Cryptocurrency mining appeared in 2009. Until 2011, processors (CPUs) were used for mining. Then crypto miners more often began to use video cards (GPU) and ASIC devices. They are much more efficient than processors. As of May 2022, miners are using graphics adapters to mine ETH, ZEC, XMR and other cryptocurrencies. The priority is that the total profit should exceed the cost of GPUs. It is impossible to say exactly how long a graphics card lives when mining. Everything depends on the conditions of its operation and timely maintenance.
What is the lifespan of a graphics card when mining?
Equipment for mining digital assets works without interruption. It is under constant load. This has a bad effect on the life of the GPU. The indicator of the viability of video cards worries miners because of the high prices for them. To the rise in the cost of graphics adapters led to a shortage of equipment in the market. The demand for GPUs has increased due to the popularity of crypto mining in 2021.
Sellers offer buyers of video cards a warranty (on average for 3 years). However, in mining, the user is more often responsible for the operational risks. Therefore, it is very likely that GPUs broken as a result of crypto mining will not be accepted under warranty. If the seller recognizes the problem, it will most likely not be possible to change them because of the shortage. The buyer will be able to count on a refund.
According to Art. 24 para. 4 of the law of the Russian Federation “On Protection of Consumer Rights”, the customer has the right to claim the difference between the purchase price of the goods on the receipt and its current market value.
The graphic card has different structural elements. The failure of any of them will lead to its breakdown. The service life of a graphics card in mining is affected by:
- The textolite board.
- Component base.
- Graphics chip.
- Video memory.
- Cooling system.
Printed circuit board
This is a plate of 5-10 layers of textolite (dielectric composite material). On each of them are soldered wires (more often copper). All electrical components of the video adapter are installed on the PCB. The soldering quality of this plate is one of the criteria for its service life. Textolite boards are made by automated robots on conveyors. However, this does not guarantee high quality.
Poor soldering of PCB elements is noticeable in a part of manufacturers. Overheating of GPUs based on them can lead to delamination of the components of the device. This will lead to its breakdown. For this reason, it is better to overpay for a graphics card from a proven supplier. For example, ASUS uses its own technology for creating printed circuit boards Auto-Extreme Technology. Representatives of the organization claim that their textolite plates are of high quality.
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Component base
The soldered elements of the printed circuit board made of textolite affect how long the video card will live when mining. These include capacitors, chokes, mosfets and other power resources. Their number on each model of graphics adapter is different. Damage to one of the power supply components will at best lead to unstable operation of the equipment, and at worst the graphics card will need repair.
Damage to the component base is caused by overheating of the board. During calculations, its temperature can reach 90-100 degrees. More often, manufacturers specify the permissible mode of heating components. When choosing a GPU for cryptocurrency mining, you should take this parameter into account.
Determine the breakage of components will allow visual inspection of the board. Often damaged elements look burned, and capacitors swell.
Graphics processor
This is the main element of the video card that performs calculations. It is almost impossible to accidentally damage the graphics chip. It is connected to the printed circuit board using BGA soldering (tin balls). Due to temperature fluctuations of the chip, the contact may come loose.
To make the mining farm work stably, cryptocurrency miners use watchdog timers (WatchDog). This is a programmable chip that reboots the equipment if failures are detected in it. The watchdog automatically analyzes the operation of the farm.
Video memory chips
This is the second most important component of a graphics card. Video memory is used in the process of mining digital assets (for example, for mining Ethereum coins you need at least 6 GB). It stores intermediate data, commands and images for quick access.
Video memory is the most reliable element of the GPU among others. It breaks rarely and most often due to the user’s fault. Video memory can be disabled during cryptocurrency mining by careless overclocking.
Power system
It also affects how long a video card will last when mining. The power system is a technically complex mechanism. Its breakdown can lead to:
- Overheating. The power system reaches high temperatures with insufficient cooling. It is necessary to choose a graphics processor with a large heatsink and fans in the number of 2-3 pieces. Part of the GPU has a separate cooling system for power circuits. Such equipment will work longer.
- High loads. Budget video adapters have weak power components. They can withstand only 20-30 amperes. More expensive devices are able to work with a load 2-3 times higher. It is recommended to choose them for mining.
Cooling system
A relatively reliable component of GPUs. The cooling system consists of an aluminum radiator with copper tubes and coolers. The number of fans installed in different models will vary (more often from 1 to 3). The radiator is rarely broken, it can only be damaged physically. And coolers with timely maintenance can work up to 5 years.
How long does a video card last on average when mining?
As of May 2022, the popular GPUs were AMD Radeon RX 580 8Gb and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Super 6Gb (according to the HiveOn service). The payback period of computing equipment is a priority indicator for a miner. It can be calculated through special services – calculators of profitability of cryptocurrency mining. For example, on the NiceHash site you need to:
- Select the fiat currency for calculation.
- Specify the cost of electricity.
- Select the equipment and its quantity.
- Click on the “Calculate” button.
For example, one RX 580 8Gb graphics card from AMD brought $0.61 per day (as of May 19, 2022). At its official price of $349, it would pay for itself in 572 days (about 1.5 years).
Due to the shortage of video adapters, the real cost of the devices is higher. As of May 2022, it was possible to buy an 8GB RX 580 in Russia for an average of ₽69 thousand.
The life expectancy of the GPU depends on the technical characteristics and quality of service. The equipment is capable of working for 4-5 years. Miners cite the average statistics of breakdowns. It is presented in the table below.
| Number of years of active work | Probability of failure |
|---|---|
Tips on how to use your graphics card with care
Graphics adapters in a mining farm can work for 5 years. But you need to buy proven equipment and maintain it in time. It depends on how long the graphics card will last when mining. It is recommended to adhere to the following tips:
- Keep an eye on the temperature. The permissible operating degree of GPU heating is 70-75 degrees. At a higher temperature, the frequency of the chip will begin to decrease. This will lead to a drop in performance. And temperatures above 90 degrees create a risk of video adapter failure.
- Change the parameters of operation. Overclocking graphics cards will increase the hash rate when mining, as well as lower the power consumption and heating of the chip. This will allow the GPU to work for a long time. Miners apply the MSI Afterburner program.
- Clean the fans. When the coolers are running, the cooling system gets clogged with dust. This reduces its efficiency. Fans and radiator should be cleaned once every 1-2 months.
- Buy proven raisers. Miners use these devices to install 4-8 video cards in a rig. They have a current supply stabilizer, which in budget raisers can fail. This leads to voltage spikes, which increases the risk of losing contact between the chip and the PCB.
- Change the thermal paste. This material is used as a heat conductor between the chip and the heatsink. Over time, thermal paste dries out and loses its properties. It should be changed every 4-6 months.
Summary
Video adapters in mining are able to work for 5 years. When choosing them, you should give preference to equipment from trusted manufacturers. Reliable GPUs are produced by ASUS, Gigabyte, MSI, Sapphire. More often their price will be 5-15% higher, but their service life is longer. And this is an important criterion for choosing computing equipment for crypto mining. After purchase, the devices need to be periodically serviced.
Frequently asked questions
💻 What else will be needed for a mining farm?
In addition to video cards, you definitely need: a processor, a cooler for it, a hard disk, RAM, a motherboard and a power supply.
❓ What can you mine on, except GPU?
Mining cryptocurrencies is possible on processors and FPGA boards. But more often mining on them is unprofitable. Also miners use ASIC devices to earn BTC, LTC, DOGE.
🔍 What to mine on processors?
As of May 2022, you can mine coins on the CryptoNight hashing algorithm. These include: XMR, BCN, XDN, BIP and other cryptocurrencies.
💡 What is an ASIC?
It is a special purpose computing hardware. It can only perform one task, so it is more efficient than other devices.
💳 Is bitcoin mining on GPUs possible?
Yes, but due to the high complexity of the Bitcoin network, it will be unprofitable. Video cards will break down faster than they will pay off.
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Author: Saifedean Ammous, an expert in cryptocurrency economics.
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