When cryptocurrencies first appeared, users could mine them on simple computers with video cards, which were relevant in 2006-2010. Later, ASIC miners took over the industry. To combat them, developers of new blockchains introduced a mechanism to increase the DAG file. It is needed so that “industrialists” could not use asics and centralize hashrate. However, the innovation also affected home GPU miners who were mining on a 1 GB graphics card. If the DAG is larger than VRAM, there will be hash rate problems.
Can you mine on a 1 GB graphics card
The issue of mining tokens on older graphics gas pedals first arose after the DAG of Ethereum and later other blockchains with Ethash became larger than GPU memory. To solve this problem, Wilke Traia implemented a zombie mode in lolMiner. This is the name given to a non-standard way of performing cryptographic tasks when a file is downloaded piecemeal.
Thanks to this mode, owners of outdated graphics gas pedals could continue working. However, this method has a disadvantage. If the DAG is “cut” to 60 MB, the hash rate drops by 42.3%, so the benefit of mining on 1 GB of video memory becomes questionable.
In addition to the amount of VRAM, when buying a machine, you need to consider the profitability of cryptocurrency mining. If electricity is paid, it is necessary to “dig” at least 20-30% more than is spent on energy to recoup the starting investment.
The AMD Radeon R9 380 4GB is the oldest card, mining $0.08 for a kW price of $0.01, according to WhatToMine. Other devices released earlier than 2015, as well as some of the 2016-2020 GPUs, are running at a disadvantage even if the hashrate doesn’t drop due to zombie mode.
Cryptocurrencies to mine on a graphics card with 1 GB memory
Technically, the GPU can mine any coin, including heavyweight ETHW with a 5 GB DAG. However, you need to look for tokens with smaller files to keep the device running at 100%. There are some coins that 1 GB is enough to mine.
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| Token name | Current rate (as of April 18, 2023) | DAG size |
|---|---|---|
POM and PINK can be mined only until September and November 2024, respectively. In 2025, DAG files will occupy 2 GB, so “digging” them will become unprofitable.
Calculating the profitability of 1GB mining
Although the video card in zombie mode can mine any coins, including ETHW, ETC, you need to consider profitability. If the device works in the minus, it is better to use the GPU for other purposes. The only condition under which mining cryptocurrencies on unprofitable devices makes sense is a free outlet. Then even cards from 2010-2012 will earn $0.03-0.05.
Example of mining on an outdated AMD model
To calculate the approximate profitability of cryptocurrency mining on an out-of-date graphics card, you can not use popular calculators. They do not show older GPUs – for example, AMD Radeon R7 240. Therefore, you can only find out the approximate hash rate – 1.73 MH/s.
For example, the miner decided to mine the Proof Of Memes token, the DAG file of which is placed in the video memory of the graphics gas pedal. Electricity costs $0.01 per kW, and the coin costs $0.0006994. The graphics card consumes 30 watts. The Minerstat calculator showed that with this hashrate and token value, the miner will lose $0.0051 daily. On a weekly basis, the loss would be $0.0399.
Example of mining on old NVIDIA graphics cards
This manufacturer used to produce the GeForce GT 610 GPU, which produces about 6.00 MH/s and consumes 29W. By the main parameters, the “green” device is superior to AMD. To calculate the benefit, we need to put it in similar conditions. If a kW costs $0.01, the device will earn $0.0007 per day when mining POM.
How to mine on a video card with 1 GB memory
Although it was possible to find a token that fits completely in 1024 MB of VRAM, GPUs with such a capacity are severely outdated. You can only mine on a 1 GB graphics card if you enable zombie mode. It is implemented in popular cryptocurrency mining programs:
- lolMiner
- PhoenixMiner
- TeamRedMiner.
In addition, the mode is added to HiveOS and RaveOS, so there are no difficulties with “raising the dead”. You just need to add an additional line to the BAT-file with the limitation of the maximum DAG size. Examples:
- PhoenixMiner – -daglim X.
- TeamRedMiner – -etc_4g_max_alloc=X.
- lolMiner – -4g-alloc-size X.
Instead of X, you should specify the amount of memory that the DAG will occupy. It is necessary to specify an even number.
After configuring the zombie mode, the video card may mine unstably. If this happens, it is worth reducing the parameter in increments of 2 and check the performance.
It makes no sense to overclock old GPUs, as the maximum performance increase in their case is 2-4%. Besides, they are usually already used up (used in the computer for several years), so the components are heavily worn out. Overclocking will only lead to breakage.
Conclusões
From a technical point of view, it is possible to mine cryptocurrencies on any device capable of performing cryptographic tasks. Apart from the minimum VRAM volume, the card does not have to meet any requirements to connect to the blockchain. However, already with a 0.24% reduction in DAG size, the device mines 7.4% worse, so often mining on older GPUs is unprofitable.
Perguntas frequentes
📌 Which graphics cards are relevant in 2023?
According to WhatToMine, GeForce RTX 4090, 4080, and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX mine $0.9 profit per day if energy costs $0.01.
📢 How do I know the size of the DAG?
Miners look for information on the official blockchain website and analytical resources (e.g. Minerstat). On the latter, they often write the actual file size and indicate the date when it will increase to 2, 3 GB or more.
🔥 How fast is the DAG growing?
The increase of blockchains with the Ethash algorithm occurs every 30 thousand blocks. In the case of ETHW, the file grows by 8 MB every 6 days.
⚡ Why doesn’t the GPU work in zombie mode?
If you specify an odd amount of memory or make a mistake in the configuration, the mining program will not start mining. If failures occur, you need to recheck the BAT.
✨ How much VRAM should a mining card have?
To mine most coins until 2025-2026, you need to buy a GPU with 6GB of video memory.
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Autor: Saifedean Ammousespecialista em economia de criptomoedas.
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