Bitcoin Forum

Bitcoin => Mining software (miners) => Topic started by: Trongersoll on April 30, 2013, 05:22:49 PM



Title: Quick question, 32 bit or 64 bit
Post by: Trongersoll on April 30, 2013, 05:22:49 PM
I'm using Ubuntu on a small mining machine and i am wondering about the advantages and/or disadvantages, if any, of using 32 bit version vs. 64 bit from a mining perspective.


Title: Re: Quick question, 32 bit or 64 bit
Post by: CanadianGuy on June 05, 2013, 01:22:30 PM
I'm using Ubuntu on a small mining machine and i am wondering about the advantages and/or disadvantages, if any, of using 32 bit version vs. 64 bit from a mining perspective.

bump


Title: Re: Quick question, 32 bit or 64 bit
Post by: Trongersoll on June 05, 2013, 03:37:37 PM
I've asked around, apparently, for a mining rig there is no benefit of one over the other.

But if you look to the future, Device Drivers for 32 bit will become less available.

It looks like the world is going to 64 bit, not because it needs to, but because it can.


Title: Re: Quick question, 32 bit or 64 bit
Post by: CanadianGuy on June 05, 2013, 04:01:41 PM
I've asked around, apparently, for a mining rig there is no benefit of one over the other.

But if you look to the future, Device Drivers for 34 bit will become less available.

It lookse like the world is going to 64 bit, not because it needs to, but because it can.

sweet, thanks!  Waiting for 50 USB's today, want to hook them up to a little notebook so hopefully it meets the other hardware requirements as well


Title: Re: Quick question, 32 bit or 64 bit
Post by: TheSpiral on June 05, 2013, 05:18:11 PM
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/hardware/clearing-up-the-3264-bit-memory-limit-confusion/3124


Title: Re: Quick question, 32 bit or 64 bit
Post by: Trongersoll on June 05, 2013, 05:34:00 PM
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/hardware/clearing-up-the-3264-bit-memory-limit-confusion/3124

If you are talking windows maybe. But we are talking Linux, and it is my understanding that 32bit Linux doesn't have the 4gig limit. I suspect that they use some type of memory paging scheme to get around the limit. Also, mining programs are not mining intensive so even is your do lose RAM space to GPUs it is still viable. If you are USB mining, your are only limited by the USB controller's ability to handle a certain number of devices. I've read here that adding PCI USB cards can get around that problem since they have their own controllers.

Regardless, 32 vs 64 doesn't seem to be an issue. I suspect that, with the right software a 16 bit machine could be a viable miner if it wasn't a power hog.


Title: Re: Quick question, 32 bit or 64 bit
Post by: turtle83 on June 06, 2013, 12:23:05 PM
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/hardware/clearing-up-the-3264-bit-memory-limit-confusion/3124

If you are talking windows maybe. But we are talking Linux, and it is my understanding that 32bit Linux doesn't have the 4gig limit. I suspect that they use some type of memory paging scheme to get around the limit. Also, mining programs are not mining intensive so even is your do lose RAM space to GPUs it is still viable. If you are USB mining, your are only limited by the USB controller's ability to handle a certain number of devices. I've read here that adding PCI USB cards can get around that problem since they have their own controllers.

Regardless, 32 vs 64 doesn't seem to be an issue. I suspect that, with the right software a 16 bit machine could be a viable miner if it wasn't a power hog.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_Address_Extension#Linux

But.. srsly it looks like a ugly hack. Stick with 64-bit if your cpu supports it. Better support also.

Each USB bus can have 127 devices. AFAIK doesnt vary by controllers ability. You just have to provide enough power to it... Some controllers have 4 ports on a single bus, meaning they internally have a 4-port hub attached, so now per port can support fewer devices, but the total for the bus is still 127. The PCI USB cards have their own bus(es).