Total newbie, some concerns about investing in two rigs

[hennessy]

Hi there,

the big Bitcoin wave just hit Germany so I want to try this with two rigs mining me some money. But I have some concerns and I am not 100% sure about these things:

• Monitor dummy plugs:
    I want to run my two rigs with 4x 5850 cards each without any external I/O. Do I NEED at least one monitor to keep them running?
    Or do I just need one monitor to boot up?
    Or do I even need 8 dummy plugs for each card? Can those be bought or must they be built by myself?
• Two rigs, one account? How do I mine with two rigs to the same wallet file? Or won't it matter if I just have two wallets and simply split everything?
• Graphic card compatibility: Are there any graphic cards that won't fit on the MSI GD70 boards - like physically not fitting next to each other because they are too high?
    Can I mix up cards from different labels, like 2 Sapphire, 1 Asus and one XFX?
  

[emugoo]

Monitor dummy plugs:
  I want to run my two rigs with 4x 5850 cards each without any external I/O. Do I NEED at least one monitor to keep them running?
  Or do I just need one monitor to boot up?
  Or do I even need 8 dummy plugs for each card? Can those be bought or must they be built by myself?

A computer does not need a screen to be connected to start up.

Two rigs, one account? How do I mine with two rigs to the same wallet file? Or won't it matter if I just have two wallets and simply split everything?

It is suggested to use the same Bitcoin Address for all your pool work (this means it'll be the same wallet of course).

Graphic card compatibility: Are there any graphic cards that won't fit on the MSI GD70 boards - like physically not fitting next to each other because they are too high?
  Can I mix up cards from different labels, like 2 Sapphire, 1 Asus and one XFX?

You can try, but it's generally saver to use crossfire, due to bios or driver problems that might arise otherwise, and running several different cards is generally a very rarely used approach, so finding support (online or official) would be limited too.

[Veldy]

Hi there,

the big Bitcoin wave just hit Germany so I want to try this with two rigs mining me some money. But I have some concerns and I am not 100% sure about these things:

• Monitor dummy plugs:
    I want to run my two rigs with 4x 5850 cards each without any external I/O. Do I NEED at least one monitor to keep them running?
    Or do I just need one monitor to boot up?
    Or do I even need 8 dummy plugs for each card? Can those be bought or must they be built by myself?
• Two rigs, one account? How do I mine with two rigs to the same wallet file? Or won't it matter if I just have two wallets and simply split everything?
• Graphic card compatibility: Are there any graphic cards that won't fit on the MSI GD70 boards - like physically not fitting next to each other because they are too high?
    Can I mix up cards from different labels, like 2 Sapphire, 1 Asus and one XFX?
  

With all due respect, you have not done nearly enough research to start mining.  You need to ask yourself whether you know enough about bitcoin to actually mine your way to profitability (i.e. research "difficulty").  Have you looked at trading, the price volatility and a lot of historical data to determine for yourself whether you will ever recover your investment little enough make a profit?  

It is clear that you have not done much research because the answers to all your questions are easily found in these forums.  Don't jump into the ring until you know exactly what you are up against.  You can do the research diligently in a short amount of time (referring to everything that I have mentioned).

I hope you take this response seriously and make a sane and logical choice and not an emotional one (driven by excitement and lust for easy money).

[Kittysox]

When it comes to GPU's yeah... you can mix then up, but some companies use custom PCB and clock rates which can effect performance. with ATI, I've always Stuck to Sapphire... and for a good reason, with two 6970 Im getting 56~59c Max load with the fan pushed up to 90% with no additional cooling, the same applies to my old 5770 which has lower temps. It might be to my case arrangements, but who knows.

[hennessy]

With all due respect, you have not done nearly enough research to start mining.  You need to ask yourself whether you know enough about bitcoin to actually mine your way to profitability (i.e. research "difficulty").  Have you looked at trading, the price volatility and a lot of historical data to determine for yourself whether you will ever recover your investment little enough make a profit?  

It is clear that you have not done much research because the answers to all your questions are easily found in these forums.  Don't jump into the ring until you know exactly what you are up against.  You can do the research diligently in a short amount of time (referring to everything that I have mentioned).

I hope you take this response seriously and make a sane and logical choice and not an emotional one (driven by excitement and lust for easy money).

I think I have done enough research considering bitcoins itself, trade value and EVEN difficulty, yeah!, that is not what I asked for. All I want to know is how to get my rig up and running, it's just a hardware issue. Sure, I can just buy all that stuff that I already put together in some webshops, but I tend to ask for advise before encountering problems which could have been avoided with just a little question at someone who is already in this business. We're talking about 2000€ here, I'm not a guy who spends such amounts of money hoping everthing will turn out just fine.

I searched this forum for hours regarding the VGA dummys, but all I came up with were people already knowing everything about these things and discussing what is best for overclocking etc.

[Veldy]

While I don't believe you have done enough research (the wallet question alone suggests that), I wish you luck since you are clearly spending a lot of money that you expect to earn back.  I am not sure what you are trying to say about even difficulty, but I think it doesn't matter since I think you have already made the investment.

[mr-sk]

Personally, I think you're betting off buying bitcoins on the market and holding them for a few weeks / months. I think you'll make a much greater profit, but that's my opinion.

Good luck.

[swusc2]

Monitor dummy plugs:
  I want to run my two rigs with 4x 5850 cards each without any external I/O. Do I NEED at least one monitor to keep them running?
  Or do I just need one monitor to boot up?
  Or do I even need 8 dummy plugs for each card? Can those be bought or must they be built by myself?

One dummy plug for each graphics cards minus the connected to the monitor.

Two rigs, one account? How do I mine with two rigs to the same wallet file? Or won't it matter if I just have two wallets and simply split everything?

You did not even try to read Helpful Articles for Newcomers (Please read before asking for support.) did you.

Helpful Articles for Newcomers (Please read before asking for support.)

Graphic card compatibility: Are there any graphic cards that won't fit on the MSI GD70 boards - like physically not fitting next to each other because they are too high?
  Can I mix up cards from different labels, like 2 Sapphire, 1 Asus and one XFX?

Yes you can mix up cards.

[jwzguy]

Getting 4 cards running (at least under windows) appears to cause some problems....might want to do some more reading before you invest with that battle plan.

[lemonginger]

You can try, but it's generally saver to use crossfire, due to bios or driver problems that might arise otherwise, and running several different cards is generally a very rarely used approach, so finding support (online or official) would be limited too.

errr, most miners do not use crossfire, even when they are running multiple identical cards. many miners are running multiple cards from multiple vendors in the same rig. It works just fine.

[smackdaddy]

If you're just now buying dedicated mining rigs, you're getting in too late. IMO.

[hawk196]

I am running 1 pc with 2 cards with just dummy plugs. I had to use the monitor to set it up and get it installed but then unplugged it. The only issue I have now is when i connect to it via Teamviewer I can only see the first monitor show and not the 2nd. Miners seem to be running fine though.

[meighty]

While I've only been into mining for less than a week, I see some trends building and have a the feeling that trading is where it's at. I'm not investing in any new hardware for the time being but I did throw together a little website (http://minerware.com) with some interesting info on cards and cost. Fun to see what is the best bang for you buck.

To all newbies out there...check out some of the calculators and see how long it'll take to get back the money you invested. It can take some time.

[Vanquistador]

While I've only been into mining for less than a week, I see some trends building and have a the feeling that trading is where it's at. I'm not investing in any new hardware for the time being but I did throw together a little website (http://minerware.com) with some interesting info on cards and cost. Fun to see what is the best bang for you buck.

To all newbies out there...check out some of the calculators and see how long it'll take to get back the money you invested. It can take some time.

Great site.  I'm also looking to set up a dedicated rig or so... I just learned about bitcoins a day or two ago.  I've covered most of the steep learning curve-and I've made 2-3 BTC between my friend and I so far.  But I'm hesitant, like you, to invest into hardware when the difficulty may be increased in the near future-let alone a potential market crash.

[meighty]

While I've only been into mining for less than a week, I see some trends building and have a the feeling that trading is where it's at. I'm not investing in any new hardware for the time being but I did throw together a little website (http://minerware.com) with some interesting info on cards and cost. Fun to see what is the best bang for you buck.

To all newbies out there...check out some of the calculators and see how long it'll take to get back the money you invested. It can take some time.

Great site.  I'm also looking to set up a dedicated rig or so... I just learned about bitcoins a day or two ago.  I've covered most of the steep learning curve-and I've made 2-3 BTC between my friend and I so far.  But I'm hesitant, like you, to invest into hardware when the difficulty may be increased in the near future-let alone a potential market crash.

Thanks! The amount of coins per block will be cut in half sometime next year and like you said, the difficulty will be going up soon. That makes buying new hardware scary. I have been looking to upgrade my gaming machine a bit so maybe this is the excuse I've been waiting for. If it works out, maybe it'll pay for itself! haha 

[aral]

Using a gaming rig for mining makes perfect sense.  Investing in dedicated mining rigs?  Risky... just remember you may not make the money back, or it may take longer than you expect.  If you're comfortable with that, fine.

[nebiki]

in the long run the price for mining is going to be about 25eurocents/kwh, i think. that's the lowest price possible to maintain profitable mining in the US. with our german electricity costs, you should not invest in a mining rig unless you run a company which pays <15eurocents/kwh. i know this isn't true at the moment, but look at the graphs, they show otherwise. common sense tells you the money you get per energy won't stay at ~400%ish at which it is at the moment. people with the necessary means are going to invest as long as it's profitable, which will lead to the above - US mining only.

edit: the next difficulty increase is at 131039 (http://blockexplorer.com/q/nextretarget), we're currently on 130403 (http://blockexplorer.com/q/getblockcount). given an estimate of 6-7 minutes per block, you'll see the increase in difficulty in about 3 days. the estimated difficulty after the increase is 829651 (http://blockexplorer.com/q/estimate) which is ~50% higher than the current difficulty of 567358 (http://blockexplorer.com/q/getdifficulty). your choice, fellow german.

[meighty]

It's going to get expensive to run a mining rig fairly quickly. There are ways to lower your power costs, but you have to get extreme. Like in Europe, you can get a better rate from the power company or you can choose to run your rig/s during off peak hours (if you are set up like that) so you pay less. You can also choose different cooling options for you machine. A lot of people are moving toward water cooling with a low power pump and a passive radiator.

Either way, once the difficulty goes up, it'll only be those with top end machines who will be able to afford to continue to mine. Well, unless you run a power cord from your neighbors house! lol

[bitcoinaddict]

I have two machines with two cards each with both cards connected with just power and ethernet.  Dummy plugs in the vid cards allows them to show up, logmein to control them.

Plan on adding machines as I can get hardware but I don't plan on spending a ton of money.  Buying used 5770s when I can for around $60-80, they seem to be a real good bet.  I have near unlimited motherboards/psus/cpus/ram to use and electricity is free for me so all I have to pay for is the vid card, which helps pay it off much quicker.

I've already made back enough to pay for half of my hardware.

[meighty]

I have two machines with two cards each with both cards connected with just power and ethernet.  Dummy plugs in the vid cards allows them to show up, logmein to control them.

Plan on adding machines as I can get hardware but I don't plan on spending a ton of money.  Buying used 5770s when I can for around $60-80, they seem to be a real good bet.  I have near unlimited motherboards/psus/cpus/ram to use and electricity is free for me so all I have to pay for is the vid card, which helps pay it off much quicker.

I've already made back enough to pay for half of my hardware.

Sounds like you've got it made! lol Power is the kicker that a lot of people forget about. At least until the end of the month.