All about mining on an integrated graphics card

2 weeks ago 0 18

Although it is technically possible to mine cryptocurrency on an integrated GPU, it is important to properly assess the profitability of such a method. Unfortunately, there are no ready-made hash rate calculations for Intel and AMD cards on the Internet. Therefore, the indicators for mining on an integrated graphics card will have to be derived independently using a special formula.

Is it possible to mine on an embedded graphics card?

The peculiarity of crypto-mining is that you can create new blocks and check transactions on any device. Phones and laptops will do, not just powerful NVIDIA graphics cards or Antminer asics.

If the user plans to mine cryptocurrency on an integrated graphics core, it is necessary to first check the device. It must support OpenCL, a multi-threaded computing technology.

All Intel Core with integrated graphics are suitable for coin mining starting from version 6. They are equipped with HD and UHD Graphics core.

You also need to update the drivers to the latest version so that the graphics card can perform the calculations. For Intel, you should download the Intel OpenCL SDK, and for AMD, you should download the OpenCL Driver. They support the latest versions of this technology.

You should also keep in mind that integrated cores are the cores built into the processor, because of which they do not have their own video memory. This is their key disadvantage, compared to discrete models NVIDIA, AMD. To mine on an integrated video card, you will have to edit the BIOS and allocate RAM for data storage.

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This will have a bad effect on the performance of the laptop. Any programs, including miners, will function unstably if more than 70% of RAM is allocated to the needs of the blockchain. Uninterrupted cryptocurrency mining is possible only on gaming laptops with more than 8 GB of RAM and the best Intel, AMD graphics cores.

It makes no sense to mine Bitcoin on a built-in graphics card. Even top-end NVIDIA RTX 3090 are inferior to the asics that have “captured” the blockchain. It is worth mining altcoins created for GPU with a small hash rate:

This method of mining is considered only in pools. Single mining is impossible because of the low hash rate. The computer will not perform calculations faster than competitors.

Programs for mining on the integrated video card

If after checking it turned out that the GPU can perform multithreaded calculations, you need to install special software on your computer. Programs for mining are necessary to connect to the node and verify transactions. However, most of these applications are created only for discrete graphics cards and asics.

It is difficult to find information about the support of integrated cards even in the documentation to the software. This is due to the fact that mining on such a device is rare since 2015.

It is worth trying to download several popular programs on the PC and mine coins thanks to them. On the forums we managed to find information that you can mine on the integrated graphics with the help of 5 programs:

CGMiner
EasyMiner
NiceHash Miner
lolMiner
T-Rex Miner.

Such applications often do not have their own interface, customization is done in the console. If the miner does not have basic programming skills, it is worth downloading EasyMiner, which has its own graphical shell.

Yield Calculator

Mining on an integrated AMD, Intel graphics card is a rare phenomenon, so the developers of calculators did not specify them to calculate hash rate and potential income. It is also difficult to compare integrated GPUs with discrete GPUs due to differences in architecture. There is a formula for calculating computing power.

You need to find the information transfer rate between the video chip and RAM for every 20 MHz and divide it by 8. For example, the frequency is 2666 MHz and the bandwidth is 21.3 Gb/s. The hash rate of the chip with such characteristics will be 0.048 MH/s.

Having found out the computational capacity of the GPU, miners use the usual yield calculator – for example, CryptoCalc. You need to select a blockchain, and then enter the hash rate and power consumption of the laptop. The service will show the profit for a day, a month, a year.

All about mining on an integrated graphics card — CryptoCalc interface

If the miner does not know how many kW the computer consumes, you can enter an average value – 0.8. This is the amount of energy needed to run a laptop.

How to start mining on a built-in video card

Mining is started on an integrated GPU according to the same scheme as the farm, except for the assembly of equipment. You can start mining cryptocurrency in 50-60 minutes.

Installing drivers

Before you can mine on integrated graphics, you need to put new software for Intel and AMD. If the operating system does not update them automatically, it is worth cleaning the OS with a cleaner program (for example, AMDCleanupUtility.exe). It will remove old utilities, which will simplify manual installation of fresh ones.

For mining on an integrated graphics card, you need to download new drivers with OpenCL support, without which computation is impossible. For miners with AMD integrated graphics cards, it is recommended to install the Adrenalin Edition package. It allows you to switch the GPU to Compute Mode, which increases the number of hashes per second.

There is no such program for Intel, so they are less effective for mining. The only way to increase hash rate is to overclock the GPU through performance settings.

If after installing drivers, the laptop started to hang, cryptocurrency mining is unstable, then it is worth uninstalling them again and downloading new ones. You can also try to increase the swap file (the amount of virtual memory).

Installing and configuring the miner

With the setup of cryptocurrency mining should not be difficult if the PC meets the minimum requirements. How to install and run NiceHash Miner:

Register on the NHM website.
In the “Mining” section, copy the address.
In the “Download Miner” tab, download the program.
Install the application.
Go to settings by clicking on the gear and paste the wallet address.
Open the “Devices” tab and click on the Start Mining button.

You will not have to connect to pools when working with NHM. The miner transfers the equipment for use to other people. Because of this, the owner does not receive a share of the reward for creating a block, but a rental fee. Those who want to mine specifically cryptocurrency, it is worth installing lolMiner or EasyMiner.

Choosing a cryptocurrency

To begin with, it is worth looking at whether you can mine on the built-in video card, whether there is support for OpenCL. If yes, you should also check the amount of RAM on the laptop to store the DAG file. It contains information about transactions, blocks and nodes. If there is not enough space, the hashrate will jump.

For coin mining, you need to have at least 3 GB of video memory. This is enough to work with Ethereum Classic, Ravencoin. For weaker laptops, DAE and Ubiq are suitable, which require up to 1.7 GB.

At the same time, it is worth taking into account that the file size is gradually increasing. Experts expect that in 2025 Ethereum Classic will already require 4 GB of memory. Because of this, most integrated GPUs will not be able to continue mining.

Creating a wallet

It will be needed to store the earned cryptocurrency. It is desirable to use a non-custodial wallet, which is characterized by anonymity and security. How to create one (using MetaMask as an example):

Install the program on your laptop or phone.
Click on the “Create a wallet” button.
Enter a password to enter the application.
Rewrite the Seed-phrase. It is worth keeping it on paper in a safe place, because it allows you to access all the cryptocurrency in the wallet.
Finish the registration.

Now it remains to copy the public key and enter it in the settings of the miner. According to it, the pool will pay a part of the remuneration for the creation of blocks. Confidential key can not be shown to anyone.

Increase the amount of RAM

To store temporary data, video cards must have a reserve of memory. Discrete GPUs allocate on-board RAM, but integrated GPUs do not. Usually video cores get 1.5-2 GB of video memory. This amount is not enough for stable mining. It needs to be increased to 3-6 GB. Instructions:

Turn on the computer and during startup press the button to enter the BIOS (it differs from manufacturer to manufacturer).
In the BIOS, find the item “Graphics settings” or “Size of total VGA memory”.
Enter the new value opposite.
Save the changes and reboot the device.

Start mining

When the built-in card and the miner are configured, you can start mining cryptocurrency. For the first few days, you should carefully monitor the state of the equipment, especially after overclocking. If the processor heats up above 75°C (Intel) and 80°C (AMD), you need to strengthen cooling with external fans.

High temperatures lead to chip failure. If the integrated video card and CPU are constantly overheated, they will fail faster.

In a miner, it is worth monitoring the hash rate. It is necessary to determine a constant value, so that in the future you can understand when the GPU is not working at full capacity. This will help to quickly find and eliminate an error in the settings or increase the size of the swap file in time.

Overclocking the integrated graphics card

You can’t optimize an integrated GPU in the same way as a discrete one. In MSI AfterBurner program all sliders are inactive. Because of this, you can increase the hash rate only by optimizing the graphics core through settings. How to overclock an Intel video chip:

Call the context menu on the desktop.
Go to “Intel Graphics Specifications”.
In the 3D tab, enable the “Optimal Application Mode” mode.
Disable “Morphological anti-aliasing”.
Put “Maximum Performance” in “Power”.

This will not give a gain of 30-50%, but can add up to 5% to the hashrate without risk to the integrated card. You should also install a second RAM bar and expand the video memory up to 6GB.

Is mining on a laptop CPU profitable?

In general, mining cryptocurrency on processors is more difficult than on video cards. In terms of hash rate, they are inferior to GPUs, and they do not even compete with asics. Miners who plan to use CPUs have a limited choice of digital currencies. They should mine coins with the RandomX algorithm, which is specially designed for the CPU. It is supported by Monero, Epic Cash, and Dagger.

CPU mining is also mostly done on farms with 10-20 processors. It is possible to set up mining on the CPU of a gaming laptop, but the benefit of this method is questionable.

CPU model	Hash rate (h/s)	Power consumption (laptop)	Daily net profit (in $)
Intel Core i9 12900HX	9135	99	0,02
AMD R7 6800H	4109	55	-0,01

On the example of 2 top processors, we can see that mining on Intel is more profitable due to the large hash rate. However, the income is only $0.02 per day, which means that the cost of the technique will be recouped after more than 4000 days.

Frequently Asked Questions

🔥 What is a mining pool?

It is a server for pooling the hashrate of users. It allows miners with weak farms to earn money because the pool pays a portion of the reward when a block is co-created.

📢 What is hashrate?

It is a measure of performance in mining, which is divided into the total processing power of the blockchain and the number of hashes created by the video card, processor.

🔔 Is mining legal?

There is no ban on cryptocurrency mining in Russia. People can freely mine and sell coins on exchanges.

📌 How often do I need to change the thermal paste?

Due to the fact that the graphics core is running at full power, the substance dries out earlier than usual. You should change the thermal paste at least once every 6-12 months.

✨ Which breaks down faster – CPU or GPU?

CPUs wear out more than graphics cards due to the architecture. To maximize the life of the CPU, it is advisable to install a powerful cooling system and avoid heating above 75°C.

⚡ What should I do if the integrated GPU does not display a picture?

You need to connect your laptop to an external video card. With its help, you will be able to stop mining and reset the settings of the graphics core.

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Author: Saifedean Ammous, an expert in cryptocurrency economics.