Assembling a farm with your own hands - everyone can!

In this article, we will build a mining farm. There is nothing complicated about this, it is very similar to assembling a regular personal computer, but there are a few nuances. It will be easier for beginners to assemble, having clear step-by-step instructions before their eyes. I took some of the pictures from open sources on the Internet, so do not be surprised that they have different farms.

Truss Assembly Accessories

So, as a very peculiar video blogger would say: “Hey, goldfinches! Today we will assemble a mining farm with our own hands. We will need:

1. Motherboard.
2. CPU.
3. Cooler (+ thermal paste).
4. RAM.
5. HDD.
6. Video cards.
7. Raisers.
8. Power supply with a set of cables.
9. Power Synchronizer.
10. Frame (+ power button).
11. Cable ties, self-tapping screws, metal corners.

More about farm components, why they are needed and how to choose them, I told in a separate article:

Building a farm for mining, step by step instructions

We begin to assemble a farm for mining, that is, we proceed directly to the process of installing components in the frame of your future farm.

Framework for mining farm

The classic frame (often called a case) is a metal or wooden frame, the mutual arrangement of the parts of which allows you to install the components of the mining farm and connect them. Usually these are several parts that form the outer edges of the frame, one or more support bars for video cards and the lower part (platform) for placing the motherboard, power supply, hard drive.

Mining farm frame

The finished frame can be bought for 20-25 dollars, it will turn out to be cheaper. I like to do it myself, buying the necessary parts for 10-15 dollars and spending about half an hour to assemble. If you are interested, I will write a separate article about this, with photographs and drawings. It's easier to buy ready-made.

A moment of humor, a well-known joke in miner circles. The picture below is not a truss frame!

Motherboard and processor

We insert the processor into the motherboard, apply thermal paste to it, attach the cooler. Everything is the same as in personal computers. Then we install the RAM and place the motherboard at the bottom of the farm frame. In this case, the following conditions must be met:

1. It is desirable to place PCI-Express connectors for connecting video cards in the center of the frame.
2. Connectors for connecting a monitor, keyboard, mouse should be directed outward.
3. The motherboard should not protrude beyond the edges of the frame.
4. After installing the motherboard, there should be room next to the power supply (or two) and the hard drive.

In practice, the easiest way is to press the motherboard to the corner of the bottom platform of the frame, turning it in such a way that the first two conditions are met. It should look like the picture below.

An example of a mining farm assembly

After placing the motherboard, we fix it with a few self-tapping screws, screwing them through the motherboard mounting holes. If the bottom platform is wooden, then you can not be afraid of the motherboard coming into contact with it. If the platform is conductive, then such contact must be prevented. This can be done using dielectric spacers or special legs that will raise the motherboard above the platform.

power unit

Next to the motherboard we place one or more power supplies.

We have a separate material about farm food:.

The cooling power supply fan needs to be facing out or up. It is desirable that the cable from the mains also looks to the side and does not take up space inside the case. The power supply does not have holes for mounting inside the truss frame. In order not to spoil its presentation, I usually pull the power supply with several cable ties to the corner of the frame. And so that it does not move during transportation, I limit it with the help of metal corners screwed to the lower platform with screws.

HDD

The hard drive is also placed on the bottom platform. It can be pressed against the corner of the frame, next to the power supply, and fixed with several bent metal corners. In the photo below, you can see the power supply fixed with a cable tie and a metal bracket, as well as a fixed hard drive.

Mining farm, hard drive and power supply mount

Power connection

In the next step of assembling the farm, you need to connect the following power lines:

1. Motherboard power connector (ATX connector) to the motherboard. When using several power supplies, these connectors should be combined with a special synchronizer and already connected to the motherboard.
2. CPU power connector to motherboard.
3. SATA or Molex connector to the hard drive.

I strongly recommend that you read the very important pro instructions before performing this step, this will help you avoid serious problems. In the figure below, video cards are installed, but the power connection has not yet been completed, do not do this. It will be uncomfortable.

Video cards are not powered

risers

It's time to connect the risers. Typical kit includes:

• board for connecting a video card;
• board for connecting to the motherboard;
• USB 3.0 cable for their connection;
• power adapter (used only when necessary).

We connect these parts as shown in the figure below.

Connecting the riser

We insert the board for connecting to the motherboard into the PCI-Express connector on it, and place the board for connecting the video card on the support bar of the truss frame. We connect the connector of the same name from the power supply (SATA, Molex or PCI-E) to the power connector on the riser. This can be done directly or using the adapter included with the riser.

Video cards

The next step is to connect the additional power connectors to the video card connectors. After that, when all connections are made, you can try to clean up the inside of the farm by fixing the wires with cable ties.

Complete mining farm

The mining farm is assembled. It remains to connect the power button and the power indicator light to the motherboard.

The final touch is connecting the keyboard, mouse, monitor and network cable. After that, you can proceed to install the operating system, software and configure them. More on this in one of the following articles, stay tuned!

Do you want to earn on crypto? Subscribe to ours!

Despite a significant decrease in the profitability of mining in 2018 compared to 2017, it continues to be a profitable activity that can generate income in cryptocurrency. Given the possibility of increasing activity in the cryptocurrency market after a fairly long period of stagnation and the dominance of downtrends, mining can again become quite a profitable activity.

This article discusses how to build a mining farm step by step. The content of the article should not be considered as an instruction and guide to action, but is a recommendation for novice miners.

What you need to know about mining

The main method of mining at present is the performance of computational work using the PoW algorithm, according to which maintaining the operation of the blockchain network allows you to receive a reward corresponding to the amount of computation performed - the share of work performed. With this method of maintaining the health of the network, it is possible to receive income proportional to the available capacity of computing equipment.

The rather high cost of the main cryptocurrencies using this method of maintaining their performance allows you to earn money on equipment installed in normal home conditions. Such equipment, as a rule, uses the power of video cards and central processors, as the most productive computing devices that can be used without turning the home into an industrial workshop.

The most important components of a home mining farm are video cards.

If you have a large amount of money and a small available power supply, it is better to focus on purchasing expensive video cards that have maximum energy efficiency indicators, for example Nvidia GTX1080Ti or other powerful modern video cards.

If you have a small amount of money and a lot of power, under good ventilation conditions, you can consider buying old cards like R9 290 from AMD. They consume a lot of power about 2-2.5 times more than modern video cards of the RX400/500 family), but have roughly the same processing power.

The best option for assembling a mining farm with an average budget is to purchase video cards from the company AMD a series RX400/500 or video cards from the company Nvidia GTX1060/1070/1080. When buying series cards GTX1060 it is better to focus on cards with memory capacity 6 gigabytes. They have more powerful GPUs installed and the amount of memory available allows them to be used for mining ether on any operating system.

The choice of motherboard, processor, RAM and power supply is also important, but they practically do not affect the computing power of the farm (with the exception of the processor, which can be used to mine the Monero cryptocurrency and similar crypto assets, but income from this is now very small).

Where to buy iron and necessary components for the farm

There are various ways to purchase equipment for mining farms, among which the most common are the purchase in online stores and in the secondary market. They have their pros and cons, which allow you to choose the necessary equipment according to the available resources and desires.

Internet shops

The most optimal options for purchasing equipment for mining are online stores. In them, you can purchase the necessary equipment at an affordable price, while ensuring the security of the transaction and receiving warranty documents.

You should not buy mining equipment on credit, hoping to repay it with mining income, since its size cannot be guaranteed to be calculated in the long term.

Used parts

The purchase of used components is associated with the risk of a quick failure of such equipment. This may be a good option, subject to competent verification of such iron. It is best to have it done by an experienced miner or computer repair specialist.

Currently, due to the decrease in mining profitability, it is possible to purchase good computer equipment at a normal price, but for this you need to have certain knowledge or enlist the help of a specialist.

The main nuances when assembling a farm, connecting video cards

Building a farm for mining at home requires taking into account a number of nuances:

1. It is necessary to accurately set the maximum possible power input to the house. For old apartments with aluminum wiring the maximum power consumption is estimated at 2-3 kilowatts, of which at least 1-2 kilowatts must be left for home consumption. Thus, in houses with old electrical wiring, it will be possible to install a rig that consumes no more than 1-1.5 kilowatts, which theoretically makes it possible to use no more than 12 graphics cards of the GTX1060 or AMD RX570/580 level with the maximum reduction in their power consumption.
2. In modern apartments and housing equipped with electric stoves, the issue of providing electricity is not so acute, but for the normal functioning of the rig, it is still necessary to take care of the reliability and sufficient power of the power line.
3. At home, this parameter is very important, because, in the presence of weak electrical wiring, buying expensive equipment can be a waste of money due to the inability to provide it with power. Mining is currently a very energy-intensive activity, so it is necessary to accurately calculate how much power a home electrical network can provide for mining.
4. It is necessary to decide on the installation location of the rig and make sure that it will provide normal heat dissipation and ventilation of video cards. The main condition necessary for the operation of the rig in the summer is to ensure constant air ventilation. Air conditioning in a room with a rig will dry out the air very much, making it uninhabitable, and also require a lot of additional electricity, which is usually not enough when mining at home. When choosing a place for a rig, care must be taken not to moisture got in, it was not dusty and, if necessary, it could be easily disconnected from power, as well as carry out preventive work related to purging from dust and periodic inspections for possible problems.
5. Based on experience, for every kilowatt of power consumed, at least 300 cubic meters of air per hour must be circulated. This indicator is important when installing a rig on a balcony, where the total volume of air is small and it needs to be constantly circulated. Therefore, in the summer, in a small room with a rig, it is advisable to install a supply fan closer to the floor and another exhaust fan closer to the floor. ceiling.
6. This indicator is especially important due to the fact that the constant operation of the mining farm is associated with the release of heat proportional to the power consumed. When consuming 1 kilowatt of electricity, the same amount of heat will be released as if it were an electric heater of the same power. In winter, this is an additional bonus from mining, which allows you to heat the room, and in summer it can be a source of hellish heat and, with illiterate operation, the cause of a fire.
7. It is necessary to decide on the budget that can be allocated for the assembly of the mining farm.
8. This indicator is important, based on the need to maximize the efficiency of the rig, and at the same time take into account the available resource for power supply, conditions for heat removal and other important parameters. It is impossible to create a single instruction that answers the question of how to assemble a farm for mining, but, in general, the process of assembling a rig and mining consists in carrying out the following actions:

• Assembly or purchase of a frame for a rig;
• Installing a motherboard, power supply and disk media on it;
• Installation of video cards with risers;
• Connection of all equipment with each other;
• Checking the correct assembly and connections;
• Installing the operating system, drivers, mining software, connecting the rig to the Internet;
• Selection of pools for mining and setting up programs for mining;
• Mining start;
• Control over the operation of the equipment, the correct operation of programs for mining and accumulation of cryptocurrency. The framework for the mining farm must provide conditions for placing all components, their connection and subsequent safe operation. A good option for assembling the frame is to use aluminum corners or another aluminum profile. It is easily processed, light, quite durable and non-flammable. When installing the motherboard, you need to pay attention to the absence of kinks along its entire plane.
• With proper assembly, wooden structures can also be used, but fire safety must be taken care of.
• The assembly / purchase of a separate frame is necessary to ensure optimal cooling of computer components during mining. No closed case can provide this without the installation of efficient coolers. At home, such a case will make a lot of noise, so the most optimal for the house is to use a frame structure.

Connecting video cards.

When installing video cards to ensure their cooling during mining, risers are used that connect the video cards to the connector PCI Express on the motherboard through an extension cable - a high quality USB cable and provide a separate power circuit for the video card, decoupled from the motherboard. Their selection is very important to ensure the reliable operation of the rig.

It is best to use the riser on 12 volt with 6 pin power connector, because they usually have a built-in fuse, and also have more reliable built-in power conversion circuits 12 volt to others required for video cards. In addition, 6-pin risers have three wires per power pole, which provides a more even load on the connectors.

Slightly worse than the riser with a 4-pin molex power connector, in which there are two ground wires and one 12 volt wire.

The worst riser option is the SATA power connector riser due to the thin pins it uses. Such risers are almost guaranteed to have mining problems over time due to burnout of contacts at the connection point.

When choosing risers, it is necessary to pay attention to the quality and capacity of the electrolytic capacitors installed on them. It is better to take risers with larger capacitors, they will provide better power quality for video cards.

It is necessary to pay attention to the quality of the soldering of the risers, the presence of short circuits from poor-quality soldering, flux streaks. If there is such a marriage, it must be eliminated, or the riser must be replaced.

There are also defective risers that supply increased voltage in the +3.3 volt or +5 volt circuits due to incorrect assembly. Therefore, when buying risers from unknown sellers, it is best to test the riser for proper output voltage.

To do this, they are connected to a power source and the voltages on the PCI-Express connector are measured according to its pinout. In the absence of skills in working with electrical circuits, it is better to entrust this check to a specialist.

Up-to-date OC and mining software

When using a home farm, it is best to use operating systems of the Windows family. They are easy to set up, provide a high-speed mining farm and allow, if necessary, to easily change the coin that is being mined.

Mining uses 64-bit versions of operating systems with the fewest installed utilities and running services.

Your best bet is to use Windows 7 as the fastest system with the fewest Microsoft spyware add-ons, or Windows 10 LTSB versions based on the same considerations. When building a rig for 12 AMD video cards, you need to use the latest version of Windows 10, otherwise the rig will not work. When using AMD and NVIDIA cards together, it is better to use the LTSB version.

It is better to select the most relevant miners by studying the specialized forums, recommendations on mining pools and experienced tips.

Before starting mining, you need to disable sleep mode, set the paging file to 30-40 gigabytes, disable operating system updates, make exceptions for miners in the firewall and antivirus.

Miners for video cards

The most common and well-proven in work are miners developed by a programmer. He releases programs for mining Ethereum, ZCash, Monero and other profitable cryptocurrencies. It is better to download all mining programs on the developers' pages on the forum bitcointalk, because on third-party resources they can be modified by hackers.

Consider which programs are best used for the most popular cryptocurrencies.

Ethereum and other cryptocurrencies with the Ethash mining algorithm are best mined with such programs:

Claymore's Dual Ethereum GPU Miner

• Claymore's Dual Miner - this miner allows you to simultaneously use video cards from companies AMD And NVIDIA, as well as simultaneously mining Decred, Siacoin, Lbry, Pascal, as well as cryptocurrencies on the Blake2s and Keccak algorithms. Available for download at: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1433925.0

Dual mining is currently only beneficial if free electricity is available. Ethereum mining in this program is stable and easy to set up. The developer takes a commission equal to 1% of the time of work for using the program when mining ether, by periodically switching it to mining in his favor.

Phoenix Miner

• Phoenix - this miner is very similar to Claymore, it supports the simultaneous use of AMD and NVIDIA cards. Most of the commands used to set it up are similar to the Claymore commands. The developer commission is 0.65%. It is 1-2% faster, but not as stable in operation. Available for download at:

Monero and other cryptocurrencies with the Cryptonight mining algorithm are best mined with such programs:

Claymore's AMD CryptoNight GPU Miner

• Claymore's AMD CryptoNight - this miner supports video cards from AMD. Available for download at:

There is no developer fee in the latest version 11.3.

XMRig Nvidia miner

• XMRig - algorithm miner Cryptonight on Nvidia cards. Available for download at:

The default developer commission is 5%, when setting the parameter --donate-level 1 is 1%.

ZCash, BTG and other cryptocurrencies with the Equihash mining algorithm are best mined with such programs:

Claymore's ZCash/BTG AMD GPU Miner

• Claymore's ZCash/BTG Miner - this miner supports video cards from AMD. Available for download at:

EWBF's Zcash cuda miner

• EWBF's miner is a miner for the Equihash algorithm on Nvidia cards. Available for download at:

The developer commission is 2%.

Dstm's ZCash Cuda miner

• Dstm's miner is a miner for the Equihash algorithm on Nvidia cards. Available for download at

The developer commission is 2%.

The configuration features of these and other programs can be found in their manuals.

Choosing a pool for mining and instructions for setting it up

When choosing a mining pool, you need to take into account its reliability, ease of use, minimum withdrawal amounts, what percentage it takes for services, physical remoteness of servers and other important factors. The farther the pool servers, the greater the ping to them, which leads to a delay in the share (solutions) that the mining farm finds (stale shares). They are usually not paid, so the number of these shares should be kept to a minimum. The statistics of the decisions made and other data, as a rule, can be viewed on the pool itself.

For mining ether and other popular cryptocurrencies, good pools are

• Coinotron
• Flypool
• Suprnova
• Nanopool
• Coinmine
• Dwarfpool

Pool setup instructions.

For each specific pool, mining is configured according to the instructions that can be found on its website. In chapter help each pool has step-by-step instructions on how to mine cryptocurrency on it. In any case, the following information must be entered in the configuration files to run the miner:

pool network address and mining port;

password and login of a worker (of a specific rig), or a wallet address (depending on the pool);

service parameters that do not depend on the pool, regarding overclocking, temperature conditions, cooler operation mode, intensity, and other data necessary for the operation of the miner program.

Hardware and equipment maintenance costs

When assembling a rig, the greatest costs fall on video cards.

The cost of 1-2 video cards (depending on their model) is approximately equal to the total cost of the power supply, motherboard, processor, RAM, hard drive, frame and risers.

The best video cards currently are AMD's RX400-500 series and Nvidia's GTX1060 (6 GB)/1070/1080 (Ti) series. When choosing them, it is better to focus on cards with the most massive heatsinks and a large number of coolers. Based on experience, the best AMD graphics cards are produced by Sapphire, and Nvidia by ASUS.

As a disk drive, it is better to choose a 120 gigabyte SSD. These drives are fast, economical, and have enough space for a swap file.

The RAM for the rig needs at least 4 gigabytes, while it is enough to choose the cheapest memory, since its speed does not affect mining performance.

If the processor will not be used for mining, then you can buy the cheapest models. The main load during mining falls on video cards, the processor is practically not loaded. If you want to mine on the processor, you need to take care of the presence of good power circuits on the motherboard, capable of providing high-quality power 24 hours a day. The best motherboard power circuits ASrock, even the cheapest models have many phases in the processor power circuit and radiators installed on them.

Profitability of the main cryptocurrencies, how to quickly recoup the rig

For the fastest payback of the rig, it is necessary to constantly mine the most profitable cryptocurrencies and exchange them on cryptocurrency exchanges or exchangers for ordinary money. If there are free funds, it is necessary to consider the possibility of mining for a long-term period in order to exchange cryptocurrency at a more favorable rate.

Mining profitability is higher, the lower the complexity of the network, so you should pay attention to this parameter. With a strong increase in complexity, it makes sense to switch to mining other cryptocurrencies in order not to lose income. The current profitability, which allows you to choose the most profitable cryptocurrency at the moment, can be found on the websites Whattomine And Nicehash

Cryptocurrency mining on your own equipment will allow you to better understand cryptocurrency topics and computer settings, and will give you a certain life experience that will not interfere in the future. Therefore, assembling a mining farm can be considered not only as a means to earn money, but also as a way to learn how to operate computing equipment and work with cryptocurrencies.

Subscribe to our resources and read the comments, sometimes smart people write smart things there.

Subscribe to news in

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 from the standpoint 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	Flaws
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. It 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 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. 4 GB RAM 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 be taken only after detailed calculations (drawing up a business plan), if there are free financial resources and after analyzing future changes in the cryptocurrency network.

Recently, for a number of reasons, mining profitability has begun to decline. The constant complication of hash calculation and the decrease in the reward for the mined block, which is practiced on most projects, makes miners doubt the expediency of this undertaking. How to make a budget farm in 2018 in order to start making money on it? What components to assemble it from and where it is more profitable to buy them - more on this and much more later.

For example, consider the option of assembling a budget mining farm, the cost of all components of which varies between 2000-2700 dollars. Payback is about 1 year.

What you need for a budget farm for mining

The right choice of equipment is the foundation of future success. The following components are required for operation:

1. Motherboard. The possible number of connected video cards depends on which board is installed on the computer. The cheapest one is the As Rock FM 2A88M board, which costs only $63, but it is of little use for efficient mining due to the lack of power. The best choice is ASRock FM2A88X, which can connect six video cards. Its price is about $110.
2. Frame. This is an element on which you can save a lot by assembling it on your own from aluminum corners or wooden bars. If you do everything from start to finish without outside help, it is quite possible to meet $14.
3. CPU. When choosing, two main conditions must be met: the processor must have an average power and fit the motherboard. The best choice is an A4 category unit for $48.
4. RAM. Two 2 GB boards will cost less than one 4 GB board, and the effect will be the same. The cost is $16 x2 = $32.
5. HDD for 60 GB. The cost of the most budget option is $40.
6. video card from 2 GB of memory.
7. Cooling system(fans, cooler, etc.)

In order for a mining farm to bring money, you need to correctly calculate everything and take into account the risks.

More is worth stopping at the choice. Of the inexpensive models, the Nvidia Ge Force GTX 1050 Ti ($120) is worthy of attention. We also recommend considering the Radeon RX 470 Sapphire ($300).

The Radeon card featured in this guide is no coincidence. It cannot be classified as budget, but these costs will justify themselves. Radeon video cards are the best for mining today. Most often, manufacturers optimize cards for gaming, not for crypto mining, so specialized models are very rare, and the RX 470 is just one of them. In general, only NVidia and Radeon cards are suitable for mining farms.

Where to buy farm accessories

In specialized stores, everything is simple: the goods can be picked up on the same day of contact, there is no need to wait for delivery. But the difference in price compared to Amazon can reach 100%. Thus, a GeForce 1050 Ti card is sold in stores for $220-230, and on the Internet it can be purchased for $130. It is better to order components on Ebay or Amazon at an affordable price and wait 20-25 days for delivery.

The scheme for assembling a mining farm with your own hands is quite complicated, but if you do everything according to the instructions, you will not get confused.

How to build a farm for cryptocurrencies

1. Assembly of the frame on which all equipment will be mounted. When assembled, it resembles a server rack.
2. Assembly of components. The process is no different from assembling a conventional computer. The motherboard is placed on the bottom shelf of the frame, but always so that it does not come into contact with its surface.
3. Installing the cooler and processor on the motherboard.
4. Mounting the power supply to the corner using self-tapping screws. Reliable engagement of the block with the corners is a guarantee of the safety of the device (protection against the formation of a spark in contact).
5. Installing the power button and indicators.
6. Connecting a hard drive.
7. Connecting a video card through raisers using Molex.

Inexpensive almost ready. It remains only to install the operating system (it is better if it is Windows 10) and download the software for mining coins.

Farm software

It is necessary to work only with functional software and the use of programs

ethminer and sgminer-gm-windows. These programs are optimally suited for mining. Their main advantages are ease of installation and configuration. To mine other coins, you can use Ethereum Claymore's Dual or Sia.

How much can you earn on a budget farm in 2018

The main thing that interests a miner, regardless of whether he buys a farm or collects it with his own hands: how much income can he get from this?

Immediately you need to understand: it is impossible to mine expensive on budget equipment. Since the main cryptocurrency began breaking growth records, the number of its participants began to arrive exponentially. As a result: system slowdown, scaling problem, increased fees and hash calculation complexity. Now, without powerful expensive equipment, it is impossible to confirm the next bitcoin block. In addition, the cost of the block has been halved, so the profitability of BTC production has significantly decreased.

Therefore, it is worth paying attention to other cryptocurrencies:

• Ethereum;

Ether mining is considered the most profitable today, but you can try to mine other digital coins as well.

Ethereum is one of the promising cryptocurrencies, which is catching up with bitcoin in popularity.

Example of a budget farm

An inexpensive mining farm can be assembled from the following components:

• Motherboard GA-Z97X-Gaming 3.
• Power supply Seasonic 1 200 W.
• Three PCIExpress slots with a RadeonRX 480 graphics card with a hashrate of 30 Mhash/sec.
• Risers (sold at a bargain price on risers.ru);
• Winchester SSD Now V300 (120 GB).
• RAM Kingston 4 GB.

OS installation. As mentioned above, Windows 10 is suitable for mining. But since an economy option is being considered, you can install a free Ubuntu, created specifically for mining Ethereum.

Despite the general decrease in profitability and an increase in the payback period of mining, this budget option can bring up to one hundred percent per annum at a cost of $ 2 - 2.7. In addition to bitcoin, the extraction of which today is effective only on industrial farms, and provided that inexpensive electricity is used, there are a lot of young promising currencies that can bring good dividends. And then they can be exchanged for bitcoins or ethers, no less reliable for long-term storage.

Cryptocurrency mining: detailed and simple:

In a situation where the word "Bitcoin" now and then flashes on the pages of Internet publications and is increasingly heard from the TV screen, even small children know what it means. This is a cryptocurrency that requires a mining farm to earn money - an open frame on which computer hardware is installed. Very often, the main part of such a miner is a block of several video cards, with the help of which mining is performed.

What is a mining farm

Structurally, a mining farm is a computer designed to solve certain computational problems. A powerful processor and a capacious hard drive are not required here, the emphasis is on a large number of powerful video cards (there can be up to 6 pieces) and several power supplies that provide the system with the necessary energy. Good computing power of a home farm allows you to start mining cryptocurrency, and in essence represent an alternative (or even main) form of income with a quick payback period.

How does it work

From a software point of view, a mining farm is nothing more than a computing device in a distributed database using algorithms and programs. The essence of the mining process is to track and process new blocks of transactions in a specialized blockchain network - this is exactly what is called “mining”. Each discovered block will be profitable, eventually giving the opportunity to earn bitcoins or other cryptocurrency. The search for one block takes different times - from several minutes to several days, and this is influenced by two main factors:

• Equipment performance. The more powerful your mining farm, the faster your cryptocurrency mining speed will be.
• Network complexity. The more miners ensure the activity of the blockchain, the lower the cost of the found block will be and the more difficult it is to search for it. Having gone through an extraordinary boom in popularity at the turn of the 2010s, the mining industry attracted many ordinary users who, attracted by the simplicity of making money, began to purchase equipment in huge quantities.

Payback

In the generation of cryptocurrency, the leading role is given to the power of the computer, so only owners of very productive equipment, for which you need to pay with real money, will be able to get good earnings in digital currencies. Computer firms produce ready-made versions, but it is not necessary to pay a high price: with a minimum of knowledge and skills, you can assemble equipment for bitcoin mining with your own hands.

However, the main obstacle to profitability is not the expensive components for mining cryptocurrency, but the high costs of operating the equipment. The graphics card unit of a mining farm consumes a lot of energy, so electricity bills will be astronomically large, and with these costs, projects pay off much more slowly.

Types of mining farms for cryptocurrency mining

Currently existing mining farms for the extraction of cryptocurrency can be divided into three types:

1. Based on graphics processing units (GPUs). At the first steps in the formation of the Bitcoin system, AMD video cards combined into blocks of several pieces made it possible to achieve an excellent mining result. Today, large GPU farms are no longer as efficient due to high energy costs and fast depreciation, but they may well be suitable for a beginner.
2. Using FPGA modules. Such logic arrays are not inferior to GPUs in mining performance, but they do not require a powerful cooling system, which makes them more reliable and compact.
3. Based on ASIC processors, which are designed specifically for bitcoin mining. To date, such computer systems are considered the best devices, making it possible to achieve a 25-fold increase in speed, but at the same time, such equipment will cost much more.

Bitcoin farm

The ability to profitably mine bitcoins led to a rapid increase in the number of mining farms and an unprecedented expansion of the blockchain network, so the emergence of the second generation of cryptocurrencies was a predictable process. Today, there are many options available to miners for mining - from the increasingly popular Ethereum cryptocurrency to Ark and Xaurum, which are not known to many.

The equipment used also imposes its own restrictions on production. If a mining farm based on a block of video cards can easily switch to mining another cryptocurrency, then FPGA modules will already require manual reprogramming, and ASIC chips are initially configured for only one option. Under such conditions, calculating the optimal configuration of farms for mining becomes a difficult task for the owner, who seeks to make a profitable investment in mining.

Ethereum mining

Although in half a year since the beginning of 2019, the bitcoin rate has grown by 160% and reached $ 3,000 in June, there are other examples in the cryptocurrency market that show steady growth. Ethereum can be attributed to their number - since the beginning of the year, the ether exchange rate has increased by 4485%, amounting to $ 375.5. The advantage of the new cryptocurrency was appreciated not only by miners, but also by large companies with a worldwide reputation. In February 2019, the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance was created, a non-profit block that includes such monsters as Microsoft and Intel, which makes the position of this cryptocurrency even more stable.

Cryptocurrency farm for mining altcoins

Given the great popularity of bitcoin and the increasing complexity of mining, in recent years, alternative cryptocurrencies (they are also called altcoins) are increasingly being created, and their mining is recommended to novice miners. In the first steps, you need to get a small farm based on GPU or FPGA modules in order to independently try out how Litecoin or Monero is mined and understand how to make a profit in this business.

Buy a farm for mining

If you decide to stay on ready-made equipment, then the Internet will offer you many options for assembling farms for mining cryptocurrencies. The price range is in the range of 96,000 - 240,000 rubles, depending on the type of construction and power (prices here and below are as of July 2017). At the same time, assembly according to individual parameters is possible, which can reduce the price of the finished block for sale.

Equipment power

The more powerful block you have, the higher the performance of the mining farm. There are a few simple rules that you need to consider if you like a mining farm in the store:

1. The advantage of a ready-made farm is that all the work of selecting the necessary components for the block has already been done for you - you get a turnkey solution that just needs to be plugged into the outlet and start mining.
2. Be sure to include in your budget the cost of bitcoin mining, and electricity fees. Even not the most powerful farm on ASIC-panels consumes more than 20 kilowatt-hours per day. There are devices with much higher consumption, the seller will tell you the exact figure for the purchased unit.
3. You should not get hung up only on indicators of computing power (hash rate), but evaluate the system comprehensively. The high performance of the block implies an increased price and greater risks that the owner bears with such an investment in cryptocurrency mining.

The complexity of the blockchain network

Given the rapidly increasing complexity of the blockchain network, here are some tips for the novice user:

1. Choose only modern equipment. No second-hand special devices, even at a very attractive price - at the current pace of work, wear rates will be very high.
2. Opt for more functionality. For example, by switching a video card, you can mine another cryptocurrency (or even find a use for the card that is not related to crypto mining), this is impossible for ASIC processors.
3. Never take out a loan to buy equipment, given the high risks of mining. The situation may change, and if today the generation of cryptocurrency provides a stable income, then tomorrow this money can hardly be enough to pay for electricity.

What determines the hashrate of a mining farm

One of the basic characteristics that determine the power of your mining farm is hashrate - the number of calculations performed per second. The higher this indicator, the more productive your mining farm will be. As of mid-2019, 600 kH/s is considered good for video cards, while there are the latest AMD 7990 series models using two cores, with speeds up to 1,500 kH/s.

Although the miner on ASIC processors significantly outperforms GPU models in terms of hashrate, having indicators of 14,000 kH / s, the high cost (from $ 2,500) can stretch the payback period of such a block for mining. In the face of sharp fluctuations in cryptocurrency rates and the rapidly increasing complexity of the blockchain network, this option is not suitable for all users.

How to build a mining farm

In many cases, building your own mining block will take precedence over buying a ready-made mining farm. Benefits include:

• lower costs, especially if you already have some of the parts;
• the possibility of more flexible selection of components;
• enjoyment of the assembly process.

Among the disadvantages:

• the time spent on searching for the necessary components and the lack of individual components (due to the great popularity of cryptomining, it can be difficult to buy powerful video cards);
• the need for at least minimal knowledge about the operation of the equipment, but this gap is easily filled with information on the Internet, which provides assembly diagrams and photos of crypto farms;
• no warranty or service.

Mining farm framework

If an ordinary home PC has a closed case to protect the “stuffing” from dust, then a mining farm has an open frame for easy cooling of the block. In fact, this is a rack of metal corners, adjusted to the dimensions of video cards or other mining farm equipment. It is not difficult to find such a frame for sale - they are made according to standard sizes (600x400x300 mm, 600x400x400 mm, 700x400x400 mm, etc.), which makes it possible to reliably install blocks on top of each other.

Video card selection

A maximum of 6 video cards can be connected to the motherboard, this indicator should be used when calculating how much computing power your farm has for mining. When choosing the necessary model, compare the ratio of power and energy consumption with each other - this will allow you to save both when buying and when operating a mining farm:

	Power, kH/s	Power consumption, W	price, rub.

Even without a calculator, you can see that at the same price, the 6990 video cards differ significantly from other cards in the 6900 series in terms of higher power with an insignificant difference in power consumption. Similarly, by analyzing these three indicators, you can find the best option to buy video cards for a mining farm.

Power supply for installation

Choosing a farm power supply is not as simple a process as it might seem at first glance. For a normal power supply for a mining farm for six video cards, even 1000 watts may not be enough. Additional power is required for other coin generation equipment, which is why you should always choose power with a margin of 150-200 watts. Equally important will be the presence on the farm block of the required number of PCI-E slots in order to be able to directly connect all video cards for mining.

Cooling and air circulation systems

Given the large heat generation, mining farms need additional cooling. This should be taken into account when installing video cards, between which there should be 8-10 cm of space for air circulation. The easiest option is to use floor fans and a special room with an extractor fan, especially if you have more than one mining farm.

Mining farm assembly

The configuration of the rest of the components of the mining farm will not be difficult: everything is the same as for a regular computer. You will need a hard drive, a motherboard with the ability to connect six video cards (for example, Biostar H81S2) and a RAM slot. The general assembly of your mining farm involves the installation of all components, and the connection of individual components into a single unit using cables and extension cords.

Launch of cryptocurrency mining

Setting up a farm involves installing special software with which you can interact with the crypto mining industry. The choice of a program depends not only on which cryptocurrency you are interested in, but also on the mining method, because it can be:

• Single (solo) - when the development of the block is carried out alone, and all the income goes to the owner of the mining farm, but this type of mining requires powerful equipment.
• Through special pools in the network, where many miners are engaged in mining and the income is divided in proportion to the contribution of each.

Is it profitable to mine cryptocurrency using farms

Before you buy or start collecting your first farm, rarely does anyone not wonder how this project provides a stable income. Progress in the field of mining solutions does not stand still, and if back in 2013-14. 6 months were enough to “go to zero” and start making profit, today such a period can be considered very lucky even for a large company with several dozen crypto farms.

Equipment and maintenance costs

If we summarize all of the above, we can come to the following approximate cost estimate for an entry-level crypto farm, where the payback period will directly depend on the chosen cryptocurrency and exchange rate fluctuations:

• the cost of equipment is 150,000 rubles.
• power - 600 kH / s.
• electricity - 2,100 rubles.

Profitability of leading cryptocurrencies

If you make up the top 5 most profitable cryptocurrencies at the end of June 2019, then it will look like this.