excavator by NiceHash - multi-algorithm NVIDIA GPU miner [1.5.6a]

[m1n1ngP4d4w4n]

since 1.3.8 i noticed a drop in keccak performance (7.1GH v1.3.7a) vs (6.6GH v1.3.8+) could you take a look ? (6x1080Ti rig)

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[NoSubstitute]

For doo that you need to edit json file like this:
...
this it will add 2 worker / 1 device in M-0 Mode Be ware it depend by what algoritm it is use
...

Thank you for explaining this.
However, I tried it and although it works, it doesen't seem to yield a higher hash in total.
Each worker push about half the hash, but when added together, the total hash is noticably lower than when running a single worker.

I'm just mining Zcash (since NH was hacked) for fun, using a single Nvidia 1070 GPU, and i7 CPU.

[dropky]

New version of Excavator is out:

https://github.com/nicehash/excavator/releases/tag/v1.4.0a

It's addressing the 'cuda out of memory' issues on NeoScrypt.

No linux builds?

We'll upload linux builds shortly.

[dropky]

New version of Excavator is out:

https://github.com/nicehash/excavator/releases/tag/v1.4.0a

It's addressing the 'cuda out of memory' issues on NeoScrypt.

is there a CL argument to use to temporarily disable NeoScrypt until it can be resolved?

Never mind.  I have 2x1080ti @ 11gb ram.  Upped my paging space to 30gb and that fixed the problem.  Probably overkill on size, but I know now it should at LEAST be 2x total video RAM.

Still following to see if there are any further developments, but it's working for now.

As you have already figured it out, you have to increase the virtual memory to avoid 'cuda out of memory' issues.

[dropky]

since 1.3.8 i noticed a drop in keccak performance (7.1GH v1.3.7a) vs (6.6GH v1.3.8+) could you take a look ? (6x1080Ti rig)

I'll take a look into this. We haven't made any changes on keccak though.

[dropky]

We've just pushed out a new version:
https://github.com/nicehash/excavator/releases/tag/v1.4.1a

It includes a fix for issues with the re-connection to the NH stratum servers on Equihash, DaggerHashimoto and CryptoNight.

[dropky]

We uploaded the binary for v1.4.1a compiled with CUDA 9.1. 

Excavator compiled with CUDA 9.1 outperforms the one compiled with CUDA 8.0 on some algorithms.

Benchmark results can be found here:
https://github.com/nicehash/excavator/releases/tag/v1.4.1a

[sir_blacks]

@dropky

We've just pushed out a new version:
https://github.com/nicehash/excavator/releases/tag/v1.4.1a

It includes a fix for issues with the re-connection to the NH stratum servers on Equihash, DaggerHashimoto and CryptoNight.

We uploaded the binary for v1.4.1a compiled with CUDA 9.1.  

Excavator compiled with CUDA 9.1 outperforms the one compiled with CUDA 8.0 on some algorithms.

Benchmark results can be found here:
https://github.com/nicehash/excavator/releases/tag/v1.4.1a

sorry i am confuse what's update ? 2 day agow 1.4.1.a > now you say new update but same version ? what's the catch ? & in other way 1.4.1.a Equihash still crash, stall & personaly i give up let a miner run & need to watch all the time because not know when it will crash is become ...

- excavator_v1.4.1a_NVIDIA_Win64.zip =  8.0, 9.0 ??!?!?!
- excavator_v1.4.1a_NVIDIA_Win64_CUDA_9.1.zip only with 9.1 ?!?!?

anyway hope you will fix it in a future

[Gaglam]

Could someone give me an example how to use this with suprnova?

[sir_blacks]

Test Excavator_v1.4.1a_NVIDIA_Win64_CUDA_9.1
Hardware Spec & setting:

GPU 0: Gigabyte Windforce 2 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3GB (Samsung) dedicate to mining
GPU 1: Gigabyte NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 2GB only for own use, not for mining
OS: Windows 7 Service Pack 1
Video Driver: 390.65
MSI Afterburn: 4.4.2
Power limit: 72 => ~86 W
Temp limit: 80
Core Clock: +168
Memmory Clock: +650


A. Neoscrypt -  stell need much better tune till hit 700-720 kh/s aka see:
- Excavator 1.4.1.a / 9.1 = 628.654 kH/s
- Excavator 1.4.1.a = 614.909 kH/s
- 628.654 (with 9.1) - 614.909 (with out 9.1) = 13.745 kH/s
- Ccminer KlausT 8.19 -i 16 = 700 kH/s
- Hsrminer - 710 > 720 kH/s
- test run start on 2018-01-24 13:50:00 noo issue soo far beside speed & Web Api report see below

Question what is value or setting for json to set Excavator to run on equivalent of intensity of 16 - 18 ?

Web api report strange value 1.4.1.a with 9.1 & with out 9.1
- GPU Utilization 99%-100% when it suppose to be 100% all the time
- Power usage 79-94 W when it suppose to be min 84 W > max 86 W or in this range

p.s. after 1 hour & half run i see this on pool: a drop on round progress from 0.007% to 0.004% because speed & my 1 cent bet because from what i see miner it not adjusting pool difficulty stay at max 100% time vs Klaus or Hsrminer what they doo soo a lose of 0.003% /round loss but i know it need to spend more time to see if is real or not ...

B. Equihash pass on testing coz today i not have time to watch excavator if it will crash or not. excavator_v1.4.1a_NVIDIA_Win64.zip it was done that in numerous time & for that i give up is like playing rusion rulet now is working fine now it decide to crash with noo particulary reason way frak know ... what i know is i can't let Excavator to mine with out watching what a hell he doing on this algoritm at all Dstm, EWBF, Bminer they work with out a problem in any pool, with out be watch ....

[dropky]

@dropky

We've just pushed out a new version:
https://github.com/nicehash/excavator/releases/tag/v1.4.1a

It includes a fix for issues with the re-connection to the NH stratum servers on Equihash, DaggerHashimoto and CryptoNight.

We uploaded the binary for v1.4.1a compiled with CUDA 9.1.  

Excavator compiled with CUDA 9.1 outperforms the one compiled with CUDA 8.0 on some algorithms.

Benchmark results can be found here:
https://github.com/nicehash/excavator/releases/tag/v1.4.1a

sorry i am confuse what's update ? 2 day agow 1.4.1.a > now you say new update but same version ? what's the catch ? & in other way 1.4.1.a Equihash still crash, stall & personaly i give up let a miner run & need to watch all the time because not know when it will crash is become ...

- excavator_v1.4.1a_NVIDIA_Win64.zip =  8.0, 9.0 ??!?!?!
- excavator_v1.4.1a_NVIDIA_Win64_CUDA_9.1.zip only with 9.1 ?!?!?

anyway hope you will fix it in a future

The difference between the excavator_v1.4.1a_NVIDIA_Win64.zip and excavator_v1.4.1a_NVIDIA_Win64_CUDA_9.1.zip is that the latter is compiled with CUDA 9.1. I uploaded both versions since the excavator compiled with CUDA 9.1 reaches higher hashrates on some algorithms compared to the version compiled with CUDA 8.0. These are just two different binaries for the same version.

[dropky]

since 1.3.8 i noticed a drop in keccak performance (7.1GH v1.3.7a) vs (6.6GH v1.3.8+) could you take a look ? (6x1080Ti rig)

I'll take a look into this. We haven't made any changes on keccak though.

I finally had some time to look at this.

Platform: Windows
Driver version: 390.65

Excavator version: 1.3.7a_nvidia | 3456 | 2017-11-17 13:26:36
GeForce GTX 1080: speed = 1.00 GH/s, 0.00 H/s, power usage = 179.39 W

Excavator version: 1.4.1a_nvidia | 4380 | 2018-01-22 10:16:39
GeForce GTX 1080: speed = 1.00 GH/s, 0.00 H/s, power usage = 179.11 W

It looks fine. I tested it on 1080 (not 1080 Ti) though, but it shouldn't be a difference.  Which OS are you using?

[Amstellodamois]

I only read the first three pages, sorry if it was mentioned after.

...why does Nicehash propose a feeless miner?

[MarkAz]

What about CUDA 9.1 on Linux?  Is the benefit strictly a Windows thing or is a 9.1 build coming in the future?

[MarkAz]

I only read the first three pages, sorry if it was mentioned after.

...why does Nicehash propose a feeless miner?

They don't explicitly say, but I would guess it allows them to help control the user experience (especially in the NiceHash Miner instance), and it builds awareness and presumably good will in the community.  Plus they charge fees on the pool-side, so that's probably more important to them than trying to make yet another fee'd up closed source miner.

[dropky]

What about CUDA 9.1 on Linux?  Is the benefit strictly a Windows thing or is a 9.1 build coming in the future?

There will be a CUDA 9.1 build for Linux as well. We need to run some more tests first..

[MarkAz]

I noticed on one of my rigs the utilization percentage next to a couple of the CPU's is under 100% (like ~95%) - it seems to only be on machines with a couple of 1080 TI's on them.  I'm running Linux and all the other machines run solid 100%'s - is there something I should look at or a setting I can tweak to get the extra juice out of it?  Thanks!

[dropky]

I noticed on one of my rigs the utilization percentage next to a couple of the CPU's is under 100% (like ~95%) - it seems to only be on machines with a couple of 1080 TI's on them.  I'm running Linux and all the other machines run solid 100%'s - is there something I should look at or a setting I can tweak to get the extra juice out of it?  Thanks!

Which algorithm are you running? You could always try to change default startup parameters (e.g. number of blocks) to achieve better speeds.

[MarkAz]

Which algorithm are you running? You could always try to change default startup parameters (e.g. number of blocks) to achieve better speeds.

Equihash is what I'm running - I don't see anything related to number of blocks in your API reference or commandline options, is this something undocumented?  What is the default, and in what way do you recommend changing it to improve performance?

[dropky]

Which algorithm are you running? You could always try to change default startup parameters (e.g. number of blocks) to achieve better speeds.

Equihash is what I'm running - I don't see anything related to number of blocks in your API reference or commandline options, is this something undocumented?  What is the default, and in what way do you recommend changing it to improve performance?

Unfortunately, you can't change the intensity/number of blocks for the equihash (the only algorithm where you can't do that).

When running other algorithms you can change the default parameters (e.g number of blocks, thread per blocks, it depends on the algo - take a look here: https://github.com/nicehash/excavator/tree/master/nvidia ). You may reach higher speeds by experimenting with parameters. Even though we do tune parameters on different cards, your card may still get better results with changed parameters (due to different OC settings).