Make your GPU mining rigs more efficient+how to build mining rig

This is not a guide on how to build a rig. Here im sharing details that you could miss on your current setup and that will let you mine more and cheaper.

Speaking shortly i want you to make more money than you do right now :)

Choose right GPU

There mainly just 2 GPUs - AMD and Nvidia. Go for AMD. Now while choosing AMD you will see same modes coming straight from Shapphire and from others like XFX Gigabyte MSI. Always try to go for Shapphire originals and never go for MSI.
You dont want to know how many cards i had to burn to get this knowledge.

Drivers

For 280-290 cards go with 15.12 drivers. For newer cards go with the newest driver and their new thinge called Radeon Chill.

System

While i know many people love linux.. Windows is king for mining. Thats because the best miners are made and updated the fastest on windows. Running them is also very easy - mostly click and play. Currently Claymore makes best miners and up to yesterday there was no ZEC linux version of this at all. Go for Windows.

Make rig at least 5 GPUs

You spent money on parts and now you want to mine with 3-4 cards? Doesnt make sense. Add at least one or two cards.
Windows 7 it will see just 4 cards. Here is a driver that lets you have as many cards as you wish on the system.
Windows 10 sees all GPUs right away but uses a little more of resources so its better to run Win7.

Use USB risers

Risers are things connecting your computer with the GPU. Currently technology went ahead and its better to use USB ones. They are more efficient and stabile.

Cooldown old GPUs

This trick i was tough and its brilliant. Used properly will keep your cards alive for ever!
Once a year unscrew 4 screws from GPU, clean this rectangle of old paste and put new thermal paste on it.
Above you can see my AMD 280x and the old paste on it.

Edit virtual memory

Windows had odd virtual memory and while running few cards on your rig you have to edit it to 16gb.
Just go to: Computer Properties -> Advanced System Settings -> Performance -> Advanced -> Virtual Memory
Hope this helped and you got more sols/hashes now!


Building a 6 GPU Ethereum mining rig from scratch is a rewarding project. Here in this guide, we will walk you through selecting the best ethereum mining hardware, assembling the parts, and configuring the software to get your very own Ethereum mining rig up and running. It should take you about three hours to assemble this mining rig.
In terms of return on investment, it will cost you about $2,800 to build this rig and at the time this post was updated (6/6/2017) should generate over $1,000/mo in Ethereum cryptocurrency. You can see the current mining profitability using this handy calculator.
In addition to mining as part of your crypto investment, I recommend buying Bitcoin, Ethereum and Litecoin at Coinbase. I would also recommend keeping your coins safe using the Ledger Nano S hardware wallet.

6 GPU Ethereum Mining Hardware Build List

Listed below is the hardware you will need to purchase and assemble. To break it down, you are simply building a custom open-frame computer, but instead of one or two graphics cards (as you would find in a gaming computer), you will be adding SIX to the build requiring riser cables and a frame as shown in the photo.

Power Supply –  Platinum Rated 1200 watt Power Supply – The key here is to have an efficient power supply that will save you over the long run in electricity costs. This 1200w power supply is platinum rated (as opposed to gold, silver or bronze). This is the industry standard for rating the efficiency of a computer’s power supply unit (PSU).

Motherboard/CPU Combination – What is the best motherboard for mining Ethereum? Finding a Motherboard/CPU combination that is compatible with building a 6 GPU mining rig, can be a challenge, since they are often sold out at most retailers. You can get pre-configured motherboard/cpu/ram kits here. I've also listed below some combinations that have been tested and will work for mining with 6 video cards. Keep in mind, you only need one of these motherboard/cpu combos to build your gpu mining rig.

6x Graphics Cards (GPUs) – Here are the current (updated weekly) recommendations for the best GPU to mine Ethereum with:
  1. NVIDIA GTX 1070  –   The very efficient Nvidia GTX 1070 can produce 32Mh/s using only 140 watts of electricity. It is much more power efficient than the other GPU’s in this list. If you can get model #  GV-N1070WF2OC-8GD, it is over-clocked right out of the box and easy to tweak for maximum hashrate.
  2. AMD Radeon Rx 580 – This card can mine at 29mh using only 135 watts of electricity
  3. Sapphire Radeon Rx 480 –    This card can mine at  27mh using only 150 watts of electricity
  4. Sapphire Radeon Rx 470  –   This specific model of RX 470 can be modified to mine at 29mh using only 140 watts of power. Even if it is out of stock, you can still buy it and it will ship as soon as Amazon gets re-stocked which happens quickly.

RAM (System Memory) –  4GB DDR3 1600Mhz RAM – You don’t need a lot of system memory to mine ethereum effectively. 4GB is about as small as a stick of RAM comes these days, so I recommend just picking up a cheap one for about $20.

USB Riser Cables –  (6 pack) USB Riser Cables – These are to connect the 6 graphics cards to the motherboard and allow spacing between cards for heat dissipation. These are necessary when building a rig with this many GPU’s.1x


Hard Drive (SSD)  –  Solid State Drive for installing operating system and your mining software.


1x Custom Mining  Case –  I’d recommend something like this, if you’d rather not build one yourself.


Operating System – Eth OS ethOS is a free 64-bit linux OS that mines Ethereum, Zcash, Monero, and other GPU-minable coins. If you are using the Nvidia 1070 GPU’s I recommend mining on Windows 10, since Eth OS has some driver issues with Nvidia cards.Monitor, Mouse and Keyboard to configure all the software settings, initially.

Assembling the Custom Ethereum Mining Hardware

  1. Un-package everything
  2. Build / assemble custom open air mining case
  3. Install processor and RAM on motherboard
  4. Plug in all riser cables
  5. Place motherboard in custom open air mining rig case and connect motherboard PSU connector (leaving PSU unplugged from the wall of course)
  6. Plug in SATA hard drive (or optional Linux on USB stick)
  7. Connect all GPUs to riser cables and fasten them to custom case. You might need to experiment for optimal spacing to keep the cards cool.
  8. Plug in all power supply connections.
  9. Connect mouse, monitor and keyboard and an internet connection (I use a USB WiFi adapter)
  10. Check all connections once more
  11. Fire it up! Install ETH OS.
  12. Make sure fans are fully functional. Start the mining software, tweak settings for maximum hash rates and let it run!
Congratulations! You are now the proud operator of your very own custom built 6 GPU ethereum mining rig.

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