( 08th September 2019 )
Setting-up Operating System (OS)
Mining software can be run on multiple platforms and operating systems. Windows 7/8/10 are all supported by most mining software and pools. In addition, several Linux distributions also have support including customize OS with the mining software built into it such as EthOS. A Windows installation or standalone Linux install will allow for more flexibility then running say EthOS as you can install several different mining software and switch based on profitability and stability. However, if you just plan to mine one coin, using something like EthOS is likely to be more stable. The profitability really will not fluctuate much and this is more of a user preference. Prior to installing your operating system, it is best to update the firmware of your BIOS, as doing this after a Windows installation may cause some issues or you may have to re-do any settings or configurations. Once complete, you can move forward to the OS install.
Installing Drivers & Firmware
Once you’ve chosen and installed your operating system, it is important to update all of your drivers, firmware, and get the most up to date versions of software that support the hardware you are using. While most hardware will work “out of the box” with OS drivers, up to date versions will be more stable and allow for more tweaking. Like for an example, going from the default VEGA drivers to the updated AMD mining drivers saw a 20% increase in hashrate and considerable reduction in power consumption. This drastically increase the profitability of your mining rig. You may want to steer clear of alpha/beta or non-confirmed drivers and software unless they are the only ones that provide support for the hardware you are using. These pre-stable release versions can cause crashes and downtime for your rig. Once you have a working set of drivers, and a stable environment it is recommended to do a backup of all settings and/or do a full image backup of your hard drive. You don’t want to be repeating this timely process again in the event of a system or hardware failure.
Comments