Probably every person studying the topic of mining has wondered how profitable it is to mine cryptocurrencies using a processor. After all, the most popular coins are now obtained using video cards or special devices.
Mining on a processor is available to almost every owner of a personal computer. However, due to the ever-increasing complexity of the network of popular cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin and so on, their mining on the processor has become unprofitable.
But this does not mean that it is absolutely impossible to make money from this type of mining. In this article we will talk about current processors for cryptocurrency mining, profitability and talk about the profitability of this type of receiving tokens.
- What is CPU mining?
- Mining on server processors
- How to mine on a CPU
- Mining on Xeon processor
- How to choose a processor for mining
- Calculators for mining on the NiceHash processor
- My Crypto Buddy
- CryptoCompare
- Claymore's CryptoNote Windows CPU Miner
- Is mining possible on a Bitcoin processor?
Story
And Satoshi created Bitcoin and said: “Let there be mining!” And there was mining, and it was morning, January 3, 2009. That year, only two people were actively mining cryptocurrency - Satoshi himself and his assistant, developer Hal Finney.
Many simply did not suspect the existence of crypto, and they could mine directly from their laptop. The rewards were high, not compared to today’s - 50 BTC, or almost $2,500,000 at the exchange rate. And all this took less than an hour.
Mining on video cards, and even more so on ASIC, did not fit into Satoshi’s vision. By the end of 2009 will publish a post on BitcoinTalk:
We should have a gentleman's agreement to delay the GPU arms race as much as possible for the good of the network. It's much easier to attract new users if they don't have to worry about drivers and GPU compatibility. It's nice that right now anyone with just a CPU can compete on a level playing field.
In 2010, the number of network users began to grow rapidly, and the collective conscience began to decline.
In general, what is happening falls under the definition of a zerg rush...
In September, someone named Puddinpop will make a freely available client that allows mining BTC on GPUs. Video cards turned out to be more efficient, and the gentlemen started a hunger game that continues to this day.
Recommendations
Some tips for those who are thinking about CPU mining:
- Be sure to use calculators and carefully calculate future profits so as not to go into the red. But calculators give only approximate results, since the rate of cryptocurrencies changes daily up or down.
- You can combine mining on a processor and a video card. This is a common way to significantly increase profits. But it also requires more investment.
- The income received from CPU mining can be saved to organize a GPU farm. This is also a fairly common path. However, you need to make sure through preliminary calculations that you will not have to save for too long.
- You can also invest in cloud mining, but not now - with the current exchange rate (1BTC = $6900), it is not profitable. But if Bitcoin grows, then this option is quite workable.
CPU vs. GPU
Why did processors give way to cards so quickly? The CPU is designed for general computing tasks and rapid switching between them. Graphics processors are used to perform the same type of calculations - these are needed for rendering images on a computer. Thanks to this feature, GPUs turned out to be better suited for the same type of calculations performed when mining blocks.
Who said CPU? Roskomnadzor is always on guard
Basic Concepts
- Central processing unit (CPU) is the part of the computer that executes machine instructions for programs. Responsible for processing data streams, and also organizes the work of different parts of the system.
- CPU mining is the process of solving computational problems to find a hash, the purpose of which is to generate blocks of transactions. In this case, all calculations are performed with the active use of processor cores.
- Mining pool is a union of a certain number of miners with the goal of quickly obtaining rewards for blocks and distributing it based on the contribution of each participant to the process.
- Mining software is software that issues commands to the processor related to calculations and hash search.
- A mining algorithm is a set of functions that encrypt a hash that needs to be found.
- Hashrate is the speed at which a processor or other equipment can sort through hashes to find the one they need. Measured in h/s (hashes per second).
Cryptocurrency with CPU mining support
Monero (XMR) is often referred to as the only major cryptocurrency that supports CPU mining. Not entirely true, but more on that later. This is ensured by the RandomX algorithm that replaced CryptoNight.
The algorithm was launched on the XMR network in November 2022 and continues to perform the task properly. Random is designed and optimized for regular processors. Among its features are random code execution, as well as memory limitations that negate the advantage of specialized devices - ASICs. FPGAs - the predecessors of ASICs - are also unable to cope with the algorithm.
What about the GPU? Difficult, but possible. Mining on video cards is approximately 3 times less efficient than on processors.
Random works in two modes:
- Fast Mode. Requires 2 GB RAM. Mainly used for mining.
- Light Mode. Requires only 256 MB of RAM. The main purpose is to confirm blocks.
In general, the requirements for “miners” are as follows:
- Modern processor: AMD Ryzen, Intel i7, i9.
- 64-bit architecture.
- 2 GB RAM or more.
- Hardware support for AES.
- Support for large memory pages (present on modern chips).
Mining software for RandomX on CPU:
- XMR-STAK-RX;
- XMRig.
List of coins other than Monero that support the protocol:
- Dero;
- Dynasty Coin;
- Italocoin;
- Loki;
- Quantum Resistant Ledger;
- Wownero.
Yes, we haven't heard of them either.
Alexander Borisovich Pushnoy, great Russian bard and poet, author of the song “Who are you? I do not know you"
You can mine solo or in pools. The list of subjects is here.
Having configured XMRig in the required way, you can also mine dogecoin on your laptop. But with one amendment: catching Pokemo..., dogs on a laptop is unlikely to fall under the definition of a profitable businessman.
The main competitor of Monero in the camp of anonymous cryptocurrencies, ZCash (ZEC), is suitable for CPU mining. In reviews it is often ignored, calling it a “dead” project. Indeed, ZCash has problems - the general boom in the market passed the coin by, and it itself went far beyond the top 50 largest. An incentive could be a radical solution voiced by Bryce Wilcox, the creator of ZEC - the transition to Proof-of-Stake.
Z-cache is based on the Equihash algorithm. It has certain RAM requirements that are almost unattainable for ASICs - at least 2 GB of memory for each video card. Other projects that are rumored to use “equi” include Bitcoin Gold (BTG).
Blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies. Fast start
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For a very long time, Monero was considered a currency that could be easily earned using a central processor. This was still at the beginning of autumn. Since that time, a colossal number of changes have occurred in the crypto world, so I believe that XMR mining on the CPU is no longer relevant. The difficulty of the blocks has really increased since then.
I would advise you to focus on new altcoins or simply little-known ones. Why?
- Lightweight hash functions that are quickly solved at low speeds;
- lack of special competition. Many are accustomed to chasing the best, so no one touches small altcoins;
- Based on the previous point, it becomes clear that you do not have to compete with farms of powerful video cards and ASICs.
The choice is entirely yours, keep an eye on the crypto market and you will find something worthwhile. I can offer two currencies that are used by many companies to pay for services, have a good exchange rate and are very easy to mine.
Primecoin
Popular fork of Bitcoin. If you analyze the process of its mining, you get the impression that one of the goals of its creation was precisely CPU mining.
- new blocks are created every minute;
- transaction confirmation speed is tens of times faster than BTC;
- difficulty changes from block to block without sudden jumps;
- unlimited emission, so complexity will not grow to unprecedented heights.
It is also worth mentioning separately about the confirmation algorithm. It is based on the fact that each miner must check the operation of the entire network. To prevent this process from taking too long, large hash functions are simply eliminated and small hash functions remain. Thus, even with low processing speed, the CPU can quickly solve the block.
You can mine it using programs such as Primecoin-Qt and Primecoin High Performance. The first is the official client, and the second is its modification.
Bytecent
At the time of writing, the exchange rate of this coin was equal to one dollar. However, it is very easy to mine, mostly due to its slow difficulty increase. The founder used the Proof of Miner algorithm as proof of work. It involves entering a captcha every hour of active mining. Owners of large farms most likely do not have time to enter captcha every hour, so they do not do it. This algorithm works, and the difficulty of mining increases very slowly. Therefore, it is also well suited for CPU mining.
CPU-only coins
And there are such animals. One of the most famous representatives of the CPU Only family is Yenten. Advantages:
- mining exclusively on the “rock”;
- spirit of Japan and loli mascot;
- pleasant Russian-speaking community on Dvacha;
- fast and inexpensive transactions.
Ienten-chan
Everything you need to start mining is kindly provided and described by the developers on the main page of Jena.
Another reason to pay attention to the project is the team’s plans. In 2021-2022, Yenten will launch his own YentenOS, which will allow you to extract coins even on miniPC and Raspberry Pi. So far, the community has successfully completed its tasks.
How to choose a CPU for mining?
Any modern processor is suitable for profitable mining. What to pay attention to and which stones are the best - read on.
Manufacturer. AMD offers better value for money, and its chips are more powerful than Intel's when it comes to processing cryptocurrency blocks. There are no specialized models for mining.
AES support. Without it, there is no point in talking about crypto mining. Present in all modern crystals.
Cores, threads, frequency. When choosing a device, you should pay attention to all known characteristics - clock frequency (in GHz) and number of cores - the more, the better.
Flows are a less well-publicized but important characteristic for miners. Traditionally, one core is designed to run one task, or “thread,” at a time. Some modern devices can direct reserve capacity to perform a second task. This is called multithreading, or hyperthreading. For example, a 4-core chip may have 8 threads.
Energy efficiency. Both Intel and AMD combine hardware thermal and power data into a single metric called Thermal Design Power (TDP). It is measured in watts (W) and allows you to understand how high the energy costs will be and whether a powerful cooler will be required to keep the unit in working condition.
A powerful cooler will be needed at 100+ Watts.
Best CPUs for Coin Mining
Best for mining. In 2022, the AMD Threadripper 3990X is out of competition.
Main characteristics:
- Frequency (base + boost): 2.9 GHz/4.3 GHz.
- Cores/threads: 64/128.
- TDP: 280 W.
- Hashrate (for Monero network): 43-64 kHz/s.
- Estimated Income: $1,600+ per year.
You can compare the hashrate of all devices on Monerobenchmarks.
Additionally requires DDR4 memory modules with a frequency of 3200 MHz and higher.
The best in the budget category. The best among inexpensive ones is AMD Threadripper 1950X.
Characteristics:
- Frequency (base + boost): 3.4 GHz/4 GHz.
- Cores/threads: 16/32.
- TDP: 180 W.
- Hashrate (for the Monero network): 9-13 kHz/s.
- Estimated Income: $300+ per year.
The best from Intel. Intel products are a good solution for gaming. Intel Core i9-10900K is recognized as the best for mining.
Characteristics:
- Frequency (base + boost): 3.7 GHz/5.3 GHz.
- Cores/threads: 10/20.
- TDP: 125 W.
- Hashrate (for the Monero network): 6-7 kHz/s.
- Estimated Income: $100+ per year.
MultiCPU
Is it possible to create a machine with multiple CPUs and receive coins with it? Yes.
Is it profitable? For mining only XMR - no.
New motherboards with multiCPU support are usually more expensive than “singles”. Also, each processor requires full width RAM. That is, a pair of crystals will require two separate modules with RAM - each with at least 2 GB.
Is there a solution? According to reviews, such systems demonstrate high efficiency in dual mining.
Transition from INTEL to AMD
If you already have a ready-made mining rig running Intel and want to switch to AMD, here's what you'll need:
- AMD processor as described above
- AMD Minig Biostar TB350-BTC motherboard, MSI also has quite a few great options for different numbers of GPUs and CPUs supported
- Ryzen AM4 Motherboard: Up to 7 GPUs, RIG MSI X370, GAMING PRO CARBON
- TR4 Motherboard for Threadripper Processors: Up to 9 GPU RIG MSI X399, Gaming PRO Carbon AC
- RAM: DDR4 16 GB, 3200 MHz
Safety
The process threatens the main components of the computer - CPU, GPU and power supply - due to possible overheating. Laptops are more susceptible to this than desktop PCs.
Many of the laptops are comparable in characteristics to desktops. This also means that manufacturers must pack a ton of powerful, heat-generating components into a small area.
Follow simple rules to minimize risks:
- Minimize the number of running and even background applications.
- Regularly clean your laptop/PC from dust.
- Install a cooler or use a special fan.
Monitor the processor temperature - it should be below +80C. You can check the temperature in the BIOS or using programs like HWMonitor.
Flaws
Despite its good positive qualities, mining cryptocurrencies on a CPU can be called ineffective. The difficulty of mining constantly increases with each block, which simply eliminates the possibility of using the CPU. Currently they can only be used for new or little-known altcoins. Even mining rigs and ASICs can easily cope with the giants of the crypto world.
Also, a significant drawback is the limited processor power. It cannot be fully configured for mining, since its tasks include directly maintaining the operation of the operating system and some background tasks of the computer. If you send all your power to mining, your system will simply crash. In the best case, you only have to restart the computer, but then mining must be started again. In the worst case, the OS will have to be demolished and reinstalled.
Profitability
She also remains in doubt. Based on the above reasons, we will only be able to mine new alts, which are also greatly reduced in price. Thus, a week's income is enough, at best, for a pack of cigarettes. Or maybe you don't smoke at all?
In addition, it is worth considering that the central processor does not work on its own. And to maintain the performance of a powerful CPU, you will need an appropriate motherboard and RAM. And although the CPU is not so dependent on energy resources, you will also need a high-quality power supply. Of course, all this pays off relatively quickly, but you will have to work hard to assemble the entire system, not forgetting about compatibility.
Monero
Preparation. If there is no wallet to which your hard-earned money will go, you need to create one. Easy way:
- Go to the MyMonero wallet website.
- Click Create new wallet.
- Check the Got It box and click Next.
- Receive and write down a seed phrase - a set of words that may be needed when restoring access to the wallet.
- Click My Monero Wallet and copy the wallet address.
The address will be required when setting up the mining software. In our example - XMRig.
Setup. Download the appropriate release for your OS - Windows, Linux, Mac - from Github. As of August 2022, version 6.14.0 is current. Unpack. Make sure there is a xmrig.exe file in the folder.
Open notepad. Enter the command in a text file:
xmrig.exe –coin = XMR -o xmr.shay.services:4242 -u YOUR_ADDRESS
Instead of YOUR_ADDRESS, substitute the copied address from your wallet.
Save the created file under the name start.bat (if you save it as start.txt, the program will not work). It must be saved in the same folder as xmrig.exe.
Close notepad and launch the batch file. A terminal window will open displaying the mining data. Don't close it.
You can track your hashrate and payments on the website https://xmr.shay.services:8080.
Yenten
Preparation. Download Yenten Core Wallet from the official website. Supports 32/64-bit PCs running Win 7 and 10.
Alternative:
- Web wallet: https://wallet.yentencoin.info/.
- Android mobile wallet: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ml.yvault.app.
Download the software to get started. There are two options to choose from: console and GUI miner. The first is suitable for slightly more advanced users who can do Ctrl-C Ctrl-V. The second one is for beginners.
First case
Download to your PC from offsite and unpack the console miner.
In the console - cmd - enter:
cpuminer.exe -a yespowerr16 -o stratum+tcp://yenten-pool.info:63368 -u YOUR_ADDRESS
instead of YOUR_ADDRESS - your wallet address.
Second case
- Download and extract Yenten GUI Miner.
- Run the download_miner.bat file from the folder. The cpuminer-opt download starts.
- Run Yenten_gui_miner.exe.
- Fill in the fields in the window that opens. Click Start mining!
Linux case
Those who have created an address and want to mine using a Linux machine do not even need to leave the terminal:
download: wget https://github.com/cpu-pool/cpuminer-opt-cpupower/releases/download/v1.0/Cpuminer-opt-cpupower-linux64.tar.gz
unpacking : tar zxvf Cpuminer-opt-cpupower-linux64.tar.gz
mining : /cpuminer -a yespowerr16 -o stratum+tcp://yenten-pool.info:63368 -u YOUR_ADDRESS
Solo
All described cases are designed for those who want to join the pool. But you can mine yen on a stone alone:
in the Data program folder, create a file yenten.conf and enter:
rpcallow=127.0.0.1 server=1 daemon=1 rpcuser=user rpcpassword=x port=9981 rpcport=9982
And add the following to the cpuminer-opt-ytn bat file:
cpuminer-aes-sse42.exe -a yespowerr16 -o https://127.0.0.1:9982 -u user -px –coinbase-addr=YOUR_ADDRESS
Alternatives
Smartphone. You can mine cryptocurrency on anything equipped with a processor - PC, Arduino, game console, smartphone, smart iron spying on you. The penultimate one was quite popular until 2022. Apple and Google then banned mining apps from being published in their stores. There are only those left that allow you to control production on other devices.
Some services still support mobile applications. The most famous one - from MinerGate - even works on phones with Android 4.1. The only problem is that the site itself is a scam. Judging by the reviews of several hundred users, mobile mining is, indeed, possible, but withdrawal of funds is not.
Intelligent biocomputer. If there is nothing sensible from the devices, you can solve the problem radically by using your brains. A master class on how to mine Bitcoin with pencil and paper was shown by Ken Shirriff:
Verdict
Will I use CPU for mining? No. Even though this is simpler, it creates unnecessary restrictions, but you want to show off one Ether or Litecoin in your account rather than the little-known Tenebrix.
Do I recommend this method? Also no. But the choice is always yours, because I have no right to impose my opinion on you. I have provided the facts on which you will make your decision.
Finally, I want to say that first, try to take an old computer and check the efficiency of cryptocurrency mining on the CPU. If you really like it, then you can try to set up more computers and slowly receive the coveted crypt. If not, then you won’t lose much, but you will see for yourself the low efficiency of central processors.
Happy endeavors! Let the little difficulty of mining always accompany you!
Prospects
Miners are increasingly causing discontent among other users, because they are the ones responsible for the lack of video cards on shelves. The crypto community itself also sees a dead end in the arms race and consolidation of pools. On the contrary, CPU mining, as Satoshi Nakamoto saw it, is more conducive to healthy competition and leaves the possibility of earning money for the average user.
Abandoning energy-intensive GPUs and ASICs in favor of CPUs will also have a positive impact on the environment, which fits in with the latest trends.
Despite the temporary lull, the method has every chance of making itself known in the near future.
