How to choose a processor for video card mining

Intel makes many different CPUs, including powerful devices for servers. However, for a video card farm, three modern versions will do:

• Core i3. These are inexpensive models for budget mining. They consume a little electricity, sold at a price of up to 7-8 thousand rubles. When using such a CPU, you should not load the computer with other tasks, except for mining cryptocurrencies.
• Core i7 and Core i9. Like Ryzen 7, this is a powerful equipment for games. The devices have a frequency of up to 5.7 GHz, so they work well in multitasking mode. They are also worth using for dual-mining.

If the budget is limited, it is worth considering older and inexpensive Celeron models. They can support the work of a farm with 6-8 video cards.

Cost

Having determined which processor is needed for mining on a video card, users always look at the cost of devices. Taking expensive options, as a rule, does not make sense. They will simply increase the payback period, but will not affect the hash rate.

Cheap Intel Pentium G4400 for 3200 rubles is close to more expensive i3 processors of the same manufacturer in terms of efficiency. At the same time, it has 2 cores and works with motherboards equipped with 16 lines to connect 12 video cards.

For budget mining, you should buy an A6-9500E from AMD or a Celeron G6900 from Intel. They support modern sockets, so it is easy to find the right board in stores.

In search of a CPU, it is desirable to look at models without a built-in cooler for cooling. If the device does not mine cryptocurrency, thermal paste is enough to control the temperature. If there is a fan, you will have to spend 20-30% more money. The exception is powerful CPUs that will also mine cryptocurrencies.

Hashrate

In the case of farms on graphic devices, the performance of the “stone” does not matter. It does not participate in the mining of cryptocurrencies, so the stability of the processor is more important for miners. The part must cope with the launch of the operating system, programs and at the same time require minimal power consumption.

For reference. Previously, CPUs were often used for mining even Bitcoin, but they are inferior to video cards in terms of performance. Now they are used to mine coins with the RandomX algorithm, which is created specifically for CPUs.

If a miner wants to earn cryptocurrency not only on a video card, it is worth considering top-end CPUs from AMD and Intel. Examples:

• Core i9 12900K – 9135 H/s.
• Threadripper 3990X – 54 Kh/s.

It is worth noting that Intel loses to the competitor in mining, which can be seen when comparing the two devices. However, they are cheaper. Core i9 costs 42-44 thousand rubles, and Threadripper – 400 thousand rubles and above.

Revenue per month

Given that CPUs are not usually used for mining on a farm with video cards, it is difficult to calculate the income. This can be compared to determining the profit from the wheel in a truck.

If the user plans to mine cryptocurrency in dual mode, then here it is easy to predict the profit. To do this, it is necessary to find out the hash rate of the device, power consumption and calculate in the calculator. You need to specify one of the coins with the RandomX algorithm. Possible income per month:

• Core i3-12100F – -$0.08 with a hashrate of 2363 H/s.
• Threadripper 3990X – $0.74 at 54 Kh/s.
• Core i9 12900K -$0.41 at 9135 H/s.

Less powerful CPUs are mostly not profitable due to low hash rate. You can see from the example above that even top-end hardware does not guarantee profitability.

Payback

It is possible when mining cryptocurrencies in parallel. Most Intel processors do not pay off due to too much power consumption with low hash rate. Even Core i9 runs at a disadvantage in 2023. Mining is profitable only on AMD, but the payback period turns out to be very long. For example:

• Threadripper 3990X – 7680 days.
• Ryzen 7 3700X – 6933.

To reduce this period, you should mine in regions with inexpensive electricity – Irkutsk, Novosibirsk. Here the costs can be reduced by 2-3 times compared to Moscow.

Results

CPU is an important part of a computer, but in mining it performs a service function. Therefore, you can save money on it. There is no point in taking top-end parts that work at 20-30% of maximum performance.

For budget cryptocurrency mining, you should choose Intel, because in stores there is a greater assortment of motherboards with LGA-sockets at different prices. However, using them for profit is not recommended.

Frequently Asked Questions