Need Advice - Is this a Money Maker? - Free AC + 30 High End Workstations

[Stratobitz]

Forward - I am just learning about bitcoin/litecoin mining.

I run a medium scale video post house/animation house.  Our AC/Electricity is bundled in with our rent, so we dont pay for use.

We have roughly 30 high end workstations, clocked around 4.2ghz.  Some quad core, some hex core.  They all run pretty high end GPUs, a mix.

Considering the infrastructure is already in place, and AC isnt an issue... would trying to mine either Bitcoins or Litecoins - most likely during off hours (7PM to 7AM + Weekends) be a money maker?

The systems stay running for the most part 24x7 anyways. The systems are pro-built with good cooling.

I suppose I could buy 30 additional GPUs, like the 7950, and add that to each system.  Cost would be like 10k.

Any thoughts on this or am I just wasting my time?

Thanks much!  

[Stratobitz]

Also, I could I suppose add a 3rd graphics card... the systems all have high end cooling.  Thanks!

[cp1]

Are they ATI cards?  Are you going to get fired?

[Stratobitz]

Most of them are ATI Cards.  They systems are all top end.  I could, as mentioned - add 2nd GPUs to the systems as well.

No I wont get fired. I own the place. Our lease is full service - we lease a floor of a building.  There are other tenants on other floors. The building does not have floor metering - only a single master meter for power of the whole building - which is why we dont have to pay for power.

So, I guess - is this even worthwhile?  30 computers, all high end, running 12 hours a day (nights) plus weekends?  Or is this a waste considering all I've read regarding ASICs coming out.

Also - if it is worth it - would bitcoins or litecoins be a better route?  Pool or SoloMine?

Thanks for your advice!

[esenminer]

Assuming each workstation has a single 7950 - thats

= 600 kh/s * 30

= 18 000 kh/s

 = 11.2 LTC per day on weekdays and 22.4 LTC on weekends

= $28 USD weekdays or $59 USD weekends

4 weeks (month) = $1032 USD

1 year = $13 416 USD

[sphinkter]

seems like it'd be worth it!

[freeroute]

Can you find out what ATi cards those machines have currently?

[hrrsn]

I'd go for it, experimenting & learning is half the fun

[reformed]

Are you going to get fired?

Yea, there was news stories a while back about people getting fired for secretly mining on the job.

But if you have the permission of the boss, or if you ARE the boss, then go for it!

[cryptopunk]

Don't buy graphics cards for mining, you won't have a chance to recoup the cost. Bitcoin difficulty has risen like crazy over the last months due to ASICs and you can't compete with those. As for Litcoin, is highly speculative, but if the price holds you will be able to actually see those 10K profits. It might tank the moment it's available on mtgox, or it might tank alongside Bitcoin.

The scheme is essentially a way to turn the increased electricity bill of your co-tenants into cash for yourself. I will stop short of calling it immoral since I had my share of bad neighbors. Sometimes you do what you need to do.

[cp1]

No I wont get fired. I own the place. Our lease is full service - we lease a floor of a building.  There are other tenants on other floors. The building does not have floor metering - only a single master meter for power of the whole building - which is why we dont have to pay for power.

As the owner you obviously know how that mining at 100% GPU use will lead to increased maintenance costs of the cluster -- only you can determine whether it's worth it.