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In its latest release https://miner.finom.io/ has added cryptocurrency mining on AMD, API for rig monitoring via the EthMan utility and an improved system for automatically restarting the miner and rigs. Read about these additions and more in our overview.
FinMiner is a program product for cryptocurrency mining created by Finom and supported by https://nanopool.org/, one of the world’s largest Ethereum pools. Version 2.2.2 supports the Ethash algorithm, on which Ethereum, Ethereum Classic and several other coins are based. The client runs on Windows and Linux with AMD or Nvidia graphics cards.
FinMiner 2.1 supports the CryptoNight family of algorithms (Monero, Electroneum), absent on the new version. The developers plan to re-add them in release 2.4 or later. They will be simultaneously adapting CryptoNight for AMD graphics cards. If you’re mining Monero on Nvidia, just don’t update the client. If you mine those particular codes, then you can continue using FinMiner as usual if you don’t update to version 2.2 and 2.3.
The current release’s key addition is AMD support. This has allowed it to increase its potential target market by 80%, the temporary inability to work with the CryptoNight algorithm notwithstanding.
Key Advantages
- 5-minute setup;
- The fastest DAG file generation on Nvidia;
- The only miner released by a legally registered company — Finom AG;
- Regular virus checks carried out by Microsoft in line with the strictest requirements of Windows Security Center;
- Advanced automatic restart system for both the miner and the entire farm (or rigs), including a drop hashrate below a designated minimum;
- Remote farm monitoring through network API.
Performance
FinMiner has been able to harness maximum efficiency on AMD for Linux and on Nvidia for both operating systems. According to our test results, the program performs on par with — and sometimes even surpasses — the competition. Independently of this, FinMiner stands out with its high stability and simple configuration.
Cost of Use
The program is monetized through a commission from mining. Every hour at random FinMiner switches the mining to its wallets for 36 seconds.
Setup
At launch FinMiner reads the config.ini setup file from the program’s current directory. When launching with the -d command line option (e.g. finminer.exe -d) the miner displays a list of the devices it detects, along with their PCI addresses and their amount of memory. In order to use this function on Windows the program must be launched from the command line prompt (cmd).
The client now lets you deactivate devices in the config file, and graphics cards are numbered in order of their PCI addresses.
You don’t have to specify any pools in the config file. If a pool (or list of pools) is not specified, FinMiner will automatically connect to the server on nanopool.org that correspond to the chosen cryptocurrency.
At startup the program’s console log displays the main work information, including the program’s current version and settings, the name of the rig and the number and type of graphics cards installed.
Log Files
The event log function is automatically activated each time FinMiner starts up. The log files created contain the entire console history. By default they are stored in the logs folder.
The folder where the files are stored can be chosen manually and logging can even be deactivated. Detailed instructions can be found in the Parameters section of the FinMiner Readme file.
Remote Monitoring
FinMiner supports the network API program EthMan for rig monitoring. By default it opens port 3333 in read-only mode without the ability to restart the miner or rig through the network.
The program’s config file lets you configure the port or deactivate the API function with the mport option. It also lets you set a password for monitoring with the ethmanPassword option.
Automatic Miner Restart
By default FinMiner will restart if it encounters critical errors or GPU lag. These errors usually arise due to hardware malfunctions or overclocking the GPU. The automatic restart function can be deactivated using the watchdog parameter.
Minimum Hashrate
The minHashrate parameter forces FinMiner to restart if the hashrate drops below a minimum level that you yourself assign. It takes into account the average hashrate over the last ten minutes, displayed in blue in the console. By default no minimum hashrate is set.
Rig Reboot
By default the miner will only restart itself. But sometimes there are problems that cannot be solved that way. In order to simplify farm support and not restart the miner many times to no avail, the developers have added the restarts parameter. It sets a total number of miner restarts which, if reached, reboots the rigs.
Video review: https://youtu.be/40AlgK04ZLo
