Mining support motherboard settings

[wickstah]

I just discovered mining and I have a couple of questions before getting started. I had a spare PC that I was using as my Hackintosh.  The motherboard is a ga z97x ud7 that Amazon doesn't even carry and I found out (here) that I can have up to 6 gpus as long as I have the correct BIOS settings and powered risers.  I messed with the BIOS to get MacOS to run in 2016 and only used the machine for 6 months bc of issues.  Now I want to convert it into a mining rig if the electricity costs don't surpass my earnings.  I am located in Los Angeles.

-Is the current setup okay to start a mining rig?  I don't recall the processor size, but I know it was at least an i7 several core processor.  It also has its own aftermarket cooling fan.
-MOBO: ga z97x ud7
-GPU: EVGA GeForce GT 740 2GB Super Clocked GDDR5
-PSU: Corsair CX Series 750 Watt
-16gb ram
-Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO CPU Cooler
-Intel processor

How user-friendly is Hive OS? I like that Linux allows you to run different GPUs with little effort. Are any of you mining on Windows? How much electricity do these rigs use? This PC would be strictly for mining only.

What BIOS settings are needed to make this mobo compatible?

Bare with the noob questions.

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[Hotdog Vendor]

If you want to mine Eth you need a 6gb GPU. Very little to mine with 2gb card > https://minerstat.com/dag-size-calculator
I use old mobo x58 ud5 1366pin from first gen i7-950. Just what I had spare already. I declock and use less cores on cpu to save some power.
CPU doesnt really matter so much you can use like a core2duo even.

How much is your power?
My state has had highest power cost in world for 15yrs+ and I still mine (us$0.28c/kw) and that is cheapest out of all companies.
Solar panels help a bit with power, but I only get paid 1/3 the amount I pay per kw.....

[swogerino]

The motherboard is OK for mining and it can support up to 6 GPU-s if you set back your Bios to default as a beginning by clicking Load Defaults in last tab in Bios and then changing the PCIEX slots to GEN1 for this kind of motherboard.The PSU is good as a beginning for only up to three cards which consume 150 Watt max each plus 100 watt the motherboard but you need a bigger one like a 1300 Watt PSU to support 6 GPU-s.Also you need GPU-s at least 6 GB to mine Ethereum and at least 4 GB to mine other coins like Ethereum Classic and Ravencoin.
For the power a rig with 3 cards consumes like 550 watt in total or 0.55 Kilowatt per hour and based on this you can go on and do the math how much it will cost based on your electricity cost.

[hub_cat]

Move to a state with cheaper rates.
  Just joking, easier said then done.
I like Hotdog Vendor's suggestion, maybe look into solar..

You can shut off all the unused ports on your motherboard to save power.
HiveOS and RaveOS are great options for plug and play. You can also load a minimal Linux base install and download a basic window-manager like Xmonad, dwm, spectrwm, openbox, etc. You can use nvidia-settings for the fan control and overclocking.
Another suggestion is to install POP!_os.

If your familiar with Linux, you can maybe try 'POP!_os' and select the Nvidia iso version. Then use 'nvidia-settings' after changing your /etc/X11/Xorg.conf explained in the following guide.

OS: https://pop.system76.com/
Guide: https://github.com/BeanGreen247/Linux_NVIDIA_GPU_Overclocking_Guide
Nvidia-settings: https://packages.debian.org/buster/nvidia-settings
T-Rex: https://trex-miner.com/
NBminer: https://github.com/NebuTech/NBMiner/releases

[JayDDee]

2 things

1. you'll want to connect the monitor to the iGPU, if it has one, so you'll probably need to change the BIOS
to force the primary display to the iGPU, Auto will usually switch to discrete GPU if one is installed.

2. PCIe lanes are often shared with other devices and some PCIe slots may be disabled. Check the BIOS
settings to ensure all slots are enabled and uneeded devices are disabled.

I've never had a problem not setting gen1 but everyone mentions it, YMMV.

[Bitbtc8]

2 things

1. you'll want to connect the monitor to the iGPU, if it has one, so you'll probably need to change the BIOS
to force the primary display to the iGPU, Auto will usually switch to discrete GPU if one is installed.

2. PCIe lanes are often shared with other devices and some PCIe slots may be disabled. Check the BIOS
settings to ensure all slots are enabled and uneeded devices are disabled.

I've never had a problem not setting gen1 but everyone mentions it, YMMV.

For few motherboards it's a must to set gen mode in bios for all pcie lanes to work, I have a motherboard that won't detect anything over 4x GPUs until I switch gen mode to 'gen 2' in bios and all 6x pcie slots will start working

[JayDDee]

I've never had a problem not setting gen1 but everyone mentions it, YMMV.

For few motherboards it's a must to set gen mode in bios for all pcie lanes to work, I have a motherboard that won't detect anything over 4x GPUs until I switch gen mode to 'gen 2' in bios and all 6x pcie slots will start working

That's probably it, I've never gone over 4 GPUs yet, only 2 mobos with 6 slots. Thanks.

[FP91G]

-Is the current setup okay to start a mining rig?  I don't recall the processor size, but I know it was at least an i7 several core processor.  It also has its own aftermarket cooling fan.
-MOBO: ga z97x ud7
-GPU: EVGA GeForce GT 740 2GB Super Clocked GDDR5
-PSU: Corsair CX Series 750 Watt
-16gb ram
-Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO CPU Cooler
-Intel processor

In the BIOS of this motherboard, you need to enable PCIe - Gen2 mode.
If there are problems, then update the BIOS, but keep the old version.
Next, you need video cards, and this is the most expensive purchase.
This configuration can accommodate 3 video cards 3060 or 3060 ti,but you need to make an open case or buy a closed case.