Cheap Litecoin mining rig.

[paperkat]

Hey guys!

Recently got into litecoins/mining, want to build a budget rig to start off with. Please rate!
Want to start off with with a single GPU, in the future if this projekt turns out to be succesfull, i probably will investest more money in more serious hardware.

Anyways, here is the stuff:

Motherboard: ASUS C8HM70-I/HDMI CELERON 847 MINI-ITX
http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/C8HM70I/#specifications
(built in CPU)
GPU: GIGABYTE RADEON HD7950 3GB PCI-E DVI/HDMI/DP
http://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-Mini-Displayport-PCI-Express-Graphic-GV-R795WF3-3GD/dp/B007581QHG
Power Suply:CORSAIR CX 600W BRONZE ATX12V 2.3
http://www.corsair.com/en/power-supply-units/cx-series-psu/cx-series-cx600m-modular-atx-power-supply-600-watt-80-plus-bronze-certified-modular-psu.html
RAM:4GB Corsair DDR3 1333 Mhz
Case:COOLER MASTER ELITE 120 ADVANCED MINI-ITX
http://www.coolermaster-usa.com/product.php?product_id=3102
HDD: old 500gb Sata Disc
Screen: Not gonna buy one, just thought i could connect it to my TV(hdmi) for when i need to configure stuff.
Is far as i can see every component is compatible, or have i forgotten anything/missed? If so please let me know

Estimated cost ~ 700 USD.

So, is there any better hardware for mining outthere in the same price region?
Can i use this rig for bitcoin mining aswell with decent hashrate?

Thanks in advance!

[DrG]

You're going to put a 7950 inside a mini-ITX case?  Have you thought things through?

First off I don't know if the card will fit in that case.  The MSI and Gigabyte 7950s won't even fit inside some of my mid tower cases.

Second, you want to disperse 300W of Heat inside a mini-ITX?  Every hear of the Big Band theory? 

[paperkat]

You're going to put a 7950 inside a mini-ITX case?  Have you thought things through?

First off I don't know if the card will fit in that case.  The MSI and Gigabyte 7950s won't even fit inside some of my mid tower cases.

Second, you want to disperse 300W of Heat inside a mini-ITX?  Every hear of the Big Band theory? 

Good thing i posted here then:P
So i should aim for another motherboard/case then ? Since its mini-ITX aswell.

[Lazer]

I would opt for an open air case for better airflow.

Such as one of these:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/skeleton-torture-rack,2411.html

And add some external fans.

[DrG]

Mini-ITX is only good for cute systems.  You may never be able to even mine on it.  I say this because let's assume you mounted it in a regular full size case.  ITX boards don't expect people to run a 7950.  The video card may block all SATA ports - how will you put on an OS?  Sure you can boot off BAMT or Linuxdrive but you would have to know how to use those.

Keep it simple.  You don't need a case if you are familiar with building computers.  If it's your first time just buy a inexpensive $30 or $40 Antec or Coolermaster case.  Otherwise run it as on open system.

Get the cheapest board and chip combo you're willing to buy.  A Celeron or Sempron even from 2 generations ago is fine.  Only spend more money on the board if you expect to be running more than 1 card.  Spending $20 on a better board here will make it a lot easier to mine with 2 cards later.  You just need another slot, maybe a riser and more power.

The PSU is fine.  Maybe go to a 650 or 700 if you ever intend on going 2 cards.  HD is fine.  No screen needed, especially for a dedicated miner.

Since most of the cost is going into the overhead of your build, I say get cheaper overhead items and put more money into buying perhaps 2 7950s. For $800 you can have a dual miner.

[grue]

I would opt for an open air case for better airflow.

Such as one of these:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/skeleton-torture-rack,2411.html

And add some external fans.

or put it in a plastic box for $10

[Lazer]

or put it in a plastic box for $10

In Atlanta, plastic melts in the summer.

If you live in a hot location and are increasing the temperature by mining, you need something more sturdy, aluminum.

[paperkat]

The reason i went for Mini-ITX is cuz it was one the cheapest ones, had no clue it wasnt gonna be usable for mining purposes.

Was originally on planning on building a solo gpu miner to start with, but if its not than much more expensive maybe i shoud get 2x cheaper cards instead and get a better PSU/Motherboard like you guys said.

A board with two PCI x16 ports is a must i guess? If i get a card with 2 pci 16 slots, and wanna upgrade the rig in the future, would it be efficient to get another card and use the leftover pci-e port?
about  my expirience:
I have built a PC before( my first one)7-8 years ago, but since then í´ve been a laptop user, and havent followed all the newest hardware progress very closely.

[DrG]

Have you seen the prices today?  May be a good time to just spend the $700 just buying the coin outright if you believe in them. 

[erschiessen]

Mini-ITX is only good for cute systems.  You may never be able to even mine on it.  I say this because let's assume you mounted it in a regular full size case.  ITX boards don't expect people to run a 7950.  The video card may block all SATA ports - how will you put on an OS?  Sure you can boot off BAMT or Linuxdrive but you would have to know how to use those.

Keep it simple.  You don't need a case if you are familiar with building computers.  If it's your first time just buy a inexpensive $30 or $40 Antec or Coolermaster case.  Otherwise run it as on open system.

Get the cheapest board and chip combo you're willing to buy.  A Celeron or Sempron even from 2 generations ago is fine.  Only spend more money on the board if you expect to be running more than 1 card.  Spending $20 on a better board here will make it a lot easier to mine with 2 cards later.  You just need another slot, maybe a riser and more power.

The PSU is fine.  Maybe go to a 650 or 700 if you ever intend on going 2 cards.  HD is fine.  No screen needed, especially for a dedicated miner.

Since most of the cost is going into the overhead of your build, I say get cheaper overhead items and put more money into buying perhaps 2 7950s. For $800 you can have a dual miner.

If one takes your idea and runs with it (a cheap dual miner) what sort of output can be expected?
What is the estimated hashrate?
Thanks, forgive me, OP, for jumping on your thread.
E.

[paperkat]

Have you seen the prices today?  May be a good time to just spend the $700 just buying the coin outright if you believe in them. 

Building a rig/mining sounds a bit more fun:P

Got a new hardware list:

RAM: CORSAIR 4GB DDR3 VALUE SELECT PC10666 1333MHZ
PSU: CORSAIR CX 750W BRONZE ATX12V 2.3 POWER SUPPLY   
BOARD: GIGABYTE GA-Z77X-UD3H Z77 S-1155 ATX IVY        http://www.dustinhome.se/product/5010625173/gigabyte-ga-z77x-ud3h-z77-s-1155-atx-ivy/

CPU: INTEL CELERON G550 2.6GHZ 3MB S-1155
CASE: NZXT MIDITOWER SOURCE 210 ATX


Not sure about what card/cards i should get...dont want to pay more than ~300 $ for gpu.

HD7870 XT seems decent, but a bit pricey. S

with the HD7870 XT card and the hardware above it would be bring the totall cost to ~800 usd.
or i could get 2 7770 cards a little bit cheaper.

So, the hardware above should be compatible, right? What card should i go for?

[btcminer021]

7850 is less than $200 each!

[Operatr]

Have you seen the prices today?  May be a good time to just spend the $700 just buying the coin outright if you believe in them. 

On the long term it is better to mine. Why spend $700 when you are not sure how much they will be at any given time, you could get a bad deal or a good one just as easily. Build a cheap mining rig and reap essentially free (aside power and hardware cost) coin forever, which is immune to what the current exchange rate is because no matter what 1 BTC/LTC is still just that regardless of how much they are worth in fiatworld at the time. Id rather have a miner someday pulling in BTC out of the air when they are worth much more than they are now then simply buying a few coins. Mining is ongoing, a one time purchase of BTC won't generate you any more coins after that unless you like playing the markets.

(which really shouldn't matter to you if you are a driver of this tech and not just some hot shot Wall Bankster parasite in it to make a quick buck and then deride the whole system because it didn't make you an overnight millionaire. If you are one of those, we don't serve your kind here, the droids will have to wait outside)

Plus mining is good for expanding and securing the network at large, so there is that too.

[paperkat]

7850 is less than $200 each!

Maybe in the US, but where i´m ordering from the cheapest one is about 240$

[erschiessen]

Anyone?
<tap tap tap>
Is this thing on?
How can one determine effective hashrates of LTC miners?

Thanks,
E

[Marrs]

Mini-ITX is only good for cute systems.  You may never be able to even mine on it.  I say this because let's assume you mounted it in a regular full size case.  ITX boards don't expect people to run a 7950.

That's not true. You can build a solid gaming pc on a mini-itx platform. A bitfenix prodigy will fit pretty much any two slot card. This build has a Titan: http://www.tested.com/tech/pcs/454052-small-quiet-fast-building-modern-gaming-pc/

I wouldn't call that ideal for mining, though, even if you replaced the Titan with a 7970.

A 700$ mini itx rig has 400$ in overhead per graphics card.

You could build an atx rig for that much and easily fit three or four cards.

[Operatr]

Mini-ITX is only good for cute systems.  You may never be able to even mine on it.  I say this because let's assume you mounted it in a regular full size case.  ITX boards don't expect people to run a 7950.

That's not true. You can build a solid gaming pc on a mini-itx platform. A bitfenix prodigy will fit pretty much any two slot card. This build has a Titan: http://www.tested.com/tech/pcs/454052-small-quiet-fast-building-modern-gaming-pc/

I wouldn't call that ideal for mining, though, even if you replaced the Titan with a 7970.

A 700$ mini itx rig has 400$ in overhead per graphics card.

You could build an atx rig for that much and easily fit three or four cards.

And that is totally true, seen plenty of ITX  Lanparty rigs out there with graphics cards bigger than the motherboard itself. They are tiny but still support usually one full PCIE x16 device.  Though for economies sake one would limit himself quite severely, given crypto-currency growth you will need to keep adding more power to make it worth your while. I would have gone with a full system and a motherboard that supports at least 4x PCIE x16 slots so you can keep adding cards over time.

[DrG]

Have you seen the prices today?  May be a good time to just spend the $700 just buying the coin outright if you believe in them. 

On the long term it is better to mine. Why spend $700 when you are not sure how much they will be at any given time, you could get a bad deal or a good one just as easily. Build a cheap mining rig and reap essentially free (aside power and hardware cost) coin forever, which is immune to what the current exchange rate is because no matter what 1 BTC/LTC is still just that regardless of how much they are worth in fiatworld at the time. Id rather have a miner someday pulling in BTC out of the air when they are worth much more than they are now then simply buying a few coins. Mining is ongoing, a one time purchase of BTC won't generate you any more coins after that unless you like playing the markets.

(which really shouldn't matter to you if you are a driver of this tech and not just some hot shot Wall Bankster parasite in it to make a quick buck and then deride the whole system because it didn't make you an overnight millionaire. If you are one of those, we don't serve your kind here, the droids will have to wait outside)

Plus mining is good for expanding and securing the network at large, so there is that too.

It is only better to mine if difficulty stays reasonable.  ASIC are destroying GPU mining profits.  The only thing that kept it alive was the price run.  If you're mining LTC, you'll be mining at a loss soon too as the people with free electricity can convert from BTC to LTC mining.  Anybody paying for electricity will be on thin margins.  If you expect the coins to go up in value, why even bother mining them when 1 click gets you the coins.

If you leave a miner on and it spend $3 a day in electricity but only produces $2 of coin what's the point?  You can buy $2 of coin every day on an exchange, save $1 and not have to deal with a nagging wife or your cat getting shocked 

I'm not discouraging mining (you can tell from all my posts here I've been trying to help noobs) but there is a point where it is stupid to plop down $700 to chase after $100.  If it's a learning process then have at it.  If the goal is to make money, just buy the coin and enjoy your 10 hours saved by going to the beach or working a job to buy more coin.

[paperkat]

What about the gear in my previous post? would it make en alright starter rig? and what GPU should i get in the 300$ range?

[Marrs]

If 7970 if you can find one that cheap, 7950 otherwise.

Your gear is fine, though if you are only running one gpu, you won't need a 600W psu. I'd swap it out with a smaller 80+ platinum.