Bitcoin Forum

Hi

I tried it all: CPU mining, GPU mining on AMD 64bit GNU/Linux servers, MAC OSX computers with graphic cards, included javascript on a heavy traffic webserver. Used Diablominer, cpuminer, patching graphic card drivers etc.
Now I made 0.0001 BTC within 4 days fidling around with all that.

The miner pool servers only rarely indicate that some BTCs are generated and rarely indicate the hashrate. Using miner scripts with ./bitcoin -server running does not seem to do anything than spinning the fan on a higher rate.

I just don't get it and must be doing something wrong.  ???

Need some assistance, please. Just would like to dig my own coin and try to find out more about this virtual market place.

Post hash rates from each of your efforts.  That is much more meaningful than the amount you generated

CPU mining is not worth your time.

How much total hashrate did you have going across all machines?  At 1000 Megahash / sec it could take you several weeks of mining to find a block.

CPU mining really shouldnt be done unless you have a source of free electricity  ;)  It simply isn't worth it.

For your GPU mining endeavors, what was your hash rate?

... do I really have to get out there and spend thousands of real life bills for bad ass graphic cards and CPU's to get some virtual currency coins? Exchanging real money into BTC's just feels stupid and boring. Would like to know the "real way".  ::)

Differs from computer to computer. Maybe between 1.8 Mhas/sec to 4Mhash/sec

No, your hardware might be reasonable as is.  However you have yet to tell us that important detail, so that we can help you  ;)

... my "free" energy source is solar power :-P

Sounds like you are CPU mining.  That's fairly dead, unfortunately.   What graphics card do you have?

ya... let's say between 1.4 mhash/sec to 4 mhash/sec (like 1400 khash/sec to 4000 khash/sec. (right?) ;)

Sure you can mine with CPU mining, but it will take you a LONG Time to see any rewards.  unfortunately GPU mining is the most bang for your buck right now.  
The best cards to get right now are going to the Radeon 5830's, or 5850's and even 5870's.  THese will give you about the best return for your dollar spent.  

I bought 3 5850's new from amazon for $149. Heres a link:  http://amzn.to/jfFMRP   You will have to keep your eye sharp, as these things are getting hard to find.

Nvidia GeForce MCX 4000 (GNU/Linux) , Matrox MGA G200e (GNU/Linux) and Nvidia GeForce 9400M GT (MAC)

tnx for this advice. Would donate a BTC if I had one :-D

*facepalm*

... and what miner script r u using?

 ;D hehe. Comeon gimme a chance.

I am running Ubuntu 11.04 64 bit.
Right now I am loving Phoenix miner. I have my cards slightly overclocked, and they are running cool and stable. HAvent had a freeze since my last clock tweak 4 days ago and they have been running 24x7.  You can see my hashrate at BTCGuild.com in my signature.  Just to give you an idea, I mined a total of 2.9 BTC in 24 hours yesterday, but you really have to take luck into consideration.... for example, the block we are currently mining is at 3 hours of work, while most of them yesterday were between 20 and 40 minutes.

Actually buying bitcoins was VERY profitable recently :) People made thousands of dollars out of thin air.

w00w. - Bloody hell! Nice.

I tried to get phoenix running, but failed due to OpenCL incompatibility. Really need to get out ther then to get a decent graphics card. - Thanks for your advice and help.

yes, sure. - I've seen the exchange rates changing rapidly. But as I said, it just doesn't feel the right way.

nVidea cards.... Yep.  And old ones too hehe.

nVidea cards don't have the same raw amount of stream processors as ATI cards, and while both are good at gaming, the architecture of ATI cards can be easily fitted to doing mass amounts of SHA hashes.

Sorry, if you're looking to do anything beyond CPU mining (which if your electricity is free, go for it, just expect that it is only a miniscule amount of BTC) youll need to upgrade.  HD5830's are pretty low cost and are respectable power.  (~$100-150, 200-250MHash)

k. - And what operation system and scripts are you using, if I may ask?

I use my Win7 gaming machine to occasionally contribute to the BTC network while I'm not playing.  I used poclbm in the past, but I currently use phoenix as I have tweaked it nicely for my current video card.  But i've got a new one in the mail pretty soon, so I get to tinker around to find the sweet spot again!

That is a very very low amount of BTC. i smell exaggeration.

I want to Offer this as a comparison and ask if I am doing it wrong as well (and i like giving the stats)

MY BALANCE IN 2 DAYS:
deepbin.net: 0.00393720 BTC - 32 PPS shares, 4 Prop - Average: .000109367 per share
BTCGuild.com: 0.00031313 BTC - 4 Shares - Average: .000078282 per share

TOTAL: 0.00425033 BTC

while Ridiculously SMALL, way higher that the .0001 you have. in fact i get that every 28-34 minutes from deepbin.net.

I am also a newb and have 0 access to any graphics cards that support OpenCL at the moment, but after reading about bitcoins and mining i really wanted to do it. So I moved forward with CPU mining despite the warning, and knowing it will probably be a LOSS for me.


CPU Mining with a Terrible Terrible Terrible Terrible (Enough Terribles?) setup.

I have a laptop: Core 2 Duo - 2.0 GHZ - Has Run about 12 hours total - 1.7 MHash/s Average
I have a desktop: Pentium Dual Core - 2.0 GHZ - Has Run about 20 Hours - 2.0 MHash/s Average

I have been using ONLY Ufasoft bitcoin-miner v0.12

The laptop (Windows 7) usually set to use both cores, but set affinity to only 1 when i want to browse or something. - 1.7 MHash/s

The desktop (linux mint) Ufasoft running it in a virtual machine of windowsXP with 64MB of RAM and 32 Video RAM - Crazyness - i had issues installing from source, so just did that, gets 2.0 MHash/s

While the outlook is bleak, and doesnt compare to the results of OpenCL and ATI cards .. I am having fun doing it, and any pointers would be appreciated.

Mhmmm I see I'm not the only one with such low rates, indeed. But you must have been more patient than me and choosing the right pools to get a Bitnickle at least.  8)

None of those cards you have are suitable for mining. Check https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Mining_hardware_comparison for the right cards to get.

May I just interject into this thread to suggest that "buying" bitcoins is actually "the right way"? It is certainly the "normal" way to get bitcoins. Mining is a specialized service provided by those with the necessary hardware in order to strengthen the blockchain against attack and verify transactional data: it is not something that most bitcoin users need to even care about! Of course, if you are interested, you're probably going to have to invest money anyway, but doing so means you'll at least have hardware to sell if bitcoin died tomorrow.

Also, if you are really desperate, you can get 0.005 BTC for signing up at BitcoinBonus (along with other bitcoin bonuses.) Click here (http://bitcoinbonus.com/referral/2f626995) if you want to help me out (BitcoinBonus give me some for telling you as a promotion bonus) or click here (http://bitcoinbonus.com) to view the site without any promotional code (you still get the same reward, I'm just giving you that option if you think I'm a spammer).

Yes, thanks. Was just checking that.
Will try with the new iMac in a few days, which has an ATI Radeon 6750M graphics card.

Mhmm. Get your point.
Thanks for the advice. Will think of offering labor for BTC's instead of exchanging real-life currency.

What's so wrong with exchanging "real-life currency" for Bitcoins, which are simply another "real-life currency"? Or do you think none of us are real?

The absolute best way to obtain Bitcoins, of course, is to offer goods and services in exchange for them. This could be some other currency, or it could be underwater basket weaving lessons. Totally up to you.

And of course, the best thing to DO with your Bitcoins is to spend them on other goods and services from other people who accept Bitcoin.

Bet you didn't try Ufasoft CPU miner. You get your hashrate (also double rate from other cpu miners) and it shows you your pushes shares for which you can get around 0.00008 BTC.

You get 0.00008 BTC per 70 minutes per 1Mhash/s. Do you have an 0.05 Mhash/s CPU? I don't think so. Whatever you "tried" for 4 days, you couldn't have done it any more wrongly.

Go here: http://forum.bitcoin.org/?topic=3486.0
Go here: http://deepbit.net/help.php

Try again!

I would like to give another example

my balance yesterday-  deepbit.net: 0.00393720 BTC
my balance today      -  deepbit.net: 0.00750637 BTC

I made the first .00393720 in 48 hours
the second 0.00356917 in 24 hours

I almost doubled my 2 days of work in only ONE DAY ! this is even with the increased difficulty !!

when i started deepbit.net gave about .0001 per share ..
now its only .00008

My CPUs were getting about 3.7-4.0 MHash/s Total
Now they are getting 6-8 MHashes/s Total

So what changed - using a compiled version of Ufasoft Miner for Linux - instead of VirtualBox
but the biggest improvement was RUNNING MULTIPLE UFASOFT INSTANCES - as many as you have cores - I run 2 per machine.

The Sad Truth - at this rate .. 30 days will only get me .10 BTC - about $1.82 - COMPLETELY NOT COST EFFICIENT EVEN IF ELECTRICITY IS FREE

but I do have hope for the bitcoin to INCREASE in price.. possibly up to $40-$50 in the future.. but even at that great moment.. my 30 days of CPU mining is worth $4 ...

While CPU mining can offer experience into bitcoins and how people are doing this, it WILL NEVER be profitable again and should never be used for long term use (30 day example)

I have been running CPUs for 3 days -

deepbit: 0.00750637 BTC
BTCguild: 0.00031313 BTC

Total: 0.0078195 BTC
91 shares Accepted

Average of 0.000085929 BTC per share ... operated in 2 different difficulty changes .. 2 pools .. 8 Proportional shares .. the rest PPS

the positive: I am getting what is advertised on the pools

While I am definitly a n00b and not experienced like many users .. the data doesnt lie ..

CPU MINING = WASTE OF TIME
Always

Just a note; actually you don't need a highend CPU and mobo, pretty much anything that can handle a good mining videocard will do.

At least you found out quickly and all by yourself.