) rating just to power the motherboard, fans, memory, etc. And then I get server PSUs to power the risers and GPUs.

Main reason for this is because server PSUs are a lot cheaper, a lot more durable, and more efficient as well. They are built to run nonstop.

One caveat for server PSUs is: If you run them in a warm environment or max out their power draw, their little fan can wind up and become noisy. Because I have a dedicated mining room, this has never been an issue for me, but something to keep in mind if you’re going for “as quiet as possible”.

Best Storage Memory for GPU Mining Rig

I know of a lot of miners that run their rigs off of USB sticks. I personally run my Linux based rig using a 32 GB USB 3.0 stick. I’ve run it off a simple 8 GB USB 2.0 stick as well without a problem.

Here are some cheap USB stick options:

• Kingston 32GB USB 3.0

For my windows rigs I run them off of 120 GB Solid State Drives (SSD). Here are some affordable options:

• Kingston 120GB SSD

PRO TIP: The reason I run windows rigs off of SSDs is so I have plenty of space to increase the virtual memory on the rig later on to 100GB or more to help the system use each GPU more efficiently. You can download and install windows 10 for free (from here). If you’d like to activate your windows 10 license, you can buy a key for about $20 on eBay.

Best Crypto Mining Frames

There are a ton of different prebuilt mining cases and mining frames. Depending on your rig setup, you might want to consider one over the other.

I personally have always built my own frames, but if you prefer to shortcut your rig building, purchasing a prebuilt mining frame won’t break your bank.

Here are some affordable frames:

• 6 GPU Frame *
• 12 GPU Frame *
• 12 GPU Frame
• 12 GPU Frame

* Please note: The first two frames are cheap and should work well. My complaint with that style of frame is that the fans are basically blowing at the GPUs from the rear-end. Which is fine for pretty much all cards except for blower GPUs, as they blow their how air out at back. If you don’t intend on using blower GPUs, this is not a problem.

Best Crypto Mining Rig Cooling Fans

This I feel almost I shouldn’t even mention here just because the fans you’ll need will vary greatly. However, I feel I should mention a few things I have learned.

The common fan is 120mm, but they are not all made the same. When I started out, I bought a bunch of the cheapest 120mm fans I could find that had LED lights in them. I wanted my rig to look cool. And it did just that.

However, the fans were USELESS. They pushed no air worth mentioning. Largely because despite having 120mm hole rating and looking pretty, the fans were tiny and turning at very low speeds. So, if you’re going to get fans, here are a couple things to look for (things that actually matter):

• Fan blade size: Is the fan blade size on par with the size of the fan? You do not want a fan blade that is 80mm to sit in a spot where you need a 120mm fan.
• Fan speed: Yes, low fan speed is going to be quiet, but them being quiet usually means very little airflow. Low airflow sadly does not protect your GPU investment.
• Fan style: No, not how pretty they are, but what were they designed to do? Are they static pressure fans, or are they high airflow fans?

Noctua is the golden standard when it comes to fans, and the price reflects it. Their fans are plain and ugly, but they are efficient and push a lot of air. Especially their industrial line.

Arctic is another popular brand that is a LOT more affordable and has some decent options.

Conclusion

Hey listen: Building your first rig can be overwhelming. Hang in there… it really isn’t all that complicated. If I was able to figure it out, so can you. It’s an addictive yet rewarding hobby!

I remember researching so many random things before finally pulling the trigger. Which is partially why I wrote this post: To give you a base outline to work from.

You might get tempted to get everything perfect from the get-go with just the right color scheme, etc. Just remember that none of that matters. It’s cool to want all the bling but just like chrome rims don’t make a car go faster, so the fancy color scheme on your rig won’t make it more profitable. If anything it will delay you earning your investment back.

So go ahead. Check what hardware you already have, and then buy the parts still need. And if you need a quick guide on setting up the software side of things, check out my guide on how to start mining crypto!

The post What You Need to Create a Crypto Mining Rig appeared first on Kobra Dynasty.

People often ask me “how can I get started mining bitcoin?” and I always smile. It took me hours upon hours of research before I went all in on crypto mining, and so condensing it all into a two minute conversation is hard.

So I’ve decided to write this short guide on how anyone can start mining crypto without first spending hours upon hours of research.

Can You Actually Mine Bitcoin?

The short answer is: Yes!

The longer answer is: No… not unless you have thousands of dollars to invest upfront. But stick with me. There is a work-around, and chances are good that you can start mining crypto today already using your laptop or home computer.

Let me explain: Bitcoin is so far advanced already that you need something called an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) miner. These things are not only expensive, but are extremely noisy and power hungry as well.

So if you are just starting out, I’d recommend focusing on mining coins that can be mined using a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU). In other words, mining coins like Ethereum or Raven that can be mined using the graphics card in your laptop or home computer.

You can always exchange those coins for Bitcoin afterwards if you prefer. In fact, if you keep following this short guide, I will show you how your mining “earnings” can converted to Bitcoin automatically.

Getting Started Mining Crypto

If you have a computer with a Windows operating system, I’d recommend heading over to the NiceHash profitability calculator to see if it would be profitable for you to start mining with it.

NOTE: Mining isn’t currently an option on Macs (Apple computers).

This is how I got started. I signed up for an account with NiceHash, then downloaded the NiceHash Miner, and started playing around with it and I instantly fell in love. Truth is, I had no idea it would be that easy.

There are a dozen different coins out there you can mine and even more mining software to mine them with, but if you’re just getting started, NiceHash is probably the easiest place to start.

Is Crypto Mining Still Profitable?

After a few days of mining on my laptop, I started creating spreadsheets with profit potential for different graphics cards. I did extensive research on cost of profitable graphics cards and realized that – at the time – I could get a Return On Investment (ROI) in as little as 4 months.

Of course this greatly depends on availability of affordable graphics cards, cost of electricity, value of coin you’re mining, etc. The ROI isn’t as quick as I’m writing this – largely because crypto is in a bit of a slump right now and also because affordable graphics cards are a little harder to get (due to chip shortage) but – it’s still very much doable!

If you intend to withdraw mining profits as quickly as you make them, it can be painful when the crypto market is down, but if you can create a bit of a buffer (where you withdraw only when market is up), it’s extremely rewarding.

So – a couple things to keep in mind:

1. First (and MOST important): Aim to learn a little bit more about crypto every day. If you’re researching things and feel overwhelmed, step away from it and come back tomorrow. Aim to compound your knowledge over days instead of trying to figure it all out in one sitting.
2. Hold (or HODL as it’s called in crypto space) when market is down. Only sell if you need to or when market is up Up UP.
3. Stay optimistic. It is SOOOOO easy to panic with every market dip when you’re new to crypto, but keep this in mind: Bitcoin is up 3200% since 5 years ago. Even if it only does half of that in the next 5 years, you can make a LOT of money by staying invested.

Conclusion

Yes, you can still mine crypto and get paid in Bitcoin. In fact, if you start mining with NiceHash (as I explained above), you can exchange your Bitcoin earnings into just about any crypto coin right on the NiceHash exchange.

If you have a laptop or computer running a Windows Operating System (OS), and it has a decent graphics card built in, you can probably already start mining today. And if crypto mining grows on you, consider investing in more profitable graphics cards to increase your daily earnings.

Here is a detailed guide on what hardware I recommend to build your first mining rig!

The post How to Get Started Mining Crypto appeared first on Kobra Dynasty.

When I first faced a similar issue, I quickly decided to add small cool-looking fans to my open-air-concept rigs. The fans of course helped a bit – as additional air got pushed at the graphic cards – but one thing it did not do was keep the room cooler.

In fact, the fans added “noise” as an additional annoyance-factor. So – at night – we’d close the bedroom doors just to keep the noise out while opening all living room windows to let air pull through.

This is when I discovered the third problem: Dust. Living in the desert where winters can get very dusty, you want to keep doors and windows closed as much as possible to keep the dust out. I quickly realized that open-air mining rigs weren’t going to work for me. At least not if I wanted to scale the operation.

Open Mining Rig VS Forced Air Rig

It was right about this time that we purchased our first home, and I promised my wife I would get the mining rigs out of the living room and into my office. But again all the same problems arose. The office got too hot – forcing me to leave doors and windows open again – and then I had a dust problem.

On top of that, all the fan noise was starting to get to me and everyone else. I knew I had to do something different.I considered building a small stand-alone building in our yard that would have plenty of windows all around to keep with the “open air” concept. I figured I could put basic air filters in the windows and that would keep the dust out while – hopefully – the hot air would escape through the windows (as fresh air would come in).

I still very much like the idea of that, but I also realized how inconsistent wind is when you don’t control it. And when you plan on scaling your mining capacity, you want to have as much control as possible. So, being at the mercy of the wind was starting to sound less and less appealing.

Hours of research later, I came to the conclusion (based on things experienced miners would share) that removing hot air from the rig’s environment is as (if not more) important than pushing fresh air at it. And so, with much hesitation, I started looking at different “forced air” mining-rig cooling ideas.

One guy that really inspired me was TwoTon Hasher on YoutTube who built these square wooden boxes with large industrial fans on top that were sucking out the hot air while pulling fresh air into the box through filtered “windows” at the bottom.

I considered doing something like that as well, but was hoping to do something a bit more secure – as I wasn’t sure where I could safely put those boxes. And this is when I decided to build a closet sized mining-room addition to my office.

Building My Krypto Kave

Here in Mexico, most homes are built with brick and mortar and not wood or drywal like many other places. Needless to say wood construction material is harder to come by here. Which is why I opted to build with brick and cement as well despite knowing it would take a lot longer to build.

To get started, I had to do some…

Demolition!
My office had a tiny window leading outside, and I decided I would rip it out and put a door in there that would only be accessable through my office and would lead into the mining room.

This was important to me for a couple of reasons:

1. to keep noise and heat out of the office and the rest of the house
2. to secure the mining rigs from outside intruders.

Lucky for me the room had a rebar enforced poured concrete frame on top of the wall that was keeping the roof in place, so I could safely knock that door-sized hole in the wall without compromising the structure of the room.

I started this early morning to get as much of the door installation done before dark as possible. Doing this all yourself is hard work, but I got it done.

Next was…

Laying the foundation!

Because there was already a poured cement floor outside, I did not make a big deal out of the foundation aside from laying the first layer of bricks side by side to give the room a slight wider stance.
Next up was planning the…

Electrical outlets and light!

In hindsight I over-did this step. I just added up how many devices I can plug directly into the wall without using extension bars or splitters, and it’s 44. Which is crazy. I use maybe 10 right now and I am at half capacity, hah!

Better a few too many than not enough, right?

I am no electrician, but did thorough research on what wires I should use (each 2 individual outlets have their own 12 gauge wire going to them), what wall plugs I should use (I used 20 AMPs rated ones), etc. The electrical setup was the last thing I wanted to get wrong.

I planned out all the wires and put them in place while I was building the. The electician ended up pulling a ground through for each outlet, but said everything was perfect otherwise. That was a huge relief for me

Wall!

I had planned on hiring someone to do it, but the guy I had in mind was in the middle of another project, and so I figured I’d try my hand at brick-laying.

Every evening I’d spend an hour or two building the the walls. In hingsight it was a LOT of work, but the experience I gained from it is invaluable to me. And besides: How many people can look at a structure and say “I built that with my own two hands!”?
Once the wall was done, I moved on to the…

Roof!

Having very little experience in building structures, the roof was the one part I was the most undecided about. I kept changing the plan for it every other day. And in hindsight I would change it again, but it does what I need it to do.
I opted for a tin-sheet roof just because they are reliable and readily available here. Yes, they get loud when it rains (or hails) but it being at the back of the house, it doesn’t bother me.

I wanted a 2.5 meter roof but ended up with 3 meters instead because that (or 2 meters) was what they had at the hardware store. Again, erring on the side of too much instead of too little, I went with the longer sheets, had the hardware store deliver them, and then I installed them on the wood frame/beams I had built and installed for it (at a 6″ slope).

Finishing Up!

Again, I had not planned on doing all the work myself, largely just because I did not have the construction experience, but I did everything up to this point by me-ole-self.

So to finish the walls and finalize the electrical installation, I brought in an experienced builder/electrictian. He grounded each of the outlets while adding an additional breaker box to give me more control (and safety) specifically for the mining room.

Overall he kept complimenting the work I had done with the wires etc which was a huge relief for me… confirming that all my research had paid off.

Him and his helper also finished up the walls (with cement, limestone, and sand mix). Again he was impressed at what I had done with no experience. I laughed it off showing him a few bulges in the wall but he insisted a lot of “maestros” do worse brick-laying, and just hide it with the finishing, hah!

I was relieved!

Setting Up the Rigs!

5 weeks after smashing the hole in the wall to install the door – came the moment of truth: Is it going to work?

The room was done at this point, and it was time to paint the room and get the mining rigs set up.

I installed the first shop fan on top (20″ rated at 6000 CFM at full speed) pushing air outward. I turned it on while stepping into the room and closing the door.: Boy… I was chilly in no time. It made me realize the second fan would be overkill considering the small room-size, but I installed it anyway just in case of ultra warm days.The second fan is a bit smaller (only 18″ rated at 4500 CFM) and uses a little less electricity, but even just that one is plenty. Especially during cooler nights!

Next I installed the framework needed for the rig setup, and installed the rigs. At first the GPUs were running a little warmer than I anticipated, but after optimising them for optimal watt to MH/s, they run nice and cool even on warmer days.

I installed 200mm PC fans beneath the GPUs that push the air up. They are super low wattage yet push decent CFM of air. This really wasn’t needed, but in my mind, GPUs can’t get too cool, and since I generally only run one of the big top fans at a time, these small fans will keep the air moving in case the big fan ever decides to die.

Call it an insurance plan

Conclusion!

Overall I am very happy with the build. It does exactly what I need it to do and what I wished it would do:

• It contains the noise in a small room that isn’t used for other things
• It keeps the heat out of the house
• It keeps the dust away from my graphics cards.

It is only 49″ wide, about 25″ deep, and 75 inches tall (on short side), but it will comfortably fit 40 GPUs with the current setup (all GPUs are spaced 5″ appart). Seeing how nice and cool it keeps the GPUs right now, I could consider moving them closer together to fit another 8 in there (for a total of 48 GPUs), but in my mind I’ll start replacing the older cards with newer more powerful ones once I reach current-setup capacity.

So plenty of room for growth still.

In hindsight though, it was a LOT of work. I had not planned on doing most of the work myself, but with everything I learned in the process, I don’t regret it. And because I did most of the work myself, the cost really wasn’t bad (probably about $500 USD).

With all that said, I now have a small mining room I can be proud of and that earns me more per month than renting out our whole house for the month would bring. So… a triple win in my books.

PS: – I was teasing my wife we should get more rental properties as I love the rental income. She asked me what I was talking about. I told her to follow me… and showed her my Krypto Kave (the mining room). Hah!

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