For the extraction of cryptocurrency in 2022, you will need special equipment – a farm. You can buy it assembled, ready to mine virtual currency, or you can choose a device called ASIC. To start earning without serious investments, you should know how to assemble a mining farm with your own hands: from the stage of buying components to connecting them to each other.
What is a mining farm?
Even if you use a powerful gaming PC to mine bitcoin or ether, the profit will be small. Therefore, miners use only special equipment for mining. To assemble it, it is worth understanding the term mining farm, what it is in simple words, and how it works.
A single device for mining cryptocurrencies, which usually has 4 to 6 powerful video cards, is known as a “rig.” A complete set of equipment is a mining farm. It can contain several rigs and dozens of video cards, and in size, it sometimes takes up an entire rack or even a room.
Cryptocurrency mining is a complex calculation, the purpose of which is to find the correct sequence of symbols for a blockchain block. The result of the work is a reward shared among all network participants – because the complexity of mining requires the computing power of a large number of devices. It is also worth considering – the greater the power of the farm (hashrate), the more significant the amount received by the owner will be.
To explain how a mining farm works in simple terms, let’s take a look at everything in order.
Selection and purchase of components
For the operation of the mining farm to be sufficiently effective, it is necessary to choose its components correctly. Moreover, taking into account not only the computing power of the equipment but also the cost of electricity, which can affect the miner’s profit. And you can choose what you need for the mining farm using the standard list of parts:
- Video cards.The more of them, the higher the profit. But given the high price, you should choose no more than 4-6 video adapters for assembly. The most inexpensive model of those that remain profitable in 2022 is the GTX 1660 Super, which costs from $650.
- Motherboard. Must support the connection of the required number of video cards. Therefore, the board should have the maximum number of PCIe ports.
- Processor. Its performance does not have to be high, unlike the assembly of a gaming computer. The CPU must match the motherboard.
- Working memory. The minimum value is 4 GB. But for the stable operation of the software, it is worth putting at least 8 GB of RAM on the farm.
- Power supply. Considering how the mining farm works and the power consumption, the device’s power should be high. Usually – not less than 800-1000 watts. The power calculation takes into account the parameters and the number of video adapters, as well as a margin of 15–20%.
- Hard drive. It is advisable to choose an SSD with a capacity of at least 64 GB – 32 GB for the swap file. You need almost the same amount for installing Windows. If you have an old but still reliable HDD, you can also use it for assembly – this will slow down the operating system but will not affect the efficiency of cryptocurrency mining.
- Cables, adapters, and extension cords for connecting accessories.
- The frame is the last element of the mining farm. You can buy a ready-made one by choosing the appropriate option for the right number of video cards or make it yourself.
An open truss is assembled from aluminum profiles or wooden planks. A case for a closed one, which requires mandatory cooling, but more reliably protects video cards from external influences, is usually bought separately.
The need for cooling
Mining farm cooling is an important but not essential component. If it is open and consists of a small number of video cards located at a great distance from each other, the fans that are part of these components are enough. You will have to perform cooling even if the equipment is on a balcony or in an air-conditioned room.
If the mining farm is closed and consists of several relatively closely spaced rigs, it is worth considering the installation of fans. The most efficient option is a water cooling system. It will cost more, but it works efficiently and quietly.
Where to buy accessories
An important point before starting the assembly is the choice of the place where you will purchase the components. It is worth considering that to assemble a farm from new elements, you need at least 2-3 thousand dollars. But in online stores, you can get a guarantee and avoid premature equipment failure.
By buying used equipment, the miner saves on farm assembly – sometimes by 50% or even more. But the probability of component failure is high – especially if they have already been used for mining, that is, they worked under high load.
If the equipment fails before it pays off, there will be no point in saving on buying used parts. Therefore, it is worth buying used components only if a specialist competently checks them.
Farm assembly
The process of assembling a mining farm consists of the following steps:
- Case manufacturing. If the frame is already finished, it is enough to assemble it. When making a frame with your own hands, you will have to use profiles or strips of the right size and suitable fasteners. You can find a case drawing for the required number of video cards on the Internet.
- Fastening on the frame of fans or water cooling system.
- Installing power supplies. For the stability of the farm, install them at the bottom. If the calculated power turns out to be too large, you can use several PSUs.
- Motherboard placement. During installation, the same plastic or metal supports are used, which are used when fixing the “motherboard” in the system unit. At the same stage, you can install the processor and its cooling system (usually a cooler).
- Connecting risers to the motherboard – extension cords to ensure the location of video cards at the right distance from each other.
- Install on the video cards provided for this place. When placing, you should consider the need for a minimum distance between them of about 10 cm.
- The last step is to install the disk on the farm. If you use an HDD, you should mount it on the frame. You can install SSDs directly on the motherboard. They don’t require additional mounting.
The final stage before the start of mining
Before making a mining farm, you should find a suitable place to install it. When choosing, it is worth considering that the equipment will make noise and heat up. Installing it in living rooms is undesirable. If possible, it is better to provide a separate room for installation – cool and well ventilated.
After assembling and installing the farm, connect it to the Internet. It is best to use a wired connection, which is more reliable than Wi-Fi. The next step is to install and configure the right mining software. It can be a program for Windows or Linux, but one of the best options is a dedicated mining operating system like HiseOS.
The last step is choosing the mining method, solo or in a pool, and the cryptocurrency to mine. And finally, you can put the assembled farm into operation and start earning.
