January 3, 2018

CryptoScythe v0.4 Eleven GPU Mining Rig

Visit the CryptoScythe Hardware page to see how the biggest rig yet in the CryptoScythe prototype series turned out. After modifying the BIOS on all eleven cards, this mining beast was grinding out 318 Mh/s on Ethereum. I don't even have to fidget with WattMan thanks to having written every setting into the firmware. Windows has no trouble seeing more than 8 GPUs these days and the drivers from AMD specialized for blockchain workloads have been written into the mainstream driver package; so the Red Team is on like Donkey Kong!

December 23, 2017

CryptoScythe v0.4 Mining Rig: 7 GPUs and just getting started!

With the last prototype finding a new home this week, I had to start a new build the next day. I am going back to the Red Team this time with another build based on AMD Radeon GPUs. My beloved ASUS Prime Z270-AR Motherboard was not available on the shelf this time at the local Micro Center, but I did find a lovely new ASUS B250 Mining Expert. This is the coveted miner's dream MoBo with an unprecedented 19 PCI slots and the means for connecting 3 power supplies directly. Visit the CryptoScythe Hardware page to see how this high-powered, yet efficiency-minded build is progressing as I develop the CryptoScythe v0.4 multi-GPU mining rig.

December 9, 2017

New Page - Trezarcoin Nvidia Mining w/ CCminer

Still a little unsure of where to safely store Bitcoin Gold, but wanting to expand on my research, I decided to give Trezarcoin mining a try on the CryptoScythe v0.3. GTX 1070s are ideal hardware for mining Neoscrypt algorithm alt coins, and it has those in abundance. Just saying "megahashes" makes me giggle a little. Join the fun on the new page describing all you need to know to start Trezarcoin mining on Nvidia GPUs.

November 24, 2017

New Page - HUSH Nvidia Mining w/ EWBF

The delay in the rollout of Bitcoin Gold's network gave me time to perform research on another Equihash cryptocurrency. HUSH is a fork of Zcash built with future functionality in mind. The fastest mining software available for Nvidia cards works for mining it, so I thought I would sick the CryptoScythe v0.3 and its 3300 Sol/s hashrate on it for a bit. See what I learned on the new HUSH mining for Nvidia rigs page.

October 29, 2017

CryptoScythe v0.3 SEVEN GPU NVIDIA Mining Rig Completed

More powerful than either of its predecessors, the CryptoScythe v0.3 is based on seven GTX 1070s, using every available PCI slot (not counting the M.2 slots which would require converters) on the ASUS Prime Z270-AR Motherboard. These are not your run-of-the-mill Founder's Edition 1070s either, but Republic of Gamers Strix OC (08G) GTX 1070s. I will update the hardware page very soon with all of the specifications for the v0.3, but they are not much different from the previous two models. In the meantime, I am mining Zcash with EWBF and had enough time to film a little hashrate porn on this 3300 Sol/s diabolical hash-monster.

October 21, 2017

New Page - AMD Zcash Mining w/ Claymore Zcash Miner

In anticipation of the new GPU mineable Bitcoin fork, Bitcoin Gold, I thought it necessary to test the CryptoScythe v0.2 using the Equihash algorithm. AMD GPUs do not solve Equihash as quickly as comparable Nvidia GPUs, but the results were still profitable. Find out what I learned on the new Zcash Mining with AMD page.

October 1, 2017

New Page - AMD Dual Mining

I got the opportunity to put together a page about dual mining with the CryptoScythe v 0.2 7 GPU AMD unit. I have discussed mining with Claymore on both Nvidia and AMD mining rigs before. The differences between hashing with AMD and Nvidia GPUS become even more apparent when mining an Ethash algo alt coin with a secondary coin of another algorithm. I share what I learned on the new Dual Mining with AMD page.

September 26, 2017

CryptoScythe v0.2 SEVEN GPU Mining Rig Completed

I began assembling this rig at the end of August with the goal of having it all done by the end of September. The graphics cards I had intended to base this rig on proved too scarce to source by my self-imposed deadline. I wanted to have this thing mining Ethereum before the Metropolis fork's block reward drop and the push-back of the difficulty bombs. I had to improvise and I saw it as an opportunity to broaden my research into the challenges of working with these AMD cards. I decided to mix cards. Check out how the programming and assembly of this 7-GPU hashing monster went on the CryptoScythe Hardware Page. I also updated the specs below which I had posted earlier in the month with the final build's list of components including the added PSU and GPUs.

September 3, 2017

New Zcash Nvidia Mining Page

There is a new section for Nvidia mining dedicated to Zcash now. All you need to know to download the fastest miner (EWBF) and an easy-to-use Zcash wallet node (Zcash4win) can be found there.

August 20, 2017

Website Makeover

I decided to completely reorganize the website so it would scale more intuitively as my research diversified. Splitting the site's research pages into one for the Green Team (Nvidia) and one for the Red Team (AMD) seemed the most logical solution. Within those sections, you will find individual pages dedicated to describing the research that has gone into each different cryptocurrency mined with either AMD or Nvidia cards. So how am I going to research AMD GPU mining with the CryptoScythe v0.1 since it is an Nvidia-based rig? I guess I'll be needing a CryptoScythe v0.2...

Cryptoscythe v0.2 AMD GPU Mining Rig

Here are the FINAL specs:

• OS: Windows 10
• MoBo: ASUS PRIME Z270-AR
• CPU: Intel Celeron G3930 Kaby Lake 2.9 GHz
• HDD: Kingston A400 120GB SATA III 2.5" SSD
• RAM: GeIL 8GB 2 x 4GB DDR4-2400
• PSUs: EVGA SuperNova 750 Watt 80 Plus Platinum
• EVGA SuperNova 850 Watt 80 Plus Platinum
• GPUs: (3) ASUS Strix RX 580 O8G
• (3) MSI Gaming X RX 580 8G
• (1) MSI Armor RX 470 8G OC
• Risers: (7) Ubit Rev 006c
• Case: Custom Aluminum Square Tube open-air case with 3D Printed Components

I remembered to take a picture of the PLA and aluminum frame when it was still just a skeleton and light as a feather: