Building a Crypto Mining Rig in 2022
Creating a 6 GPU Mining Rig is a fun project that may also provide a steady stream of revenue. This article will assist you in locating and assembling the best crypto mining hardware currently available in order to construct your own DIY crypto mining rig. Your crypto mining hardware takes about 3 hours to assemble, and your mining rig now generates around $500 per month in digital money (in January 2022). The precise amount is determined on the current market price of the coin you’re mining (Ethereum, Monero, Zcash, etc).
Side note: If mining isn’t your thing and you’re just looking to add cryptocurrencies to your investing portfolio, I personally use and suggest Voyager. To obtain $25 in free Bitcoin, download the app and exchange $100 for it. To get your free BTC, use the code JOSWDN.
Hardware Build List for 6 GPU Ethereum Mining Rigs
The components you’ll need to build your GPU mining rig are listed below, along with the quantities you’ll need. You’ll want to refer back to this guide for assembly and configuration instructions once your components arrive. I’ve also included a YouTube video with step-by-step construction instructions. Please subscribe to my YouTube channel if you find the guide useful. I frequently write on bitcoin mining, trading, and other relevant issues.
Assembly of a 6 GPU Ethereum Mining Rig in 5 Minutes
1x Power Supply – Gold Rated 1200 Watt Power Supply The goal is to have an efficient power source that will save you money on electricity in the long term. Look for products that are rated Gold or Platinum (as opposed to silver or bronze). This is the industry standard for determining a computer’s power supply unit’s efficiency (PSU).
1x Motherboard/CPU Combination – Which motherboard is better for Ethereum mining? Below is a list of my favorite motherboard and processor combos that can support up to six video cards.
LGA1151 MSI Z390-A PRO | Intel G530 CPU
These motherboards will work as well for a 6 GPU mining rig if the motherboard stated above is out of stock or difficult to find. Just make sure the motherboard and processor are compatible (see the Amazon page under ‘often bought together’).
• Intel Socket 1150 Bitcoin Mining Motherboard ASRock H81 Pro BTC ATX
• Intel Z270 DDR4 MSI Pro Series
• Biostar TB250-BTC PRO Core i7/i5/i3 LGA1151 Intel B250 Motherboard
Graphics Cards x 6
First Choice Nvidia GTX 1660– The Nvidia GTX 1660 is the greatest GPU for mining in 2022, with a hash rate of 30Mh/s and only 80 watts of power consumption. It consumes far less power than the majority of AMD cards on the market. Choose a model with twin fans, as they appear to run cooler than some of the other models I’ve tried. This card is in every rig I’m currently building.
You can also visit eBay or use my mining GPU comparison guide or the GPU Price / Performance Comparison Google Sheet to locate other recommended mining GPUs (Updated Daily).
The Nvidia GTX 3060TI, capable of 60MH/s at only 160 watts of electricity, is a close second alternative for a mining GPU if the previously mentioned GPU is hard to locate or out of stock. I’d recommend upgrading to a 1200 watt power supply because you’ll be tripling your 6 GPU mining rig’s mining capabilities.
1GB RAM (System Memory) – 1x RAM (System Memory) – 1x RAM (System Memory) – 1x RAM (System Memory) To mine Ethereum effectively, you’ll need a lot of system RAM. Other cryptocurrencies, such as Monero, should be able to be mined with 16GB.
USB Riser Cables, 6 Pack – USB Riser Cables, 6 Pack – USB Riser Cables, 6 Pack – USB Riser Cables, 6 Pack These are required when creating a machine with this many GPUs because they link the 6 graphics cards to the motherboard and provide spacing between them for heat dissipation. The Amazon-sold MintCell 6-pack appeals to me.
1x Solid State Drive (SSD) – 120GB SSD for the operating system and mining software. Anything 120GB or greater will suffice, and the system will be able to utilise disk space for swap files if necessary.
1x Custom Mining Case – An Open Air 6 GPU Mining Case is a good choice. Any of the common versions available for $80-150 work nicely, and I’ve built numerous of these 6 GPU systems for relatives and acquaintances.
1x Operating System – I suggest mining on Windows 10 because it has excellent driver compatibility for all of the best mining graphics cards.
For a very simple mining setup, you can download NiceHash OS, HiveOS, or RaveOS and flash it to a USB 3.0 thumb drive.
Initially, all program settings were configured using the monitor, mouse, and keyboard. Once your mining rig is all up and going, you can use remote monitoring software to keep an eye on it and the other dozen you’ve built.
Putting the Custom Ethereum Mining Hardware Together
1. Scroll ahead to see the assembly video, which demonstrates how to put all of the hardware together.
2. Take everything apart.
3. Assemble and build the Open Air 6 GPU Mining Case
4. Connect the CPU and RAM to the motherboard.
5. Connect all of the riser cables.
6. Connect the motherboard PSU connector to the motherboard and place it in the custom open air mining rig case (leaving PSU unplugged from the wall of course)
7. Connect the SATA hard drive (or optional Linux on USB stick)
8. Attach all of the GPUs to the riser cables and secure them to the custom case. To keep the cards cool, you may need to vary with spacing.
9. Make sure that all of the power supply connectors are plugged in.
10. Connect a mouse, monitor, and keyboard, as well as a computer to the internet (I use a USB WiFi adapter)
11. Double-check all connections.
12. Turn it on and put the operating system and mining software on it (see additional instructions below).
13. Check to see if the fans are working properly. Start the mining software, modify the settings for the best hash rates, and then let it alone!
Configuration of the motherboard, Windows, and mining software
1. Using a USB thumb drive, update the motherboard’s BIOS to the most recent version. The updated BIOS for the Z170 SLI Plus motherboard can be found here.
2. Change the following settings in the motherboard BIOS:
PEG 0 and PEG 1 are set to Gen1 in Settings > Advanced > PCI subsystem Setting.
o Decoding above 4G (cryptocurrency mining) should be enabled.
o Change the operating system settings to disable Windows 7 and enable Windows 10.
o Back up and restart
3. OS / DRIVERS / MINING CONFIGURATION:
1. Boot from the Windows 10 installation disc on a USB flash drive (you can buy it pre-loaded or build your own on the Microsoft website).
2. Download and install Windows 10 Pro x64.
3. Download and install the Nvidia drivers.
4. Run MSI Afterburner and set the RAM clock to 600 MHz and the power to 70 watts. You’ll get 30Mh/s per 1070 GPU if you do this.
5. Install any system drivers that were not installed automatically (check device manager)
6. Change the name of the computer to that of a mining worker. Minion001, Minion002, and so forth.
7. After installing Claymore Dual Miner, change the config file to include your Ethereum address and miner name. If you want mining to start automatically when Windows starts up, create a shortcut to the mining software.exe file in your system starting folder. In Windows 10, go to Start > Run and type’shell:startup’ to locate the system startup folder.
8. Follow this guide to disable Windows Update.
9. Select ‘always on’ in the power profile.
Install your preferred remote access program, especially if you want to manage multiple rigs.
11. Turn on the mining rig and start raking in the bitcoins!
I’ve gotten a few questions about customizing drivers, overclocking/undervolting settings, and mining software configuration. Below is a 5-minute video that demonstrates how to implement these three critical elements in the mining rig design process.
Overclocking, GPU Drivers, and Claymore Mining Software Configuration
When setting up a GPU mining farm, I’ve done the OS/DRIVERS/MINING setup first, then clone the solid state drive using a two-bay hard drive dock with an offline clone function built in.
Congratulations! You are now the happy owner of your very own 6 GPU ethereum mining equipment that was specially constructed for you. Check out our reviews of the finest Litecoin mining hardware and Bitcoin mining hardware for further information.
Side note: If mining isn’t your thing and you’re just looking to add some cryptocurrencies to your portfolio, I personally use and suggest FTX Global Crypto Exchange (Use FTX US if a US resident)