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Other => Beginners & Help => Topic started by: Tyrion on September 01, 2012, 05:42:32 AM



Title: Mining with a Macbook?
Post by: Tyrion on September 01, 2012, 05:42:32 AM
I don't know much about mining, but would I be able to get anywhere just using a regular old macbook? My processor is 2.4 Ghz Intel Core Duo. And how do you mine anyway? Do you just use the bitcoin client?


Title: Re: Mining with a Macbook?
Post by: Bitcoin Oz on September 01, 2012, 05:43:36 AM
There is no point mining with a  laptop.


Title: Re: Mining with a Macbook?
Post by: Rotsor on September 01, 2012, 05:45:10 AM
No, you can't mine much with CPU nowadays. If you have a 4xxx series Radeon GPU or later, only then mining may cover the electricity costs.

And no, the bitcoin client does not include the mining functionality anymore. There are specialised programs for that. There is a whole forum section devoted to them: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?board=42.0 !


Title: Re: Mining with a Macbook?
Post by: panda1 on September 01, 2012, 05:46:44 AM
This link should help expand your knowledge - https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Mining_hardware_comparison


Title: Re: Mining with a Macbook?
Post by: casascius on September 01, 2012, 06:04:54 AM
Mining with a MacBook is OK if it is just being the server and something else is doing the actual mining (e.g. BFL singles, etc.).  Otherwise, mining with the MacBook's own processor is a way to pretty much destroy the computer by overheating, and you will probably never mine even one bitcoin before killing your computer.  Don't bother with it.


Title: Re: Mining with a Macbook?
Post by: organofcorti on September 01, 2012, 06:05:26 AM
You might be able to using one of the new BFL products. The Jalapeno costs $149 and is supposed to be usb powered and do 3.8 Ghps.


Title: Re: Mining with a Macbook?
Post by: live627 on September 01, 2012, 06:08:25 AM
You might be able to using one of the new BFL products. The Jalapeno costs $149 and is supposed to be usb powered and do 3.8 Ghps.
I thought they said 3.5 GH/s?


Title: Re: Mining with a Macbook?
Post by: organofcorti on September 01, 2012, 10:35:01 AM
You might be able to using one of the new BFL products. The Jalapeno costs $149 and is supposed to be usb powered and do 3.8 Ghps.
I thought they said 3.5 GH/s?

Whatever.


Title: Re: Mining with a Macbook?
Post by: Film_Girl on September 03, 2012, 05:33:45 AM
I'm curious what the retina MacBook Pro would be able to deliver -- especially if you drop the screen res all the way down. It's discrete GPU is good enough to power 4 external monitors. Not saying it'd be a good allotment of resources, but it'd be an interesting test. Makes me want to test this at the Apple Store to see.


Title: Re: Mining with a Macbook?
Post by: Snapman on September 03, 2012, 05:35:25 AM
Your just asking to burn out your laptop gpu like that... more hassle then its worth mining on it.


Title: Re: Mining with a Macbook?
Post by: Film_Girl on September 03, 2012, 05:48:10 AM
Your just asking to burn out your laptop gpu like that... more hassle then its worth mining on it.

Oh totally -- I'm more curious (regarding rMBP) than anything else.


Title: Re: Mining with a Macbook?
Post by: Bitcoin Oz on September 03, 2012, 05:53:59 AM
I'm curious what the retina MacBook Pro would be able to deliver -- especially if you drop the screen res all the way down. It's discrete GPU is good enough to power 4 external monitors. Not saying it'd be a good allotment of resources, but it'd be an interesting test. Makes me want to test this at the Apple Store to see.

You might be able to mine litecoins  :D


Title: Re: Mining with a Macbook?
Post by: every1pewps on September 03, 2012, 05:56:12 AM
All late model Mac laptops come with either Intel HD graphics, or nVidia GeForce "M" solutions, neither of which are good for mining. It will cost you more in electricity to keep them running than they will return at current value, not to mention ruin your overpriced hardware via overheating. The late-2011 iMac model comes with a special slim version of the Radeon 6970; if you want to mine for BTC with Mac hardware, this is your best bet. Apple as a whole isn't very bitcoin friendly..


Title: Re: Mining with a Macbook?
Post by: Film_Girl on September 03, 2012, 06:01:09 AM
All late model Mac laptops come with either Intel HD graphics, or nVidia GeForce "M" solutions, neither of which are good for mining. It will cost you more in electricity to keep them running than they will return at current value, not to mention ruin your overpriced hardware via overheating. The late-2011 iMac model comes with a special slim version of the Radeon 6970; if you want to mine for BTC with Mac hardware, this is your best bet. Apple as a whole isn't very bitcoin friendly..

Indeed. I've toyed with the idea of a pure Cocoa client but I doubt the interest would be worth the time investment.