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It won’t be much of an exaggeration if I say that cryptocurrency mining is the heart of all cryptocurrencies and exchanges around them. Mining is an essential element of cryptocurrencies.
Setting up a mining rig is like building a base of blockchain technology. In this article, we are going to see what all components you will require to set up your own personal mining rig and a step-by-step guide to setting it up from scratch.
But first, let us learn what a mining rig is.
A mining rig is basically your customized PC built specifically to mine cryptocurrency. It has the usual components like a motherboard, processor, RAM, ROM(storage), and GPU. Now, for a mining rig, the primary focus is on the GPU.
Not many people know that mining rigs can be of three types:
Out of all these, CPU ones are expensive and are getting outdated. ASIC is actually the best way to mine cryptocurrency, but there are debates and controversies going about ASIC. Therefore, the GPU mining rig is so far the most popular and widely used hardware for cryptocurrency mining.
By the end of this article, you will get familiar with all the aspects of cryptocurrency mining such as choosing components to build a mining rig, assembling the components, and at the end setting up the software part to get started with mining.
Let’s get started with preparations. First, you will need to figure out what all components are required to build our mining rig.
Building your own mining rig is considered to be a heavy investment. You have to build a computer with top-of-the-notch specifications(for most times) which will have high computing power to run different algorithms for mining cryptocurrency.
You get your money ready and I will suggest to you some of the best components worth your money to build your very first mining rig.
Starting off with the motherboard, every other component you buy for this setup has to be compatible with the motherboard you choose. Therefore it is important to think about the compatibility of processor and GPU while selecting a motherboard.
We have a couple of options for the motherboard. ASUS is doing a great job in designing motherboards that are capable of connecting multiple GPUs on them. You can consider ASUS Prime Z370-A or ASUS Prime Z390-A.
We are choosing the Asus B250 Mining Expert for obvious reasons. This powerhouse is capable of mounting 19 GPUs. Therefore, this is the absolute best motherboard money can buy. Do note that this motherboard requires Windows 10 or higher software.
Contrary to the universal misconception, you don't really need a high-end processor for mining cryptocurrency. We are going to use the power of our GPUs to mine cryptocurrency, thus a mid-range processor of 9th generation or higher will be enough.
Quad-core Intel Core i5-6500 is a fairly decent processor and works just about fine. This processor is compatible with the motherboard we selected.
Just like processors, we are not gonna put much stress on our ram. We need more computational power and not multitasking. Thus you can either go with 8GB or 16GB of ram.
Here you have options like Patriot Viper Elite Series 2 x 4GB 2400MHz DDR4 RAM or cheaper Bewinner Memory DDR2 2 x 4GB RAM. We are going to use G.SKILL Aegis 2 x 8GB DDR4 2400MHz RAM.
For storage, you can either go with an HDD(Hard Disk Drive) or SSD(Solid State Drive). HDD is cheaper, thus if you are tight on your budget, go with a 1TB HDD. But do note that these hard drives are slower. They will get your job done but SSDs are most preferred.
For SSDs, you have the following options:
It’s better not to cut costs around PSUs as they need to withstand the loads. You may need just one PSU or several of them depending upon the number of graphic cards you are going to install on your motherboard.
Ideal PSU should have a rating between 850W to 1200W. Here are PSUs you can consider buying.
Graphics card(s) or GPU is the most important element of your mining rig. While selecting a GPU you need to consider factors like power consumption, overclocking, cooling and compatibility with the motherboard.
You can either go with GPUs from Nvidia or from AMD. Our recommendation is the GeForce RTX™ 3090 VENTUS 3X 24G OC. You can visit the Nvidia site to know more about this graphic card.
Risers do not have much of a significance in usual computers but in mining rigs, they serve an important function. FebSmart PCI-E X1 to PCI-E X16 will help you elevate GPUs from the motherboard. Thus, providing better cooling.
Once all the components have been acquired, the next step is to start building or assembling all the components. Now if you think that this process is going to be very hard or complicated then you are mistaken because once you get the hang of it, it comes easily.
When you start assembling the components, you have to keep the +6 GPU capable motherboard outside the mining frame. It is greatly recommended by the experts that you put the package box that comes with foam or anti-static bags under the motherboard.
Ensure that you release the lever that holds the CPU socket protection before you begin the next step.
After attaching the motherboard, you should attach the processor to the motherboard. Put the CPU in the motherboard socket. Just make sure that you are extra careful when you pull out the CPU as there may be a thermal paste stuck on the CPU fan.
You should also mark the motherboard socket as well as the side of the CPU to make the task simpler for you. These markings will help you when you assemble the CPU as you will attach it with both marks on the same side.
Just keep in mind that the CPU pins are delicate so you have to be super careful when you insert the processor into the motherboard socket. If you are not careful with them, then the pins might bend and that will render the whole CPU useless.
It is advised that you have the manual always on hand to help you with any difficulties that you might face. It will help you immensely when you install the heatsink over the CPU. Applying the thermal paste to the heat sink's surface before attaching the processor is also an important step.
The power cables of the heat sink should be to the 'CPU_FAN1' titled pins. If you are unable to locate the pins then you should use the manual provided for the motherboard.
Installing the RAM into the motherboard is pretty simple. You just have to open the motherboard slot's side brackets and then push the RAM module into it very slowly.
The RAM locks into the socket in one way only and you might have to give a strong push to it sometimes so make sure you don't damage it. If you fit the RAM correctly then the side brackets will lock onto it automatically.
Now you can simply connect your SSD (recommended) to one of the SATA ports of the B250 motherboard. If you are using an SSD, then it won’t take much of a space and you can always reposition it as per requirement.
You next have to set the Motherboard on the frame depending on what Mining frame you are using. Make sure you don't leave any scratches on the Motherboard's bottom as that would make it malfunction.
If your mining rig has a metal frame then you should touch the Motherboard to the frame only where the holes for the screws are present. Tightening the screws will fix the Motherboard into place.
When you set the Power Supply Unit, place it near the Motherboard and ensure that there's enough space present in the mining rig to fit the PSU in it. Look for the 24-pin power connector that is present in the motherboard, they usually have them.
The pins are to be attached to the motherboard to make it work. The 8 power connector pins of the CPU should be connected to the motherboard which is nearest to the processor. Make sure you don't mistake the PCI-e 2+2 power conductor and the CPU connector.
The x16 USB riser should be set up with the PCI-e x1 which gets connected to the motherboard. You will need an electric connection to power the riser model. Depending on the mode, the connection could be any of the PCI-e 6 pin connectors, an SATA cable, or a Molex connector. Don't connect more than 2 power connections to 3 or 4 risers to avoid damage.
The graphic cards are assembled on the frame using a USB riser. You have to plug the PCI-e 6+2 power connectors into your GPU and connect them to the remaining 5 GPUs later on.
The last step is to ensure all the connections are made properly. Connect the graphic card to your monitor and proceed to connect the mouse and the keyboard and turn the rig on. To turn it on, connect the power switch to the power pins on the motherboard.
When you start the power, it should boot which will indicate that the rig is working correctly. Correct installation would mean you will get the BIOS message on the screen.
Nvidia GPUs are capable for mining, this mining happens because these GPUs are good at handling algorithms. X16RT, MTP, Cuckaroo29s, Ethash, and Zhash are a few of the popular algorithms. We’ll list down a few of the currencies which can be mined.
After you are done with attaching all your components, let's move to the configuration part of the mining rig.
To get access to BIOS while booting. Press the F2 or DELETE button. Every motherboard has a different appearance of BIOS. As you enter the BIOS, go to the advanced mode by pressing F7. In this tab, you can change a few of the settings.
Below are the settings you can change in advanced mode:
After completing the configuration part, let’s move on to the windows installation. Plug-in your bootable USB Windows USB Stick to your motherboard.
For tuning of Windows 10 you have to go through a few steps and then you are done with Setting up the mining rig for your cryptocurrency. Listed below are outlined steps.
The above tutorial is written in the most simplified form for the people setting up their mining rig for the first time. After following the steps thoroughly you can successfully mine your favorite cryptocurrency. If you have any doubts, feel free to reach out to us and ask your queries. We hope the tutorial will help you in every way to build your Mining Rig.
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