So Kanon
Mining Chamber
Published in
5 min readOct 5, 2019

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How To Build A Mining Rig

What Is a GPU Mining Rig And Why You Should Consider Mining?

GPU Mining Rig is basically a Desktop PC with more than one Graphics Card plugged in it. The Rig will use the combined computational power that the Graphic Cards produce to hash through the blocks, solving complex equations and securing the blockchain in return of a fee.

Pros

  • Really Fun, and Interesting
  • Generate Money With Minimal Maintenance
  • An Opportunity To Join The Modern Day ‘Gold Mine’

Cons

  • The Heat And Noise Is Inconvenient
  • Can Be Very Hazardous If Done Incorrectly
  • Electricity Can Be Expensive Based On Your Location

Parts Needed To Build a GPU Mining Rig

Let’s run down a list of the parts we need to assemble a Rig. Every hardware role will be explained and we will provide the most reliable parts that we use for our Mining Farm, so feel free to use the links we provide, and the prices will be based on your local Amazon store.

|Motherboard

Connects every component together. check if it is the right socket and generation for your CPU. Some models have much more support for mining and provide more PCI-E lanes resulting in the capability to add more GPUs.

|Processor (CPU)

The Brains of the PC. Don’t get a high-end CPU unless you’re mining with it. New ones have CPU Fans included used ones do not.

|Memory (RAM)

Random Access Memory, 4 to 8 GB stick would do great, ideally 8GB for 9+ GPU Rigs.

|Power Supply (PSU)

The only part you don’t want to be cheap on. PSUs rank from White to Titanium, while Titanium being the most efficient and wastes less Watts, and make sure to get enough wattage for your rig, preferably, get more than you need in case you want to add more GPUs down the line.

|Graphic Card (GPU)

Your bread and butter for your entire mining operation, here you can buy your preferred choice, and We will give our personal favorites. Pick and choose which one fits your budget, they don’t all need to be the same GPU, but if they are, it is very eye-pleasing.

|Storage

Where you will be downloading your Operating System. We recommend going with Windows if your a starter, and HiveOS if you have some experience.

You can also use USB sticks for storage.

|PCI-E Risers

Extensions to the PCI-E Lane in your Motherboard that connect to the Graphic Cards. Always have a backup, in case one breaks down you can always swap it so you experience no downtime.

|Internet Connectivity (WiFi Adapter Or Ethernet)

Going with WiFi Adapters can get expensive if you own a couple of rigs, but it is also preferred to go with Ethernet so you avoid any unnecessary delay, dis-connectivity.

|Frame

Buy or Build a frame of your own, it will be where everything will come together, there are 4, 6, 8, etc, GPU Racks. The one bellow is great because of the rigid build quality, stackable, and it also comes included with a power button.

|Zip-ties

It is good to have Zip-ties around in order to easily manage your cable. Cable management promotes more airflow for your rig which in lower temperatures which increases the life span.

Booting It For The First Time

Now that you have all the parts, and developed a little understanding to what everything does, we can move on to building it. The process is very similar to how you build a PC, so make sure you take all precautions and don’t hold anything from the gold pins, also, ground your self (do it on wood, wear a static bracelet, AVOID Carpet) so you don’t static chock your components.

Building the Rig

  1. Assemble your Frame, and make sure it is secure and ready for the hardware.
  2. Take out the Motherboard from the box and place it somewhere safe and accessible.
  3. Put the CPU in the Motherboard facing the correct angle.
  4. Place a rice grain size thermal paste on the top of the CPU.
  5. Now take the CPU fan and safely install it.
  6. Insert your RAM in the 2nd Slot, if you have a second stick, then put it in the 4th slot.
  7. Connect your SSD to the motherboard, and then connect it to the PSU via SATA.
  8. Afterward, plug in the button included in with the rack to the ‘pwr on’ pins on the motherboard, refer to the manufacturer manual for more information.
  9. Plug-in 1 GPU and Boot into BIOS.

Graphic Cards get pretty buggy if you plug all of them in at once in your first boot. Hence, we recommend plugging in only one GPU in the first PCI-E x16 slot and then boot it up.

Head to How To Setup A Mining Rig to see which settings you should change before you start mining.

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