Today we will tell you how to choose a power supply for a farm: what to look for, which manufacturers are better, how many cards can be powered by which unit.
Remember that when assembling a mining farm (or a regular PC), you need to take a very good approach to choosing a power supply, since the power supply is the heart of your farm (computer).
Electricity passes through the power supply, which powers the most expensive thing in the farm (PC) - video cards! A good power supply, in the event of a serious problem, will only destroy itself and not touch the cards. A bad power supply will burn itself out and drag the entire system down with it!
Therefore, do not skimp on power supplies to avoid the following situations:
Which block to choose?
Before you decide to purchase a mining power supply, you need to determine the total power consumption. To do this, you need to add up the power of all system components. To do this, you can use online calculators, for example, this one or this one.
The resulting number represents the maximum theoretical load on the system. Most likely, in practice this value will never be achieved. Now add into the equation the fact that the processor will be idle most of the time, and that undervolted graphics cards will consume 10-60% less power depending on the model.
Server
Home GPU mining rigs use 4 or more video cards, each of which consumes from 30 to 300 W. To ensure their uninterrupted operation, server power supplies that are reliable and have the necessary power are often used.
The server version is much more powerful than its regular ATX counterparts, but it can heat up to higher temperatures and operate much louder.
Noisy coolers are one of the disadvantages of such devices, however, reliability, which allows them to work around the clock at maximum loads, allows us to neglect this inconvenience. At the same time, the price for them ranges from 8,000 to 60,000 rubles, which is not affordable for every miner.
The number of outputs suitable for providing video cards with 12V power limits the application. Purchasing several splitters expands the capabilities of the power supply, but you should not exceed the maximum power of the outputs, as this may lead to equipment failure.
Some craftsmen carry out wiring of additional outputs, but this requires knowledge and skills to perform the operation without damaging the equipment. The price of a soldered server power supply will be slightly higher than the standard configuration, but will avoid unnecessary problems.
It is necessary to carefully calculate the power consumed by video cards, take into account that video cards are partially powered through the PCI-E port, and calculate the additional power supplied. It is necessary to take into account the maximum current strength on the additional power wires; it determines how many video cards the power supply can simultaneously pull without overheating.
The load on the 6 pin or 6 pin+2 outputs is calculated by summing the power consumption of the powered devices and subtracting the power supplied through the PCI-E ports.
Through a PCI-E port, up to 75 W can be supplied to the video card, which must be subtracted from the maximum declared power. A server power supply used for mining is usually capable of powering 4 to 8 video cards.
Best Overall: Corsair HX Series HX1200
Form factor : ATX | Power : 1200 W | Performance Rating : 80 PLUS Platinum Certified | Modularity : modular
Pros:
- Great power.
- High quality capacitors.
- Fan mode with zero rotation speed.
- 10 year warranty.
May not like:
- Lacks smart features.
Prices for Yandex.Market
Corsair HX1200 1200W power supply
The Corsair HX1200i is one of the best power supplies for mining. This 80 PLUS Platinum certified power supply boasts tight voltage control, ultra-quiet operation, and a fully modular cable set. The HX1200 is an excellent choice for high-performance computers where reliability is important and operating costs must be kept to a minimum. This power supply also boasts a zero-speed fan mode, support for eight PCIe slots, and a 10,000-hour MTBF. Although it lacks smart capabilities to allow you to remotely control its operation, it is one of the best power supplies for a powerful mining rig. It can supply up to 100A on a single +12V rail and comes with a 10-year warranty.
Best 1600W PSU: Corsair AXi Series AX1600i
Form factor : ATX | Power : 1600 W | Performance Rating : 80 PLUS Titanium Certified | Modularity : modular
Pros:
- Very powerful.
- Can deliver 133 A per line.
- Certificate 80 PLUS Titanium.
- Fully modular.
May not like:
- Big and heavy.
- Expensive.
Prices for Yandex.Market
Corsair AXi Series AX1600i
The Corsair AX1600i power supply for workstations and high-end PCs is the ideal tool for eliminating system bottlenecks and achieving unparalleled performance. This Titanium certified power supply features a fully modular design, advanced GaN transistors, 100% Japanese electrolytic capacitors, and multiple voltage and circuit protection devices. This is one of the most powerful power supplies currently available. It is capable of delivering 1600 W continuously with an efficiency of up to 94%. The Corsair AX1600i boasts that it is capable of delivering up to 133A per 12V rail, making it an ideal power supply for systems with multiple graphics cards. These could be mining rigs, distributed computing systems, or rendering workstations.
Best 1500W PSU: Thermaltake Toughpower 1500W 80 PLUS Gold
Form factor : ATX | Power : 1500 W | Performance Rating : 80 PLUS Gold Certified | Modularity : semi-modular
Pros:
- Very effective.
- Low profile flat modular cables.
- Supports up to 10 video cards.
- High mean time between failures.
May not like:
- Semi-modular design.
- Some cables are short.
Prices for Yandex.Market
Thermaltake Toughpower 1500 W 80 PLUS Gold
The Thermaltake Toughpower Series is a line of premium power supplies that are 80 PLUS Gold certified. With the highest quality components, Thermaltake Toughpower 1500W can provide consistent performance and unmatched efficiency for your workstation or Ethereum mining rig. This power supply boasts a semi-modular design, a silent fan, and support for up to 10 graphics cards. With a MTBF of 120,000 hours, this is one of the most reliable power supplies and one of the most powerful. It can deliver up to 140A on two +12V rails. Another feature of this power supply is the low-profile flat modular cables, which allow for convenient cable routing and improved airflow in the system. Although it lacks smart capabilities, it is one of the best power supplies for serious miners.
Advantages and disadvantages
pros
- GPU mining is scalable and flexible - you can expand the farm at any time and switch to mining another coin.
- The process does not harm decentralization.
- If you want to stop mining, you can easily sell video cards; they are always in price.
Minuses
- It’s more difficult to get started in a technical sense; you need to spend time assembling the farm.
- Productivity and economic efficiency are lower compared to ASICs.
Best 1300W PSU: EVGA SuperNOVA 1300 G+
Form factor : ATX | Power : 1300 W | Performance Rating : 80 PLUS Gold Certified | Modularity : modular
Pros:
- EVGA 10-year warranty.
- High quality components.
- Can deliver 108 A to the +12 V rail.
- Has an improved current converter.
May not like:
- No advanced monitoring capabilities.
Prices for Yandex.Market
EVGA SuperNOVA 1300 G+
The EVGA SuperNOVA 1300 G+ is a high-performance power supply suitable for cryptocurrency miners, workstation professionals, and enthusiasts. This 1300W power supply features a fully modular design, a variable resistor module, two current converters, full safety features and a 10-year warranty. The fan in this power supply is equipped with hydrodynamic bearings, which reduce wear and noise. Featuring high quality capacitors and premium components, this power supply can deliver up to 108A per +12V rail. The SuperNOVA 1300 G+ can power up to six graphics cards simultaneously. The only drawback seems to be the lack of intelligent monitoring functions.
Best 1200W PSU: Thermaltake Toughpower Grand RGB 1200W 80+
Form factor : ATX | Power : 1200 W | Performance Rating : 80 PLUS Platinum Certified | Modularity : modular
Pros:
- RGB lighting.
- Powerful and efficient.
- Low noise level during operation.
- Comes with plenty of cables.
May not like:
- No intelligent monitoring capabilities.
- Doesn't work well with a UPS.
Prices for Yandex.Market
Thermaltake Toughpower Grand RGB 1200W 80+
Buying an RGB power supply for your mining rig may seem like a waste of money, but the Thermaltake Toughpower Grand RGB 1200W 80+ Titanium Power Supply is an exception. In addition to being one of the few power supplies to come with a proprietary RGB fan pre-installed, the Toughpower Grand RGB features a host of high-tech components that make it ideal for building a reliable and powerful mining rig. This unit features all-new circuitry with PFC & LLC digital controllers, a high-efficiency RGB fan blade designed for high static pressure requirements, and features extremely tight voltage regulation compared to other power supplies. The Toughpower Grand RGB boasts that it is capable of delivering up to 100A on the +12V rail, which is one of the many reasons why it is one of the best power supplies for serious miners.
Best 1000W PSU: Seasonic FOCUS Plus 1000 Gold
Form factor : ATX | Power : 1000 W | Performance Rating : 80 PLUS Gold Certified | Modularity : modular
Pros:
- Price.
- Three-phase thermostat.
- Fan physical control button.
- 10 year warranty.
May not like:
- Can only power up to four video cards.
Prices for Yandex.Market
Seasonic FOCUS Plus 1000 Gold
Seasonic is widely known as a leader in high-performance PC power supplies. The FOCUS Plus Gold 1000 model confirms this once again. This 80 PLUS Gold certified power supply provides excellent performance along with a 10-year warranty. FOCUS Plus Gold 1000 has a fully modular design and can achieve 90% efficiency at 50% system load. This power supply also comes with a three-phase thermostat and has a physical fan control button that allows you to switch active fan modes. FOCUS Plus Gold 1000 can provide up to 83 A on the +12 V rail and power up to four video cards. This is a very reliable and simple power supply that can provide enough power for high-performance systems at an affordable price.
Best 850W PSU: EVGA SuperNOVA 850 G5
Form factor : ATX | Power: 850 W | Performance Rating : 80 PLUS Gold Certified | Modularity : modular
Pros:
- High quality components.
- High reliability.
- ECO mode.
- Very quiet fan operation.
May not like:
- Supports only up to four video cards.
- Sometimes the coils whistle.
Prices for Yandex.Market
EVGA SuperNOVA 850 G5
The SuperNOVA 850 G5 is another EVGA power supply on this list. EVGA power supplies offer the best price/performance ratio. They are ideal for powering cryptocurrency mining rigs. SuperNOVA G5 is the successor to the award-winning G3 series. Like its predecessor, it performs well, boasting the latest Intel certifications and standards. The G5 features 100% Japanese capacitors, a silent 135mm fluid bearing fan, an energy-saving ECO mode and 80 PLUS Gold certification. This unit can power up to four video cards simultaneously and provide up to 71 A on the +12 V rail with an efficiency of 91%. If you need a cheap, reliable and fairly powerful power supply, the SuperNOVA 850 G5 is one of the best options.
Connectors
It is important to check how many and what connectors are present on the power supply, examples for different units.
EVGA Supernova
Cooler Master V1200
As can be seen from the example above, for different power supplies, the number of connectors, as well as the connectors themselves, can differ significantly.
Best 750W PSU: Corsair RMX Series RM750x
Form factor : ATX | Power : 750 W | Performance Rating : 80 PLUS Gold Certified | Modularity : modular
Pros:
- Compact sizes.
- Very quiet operation.
- Heats up slightly.
- High reliability.
May not like:
- Price.
- Too weak for a serious mining rig.
- Power delivery on the +12V rail could be better.
Prices for Yandex.Market
Corsair RMX Series RM750x
A 750 W unit can be considered the minimum for powering serious mining equipment. This power supply can barely handle one Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 video card, let alone three or four. This type of power supply may be most useful for miners who have a pair of low-power AMD Radeon RX 580 or RX 570 graphics cards and a weak 4-core processor. The Corsair RMX Series RM750x seems to be the ideal power supply for this type of setup as it is 80 PLUS Gold certified, fully modular in design, and can deliver up to 62A on the +12V rail. This power supply also boasts virtually silent operation, very low heat dissipation, and good reliability. The RM750x can power up to four graphics cards and can fit into almost any case thanks to its compact size.
Recommendations
Some tips for those who are planning to start mining on video cards:
- The graphics cards you need can be difficult (or even impossible) to find in stores. Use eBay or other sites to find used options, but pay attention to the date of manufacture of the equipment - the newer the better.
- When assembling, elements must be placed carefully. The power supply is usually placed on the side, and additional fans are placed in such a way as to blow away all the heat generated by the video cards.
- You don’t have to worry about buying a keyboard and mouse for your mining rig. They will be needed only for the initial setup, and in the future the farm will be managed mainly remotely.
- Before starting mining, you should disable location detection, speech recognition, diagnostics, relevant advertising, cloud services (like OneDrive) and other individual functions in Windows.
- Drivers are downloaded only from official sources - manufacturers' websites.
- It's normal if there are some errors and problems at first - setting up a new farm always takes some time.
How much power do I need to mine on my graphics card?
We have a table with the approximate consumption of modern video cards during mining (from tomshardware.com). You may be surprised to learn that they do not need to use peak power while mining because they do not need to maintain a maximum clock speed. Keep in mind that the values below are for the graphics card only and do not include the power consumption of other components such as the processor, storage, RAM, and motherboard.
| Video card | Peak Consumption (W) | Mining Consumption (W) |
| GeForce GTX 1060 6GB | 125 | 90 |
| GeForce GTX 1070 | 159 | 114 |
| GeForce GTX 1080 | 203 | 138 |
| GeForce GTX 1080 Ti | 271 | 197 |
| GeForce GTX 1660 | 135 | 70 |
| GeForce GTX 1660 Super | 138 | 75 |
| GeForce GTX 1660 Ti | 143 | 73 |
| GeForce RTX 2060 | 171 | 125 |
| GeForce RTX 2060 Super | 193 | 129 |
| GeForce RTX 2070 | 201 | 130 |
| GeForce RTX 2070 Super | 227 | 128 |
| GeForce RTX 2080 | 234 | 129 |
| GeForce RTX 2080 Super | 265 | 124 |
| GeForce RTX 2080 Ti | 284 | 180 |
| GeForce RTX 3060 Ti | 205 | 116 |
| GeForce RTX 3070 | 243 | 123 |
| GeForce RTX 3080 | 350 | 234 |
| GeForce RTX 3090 | 360 | 279 |
| Radeon RX 580 8GB | 234 | 135 |
| Radeon RX 590 | 249 | 130 |
| Radeon RX Vega 56 | 310 | 174 |
| Radeon RX Vega 64 | 340 | 254 |
| Radeon RX 5500XT 8GB | 172 | 81 |
| Radeon RX 5600XT | 192 | 115 |
| Radeon RX 5700 | 203 | 133 |
| Radeon RX 5700XT | 259 | 119 |
| Radeon VII | 330 | 231 |
| Radeon RX 6800 | 291 | 166 |
| Radeon RX 6800XT | 307 | 186 |
| Radeon RX 6900XT | 364 | 183 |
Power consumption of video cards
Questions and answers
- What do you need to start mining on video cards?
- First you need to calculate the profitability of this process based on what costs are planned for the equipment. Then purchase the hardware, assemble the farm, download the software.
- Is it necessary to overclock video cards?
- Yes. This must be done carefully, but this process can add up to 40% to profitability.
- Why join a mining pool?
- To get regular profits, it is better to earn a few tens of cents every day than to wait for years for one “lucky ticket” in the form of a full block reward.
- How to choose suitable video cards?
- The WhatToMine website provides an up-to-date rating of the most profitable cards at the moment. Our article describes devices that have been performing well in mining for several years or months now. When choosing, you should focus on cost, amount of memory, and the most effective algorithms.
- Why is mining on video cards better than on ASIC?
- Many miners find this process much more interesting and also useful for decentralizing the network. Unlike ASICs, GPU mining does not disrupt the ecosystem.
- How much money do you need to start mining?
- You can meet 350,000 rubles, it all depends on the selected video cards and their quantity. This is the main cost item. You should also remember that every month you will have to pay a considerable amount for electricity. Take all this into account in your preliminary calculations.
