Where are you located?
Im south of chicago, IL
Topic: Advice for a start for a Mining Farm (Read 3168 times)
Im south of chicago, IL
Where are you located?
As an example here is a universal block which can mount to hole spacing between 53.5mm to 61.5mm.
Hey, that's a good idea! I'll do this too, maybe to let them know there's interest in this getting done. I need liquid cooling here to run one as I'm living in the tropics right now.
lmfao that's lame... just stick to liquid cooling
You would need to have waterblocks for the fpga's custom made then.They do make universal waterblocks. If BFL would just put some damn holes in the board. They make water blocks which can adjust to everything from 28mm to 80mm hole spacing. BFL just punch two holes in the PCB and people could use any custom cooling they wanted. It you can't/won't for this board at least consider it for the next board. Having 2 push-pin holes put into the board would add about $0.02 to PCB production cost. Everything from third party CPU coolers to waterblocks to phase change and TECs would be possible if they had 2 pennies worth of holes punched into the board.
The board is very tight. Generally you would want the board designed for holes in particular. Also a PCB shop will have very high speed drill presses with tapered bits to ensure no slipped bit = destroyed $600 board.
The other issue is it looks like BFL used a thermal expoxy for mounting the heatsink. You aren't getting it off.
However if BFL offered a board with
a) holes in PCB for mounting heatsink
b) no heatsink, fans, case, or powersupply
c) offered it for $30 less
you could make a monster watercooled cluster.
Send them an email asking them for that. They likely won't but if they get enough requests maybe they will consider it for next revision of the board.
lmfao that's lame... just stick to liquid cooling
You would need to have waterblocks for the fpga's custom made then.They do make universal waterblocks. If BFL would just put some damn holes in the board. They make water blocks which can adjust to everything from 28mm to 80mm hole spacing. BFL just punch two holes in the PCB and people could use any custom cooling they wanted. It you can't/won't for this board at least consider it for the next board. Having 2 push-pin holes put into the board would add about $0.02 to PCB production cost. Everything from third party CPU coolers to waterblocks to phase change and TECs would be possible if they had 2 pennies worth of holes punched into the board.
lmfao that's lame... just stick to liquid cooling
You would need to have waterblocks for the fpga's custom made then.They do make universal waterblocks. If BFL would just put some damn holes in the board. They make water blocks which can adjust to everything from 28mm to 80mm hole spacing. BFL just punch two holes in the PCB and people could use any custom cooling they wanted. It you can't/won't for this board at least consider it for the next board. Having 2 push-pin holes put into the board would add about $0.02 to PCB production cost. Everything from third party CPU coolers to waterblocks to phase change and TECs would be possible if they had 2 pennies worth of holes punched into the board.
lmfao that's lame... just stick to liquid cooling
You would need to have waterblocks for the fpga's custom made then.
lmfao that's lame... just stick to liquid cooling
What in the eff do you mean with this? Why would you submerge "10 fpgas to acrylic and submerge them into oil" ?
http://youtu.be/PtufuXLvOok
have a look at FPGAs, cablesaurus selling them. Are you okay (with that rig you spec'd) with getting half as many BTC before end of year?
There's some speculation that it may happen this year and then mining becomes less worthwhile unless you can get power costs way down.
There's some speculation that it may happen this year and then mining becomes less worthwhile unless you can get power costs way down.
I'm replying on phone so parden grammer and typos.
I have a unique situation, that I don't pay for power. I do own my own place, but without getting into details I have no power cost.
I love the concept of fpga, one computer, space and power and heat savings. Sadly, at this stage, its more bang for buck with video cards, but I want to go fpga in the future. I dreamed up mounting 10 fpgas to acrylic and submerge them into oil, but that is an upgrade step after ROI. I would like the rigs to pay for their own upgrades down the road.
So far thanks for tips. I have a huge step to learn lynix enough to run bitcoin on them and get them wireless (due to power restrictions placement). But at least i know I'm heading in the right direction and won't waste money on poor setups with all of everyones help.
Thanks again, if u got more advice, keep it comming.
-elrodvoss
What in the eff do you mean with this? Why would you submerge "10 fpgas to acrylic and submerge them into oil" ?
Evening everyone,
Well I started to get all my hardware together. I got the Mobo, CPU, Ram, USB Drives, and PSU in about 2 weeks ago. Ive been slowly picking up 5850s as they come up on ebay cheap.
I got 2 in now, third comming in. So I have enough to get the first of three rigs started at least.
So now the next question. I DLed BAMT, but I am 100% stupid when it comes to lynux. So I have a new rig, and bare as a new baby and a empty 4 gig usb drive.
Can someone direct me to a fairly simple "lynux and BAMT for dummies" somewhere that will tell me step by step to set this up?
Thanks again.
Well I started to get all my hardware together. I got the Mobo, CPU, Ram, USB Drives, and PSU in about 2 weeks ago. Ive been slowly picking up 5850s as they come up on ebay cheap.
I got 2 in now, third comming in. So I have enough to get the first of three rigs started at least.
So now the next question. I DLed BAMT, but I am 100% stupid when it comes to lynux. So I have a new rig, and bare as a new baby and a empty 4 gig usb drive.
Can someone direct me to a fairly simple "lynux and BAMT for dummies" somewhere that will tell me step by step to set this up?
Thanks again.
Again,
I would like to thank everyone for the advice and support. It does have a lot of meaning to me when you have a community that is so tied together and freely helps out others.
Reminds me of my City of Heroes MMO days. The game was very good, but it was how tight the community was and how the DEVs would interact with the users on a social level rather then play the company role and give cookie cutter responses.
I would like to personally thank DeathAndTaxes along with a few other that I have seen pop up in my various postings and help me out with advice and direction. It sounds simple, but its people like this that will ensure that Bitcoin continues and grow to everything that it can be.
Many thanks to all here that is willing to take there time to help those that are learning their way.
-elrodvoss
I would like to thank everyone for the advice and support. It does have a lot of meaning to me when you have a community that is so tied together and freely helps out others.
Reminds me of my City of Heroes MMO days. The game was very good, but it was how tight the community was and how the DEVs would interact with the users on a social level rather then play the company role and give cookie cutter responses.
I would like to personally thank DeathAndTaxes along with a few other that I have seen pop up in my various postings and help me out with advice and direction. It sounds simple, but its people like this that will ensure that Bitcoin continues and grow to everything that it can be.
Many thanks to all here that is willing to take there time to help those that are learning their way.
-elrodvoss
I tried out BAMT (linux that runs off a USB, prepackaged for mining) for the OS when I tried GPU mining. It worked pretty well so you might want to check them out.
Also, send me a PM if you decide to go with the PCIe extenders. I have some new extenders from Cablesaurus that I can give to you for half what they are selling. I gave up building a GPU cluster and moved to FPGAs because my electric cost is outrageous.
Also, send me a PM if you decide to go with the PCIe extenders. I have some new extenders from Cablesaurus that I can give to you for half what they are selling. I gave up building a GPU cluster and moved to FPGAs because my electric cost is outrageous.
installing a new panel is big $$$ but installing a sub panel is a lot cheaper.
If there is literally no spare breaker slots the electrician will dewire 2 of them.
drop a breaker in the main panel w/ sufficient amperage for the subpanel.
Install new panel, wire to new breakers.
wire the dewired circuits into new panel.
drop in all your new breakers for new circuits.
Since it doesn't require disconnecting mains from the residence it can be done by qualified electrician in a couple hours.
If there is literally no spare breaker slots the electrician will dewire 2 of them.
drop a breaker in the main panel w/ sufficient amperage for the subpanel.
Install new panel, wire to new breakers.
wire the dewired circuits into new panel.
drop in all your new breakers for new circuits.
Since it doesn't require disconnecting mains from the residence it can be done by qualified electrician in a couple hours.
If you don't pay for power than you just have to recoup HW costs. So might as well buy a bunch of cheap HW.
Well then the problem with that is I don't have enough circuit breakers to have all these systems.
Each circuit can only support like 1450 watts before the breaker trips. My house is set up to have one breaker per room. So with my above set up, I would be pulling "roughly" 800-1000 watts on each circuit (not including anything else in the room).
So unless I either:
- Put a computer in each room with wireless adapters.
- Have a bunch of extension cables and cat5 cables running through the house.
- Drop $$$ to have my breaker box upgraded and have several breakers installed and wired to an adjoining room as a "rig room".
While the first option is easy, it would be weird to have a stand along rig just sitting in the corner with a box fan on it running (living room, family room, laundry room) Of course not an option in the kitchen due to the oven and microwave. Turn them on and pop a breaker.
In the end the final option will need to be done, but I also plan on moving to FPGAs in the future (1-2 years) as well.
I vote for the rig room and running a subpanel from your main box, connecting all your miners at 240 volts and having a cold air intake and a hot air exhaust from the room.
For example; My rig room is in the pic in this forum posting
https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/wts-20x-unopened-new-in-box-powercolor-6950s-ax6950-2gdh-63163
If you don't pay for power than you just have to recoup HW costs. So might as well buy a bunch of cheap HW.
Well then the problem with that is I don't have enough circuit breakers to have all these systems.
Each circuit can only support like 1450 watts before the breaker trips. My house is set up to have one breaker per room. So with my above set up, I would be pulling "roughly" 800-1000 watts on each circuit (not including anything else in the room).
So unless I either:
- Put a computer in each room with wireless adapters.
- Have a bunch of extension cables and cat5 cables running through the house.
- Drop $$$ to have my breaker box upgraded and have several breakers installed and wired to an adjoining room as a "rig room".
While the first option is easy, it would be weird to have a stand along rig just sitting in the corner with a box fan on it running (living room, family room, laundry room) Of course not an option in the kitchen due to the oven and microwave. Turn them on and pop a breaker.
In the end the final option will need to be done, but I also plan on moving to FPGAs in the future (1-2 years) as well.
Quote from: elrodvoss
I don't pay for power
If you don't pay for power than you just have to recoup HW costs. So might as well buy a bunch of cheap HW.
Well not sure if I will need to use the netboot. One of the biggest problems I will have is that since the wiring in this house is on the fair side.
I could not support more then one computer on each circuit breaker and each room has its own breaker. Ive looked at my breaker box and there are no free breakers, so I would have to upgrade the breaker box and then wire up some outlets into a close room.
So the hurdle that I would have to deal with is I would need to set these rigs up wireless, which will be another challenge for me. I don't foresee any problems, but of course most everyone else is running their multi-rigs via routers and switches over hardline. Don't think I have seen a single wireless bitcoin rig, but have not looked either.
So I hope I don't have to resort to having to have cat 5 cables running between rooms or worse extension cables.
I could not support more then one computer on each circuit breaker and each room has its own breaker. Ive looked at my breaker box and there are no free breakers, so I would have to upgrade the breaker box and then wire up some outlets into a close room.
So the hurdle that I would have to deal with is I would need to set these rigs up wireless, which will be another challenge for me. I don't foresee any problems, but of course most everyone else is running their multi-rigs via routers and switches over hardline. Don't think I have seen a single wireless bitcoin rig, but have not looked either.
So I hope I don't have to resort to having to have cat 5 cables running between rooms or worse extension cables.
Agreed! Netbooting has a certain wow factor though
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