Mining cryptocurrency on a farm of six to eight powerful GPUs allows the owner to earn up to 50 thousand rubles per month, the exact profitability depends on the chosen algorithm and GPU performance. Graphics adapters are not well suited to constantly hashing blocks, so it is necessary to download a driver for mining. AMD (Advanced Micro Devices) is one of the Western companies producing high-performance GPUs and drivers for profitable mining " digital gold».
Current driver modifications compatible with mining on AMD Radeon graphics cards are published on the manufacturer's English page. However, hashing algorithms are updated faster than software. Graphics adapters from AMD are in demand among miners due to their relatively low price (a used board with a hashrate of 20 megahash can be bought for 11 thousand rubles) and the possibility of effective overclocking.
Given the growing demand from owners of mining farms, AMD Radeon developers released the Crimson ReLive Edition (beta) utility in the summer of 2022. The driver was adapted for round-the-clock mining on video cards running Windows 64-bit or 32-bit.
Special drivers for mining from Nvidia and AMD
Actually, they are created not only for mining, but the SEOs asked to include this phrase in the title.
Video cards are very powerful things; they are literally packed with computing processors. The architecture on which GPUs are built is designed to perform a huge number of operations simultaneously, or in parallel. For example, they are used in training neural networks, processing ML models, rendering frames for a VR headset, and creating videos.
These calculations are specific, they require their own protocols and directives for optimal operation. This is how drivers for video cards appeared, adapted for individual tasks. For example, drivers are specially optimized for mining, but only for AMD; Nvidia has created a separate “Optimize for computing” mode in the video card control panel.
According to legend, the video card will be able to work with neural network models with conventional drivers, but it is still better to tighten the screws with a screwdriver.
Instructions for flashing firmware in MinerOS:
- Stopping the miner in MinerOS.
- Download software for VBIOS modification here
- Download the BIOS on [ Rig page -> Overclocking -> VBIOS ], in the drop-down menu - Download .
- Using PolarisBiosEditor, we write a memory strap corresponding to your memory in the last 2 lines of your BIOS. Be sure to save the resulting BIOS into a NEW file.
- Upload the BIOS to the video card [ Rig page -> Overclocking -> VBIOS ], in the drop-down menu - Load . You can download it to all maps at once. Try each strap from the list to find the best one for your card.
- After receiving a notification that the BIOS has been flashed, you need to reboot MinerOS.
- After the rig has loaded again, you need to try different overclocks and run the card in different modes to find the optimal mode in which the minimum % of incorrect balls is.
- You can return to the stock BIOS by repeating the above operation with the original BIOS saved.
Drivers for mining on AMD video cards: download and installation
The mining driver from AMD is called ReLive for Blockchain Compute and is designed for “Blockchain Computing”. AMD specifically optimized these drivers for mining.
By the time Ethereum mining began in 2015, cards from the “red” ones were the cheapest and most productive when compared to the “green” ones. The company responded to this and created special drivers in 2016. They called it simply “ReLive for Blockchain Compute”
Blockchain drivers have long been included in the main builds of Radeon Software.
The mining driver was created as an experimental version of Re-Live. The main version is designed for fast gaming and image rendering for VR glasses. The ReLive for Blockchain driver set was developed until 2022, then its components began to be included in the regular Adrenaline Edition.
No special drivers are needed for mining.
This was relevant in 2017-2018; in 2022, drivers are assembled taking into account mining needs. To mine cryptocurrency in 2022, Adrenalin Software provides a “Compute Mode”. Below we will tell you how to activate it.
Seven simple steps to install the AMD driver when building a farm
- Step 1:
Open the user support page on the AMD website. - Step 2:
Click the big “Download Now” button. - Step 3:
wait for download - Step 4:
start installing the downloaded drivers. They will be located in the “Downloads” folder, the name begins with the words “radeon-software...” - Step 5:
specify the folder for unpacking the installer files, for example, C:\AMD_Drivers - Step 6:
open the “AMD Drivers” folder, open the only folder that will be there and run the “Setup.exe” file. - Step 7:
select all the checkboxes, click “Next”, wait for the installation to complete.
Video instructions that start from the AMD driver page:
The auto-installer will install drivers for any AMD hardware on your PC
. If you are using a board based on an AMD chipset, then you will not need to download a separate driver pack. The driver installer will detect the native hardware and download drivers for the chipset and PCI controllers independently. For boards based on the Intell chipset, drivers for the motherboard are installed separately.
What is Compute Mode in AMD cards and how to enable it
This is a mode for advanced computing, such as when maps are used to model protein molecules or predict weather conditions.
In our case, we will use the card for mining.
Video instruction
:
- Radeon Software must be installed on the farm.
- Open the Radeon Software panel.
- Find the gear on the panel and click.
- Open the “Graphics” section, if the program is in Russian, select the “Video Card” section, scroll down and click “Advanced”.
- Scroll to the “GPU Workload” section, click on “Graphics Card” and select “Calculate”. Reboot the computer.
After rebooting, the video card will work in computing mode and is ready to use its full potential for mining.
If your hashrate has dropped on RX 400 or RX 500 series video cards, turn on Compute Mode.
Disable auto-update so you don't have to run after the farm.
Before you start mining, disable automatic driver installation so that it interrupts mining. Go to the “System” tab and click on the switch next to “Check for updates”.
Compute mode can be enabled on all video cards at once.
Laziness is the engine of progress. Therefore, enthusiastic miners created a special utility that turns on the calculation mode on all connected AMD video cards.
It's called AMD-Compute Switcher. [open the official utility thread on the BTT forum]
Using AMD-Compute Switcher
- Run AMD-Compute-Switcher.exe.
- If the window shows the message “switch to compute mode”, then click “Ok” to switch to calculation mode.
We change the BIOS in the Polaris Bios Editor program.
We launch the program and open the BIOS ROM in it by clicking on the “Open” .
On the right side of the program interface there will be a table with timing fields. The simplest thing you can do is copy the “Value” from 1750 and paste it into all the fields below (higher in Value: 2000 and 2250).
For video cards with 4GB memory, you need to copy the values from 2:1500.
This timing substitution works in 20% of cases. So this method is definitely not suitable.
There are three types of VRAM timings for video cards:
- Factory, stock, which are slow, because the manufacturer needs, first of all, to reduce the power consumption of the video card with minimal performance losses and make a power reserve so that the video card works stably.
- They are fast and perform very well in mining.
- Aggressive/extreme, can operate at higher frequencies.
Memory chips from different manufacturers have their own timing values, and you need to choose the right ones. Polaris Bios Editor 3 PRO or direct hands and a little knowledge will help us with this
Using the GPU-Z , you can find out what manufacturer your memory chips are.
Before substitution, you need to select the memory manufacturer in the “VRAM” .
You need to change the timings, which are with the number “2” in the list, to do this, click on the frequency, and below there will be a field with the value, change it and click on the “APPLY CHG” , go to the next value.
If in the end the hashrate does not increase, try changing the timings of the frequencies with a number «1».
Blockchain driver for AMD
The calendar says 2022, this driver was new in 2017. Previously, it gave a 15% increase in profit and hashrate, but this figure is no longer relevant. It was created for cards based on the GCN or Polaris architecture. This chip powers Vega cards, HD 7000 line, R9 and R7 video cards with HBM memory.
ReLive for Blockchain has lost its relevance; this driver will not provide an increase in Hashrate
ReLive For Blockchain has lost its relevance as a separate set of drivers, even for older cards based on the Polaris architecture. If you are using HD 7000 version, Vega or similar cards, then download regular drivers. AMD has been optimizing software for video cards since the 2000s.
List of timings for mining different types of memory for RX 400/500.
Elpida timings.
1150 core frequencies, 1940-2070 memory, 4 GB work exactly:
777000000000000022AA1C00AC615B3CA0550F142C8C1506006004007C041420CA8980A9020004C01712262B612B3715
Slightly more aggressive:
777000000000000022AA1C00EF615C41B0551016BA0D96060060060004061420EA8940AA030004C01914292E692E3B16
Hynix memory timings.
Stable at frequencies 1150 for the core and 1980-2070 for memory, go to 4GB:
777000000000000022C39C00AC595A3D90550F12B84C8408004006007E0514206A8900A002003120100F292F94273116
You can slightly overclock the memory frequencies and try this timing:
999000000000000022C39C00AC595A3D90550F123CCF530C004006007E0514206A8900A002003120100F292F94273116
Faster timings, 1150 core and 1880-2040 memory, not for all cards, more suitable for the old 470 and 480 4 and 8 GB:
777000000000000022339D00AC595A3D90550F1230CB440900600600740114206A8900A002003120150F292F94273116
If the card does not want to chase any memory, then 1800-1950 MHz should produce 27-28 MH/s:
555000000000000022339D00AC51593980550F11AE8A8408004006006C0014206A8900A002003120140F262B88252F15
Universal timings, suitable for 470 and 570:
777000000000000022339D00CE515A3D9055111230CB440900400600740114206A8900A002003120100F292F94273116
777000000000000022339D00CE515A3D9055111234CC440900400600740114206A8900A0020031201E0F292F94273116
Timings for Samsung.
Aggressive 2000-2125 MHz from memory:
777000000000000022CC1C00AD615C41C0590E152ECC8608006007000B031420FA8900A00300000010122F3FBA354019
With the timing symmetry of the second version:
777000000000000022CC1C00AD615C41C0590E152ECC8608006007000B031420FA8900A00300000010122F3F88354019
777000000000000022CC1C00AD615C41C0590E152ECCA60B006007000B031420FA8900A00300000010122F3FBA354019
Micron timings.
I found one single timing on the Internet, so try it, they say the memory can stably withstand up to 2100 MHz:
777000000000000022AA1C0073626C41B0551016BA0D260B0060060004061420EA8940AA030000001914292EB22E3B16
Errors when installing AMD drivers and their solutions
Even an insurance policy with a monthly premium does not protect against errors.
But there should be no errors if you are using relatively “modern” video cards, for example, RX 400 or RX 500. Errors will appear when the computer has a video card younger than HD 7700. This is officially “Old” hardware, which is not supported in new driver sets .
How to install drivers on an old video card?
Use SDI. The program searches among available databases for software for video cards that no longer receive official updates. [official website of the program developer]
We recommend using SDI Lite if the farm has online access. For a farm without network access, download SDI Full.
How to solve errors when installing drivers
- Reset the video card overclock to factory settings and repeat the installation.
- Update the MS Visual Basic library [link to set of libraries from 2005 to 2022].
- Disable your antivirus and try installation again.
- Use the DDU utility to completely remove video drivers and repeat the installation procedure. [link to utility]
- Use the official driver from the video card manufacturer's website.
- Remove old drivers via AMDCleanupUtility.exe [link to the utility page on the AMD website]
These are solutions to the most common problems when installing drivers. If the case is unique, it should be described in detail and Googled. Similar questions could have been asked on forums 2 or 3 years ago and a solution could have been found.
The Windows 10 build is a friend for mining.
To avoid problems with drivers, it is recommended to use the Windows 10 LTSC build and its variations, for example, by LeX_6000 or Ovgorsky. LTSC is the branch of Windows that receives the most stable and proven updates and is intended for corporate clients. Automatic updates and spyware modules that could interfere with the operation of the farm have been removed.
Sites that provide current versions of programs for mining cryptocurrencies
It is recommended to use only the latest licensed software published by video card manufacturers. Installing trial driver releases can result in unstable GPU operation, overheating, and failure of the entire farm.
Applications should be downloaded from one of the following sites:
- AMD.com. Owners of AMD video cards can download the utility from the official website of the manufacturer. The search is carried out by device type and model, then you should select the appropriate version of Winodws or another OS. The program is available in extended (Optional) and standard versions.
- NVIDIA.ru . Similar to AMD, the search on the NVIDIA website takes into account technical characteristics, Russian-language localization of the web page is built-in. The software is compatible with Windows, Linux, Solaris or FeeBSD.
For security reasons, you should first uninstall the existing version through the Device Manager . The current modification of the driver allows you to analyze statistics and profitability of mining using a mining client program.
READ Cryptocurrency mining using cloud mining without investment
AMD driver patch: where to download and how to use
Let's say you modified the BIOS of a video card and the drivers for it stopped working or gave errors. For example, error 43.
After modifying the BIOS, use atikmdag-patcher.
This is software that convinces the driver and system that the video card is not a camel and can work. After modifying the BIOS of the video card, run the utility and carry out the patching procedure. []
The utility works very simply - you launch it, a window appears, click “YES” and it does the rest on its own.
Reduced power consumption on the RX 580 card
Stable and productive Ethereum mining using the Ethash (formerly DaggerHashimoto) algorithm on the RX 580 requires an increase in memory frequency. At the same time, energy consumption is reduced by underestimating the core performance, since it does not in any way affect the acceleration of production. At the same time, the card does not overheat and less electricity is required.
Timings and downvolts of Sapphire RX 580
Downvolting - changing settings to reduce energy input, as a result, the RX 580 does not overheat under intense loads, maintaining efficiency. For a specific model, the supplied voltage to the core is reduced, and therefore the overall energy consumption from the network will be reduced. For undervolting, a batch file is used, where the command -cvddc850 -tstop 850 is written in the executive file. Another way: to record the reduced energy consumption of the core and memory in the BIOS of the video card. If the core frequency is unstable, powerlimit is assigned.
Drivers for mining from Nvidia
Nvidia didn’t even try to release separate drivers for mining - their cards are designed with professional workloads in mind. For example, Nvidia cards are used to create aerodynamic weather models.
Nvidia does not need special drivers for mining, neither does AMD
By default, Nvidia hardware is created for workloads: scene rendering, calculations, rendering of protein molecules, neural networks, etc. Since mining is mathematics, the green drivers already include everything you need.
GeForce has long been able to use the “Compute” mode on video cards, by default
The principle of operation is the same as that of AMD - the video card uses all its power to solve mathematical problems. True, we are talking about always-on computing mode. There is no need to toggle a separate checkbox.
Before you start installing drivers, you should understand that the material covers GTX and RTX video cards of the 10th, 20th and 30th line. Older video cards, like the 900s or 700s, are not suitable for mining.
Available Algorithms
This miner includes the following algorithms and corresponding fees
- Cryptonight v8 rwz 2.5%
- Cryptonight v8 half 2.5%
- Cryptonight saber 2.5%
- Cryptonight R 2.5%
- Cryptonight v8 upx2 2.5%
- Cryptonight v8 double 2.5%
- Cryptonight heavy 2.5%
- x16r 2.5%
- x16rv2 2.5%
- Cryptonight v8 2.5%
- Chukwa-1024 (Turtlecoin) 2.5%
- x16rt 2.5%
- Kawpow 2.0%
- Cryptonight v8 turtle 2.5%
- x16s 2.5%
- Cryptonight haven 2.5%
- Cuckarood29 2.5%
- Cuckatoo31 2.5%
- Ethash on all other GPUs 1.0%
- Ethash on Polaris GPUs 0.75%
- MTP 2.5%
- Lyra2rev3 2.5%
- Phi2 3.0%
- Chukwa-512 (Turtlecoin) 2.5%
- Cryptonight concealer 2.5%
- Lyra2z 3.0%
- Nimiq 2.5%
How to install Nvidia driver for GTX video cards correctly
- Step 1: Open [Automatic Driver Installation Page via GeForce Panel].
- Step 2: Click the green “Download Now” button
- Step 3: Run the downloaded installer
- Step 4: Click “Next” and uncheck the boxes next to the lines that contain the words “Yandex”, “Bing” or “Make xxx your default search system”.
- Step 5: Wait until the installation is complete, restart your computer.
No other action is required.
Nvidia used to have a compute mode, but only for older graphics cards
The mode was used by Maxwell chips - video cards of the 900 line and only. New versions of drivers for video cards of the 10th and higher generations do not have this mode. Drivers from the Greens provide for the use of a card for calculations. Mining is about computing.
Quoting Nvidia themselves
: “
This setting is intended to provide additional performance to non-gaming applications using CUDA cores on 2nd generation Maxwell GPUs.
Video cards based on other architectures do not use this parameter " [source]
New video cards, like the 10th, 20th and 30th Nvidia models, no longer have a compute mode.
It was removed as unnecessary, since modern drivers are designed to work with calculations and games at the same time.
Instructions for firmware in HiveOS:
- Stopping the miner in HiveOS.
- Download software for VBIOS modification here
- Download the BIOS from [ Rig page -> Overclocking -> Download VBIOS ], in the drop-down menu - Download .
- Using PolarisBiosEditor, we write a memory strap corresponding to your memory in the last 2 lines of your BIOS. Be sure to save the resulting BIOS into a NEW file.
- Upload the BIOS to the video card [ Rig page -> Overclocking -> Flash VBIOS ], in the drop-down menu - Load . You can download it to all maps at once. Try each strap from the list to find the best one for your card.
- After receiving notification that the BIOS has been flashed, you need to reboot HiveOS.
- After the rig has loaded again, you need to try different overclocks and run the card in different modes to find the optimal mode in which the minimum % of incorrect balls is.
- You can return to the stock BIOS by repeating the above operation with the original BIOS saved.
What errors can occur when installing the Nvidia driver and how to solve them
Before installing drivers, traditionally, disable your antivirus and turn off everything except the installer. This solves 70% of problems before they arise.
The occurrence of errors on a fresh build is a sign of hardware problems.
After installing the OS, the computer is in a “raw” configuration. When problems occur while installing drivers, this indicates that there is a problem with the video card.
Before reinstalling, you need to remove traces of previous drivers via DDU.
Previously installed, they leave behind residual traces and tails. These details slow down the system or cause errors if the OS accesses them. Sometimes, when installing drivers, the video card does not work normally. This situation is typical when the computer previously had other drivers.
Here is a video tutorial on how to download and install DDU. [link to utility]
Driver tables for mining on AMD and Nvidia video cards
New drivers always improve the performance of a video card, but there is no need to hunt for a “special” assembly. Tables that supposedly show the “coolest driver” have lost their usefulness. The drivers that video cards receive contain a complete set of software designed for productive computing.
Cards from AMD and Nvidia need the latest driver for mining.
Red video cards, starting from HD 7700 models, support modern Radeon Software Adrenaline Edition drivers, which are excellent for mining. All Nvidia video cards, starting with the GTX 1050 Ti and higher, are supported by official drivers.
For example, the graph tests mining performance on different video cards with old and new drivers. For accuracy, the hashrate is also checked at different DAG file sizes.
The driver tables were current in 2022 - 2022.
Starting in 2022, the impact of individual versions on hashrate is minimal. Install fresh and stable drivers that have been tested.
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