Topic: Can I get some tips or suggestions on GPU for mining? Budget varied (Read 449 times)

Same is true of GPUs. Plus once you've modded them resale is harder. And new antminers are at least a year away, based on chip fab predictions.

 True, but the antminer has much higher depreciation and lower resale value than GPUs. Once a new version of antminer is released, the value of the older versions drop.

I too agree with the point mentioned above, go for ant miner it stable and the electricity consumption is very low in ant miner.

I agree. Mining with gpu isn't so profitable nowadays. An ant miner would be much better. I have 3 rigs in Ethereum since May and the profitability has fallen constantly.

well my suggestion for you, if you are new in mining then Ant miner S9 can be good for you with cheap price, stable profit. Much better than any other gpu mining machine

The melting of riser can be for various listed reasons.
1) The power type of the riser and the power flow.
i.e, A SATA string can handle up to 54 watts of power safely on one point of connection. A SATA string in total can draw up to 110 watts of power from PSU safely. So, If I use a SATA string to connect two risers with GTX1060 GPUs on them which draw around 35-40 watts of power from the riser, totalling to 70-80 watts. I'm fine using SATA connection for my riser in long run.
Another scenario, I use a single SATA string to connect two 1080ti, which consume a little over 65 watts each. I'm just waiting for fireworks in my rig in long run. I'll have to turn over to MOLEX which can handle up to 70 watts at one point of connection and can draw around 154 watts from PSU. So, a MOLEX strand to power two 1080tis with the riser. Moreover, six pin risers are the best possible solution out there but hard to come by.

2) Quality of risers.
i.e, There is no way to check the quality of risers that I know of, but I have a box of black coloured and blue coloured risers. I prefer the black ones. They are more sturdy in feel. All the risers that I've used, I'll recommend not using that cheap SATA to MOLEX convert that comes with the pack. They are the worst of all and the main reason of melting. On further inspection, I saw they were made of Aluminium which is not the best metal for electrical conductivity.

3) Wrong placement of x1 adapter in motherboard.
i.e, I've seen many first timers plugging the x1 adapter in wrong place on their motherboard which resulted in instant failure and damaging of motherboard or GPU. Don't ever make that kind of mistake and always double check before starting your system.


Pretty well said!

Pretty much like I thought. But thumbs up for a good explanation. To the discussion on quality of risers - the problem with risers melting. Is this due to internal current/data transfer in the cables, or from heat from GPUs?

As other said, your budget is not sufficient for typical mining rigs like 6way gtx1060.
For cost effectiveness, you could try 6-8 way 750ti to minie XMR. It's the best option for you to make maximum profit under your budget.
But I recommend to start with 2-3 1060 or RX580 and gradually add GPUs as you can afford it.

Friendly advice, don't go into mining if you can't afford 6 GPUs. If you start with 2-3 and plan to upgrade with profits, it will take much more time and it won't be as profitable. Most people don't take into account that mining profits with certain GPU fall over time.

Yes, Coins based on the algorithm - SHA256, Scrypt, X11, X12, X13, Quark are mined with ASIC (Specialized hardware). LTC is based on Scrypt algorithm.


Technically, x1/x2/x4/x8/x16 are a different version of lane speed/data transfer bandwidth. Meaning, In x2 configuration, data transfer bandwidth between GPU and motherboard will be twice compared to x1 configuration. While we are mining, our GPUs doesn't require that kind of data transfer bandwidth and x1 configuration is pretty good standard for mining. A GPU riser basically connects x16 lane of GPU to x1 lane of the motherboard, thus utilizing it in x1 configuration.

A question on gpu support - Even if the gpu is pciex16, is IT correct that IT can connect to pciex1 socket? Do the risers make the correct connections between the pins?

awesome! This sounds very much doable and within budget.

thanks bud I appreciate the suggestion.

I would imagine the next thing to consider is which coin. Outside ETH, I was looking at Moreno and Zcash. Those seem to be rated as the most profitable ones it seems. LTC sounds like it needs specific hardware to mine.

You can go with refurbished or second hand for motherboard, CPU, SSD and RAM after doing some test to make sure that they don't have any issues with them.
Typically,
MOB: 60 USD with 6 GPU Support.
CPU: 40 USD
SSD: 20 USD (60GB)
RAM: 15-20 USD (4GB)
Total: 135- 140 USD.

Now for PSU, don't go cheap with the PSU. A Gold rated Modular PSU will cost USD 150 which will be able to support 6 GPUs preferably GTX 1060s. I'll suggest for Corsair RM850x.
A pack of GPU Risers, get a few more than needed because risers are the only components that may pose issues and it is better to keep some spare in hand. (USD 40)
If you can get a good deal for GTX 1060 (Say? 200 USD). Go for 3x GTX 1060 at first.
Assemble your rig, get used to the mining software and such. After a while, when you get a hang of it, expand!

Hello,

I am fairly new to mining but interested in building my own rig.

i have been looking into cloud mining but not sure i have found a legitimate one or at least 1 that is known to produce and profit.

I have seen a 6gpu design for a rig and its more than likely what I am aiming for, however I have also read that its best to start with just 2 or 3 GPU and increase it if I am able to profit from them.

I have seen many GPU been thrown around, mostly GTX 1070 and 1060
as well as some R 4xx series.

Realistically my budget isn't too high however i dont mind waiting patiently to build a good rig if it takes a few .

The budget i am working with is $1000, preferably if possible to stay under $500 but if need be and I have to sit patiently and wait, i can push it to $1500

Is there anyone that has been able to build a profitable rig for under $500? or $1000?

Of course I am not expecting to make a whole lot if a $500 is doable but just something I can show the wife to get a bigger budget approved lol