Using the server for mining

Server for mining

Mining digital currencies on a home computer is an inefficient method. It was used when cryptoassets first appeared. Together with the growing complexity of calculations, token miners have switched to farms of several video cards and ASICs to obtain ETC, BTC, ALPH, and for Monero – to servers for mining. In the second case, powerful Intel Xeon processors capable of delivering up to 54 thousand H/s are usually used.

Complexity of cryptocurrency mining in 2024

To get the reward, miners must calculate the cryptographic hash function of the next element of the digital chain. Having found it, the computer will be able to sign the link and integrate it into the blockchain. Initially, users were able to mine coins on regular PCs, but along with the growing interest in cryptocurrencies, hash rates have skyrocketed.

However, owners of farms and users of decentralized networks faced a strange phenomenon – computing power increased tenfold, but the speed of processing operations remained at the same level. The problem lies in the built-in mechanisms that increase the complexity of mining, which are needed to protect the blockchain from hash rate monopolization and 51% attack.

Digital network developers have come up with targeting. This is a special algorithm that tracks the speed of creation of the previous block. If miners managed faster than last time, the program increases the mining difficulty.

Because of special algorithms, users are forced to constantly increase the processing power of the equipment, otherwise profits will start to fall. This mechanism is needed to increase the protection of networks with PoW: the higher the hash rate, the more reliable the blockchain.

Using the server for mining
Increasing blockchain complexity

For an example, the growth of Monero’s computing power is worth mentioning. The digital coin appeared in 2014 and initially had only 4.19 kH/s, and in May 2023 it already had 2.61 gH/s. The hash rate increased by 600 thousand times. The jump in computing power was between 2020 and 2021, when the mining boom occurred. The complexity of the network increased 400 times during this time period.

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Only industrial miners can consider Bitcoin for mining in 2023, as the network complexity has increased almost 6 billion times since 2011. This is due to the fact that BTC is minted by large companies with hangars of asics that can produce more than 1 Eh/s.

Suitable coins for mining on server hardware

In 2023, token miners are less likely to use CPUs due to comparatively low revenue and difficulty in setting up a farm. Motherboards have multiple connectors for connecting graphics cards, while in the case of a CPU there is only one. This increases the cost of auxiliary components.

CPU mining is not suitable for mining tokens with a large DAG file. The built-in storage is not enough to load temporary data to calculate the hash function.

CPUs are mainly used to mine coins with CryptoNight and RandomX algorithms. They are resistant to asics and minimally load the “stone”. Due to the fact that the owners of ASICs and video cards do not work with them, computers and servers for cryptocurrency mining with powerful CPUs have gained an advantage. The table collects data on the main digital assets suitable for CPU mining. The information is current as of May 2023.

NameAlgorithmHashrateCapitalization, $Value, $
Monero (XMR)
RandomX
2.61 GH/s
2.8 billion
154,95
Bytecoin (BCN)
CryptoNight
25,473 MH/s
7.01 mln
0,00003814
Karbo (KRB)
35.66 Mh/s
470.35 ths.
0,04873
Electroneum (ETN)
4.06 GH/s
40.62 mln
0,00229

System requirements for a server for mining

You don’t need powerful hardware to mine tokens. To run a miner on a server, it must meet the following requirements:

However, it is impossible to focus on the minimum requirements, because on a weak computer token mining will be unprofitable. Before mining on the server, you need to determine the approximate income. If you put Intel Pentium Gold G6405, the farm will lose $0.12 every day.

Using the server for mining
1U server

Because of this, miners use only top processors with high energy efficiency. They are able to operate at a slight plus even during the cryptozyme, when digital currency exchange rates have dropped, but the cost of electricity and maintenance have not.

Before building or renting a server, you should first find out the model of the processor and see its hash rate. There are enough sources on the Internet that parse the processing power of devices. Then you need to specify the hash rate and power consumption in the calculator to find out the income. If the farm works in the minus, it is not worth doing this. It is difficult to say exactly when the cryptozyme will end.

Mining pools

To calculate the hash function and collect the reward in 2023, miners have to compete with each other, because only one will profit. To increase the chances of being the first to find the key, users have started to gather in groups (pools). They pool their farms and fairly distribute the reward based on the connected hardware.

Performing tasks requires a lot of computing power, so even servers and farms of asics cannot mine coins alone. A pool is the best option for non-industrial miners. Thanks to the connection to the community, even an ordinary computer will begin to bring profit.

To work in the pool, you do not need to sign a contract or fulfill any mandatory conditions, except for sending the right orbs. To connect, you need to register on the site of the community and specify the server address in the miner.

In a personal account, the user tracks his income, redirects computing power to other cryptocurrencies. If desired, the computer can be turned off, since the pool does not limit the miner in any way.

When choosing a mining platform, you need to take into account that they charge a certain percentage of the mined cryptocurrency for their services. On average, the commission is about 1-2%. It is necessary to take into account the percentage when calculating income. Popular mining pools:

  • MinerGate.com. The sought-after platform supports 11 cryptocurrencies. Developers have created their own software for mining tokens. More than 500 thousand miners are connected to the pool. The company plans to expand the list of coins, add tools for earning on PoS. The commission of MinerGate.com is 0.5-1.5% depending on the coin.
  • MiningPoolHub.com. This service consists of 36 pools for mining both popular and little-known coins. The platform’s commission is 0.9%. Earlier there were cases when hackers hacked the pool servers and withdrew users’ money, so you should not keep a large amount on the balance.
  • MoneroOcean.Stream. The pool for XMR mining differs from analogs by zero commission. At the same time, it controls 20% of the total Monero hashrate. At least every fifth coin will be shared between participants.
  • HashVault.com. This is a pool that offers two models of work: solo or in a group. Both options assume that the miner will pay a commission, but in the first case, the reward for creating a block will be received by one participant. The service fee is 0.9%.

Separately, it is worth considering mining without a pool. If you divide $100 between 1000 users, a particular miner will get quite a bit. Because of this, some consider mining coins alone. They register on a pool site, but work solo.

The problem with solo mining is the huge hashrate. You need to capture at least 1% of the total processing power of the blockchain to ensure a steady income. In the case of Monero, an entire data center filled with servers will be needed, and for Bitcoin, several hangars of asics will be needed.

A regular miner will not be able to spend that much money to ensure a steady income. If the hash rate is lower, the profits will depend heavily on luck. It may be possible to get a couple coins today, and the next week the equipment will work for nothing.

How to start mining on the server

Although mining cryptocurrency on processors is becoming a thing of the past, users are still assembling farms on powerful CPUs. Three actual options are available:

  • Build your own server based on an Intel Xeon processor. This is a family of powerful devices designed for 24/7 operation. For example, the Intel Xeon Platinum 9282 has 56 cores with a clock speed of 2.6 GHz. Server CPUs are able to work in multi-threaded mode.
  • Renting a physical server in a data center. This is the optimal option, since the user gets access to the entire computing power of the computer. To start mining, you only need to install a special program and remotely configure it.
  • Cloud mining. This is the easiest way to enter the industry. The miner rents a server processor from the host and receives the reward in his personal account. He does not have to configure the equipment and understand the work of programs. It is enough to specify the coin in the profile.

Of these options, the best can be called the second. If you collect the server yourself, you will have to make large investments. Find an inexpensive server processor can be found, but to it you need to buy a special case. Unlike video cards, you can not put the CPU on a regular “skeleton”.

Cloud mining limits the user in settings and the choice of cryptocurrencies. In addition, there is no certainty that the service works honestly.

There were cases when companies did not allow customers to withdraw income or unexpectedly increased the commission.

Registration

Beginners are perfectly suited to the pool MinerGate, which has its own program for mining cryptocurrencies. It is easy to set up, as the developers have made a clear graphical interface. To start mining, you need to first create a personal account on the site. The order of actions:

  1. Click on the “Register” button at the top of the page.
  2. Enter your e-mail and password.
  3. Open e-mail and follow the link in the letter.

Later, the e-mail address will be used as an account login. When installing the MinerGate miner, you will not need to come up with additional passwords or profile names.

It is worth noting that the income from token mining will come to the balance of the personal cabinet. There users also monitor the computing power of the farm, and in the miner you can manage its work.

Setting up the software

After creating an account, you need to download the program by clicking on the Downloads button. Further actions:

  1. Wait for the distribution to download and click on the shortcut to launch the installer.
  2. Follow the instructions on the screen.
  3. After installing the application, open it and authorize: specify e-mail and password. The user can enter only the email address, but then he will not get income in the program, as the Wallet tab will be blocked.
  4. Click on the Start Benchmark button. The miner will check the hardware configuration. After analyzing, the user will see the hash rate of the farm when mining certain cryptocurrencies.
  5. Click on Start Smart Mining and select the main and additional coins.
  6. Customize the mining intensity. This parameter controls the load on the equipment. You should not specify more than 80%, since the processor is responsible for the operating system and all programs on the server.

Within 20-30 minutes, the farm will bring the first income. It can be tracked in the personal cabinet on the official website and in the program (section Wallet). The first day it is worthwhile to constantly monitor the state of the computer and hash rate. This is necessary in order to find problems in the settings of the software and eliminate them in a timely manner.

Using the server for mining
Setting up MinerGate

Estimation of profitability and risks

To determine the approximate income from mining cryptocurrency on the server, it is worth considering first the rental of equipment in the data center. For example, hosts offer a configuration on 2 Intel Xeon E5-2699 v3 for $1.5 thousand (116 thousand rubles) per year. At the same time, the cost of electricity and maintenance are already included in the tariff.

Processors of such model produce 18 KH/s, therefore, the farm will bring about $200 per year. The amount is determined taking into account the current cost of $153.54, the pool commission of 1% and the price of kW at the level of $0.1. It turns out that the miner will lose more than $1.3 thousand annually.

Hosters could not find servers with top-end Intel Xeon Platinum, which can produce more than 50 KH/s. The user will have to assemble the computer himself. For mining cryptocurrencies on the CPU, the Xeon Platinum 8153 is best suited. Its hash rate is 54.5 KH/s, and power consumption is 125W. With such characteristics, the device will bring about $400 annually.

The main disadvantage of Xeon Platinum is its high cost. The top model 8153 is sold in Russia for $3.5 thousand and more. The costs of the case, power supply, motherboard and other components are not taken into account.

If you calculate the income and minimum investment, you can conclude that mining on the CPU brings relatively little money. If the user wants to engage in coin mining, he should buy ASICs, which remain profitable even in the conditions of cryptozyme.

Frequent user questions

📢 What should a server enclosure be like?

It is important to use boxes with protection from moisture, dust and with support for large format motherboards. Looking at the number of slots makes no sense, as disks, additional RAM for server mining is not needed.

📌 How often do you change the thermal paste?

The substance dries out quickly due to round-the-clock work, so it is worth applying a new composition every 4-6 months.

🔥 At what temperature do server processors function?

It is recommended to keep the boards heated between 70-80°C. Higher temperatures should not be allowed because wear and tear will accelerate and there is a risk of melting metal components.

🔔 How to rent a server?

To do this, you need to sign a contract with the hoster and regularly pay for the service in your personal cabinet. The client can install any software on the dedicated server.

🛒 Is it worth buying used equipment?

It is cheaper than new, but it may be damaged and badly worn. You can buy it if you have the skills to diagnose and repair devices.

⚡ Should I rent a server with GPU?

No. It is too expensive. It is more profitable to build a rig yourself than to pay for rent.

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Author: Saifedean Ammous, an expert in cryptocurrency economics.

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