Mining on the Gigabyte Aorus Radeon RX 580 XTR video card: characteristics, hashrate and overclocking

More and more users are eager to try their hand at mining. But along with this, a phenomenon appeared: a shortage of high-quality video cards. This is the main tool for those who mine cryptocurrency at home. Therefore, it is worth considering the best options for organizing this business at home.

One of the optimal solutions would be to use the Radeon RX 580; this will make Ethereum mining truly profitable. But is it worth overpaying for it? This chip is suitable for mining all types of cryptocurrencies.

Radeon RX 580 Specifications

In terms of mining, this model is not much different from the previous version, which was designated as RX 480. It is based on the same Polaris chip. But the new version is improved, more optimized. The base core clock speed has also been increased compared to previous models. But one could take a closer look at the RX 480 if its price were lower than that of the new version. And so the model in question is the best video card for mining.

The main characteristics are described as follows:

1. Typical power consumption of the board is 185 W.
2. The type of memory used is GDDR5.
3. Memory interface – 256 bits.
4. 256 Gigabytes per second equals memory bandwidth.
5. The memory clock speed will be 1750 MHz or more.
6. Peak performance reaches 6.2 teraflops.
7. There are two more such frequencies. The base speed is 1257 MHz, and the boost speed is 1340 MHz.
8. For stream processors, a typical value of 2304 is typical.
9. There are also 36 computing units. Then the device maintains the frequency without errors, 2170 and above are optimal performance. But more about them below.

There are only two card options for sale - 8 or 4 GB. The second junior version is quite enough for those who plan to organize mining on a video card. All eight gigabytes will not be fully in demand. And by the time such a capacity becomes in demand, the video card itself will have time to be updated for several generations at once.

The main thing is for the buyer to decide for himself what properties and what cost of acquisition will be relevant to him in the first stages.

After purchasing, it is recommended to immediately check a special mining calculator. This will help you decide which currency is best to use for mining.

The choice of pool is another issue that should be given close attention. After all, you need to take into account additional commissions and other similar pitfalls. Only in this case can you be sure that the best video card for mining has been selected.

RX 580 8 GB hashrate in eth dcr mining

Here we can highlight several main results.

• 30 Mh/s on air plus 1000 VH/s with maternity leave.

This result is obtained if you use an 8 GB RX580 with a core clocked at 1150 MHz. In addition, in this option you can use a BIOS with an additional mod optimized for two currencies at once. The miner used in tests was version 9, from claymore.

• If you run ETH mining on stock settings, the same card will give a result of 24.5 MH/z.

The performance of the new generation is not much different from the old one. But the previous options are almost impossible to find in stores, and their cost is quite high. Therefore, for the last couple of years, this tool will be the optimal choice for home use. Radeon RX 570 mining will no longer make it so profitable.

Specification

• Manufacturer: ASUS;
• Model:ROG STRIX RX 580;
• GPU: Polaris 20 XTX;
• Process technology: 14nm;
• GPU frequency: 1411 MHz;
• Number of shader processors: 2304;
• Video memory: 8 GB;
• Video memory type: GDDR5;
• Video memory bus width: 256 bits;
• Video memory frequency: 2000 MHz (8 GHz QDR);
• CrossFire support: present;
• Ports: DVI-D, 2 xHDMI, 2 x DisplayPort;
• Additional power connector: 8-pin;
• Length: 299 mm;
• Price: 28,000 rub.

Overclocking Radeon RX 580 8 Gb

580 graphics cards for mining are just as easy to overclock as they are for gaming. The most convenient way to do this is to use a special program called MSI AfterBurner. But the specifics of overclocking in mining are slightly different from the usual and well-known schemes. The core and memory are the characteristics that are usually overclocked first. Now this decision will not be very relevant. After all, different algorithms use the core and memory in different ways.

In this case, maintaining high speed will be relevant.

The optimal overclocking option will look like this:

1. Maximum possible memory expansion.
2. Reduced core frequency as much as possible.

To read: What is a cryptocurrency mining farm and how to build one

Ether is boosted only by using memory. Thanks to this, it will be easier for the owner to reduce energy consumption. The card itself may become colder, and the core power will decrease. When using another currency, you may need, for example, an increased core frequency. And the memory can be left with the base value. The main thing is a careful approach to reducing nutrition. This directly determines how productive the card will be. The Radeon RX 580 8 Gb model was no exception to the rule.

Not a single calculator will tell you exactly how much a video card will produce under certain overclocking conditions. To do this, you need to conduct experiments and select indicators that will be optimal. It is recommended to carefully monitor the stability of the program after the first overclocking attempts. If errors and incorrect values ​​often appear, then it is likely that the characteristics are too high, or there is not enough power.

You can use the settings that are used by other users of the system and tools of the Radeon RX 580 series, mining in this case will be the optimal process.

BIOS firmware for RX 580

Thanks to this operation, the user will be able to earn more profit. To get the best results, it is recommended to install the Windows 10 operating system in the 64-bit version. The build is needed no higher than 1607. Then there will be no problems with the process in the future.

It’s worth taking a closer look at other tips that can improve mining on the RX 580.

• Operation will be more stable when using the latest driver Crimson Edition 16.9.2.
• If the latest driver is installed, then you will also need Atikmdag patcher 1.4.5. Then the operating system itself will not produce erroneous messages.

After following these recommendations, preparations can be considered complete. During the firmware process, you will need only two specialized programs - Polaris Bios Editor, as well as Atiflash. They help make Ethereum mining more successful.

Both programs must be unpacked onto your desktop. First, launch Atiflash as administrator. A window with the main functions of the program will open. You will need to click on the Save button to save the original BIOS. Only after this should you begin direct editing.

It is also better to save the BIOS not only in a folder, but also on the desktop. Better yet, take care of creating a third copy in advance. After this, you can continue to use the XFX Radeon RX 580.

Download from the official website

The name afterburner translates as “afterburner.” With its help, you can squeeze maximum productivity out of your video cards. In order not to catch any attack on your PC, you need to download MSI Afterburner from the official website of the developers https://ru.msi.com/page/afterburner.

There are three versions of the program:

• Msi afterburner for Windows
• Android version for setting up a video card using a smartphone.
• MSI Afterburner Remote Server.

If you have a farm of several graphics adapters, then the msi afterburner setup will be performed on the computer. Download the archive, unpack it into a folder convenient for you, and proceed to install the program.

What else is needed to successfully flash the video card firmware?

This process is not as complicated as it seems at first glance. Only a few elements are required.

1. Official AMD blockchain drivers.
2. Value editor in the BIOS file for AMD RX. Usually this is a program designated as Polaris Bios Editor Universal.
3. Firmware program. One of the available options is AtiWinFlash.
4. Operating system Windows 10, 64-bit version. If the card is not detected after flashing the firmware, you should seek advice from specialists. There is a high chance of using the wrong system.

First, you need to select the BIOS file from the video card. To do this you will need to run AtiWinFlash. A list of graphic editors will appear. If there are several of them, you need to choose the one that is currently in use. The next step is to use the Save button. All that remains is to select a folder to save. The name used is biosrx5808gboriginal.rom.

You need to create a copy of this file so that you can make changes to it later. The word MOD should be inserted into the name so that there is no confusion later. Then MSI gives excellent results.

Timings used

Many users do not understand exactly how to change this parameter for Radeon, and what conditions need to be set for a 500 series video card. The main thing is to find out in advance about the features of the PolarisBiosEditor program. She has a special table, the values ​​of which are slightly different from the standard ones.

In this case, the following notations should be of interest:

• 1750.
• 2000.
• 2250. Typically these are the last few thresholds in the GPU table.

The program has different versions. And in each of them, the numbers 0, 1 or 2 can be placed before the timing. Twos are used when the lists are long enough. When using the AMD RX 570, the rules are slightly different.

To read: Installing and configuring Blockchain drivers for mining on AMD video cards

About the graphics core frequency

Each video card has several modes in which they can operate. The core clock speed changes depending on the current load.

Mining using the Dagger Hashimoto algorithm, for example, will require fixing a constant value at 1150 MHz. This is an option for those who want to profitably mine ether. The value 1150 is also copied to the last few thresholds. The Radeon RX 570 4 GB will give different results.

If we are talking about other currencies, then the value is overestimated, up to 1400. After all, the core speed is important here, and not the RAM speed. It is better to use BIOS for overclocking, and not third-party applications, even if they are released by official partners and developers.

How does the video card perform in mining?

On a stock card, Ether mining can reach speeds of 24-25 MH/s. Conventional overclocking of the chip and memory is not enough to show the full potential that this currency has. You need to fine-tune the BIOS. The best solutions cannot do without this.

This is especially important for devices manufactured by Samsung. These chips have always had good timing. Due to this, the overclocking potential also has high characteristics. After flashing the firmware, the device will produce 30 or more megaheshes per second. But this is only if Ethereum is mined. Other 8 or 4 GB memory chips have slightly worse timings. It is worth studying this indicator very carefully before moving on to a specific overclock.

Using so-called double mining schemes, you can earn much more. The hashrate on the first currency practically does not decrease if you connect another one to the mining process. Because of the second currency, energy consumption may simply increase. Recently, many have used such solutions due to their obvious benefits. Now the profitability of the method is decreasing due to the fact that ASIC owners are also paying attention to it.

Printed circuit board

The ASUS ROG STRIX RX 580 video card is built on an original black printed circuit board using a high-quality element base that corresponds to the proprietary Super Alloy Power II concept. ASUS Auto-Extreme Technology fully automated assembly process is used, which improves the quality, reliability and durability of the video card.

The power subsystem is built according to a reinforced “7+1” scheme, where seven phases are allocated for the graphics processor and one for video memory. The developers used the DIGI+ VRM ASP1300 chip as a PWM controller.

The Polaris 20 XTX GPU is built on a 14nm FinFET process. It includes 2304 shaders, 32 rasterization units, 144 texture units and was produced in week 9 of 2017.

Eight video memory chips with a total capacity of 8192 MB operate at a frequency of 2000 MHz (effective frequency - 8000 MHz). They are manufactured by Samsung, marked K4G80325FB-HC25.

A separate “corner” on the printed circuit board is reserved for additional functionality. The additional power connector is surrounded by voltage measurement points, which is useful during extreme overclocking, and two fan connectors.

A little about payback

The speed can be 24 and 900 MH/s, respectively, if you use the card simultaneously to mine ETH and DCR at once. With such mining, power consumption will be up to 105 watts.

1. Per month, maintaining the current rate, you will be able to earn approximately $32.
2. Mining one Ethereum will bring a little less – $31.
3. Zcash is one of the least profitable mining options and will only yield $20 per month.

The cost of the adapter itself is at least $500. With the above parameters, the payback period for the RX 580 for mining will be about 15 months.

Radeon RX 580 or GeForce GTX 1060 mining?

To mine digital currency, you can use video cards from various manufacturers. One of the popular options is the 500th line from AMD, or the development from GeForce numbered 1060. When the RX580 came out, the struggle for the position of leader in this area became more intense.

How to overclock a video card for mining: results

The top card of the 500 line shows good results. However, the high cost of the device itself makes one think about its economic feasibility. Considering how much even a top-end nitro 580 video card brings in mining, it will not be possible to recoup the investment even in a year. Fluctuations in coin rates and card values ​​make it difficult to predict for such a long period.

Therefore, the question of whether it is worth investing in expensive cards or whether you can find something cheaper, each of the miners must decide for himself in accordance with his preferences and the situation on the card market in his city. If it is possible to purchase the RX 580 at a reasonable price, buy it; if not, look for another option.

Overclocking and power consumption

Without overclocking, the heat dissipation for the two cards will be as follows: for 580 – 105 watts, and for 1060 – 120 watts.

Moreover, both devices allow the use of overclocking to increase power. The RX 580 can be overclocked to 1500 MHz without much difficulty; for the 1060 this figure is 2000 MHZ. After this, the power consumption of the same model is 140 watts. The RX 580 consumes about 200 watts in the same mode.

Specific tips for choosing

Video cards have almost the same price, because they perform approximately the same tasks. Therefore, the owner must focus on gaming preferences, as well as energy consumption requirements. The RX 580 has a large memory capacity of up to 8 GB, and is an advantage in games like Total War, Battlefield 1. The AMD Radeon RX 500 will be a useful acquisition in many ways.

How to enable monitoring in the game

Before starting testing, you need to enable monitoring in games - show the temperature, video card load and FPS counter (called “Frame Rate” in the list). In the list of parameters, select the appropriate item and check the box Show in OED.

On the next tab, you can set shortcut keys for displaying the monitoring window in games. You can set any, for example, Ctrl + 0.

MSI provides the ability to adjust three parameters at once - the voltage of the phase-locked loop system, memory and graphics processor. But a common problem in Afterburner is that the sliders don't work.

To unlock Core Voltage, check the boxes in the settings - unlock voltage control and monitoring. If this does not help, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with all the ways to solve the problem of sliders not working.

Additional Tips and Features

In addition to standard technical characteristics, Radeon RX 580 video cards are endowed with unique properties that set them apart from available analogues from competitors.

• Availability of a powerful heat removal system. It consists not only of three copper-composite tubes, but also of a cooler equipped with 9-centimeter blades. The developers claim that the fan is 23% more efficient than similar offerings. Thanks to this, the RX 580 Samsung firmware for mining runs without problems.
• The ability to quickly determine how efficient the card will be in certain conditions. The LED indicator located at the bottom of the device helps to calculate the required indicators.
• Minimum noise level. The video card is easy to use for mining virtual currencies even at home. There will be no problems even if you connect several devices at once. How much or little each of them mines depends on specific conditions.
• A special interface that makes it easy to customize the device to personal preferences. You can adjust the supply voltage, cooler performance along with power and clock frequency.
• Availability of a special overclocking program, activated with one click. The settings are set by the user independently, on any video cards for mining.

To read: Profitability calculators for mining on video cards

In addition, there is a graphics card option, which is designated as DUAL. This is a more efficient version of the card based on the well-known chipset. And it also has its own characteristics.

1. A processor that produces an increased frequency of 1.38 GHz. Productivity also remains at a high level.
2. Sophisticated heat dissipation system. Optimized fans have reliable protection against dust penetration inside.
3. Availability of an overclocking utility that allows you to increase performance.
4. Optimal balance between price and performance.
5. At minimum and medium loads the noise level is very low. The fans operate in passive mode until the temperature exceeds 55 degrees. Even if any indicator of the video card is overclocked.

What else to consider when mining cryptocurrencies?

Purchasing video cards and calculating payback are steps that will not be enough to obtain stable results. It is worth taking into account the total cost of the farm, and this does not only apply to electricity consumption. Farms are often assembled with a base of six video cards, this allows you to save on costs in the future. The cost will depend on how much power the user needs. This also determines whether it will be more profitable to mine Ethereum and what indicators the payback will reach.

The more power, the more expensive components the owner requires. Because of this, the payback period changes, usually upward.

To increase the hashrate, it is recommended to set the appropriate frequency for the video memory. Flashing faster timings also gives good results, as noted by a large number of users. The main thing is to remember that working with the BIOS always remains a risky endeavor, the result of which may be the inability of the card to work. It is recommended to install firewood or drivers before mining.

In addition, you can lower the core frequency and then flash the BIOS - similar steps also give good results.

Different modifications lead to different effects. The firmware process will be safer if you follow the following recommendations:

• Saving the original file so that functionality can be quickly restored.
• Using original firmware. It is worth abandoning ready-made firmware for other video cards.
• Modified timing values ​​should be selected specifically for a particular type of memory. Then the video card will load correctly, even if you initially make mistakes when specifying certain numbers.

You can purchase video cards in online stores or by contacting regular sellers. Sometimes shipping costs make remote purchases not as profitable as we would like. It won't be difficult to find official drivers for AMD RX 580 mining.

Cooling system

Now it’s time to get acquainted with the ASUS ROG STRIX RX 580 cooling system in more detail, because the new product is equipped with a top-end cooler, which was also received only by the ROG STRIX GTX 1080 Ti model with a hotter and more aggressive disposition.

The new ROG STRIX series video cards are made in a 2.5-slot thick form factor, which, according to the developers, has made it possible to increase the size of the radiator surface by 40% compared to standard models. The increased area contributes to improved heat dissipation and cooling of the ASUS ROG STRIX RX 580.

Despite its colossal size, the graphics card cooler is secured with only four spring-loaded screws in the GPU area, supporting the enormous weight of the cooler. Two separate wires are responsible for the lighting and power supply to the fans.

Before us is a view of the company's latest engineering marvel. The cooler is a two-section radiator with 60 and 69 nickel-plated aluminum fins. All connections are carefully soldered, and overall the workmanship is at a high level.

The developers have been actively promoting "direct" contact technology, where the heat pipes contact directly the GPU, and seeing a single soldered plate is a surprise to us. The quality of workmanship is also pleasantly surprising: the base is heated to a mirror-like state with an ideal surface and no distortion.

Here's what the official portal says: “MaxContact is the name of a new technology for manufacturing the base of a copper radiator that is installed on the GPU. Having a smoother surface than conventional ones, such a radiator provides a larger contact area, which means better heat transfer.” The cooler is built on the basis of six heat pipes with a diameter of 6 mm each, that is, the general formula looks like “6x6”.

The upper edge of the radiator is equipped with mounts for standard three fans

They are protected by a decorative plastic casing. Illuminated stripes run along the perimeter from the inside.

Three Everflow fans are responsible for the active part. The side models are marked T129215SU, the central one is T129215SM. Characteristics 12 V at a current of 0.25 Ampere. Rotation speed is 0 – 3700 rpm. The turntables have an optimized impeller geometry with curved ends and IP5X certification (dustproof with extended service life).

In addition to the main cooler, the printed circuit board is covered by a flat radiator without fins, which removes heat from the video memory chips and power elements of the VRM zone. To increase efficiency, the power subsystem cooler contacts the main cooling system through an additional strip of thermal pad, which on our part is not the best solution.

The backplate performs a supporting function and does not participate in removing heat from the printed circuit board. In the front part there is an illuminated area for the ASUS ROG logo.