How to build a Mining Farm or Rig: Learn how to set up one, the step by step to follow for proper configuration and also the some of the most suitable digital currency to mine. The cue ball is growing, ether is growing, the crypt as a whole is prone to rise and fall, like any financial asset. Only unlike stocks and bonds, cryptocurrency can be “printed” on your own computer. Start your journey to mining today so that in a year you will not be choked by a toad when watching quotes.
How to build a mining farm from scratch?
To receive money, conditionally, out of thin air, you need firm determination, free space and capital to enter. This is not a pyramid scheme – this is cryptocurrency mining, a complex and demanding business that will bring stable passive income.
A computer and a video card in it will help you get started. To make a profit, you need to buy a couple of video cards and find a place for a mining farm.
Cryptocurrency lends itself to mining on central processors and video cards. You can start mining on working video cards from Nvidia or AMD. You can also mine on CPUs, for example Ryzen or chips from Intel.
Another issue is profitability. To ensure a consistently high level of profitability, you will need at least four video cards.
Mining cryptocurrency on video cards
The easiest option for people who want to make a profit and don’t want to bother. Usually, the farm is assembled on video cards from Nvidia 10-series, like 1080 and 1080 Ti . There is also a more budgetary option, for example – mining on RX 4xx and 5xx series video cards.
What crypto is mined on video cards
- ETH – Ethereum . Designed by Vitalik Buterin. CoinGeco coin page with analytics.
- ETC – Ethereum Classic . An offshoot of Ethereum. CoinGeco coin page with analytics.
- GRIN – Green, altcoin. CoinGeco coin page with analytics.
- XZC – Zcoin, altcoin. CoinGeco coin page with analytics.
- RVN – Raven Coin, altcoin. CoinGeco coin page with analytics.
- BEAM – Beam coin. CoinGeco coin page with analytics.
Mining cryptocurrency on processors
When the complexity of the network is not high, mining of coins on the central processor is considered. The CPU supports mining any PoW coins such as SHA-256, Cryptonight, X11, Ethhash, Scrypt and Equihash.
The profitability of mining at the CPU is low.
What can be mined on the central processor
- BTC – Bitcoin, cue ball, Beethoven, he is also the number 1 coin, he is also the product of the thought of the anonymous Satoshi Nakamoto.
- BCH – Bitcoin Cash, a fork of Bitcoin.
- LTC – Litecoin, technically identical to Bitcoin.
- DOGE – Dogecoin, a project that started as a joke coin, has grown and gained value in real money.
- DASH – Cheapcoin. Monero is XMR, a completely anonymous cryptocurrency.
On the CPU, you can also mine coins that are usually dug on video cards: ETC, ETH, XZC.
What are the types of farms for mining
Let’s start with the distribution of cryptocurrency farms according to the complexity of their assembly. Conventionally, farms can be divided into three sizes – home, medium and large.
Home farm, ordinary – one rig hidden on the balcony. Used items are consumed. computers, or hardware from the mezzanine, adapted to work with 1050 or RX 480. Up to 4 cards, low profitability, comes to payback slowly – in a year or two. The home rig will be able to bring the owner an additional $ 100 – $ 250 per month.
The farm is average, well-fed. There are six cards for one rig, and five or six rigs for the whole farm. Designed to partially replace the employer, functions as a source of additional income. Will be able to bring profit from 500 to 1200 dollars per month.
The farm is large and well-fed. Large mining rig for 12 – 20 rigs. Requires a separate building, a converted shed, garage or dugout will do. During the construction of the farm, a separate transformer box should also be provided – such a farm eats under 4 kWh, but also brings in from $ 5,000 per month.
What is a rig?
It’s like a USB hub – one device for multiple connectors. Rig is an assembly from one motherboard, RAM, processor, a number of risers and video cards. The average rig takes 4 video cards, but more is possible. The physical limit is considered to be 8 cards per rig.
What is a riser?
An extension cable that will help you connect four video cards to one motherboard. This is not possible under normal conditions.
Assembling a farm for mining with your own hands: selection of components
You should start by choosing a location for a mining farm. If everything is prosaic with the “home” – a balcony, a basement or a pantry – then starting with an average farm it is recommended to carefully select a place.
The farm has a “body kit”, it consists of a processor, SSD, motherboard, RAM and power supply. You will also need to select a riser for the farm.
Mining motherboards
Choose a motherboard for your budget, the requirements for the power phases are low, but there are requirements for materials. Choose video cards based on their element base, for example, cards from China will not work for mining. American variants will serve well, for example, boards from Gigabytes, Asus and Biostar.
The main task of the motherboard is to service the video cards.
Budget boards for mining for 4 video cards
- ASUS H81M-PLUS, socket for CPU: 1150;
- MSI 970A-G43, socket for CPU: AM3 +
- FM2A88X
Motherboards for 5 video cards
- Gigabyte GA-F2A88X-D3HP, socket FM2 +
- Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3P, socket AM3 +,
- Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3P, socket AM3 +
- GA-A55-S3P A55-S3P, socket FM1
Motherboards for 6 video cards
- ASRock H81 PRO BTC R2.0 Socket 1150
- GIGABYTE H110-D3A Bitcoin Edition, socket 1151
- BIOSTAR TB85, socket 1150
Motherboards for 12+ graphics cards
- Biostar TB250-BTC TB250, socket 1151
- ASRock H110 Pro BTC + Bitcoin Socket 1151
When choosing a motherboard, pay attention to the socket – this is the socket for the processor. For example, a motherboard with LGA1151 will not fit an FM1 processor.
CPU for mining motherboard
The role of the processor in the mining kit is the spacer between the video cards and the hard drive. All calculations are performed on video cards, the processor practically does not deal with the payload. Since the CPU is not engaged in computational tasks in mining, it makes no sense to select an expensive model.
Processor requirements for mining
- 4 cores
- 2.5 – 3 GHz
- Single thread for CPU-z: from 100
- Multithreading by CPU-z: from 350
The technical process, the year of manufacture and the kernel model do not affect the hash rate. There are no requirements for the size of the CPU cache, the presence of the processor is required. But you don’t need to drive into two cores from Dual Core either.
Recommended CPUs for Mining Farm Attachment
Blue processors
- Intell Celeron, Pentium or i3 models. Depending on the availability of processors in your market. Pick up something that is inexpensive and has at least four streams.
Red processors
- Athlones, Fenomes, FX and other CPUs for 4 threads. For example FX-4100 for socket AM3.
Farm hard drive
- Any 60GB SSD from your store. The results of mining are formulas, they do not take up much space, but the system will work faster on the SSD.
RAM for mining
- Any 4GB, it doesn’t matter DDR3 or DDR4. Video cards do not work with the memory on the motherboard, they have their own.
Mining power supplies
For the sake of convenience, we recommend using modular power supplies, to which you can connect only the cables you need. When mining, there will be a lot of wires, they will be different. A classic PSU does not always have, for example, space for 4 MOLEX expansion cables.
Recommended PSU brands: Zalman, Chieftek. In general, any adequate power supply with modular connection from 500W will do.
Recommendations for the selection of risers for a mining farm
Take the ones powered by the MOLEX port, as these are power ports designed to withstand high loads. Other types of ports will not withstand the voltage and will cause the PCB to burn out. Do not use adapters from the box with a riser from SATA to MOLEX – they burn out.
When connecting risers via a MOLEX power cable, do not connect more than two risers per power cable, even if there are enough connectors for 4.
Riser appearance with MOLEX connector. To the left of the riser is an adapter from SATA to MOLEX, which is not recommended to use.
How to set up hardware for a mining farm
It’s easier to watch the video tutorial on assembling the farm once.
- Component inspection.
- Use of Wi-FI sockets.
- Using a monitor plug for video cards.
- Mounting RAM.
- Mounting the SSD.
- Connecting the power supply unit to the system.
- What is a riser and how to connect it
- How to start a computer without connecting the power button.
- Assembling the case of a mining farm
- Installing Windows
As an alternative to Windows, we recommend installing NiceHash OS , the installation of which is simplified to the maximum. Setting up a farm comes down to creating a bootable USB flash drive and … that’s it. No dirty tricks, we tried it ourselves, there is addiction, my brother is alive.
The bonus is that NHOS supports all modern hardware, while Windows 7 does not work with some devices without dancing with a tambourine.
How to choose a place for a mining farm
Technical requirements for a place for a farm:
- You can reach the place in an hour.
- The place for the farm is isolated from outsiders.
- Only you or a very narrow circle of trusted persons with whom you have no conflict of interest know about the place. For example, when a father-in-law loves gambling, then he should not be trusted with information about the farm.
- You have the keys to the farm location and free access to it.
- The farmhouse has ventilation, windows or an extractor hood.
Should you put your farm in a garage?
A garage in an area known for picking locks can be a stretch and with extreme care. Don’t take risks.
When there are few alternatives to the garage, it is recommended to strengthen the gate by welding steel rods – this will help to avoid penetration into the room.
How to strengthen the garage?
Detailed video instruction on strengthening the garage against penetration inside. You will need gas welding and glasses, only for real men.
Additional precautions when choosing a location for a farm
- You can freely carry out repair work in a place for a crypto farm. This means replacing double-glazed windows with chipboard panels for ventilation, installing chipboard panels in the room.
- The farmhouse or building is located in the immediate vicinity of the power lines. For example, you can install a transformer box or carry out an additional. power line.
- You have a legal basis to install equipment and carry out repairs. For example, you bought a plot or we are talking about a room in an apartment with documents.
- You cannot legally take a land plot for a crypto farm. For example, when a barn belongs to a neighbor’s cousin, and you convert it for mining rigs.
- Consider installing CCTV surveillance cameras. They will be needed to monitor the situation near the farm.
What is suitable for a farm, room gradation
- Apartment . Bad, noisy, stuffy, little space, just right for a home farm.
- Warehouse room . Rented warehouse, garage or apartment without renovation with good ventilation.
- Grandmother’s dacha . It’s a good idea, it is safe if there is a barn on the territory – it can be recycled into a farmhouse.
Technical requirements for the premises
- Not less than 15 square meters.
- Ventilation.
- Copper wiring.
- Possibility to connect an additional power line to the panel.
Selection of materials for the truss body
In addition to electronics, the rig also contains a body. In order not to buy system blocks every time, miners assemble a frame from aluminum corners.
An example of a frame for 8 video cards.
Wood frames are fire hazardous – when heated, there is a risk of ignition of wood, which serves as a fastening element of the structure.
An example of assembling a frame for a truss using a riser perch.
Using wood to mount risers
The option is exclusively voluntary and fire hazardous. It is used for convenience – after cutting the holes in the aluminum profile, the card is mounted on self-tapping screws in the wood. When the riser burns out under the video card, only the wood profile will be damaged, the rest of the frame will remain intact. The risk of burnout is reduced when the MOLEX connector is used in the risers.
Frame drawings for a crypto farm
Below are the drawings of the frames for the rig for 5 and 8 video cards. Frame materials – aluminum, wood. As a fastener for parts, ordinary bolts with a nut are suitable.
Ordinary screw, hex head, full thread.
Crypto-farm assemblies use common store screws with a Phillips head.
Tools for assembling a case for a mining farm
- Straight arms.
- Screwdriver.
- Drill and set of drills. It will take 4 – 6mm
- Screwdriver, Phillips or flat head.
- A set of screws of the same size.
- Saw on wood.
- Hacksaw for metal.
- Clamp or vise.
- Pliers for clamping nuts.
- Optional – grinding tools for woodworking.
Example of drawings for a farm with 5 video cards
Schematic construction of the frame of the truss
A drawing of a frame of a farm with video cards
The cutouts for the video cards are 10 cm apart. The lower center brace is used to secure the power supply and the motherboard. Please note that after assembly, you will need to place additional fasteners for the format of the motherboard and power supply of your choice.
An example of a drawing of a farm for 8 video cards
To fix the motherboard and the power supply, it was convenient to use a chipboard canvas. When mounting the power supply unit, it is recommended to place it with a fan upward or sideways to ensure ventilation.
Where to buy a case for a mining farm
On Avito, OLH, Hotline, Prom, Flea market and any other resource where you can post ads. Usually, craftsmen expose cases in the price range from $ 20 to $ 35, excluding shipping.
Buying or assembling yourself is everyone’s choice. There is nothing wrong with this, but it is not always possible to assemble the case by hand. If you lack experience in assembling structures according to drawings, we recommend that you consider purchasing a case for a farm.
What to consider when planning premises for a crypto farm
You will need to re-equip the premises when starting a large crypto farm, where 10 – 20 rigs work simultaneously in the room, with 5 video cards on each. The heating level is appropriate – you need an air circulation speed of 5 l / hour.
For a stand of two rigs, blowing with room fans and ventilation through room windows will suffice. A home farm will have enough cooling on the balcony and blowing with coolers.
Distribution of rigs by stands
When assembling a farm, several rigs can be combined into a stand. The stand is a regular rack, which can be purchased or assembled by yourself.
The room is zoned to achieve an optimal ventilation configuration and reduce the heating of the equipment. Two factors are taken into account – the heat goes up and the stands will need help when running hot air.
An example of a utility rack that can hold 4 rigs at a time.
The location of the rigs in the stand is not critical, when blowing hot air will rise up along with the direction of the air flow.
Ventilation of stands in the room
The racks should be placed next to the fan to remove hot air from the rigs towards the ventilation or window. Large farms are equipped with double ceilings with an extractor hood that removes hot air outside.
It is recommended to equip the stand with a blow-off fan to ensure ventilation. Airing the entire room is rational only if the windows are replaced with a cooling unit.
A home air conditioner is not able to cope with the level of heat from the farm, so its use is not recommended.
The windows in the room, which is used to maintain the mining farm, can be converted into a ventilation duct. A chipboard sheet is selected for the size of the window, holes are made in it for mounting two turntables of 500 mm each, after which they are mounted for blowing. The gap between the frame is filled with foam to seal the structure.
How to arrange stands in the room – Mining rig
Miners use the creation of a ceiling hood using a suspended chipboard ceiling and a slot for a fan.
An example of the location of the rigs in the room.
The fan can be replaced with 120mm coolers to drive hot air towards the cooling coolers located on the ceiling. The diameter of the ceiling fan is from 400mm to 500mm, mounting – for the exhaust from the room.
Wiring requirements to maintain mining farms
You need copper wiring, aluminum does not work. In new buildings from 2005, copper is used, in stalinkas and Khrushchevs, aluminum wiring.
If the wiring is aluminum, then try to make copper wiring from the flap to the truss. Risk? High. This is a complete collective farm and something more than a home farm will not pull.
When 15 kW is allocated for the room, then do not use everything from one outlet – this is dangerous, it will not withstand.
A harsh Russian LED signals farm overload.
- In old apartments with aluminum wiring, power is limited to 2 – 3 kW, where 1 kW is required for household appliances. In houses with old wiring, there is space for 12 cards of level 1060 or RX570 / 580 at max. reducing their power consumption.
- If the apartment has or was previously installed an electric stove, then the issue with the load disappears.
- 1 kW of consumption by a farm requires 300 cubic meters. meters of air.
How much does it cost to build a mining farm
Significantly cheaper than buying a ready-made configuration. The average cost of a finished farm starts at $ 1,800. Ready-made farms on the RX580 can be found for $ 2,000- $ 2,200.
Let’s calculate how much you can save by manually assembling the farm.
Motherboard : up to $ 150.
Processor : $ 10 – $ 30
RAM : one strip, $ 15 – $ 20.
Risers : $ 3 apiece
BP : strictly from $ 70.
Case : $ 10 – $ 15
In total, the body kit will take ~ $ 270.
The cost of video cards is more, at 350 – 400 apiece.
If we take a farm with RX 480 cards, then 4 copies will cost $ 1000 – $ 1200, depending on the availability of goods. Total – the price plug of a hand-assembled farm for 4 video cards will be $ 1300 – $ 1600.
How much will a camera farm cost?
For the paranoid, a note – a set of surveillance cameras will cost $ 400 – $ 450 extra, but will provide security and remote control over the farm. Used in large and medium-sized farms that are located further than the “one-hour” circle of availability.
Installing an alarm on a farm building blade on two sides: government agencies will be interested in the contents of the premises when they call the police. When defending a farm, rely on yourself and your friends, the police will have more questions about the mining of cryptocurrency.
Remote regions and dacha cooperatives should be considered if you are ready to dig potatoes “for the sake of appearance.” On the one hand, this will help to flow into society without suspicion, on the other hand, it is an excellent reason to take a break from the city. But the danger of setting up a mining farm in rural areas is remoteness. If they decide to rob the farm, and you are at work, all that remains is to observe the actions of the vandals.
The best way to protect your farm from prying eyes and problems is not to put it in a crowded place and not talk about it. Remember, the first rule of fight club is not to tell anyone about fight club.
Payback and profitability of a mining farm
What profit to expect from a cryptocurrency farm? Stable, of course. But be mentally prepared that the first year or two the farm will be profitable. Since the third year, the farm has been making a net profit, usually a 6-card rig is able to bring in from 3-4 thousand dollars a year, or ~ 250 dollars a month.
When planning your farm budget, budget for a portion of the profits to power your farm. For example, three months in advance to provide installations with electricity in the event of a cryptocurrency subsidence.
Set aside 10% of your harvest monthly for an airbag that will allow you to flexibly build your farm’s development strategy and safety.
The legality and risks of mining farms
From the point of view of Russian legislation, the mining of cryptocurrency is not considered a criminal offense. Remember the first rule of fight club?
The police tend to raid mining farms in order to seize property in their favor.
However, an attempt to withdraw cryptocurrency in entities legally controlled by the Russian Federation can be considered a reason for initiating a criminal case. For a large turnover, they can be prosecuted on suspicion of money laundering.
The last known incident occurred in 2017, when, under article 172, part 2, a criminal case was opened against three people for exchanging bitcoins worth over 500 million rubles. The purchase of cryptocurrency for cash is regarded as a reason to initiate a criminal case on the fact of violation of the law “On digital financial assets”.
Analysts believe that cryptocurrencies are expected to grow steadily over the next decades.
Mining cryptocurrency in Ukraine
Not prohibited, not considered a crime until the turnover reaches 5 thousand dollars per month. Then the tax authorities will be interested in bank account operations.
If you pay checks for electricity, then there are no official reasons to detain the miner. Lawyers argue that there is no legal reason for detention for mining , but the police are inclined to organize search measures in order to take away the honestly mined crypt in their favor.
Creation of a crypto farm is a profitable event that will bring a stable income. However, it also has its own risks. As in any business, there is always a risk, only in the case of a farm is a conflict with the state and the housing office.
Trading on the stock exchange with financial assets costs more than $ 2,000. Buying shares of corporations brings other risks – loans, seizure of property, burnout of companies, a sharp drop in shares in Oil and the subsequent collapse of the value of assets of all oil refineries.
If you choose between two evils, then perhaps the lesser. Against the backdrop of a violent crisis in the fiat market, a cryptocurrency farm looks like a good investment.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) – Mining Farm (Rig)
How much money can I make ?
Answer: A domestic one will be able to bring in 400 – 550 dollars a year, an average one will bring 1200 – 1500, a large one – from 5000. ( figure is subjected to exchange rates)
What is the cost to Build a Mining farm (Rig)?
Answer: Ready-made – from 1900, which is a rare success, more often at 2200. Self-made – 1600, but you will be sure that no one slipped anything into the assembly. ( figure is subjected to exchange rates)
How long do I have to wait before I breakeven?
Answer: On average – two years, after which it brings clean money.
How to calculate Payback Period of Mining Rig?
Answer: Take profitability from all video cards, summarize, subtract the cost of assembly and electricity per hour.
Which internet or internet speed is needed for optimal Mining Farm?
Stable, at 100mb / sec. It is recommended to connect from two providers at a time in order to have a spare channel in case the first one is disconnected. Satellite internet for a farm is a great way to get a second channel.
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