Bitcoin Scrypt Mining
Contents
- 1 How to create a farm for Bitcoin Scrypt mining
- 1.1 Bitcoin Scrypt Mining: the SHA-256 and Scrypt hash method
- 1.2 Bitcoin Scrypt Mining – Scrypt mining on the CPU and the GPU
- 1.3 Why is the graphics card (GPU) better suited for Scrypt mining than the CPU?
- 1.4 Scrypt mining on the GPU of AMD and NVIDIA
- 1.5 Bitcoin Scrypt Mining – The technical part
- 1.6 The mining farm components
- 1.7 The motherboard
- 1.8 The processor
- 1.9 Operational memory DDR
- 1.10 The hard disk
- 1.11 The power supply
- 1.12 The video cards
- 1.13 The cooling system
- 1.14 Bitcoin Scrypt Mining – Conclusion
How to create a farm for Bitcoin Scrypt mining
Have a look at our review on the topic Bitcoin Scrypt Mining.
Bitcoin Scrypt Mining: the SHA-256 and Scrypt hash method
In the context of Bitcoin’s growing popularity, the complexity of mining has multiplied. This is partly because many major investors started to buy ASIC equipment for Bitcoin mining on an industrial scale.
All this meant that cryptocurrency mining on SHA-256 was no longer viable without special equipment (Bitcoin is the most profitable coin for mining on the SHA-256 algorithm). For comparison, an ASIC has an average capacity of 600,000 Mh/s and the highest performance graphics card has ~ 850 Mh/s.
Scrypt mining, therefore, began to gain popularity. Scrypt mining or GPU mining differs from Bitcoin mining because of the differences in the algorithm.
This article discusses the key data and compatibility of the devices, the software and the most popular programs for Litecoin mining, as well as its various forks on the Scrypt algorithm. The most stable and flexible miner in this configuration is the CGMiner.
Bitcoin Scrypt Mining – Scrypt mining on the CPU and the GPU
Why is the graphics card (GPU) better suited for Scrypt mining than the CPU?
The processor (CPU) was designed to make decisions in accordance with the instructions of the programs. Furthermore, the processor performs a large number of other operations. The video adapter (GPU) can perform many identical, repetitive tasks very quickly, but at the same time, it can slowly switch to another task.
As a result, the video adapter can do many crypto calculations much faster than the CPU.
One CPU core handles four 32-bit instructions per cycle (SSE) or eight 32-bit instructions per cycle (AVX), while the Radeon HD 5970 GPU is capable of processing 3,200 32-bit instructions per clock (with their 3200 ALU or shaders).
It turns out that the GPU in this example can handle 800 (or 400, with AMX) times more instructions per clock than the CPU.
Despite the fact that CPUs are manufactured that have 6, 8 or 12 cores, and a clock speed in the range of 2000-3000 MHz and more, the Radeon HD5970 (750 MHz) GPU remains more than five times faster than the 12-core CPU with 2.3 GHz computing power. The CPU last listed has a value of €4,700, compared to the HD5970 for €350.
Scrypt mining on the GPU of AMD and NVIDIA
NVIDIA video adapters are currently less powerful because of their design features, and are far more expensive to build a farm with than AMD solutions.
For comparison, NVIDIA’s most powerful graphics cards have a capacity of ~ 150 Kh/s, versus AMD’s 1500 kh/s. However, NVIDIA has the Tesla S2070 card, which produces 700kh/s, although its cost is many times higher than AMD’s most powerful units.
Bitcoin Scrypt Mining – The technical part
The mining farm components
The main components of the farm are almost identical to those of a regular computer, with some exceptions:
The motherboard
It should not be cheap and should have at least four PCIe slots for the video cards (or six at a time).
The processor
Its computing power is not needed for the Scrypt mining of Litecoin and its forks. This means that you can get away with the cheapest processor suitable for the motherboard.
Operational memory DDR
4GB is sufficient, and you can buy the simplest and cheapest variant.
The hard disk
This isn’t an important component. It is only required for installing the operating system and keeping the wallets, so even a USB flash drive will work.
The power supply
As the main driver of the entire farm, you should consider your choice carefully. Choose a power supply in the range of 1500-2000 watts. Don’t forget to consider the power consumption of all the other components, not just the graphics cards.
The video cards
The most important and expensive component of the mining farm, which calculates the hash functions of the blocks. The properties and speeds of many graphics cards are displayed by users in tables on different portals. If you can find some, buy Radeon RX 470 or 480.
The cooling system
The cooling system should be well thought out, to remove hot air from the video cards. The distance between the graphics cards should be at least 8 cm. You can also use a water cooling system – this is better but technically demanding. Be warned; the fans generate a lot of noise when cooling the graphics cards.
Bitcoin Scrypt Mining – Conclusion
At the moment, there are many graphics cards on the market that are suitable for Scrypt mining. However, some graphics cards are outdated or no longer found in the right number and quality. For mining on the GPUs, there is no standard solution. Results, performance and stability are influenced by many factors.
