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Title: Small portable rig? / External Laptop GPU Post by: jago25_98 on February 07, 2012, 06:59:34 PM There are times when I have access to free or cheap electric.
The thing is, I don't want to cart a tower unit around with me. FPGA makes no sense because that's cheaper on electric anyway. What's the smallest a mining rig can be? It doesn't need to be efficient on power, quiet or light. But small is good. I have to carry round a laptop anyway. How's about this: http://hackaday.com/2011/10/19/beefing-up-your-laptops-gaming-chops-with-an-external-gpu/ How fast a GPU can it take I wonder? My laptop is on the compatible list: http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/418851-diy-egpu-experiences.html Lugging round the PSU would be a pain too. Found this on ebay but when I look in my PCI express slot it appears it wouldn't fit (confused): http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PE4H-v2-4a-60cm-Flat-mini-HDMI-EC2C-SPB087-ExpressCard-PCI-E-Adapter-/180808629729?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a1908bde1#ht_3307wt_905 "ExpressCard (54, 34)" in my laptop. Hope this has inspired -j p.s. Sorry if this is a silly thing to say but it should be pointed out that you don't need a client or blockchain for mining with a pool. Took me a while to figure this out as most guides mention downloading a bitcoin client Title: Re: Small portable rig? / External Laptop GPU Post by: rjk on February 07, 2012, 07:24:58 PM If BFL's FPGA product ever materializes, (4-6 weeks?) it will be one of the least efficient - but also fastest - FPGA solutions ever produced. It will take a sizeable power brick though, 135 watts apparently.
You could also build an SFF PC with a 7990 whenever they get released. The Silverstone Sugo SG-07 works for me with a 600 watt PSU - but other cases have a carying handle. Depends on how truly portable you wish to be. Title: Re: Small portable rig? / External Laptop GPU Post by: jago25_98 on February 07, 2012, 07:33:48 PM Thanks I'll check that out.
Didn't realise but with plugging the numbers into a profitability calc even with free electric it still takes a year to get the money back: http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f211/jago25_98/mining.png and when the block reward drops to 25 it then takes over 5 years! This doesn't make sense unless I can find a free source of electric 24/7 and I don't think that's going to happen. |
