The first thing we must take into account before putting our computer to work is that, as we know, light is not exactly cheap. And this task consumes a large amount of watts as the hardware (specifically, the GPU) has to be running at full capacity 24×7. Therefore, from the profits that we can obtain, we will have to subtract the increase in the electricity bill, which can vary from month to month. It is profitable? Yes, but it is a factor to take into account that we cannot forget.
Another important aspect is that putting the computer to mine generates a lot of heat. But when we say a lot, it really is a lot. In winter we will not have problems, since, in addition, we will be able to save on heating. But when the first or summer arrives, either we have the isolated mining room, or we will be really hot.
In addition, putting an electronic component to work, continuously 24×7, and with high temperatures, is not good for its useful life. As time passes, the probability that something will go wrong increases and our graph is broken. This without taking into account that, after mining, these components lose performance when doing other tasks (such as playing games), so it will depreciate more and more. And the graphics is not that they are at their cheapest moment. If this component breaks, we will probably have to leave all the profits of the last 6 months to buy another GPU to continue mining.
Finally, we must bear in mind that what is worth $4,000 today may be worth $2,000 or less tomorrow. And the lower the value of the cryptocurrency we mine, the lower the income. If it falls a lot, we may even have losses one day due to the crazy price of electricity.
These are factors that, unless we make an investment in a mining RIG to go mining professionally, we must take into account. Rare is the person who, mining in these times, has managed to get rich or stop working.
Cryptocurrency mining programs
Next, we are going to see what are the most common programs that we can use to mine cryptocurrencies. Not all programs work for all currencies, that must be clear. And, when choosing between one or the other, we recommend where we can see the coins compatible with each of the programs.
We must also take into account that antivirus usually detect all these programs as threats potentials. This is because there are hackers who use these programs to remotely infect computers and use them to mine cryptocurrency from their accounts. Therefore, if we are going to use them, we have to make sure to place it in a folder added to the AV exclusion list to avoid problems. But never disable the antivirus.
CGMiner
CGMiner It is one of the oldest programs in cryptocurrency mining. This program is written in C and is multiplatform, being able to install it on any operating system. Its main feature is that it is designed to be used in dedicated mining systems, although we can also easily use it on any PC that has a GPU connected.
It is one of the best optimized programs, since instead of wasting resources to load a graphical interface, it is designed to be controlled by commands. When using it for the first time, it will ask us to enter the URL of the pool, of mining, as well as our username and password. All the cats generated will go directly to the pool, and it will be he who is in charge of accumulating our cryptocurrencies and making the payments when we reach the minimum amount of accumulated money.
This mining program is open source, and we can .
The best
This is an application that is developed in the popular C language and it is one of the oldest and best-known proposals in this sector. It has also been considered for a long time as one of the most optimized in terms of resource consumption and we can use it on multiple operating systems.
Worst
It is an application that we manage through commands instead of using a graphical interface, which is much more comfortable for most users. The use of commands will not please everyone.
EasyMiner
For users who do not handle a console well or who do not feel comfortable configuring the program from configuration files, it was born EasyMiner. This mining program has a very simple and intuitive graphical interface with which we will be able to start generating money as soon as possible.
This program includes two mining tools, CGminer (to mine Bitcoin) and CPUMiner (to mine Litecoin), which we can use simultaneously. In addition, it allows us to configure several ASIC equipment to mine, and easily join mining pools.
We can and realize that mining cryptocurrencies is not just a matter of four geeks.
Pros
If there is something that characterizes this proposal focused on mining cryptocurrencies, it is the ease of use that it provides us by default. For all this, it offers us a user interface that is very simple to use and intuitive for those with little experience in this type of process.
cons
Those who already have some experience in this type of mining, may prefer to use other more advanced and professional programs that allow them to have greater control.
BFGMiner
This program is based on CGMiner, but it is specially designed to work with ASIC mining hardware. If we don’t know what it is, an ASIC is an integrated circuit for specific applications, or what is the same, hardware designed to perform only a specific task in an optimal way, in this case, mining cryptocurrencies. This software has the most interesting features, such as the control of several ASIC groups, the possibility of easily joining mining pools, and even the possibility of dynamic overclocking and remote control of all equipment.
Unless we are going to mine with this type of equipment, BFGMiner It is not the best program that we can download and install at home. But, if we want it, on its main website we can find .
remarkable
Here we find an excellent tool specially designed to work with ASIC mining hardware. In this way we find a series of functions and tools specially designed for this type of mining, which will be very useful for experienced users.
less noticeable
There is no doubt that this is not a proposal that is already created for those who are entering cryptocurrency mining again, since they should opt for other simpler options.
Awesome Miner
Generally, most of the users will use one or two computers that we have at home to mine. But what if we want to carry out an operation on a larger scale? Awesome Miner It is a program that not only allows us to mine, but also allows us to control up to 25,000 computers dedicated to mining cryptocurrencies.
The purpose of this program is to avoid having to configure and control all these devices one by one, but instead we can have all of them controlled remotely through a very simple and intuitive interface. With this program we can also join a mining pool with all our devices, or use them on our own to generate cryptocurrencies by ourselves.
This program is in charge of controlling everything, from the hardware overclock to the optimal and most profitable coins that we can mine. And it is available for Windows and Linux, so if you want to start using it, you can go here for .
In favor
This is a software proposal that has been specially designed for all those who want to delve into large cryptocurrency mining projects. So that you can choose an idea of all its advantages, it is worth mentioning that from this software we can control a total of 25,000 mining equipment.
Against
This is a proposal that is especially suitable for all those who already have some experience in this type of task and want to go one step further to work on large projects.
MultiMiner
If you want to mine cryptocurrencies, but everything sounds like Chinese to you, then you should try MultiMiner. This is not a mining program like the previous ones, but, like EasyMiner, it has been designed as a graphical interface for BFGMiner. When running it for the first time, it allows us to see a configuration wizard from which we can start the program, register in the pool that we want, and start generating that extra income as soon as possible.
This program can be used both to mine using ASIC systems and to mine through the GPU of our computer. It is compatible with the main cryptocurrencies on the market, and includes the main mining algorithms so that we can choose the one we want to use.
From your website we can Of course, we remember that we will need additional software to start mining.
SHAMINING
SHAMINING is one of the best platforms for both advanced and beginner users, even first time miners. This web platform is designed to try to bring together all kinds of miners, both those who use ASIC equipment and those who prefer to use the power of the GPU to perform these calculations.
This platform has a very clear and easy-to-use interface, although it only allows Bitcoin (BTC) mining. However, the performance that users get is very high, and the payouts around GH/s are also quite high. In addition, we can use SHAMINING as an investment platform, renting mining equipment in the cloud and obtaining bonuses based on its performance without having to invest in very expensive hardware.
We can enter this platform.
Kryptex
One of the characteristics of this application for Windows is that it is capable of analyzing our hardware, calculating which is the most profitable currency, and starting to work on it. For this reason, it is one of the most interesting solutions for both advanced users and those who are taking their first steps in mining. To start working with it, all you have to do is download the program, create an account on the platform and put the hardware to work, nothing more. When we have generated sufficient payments we will be able to receive the payments.
Kryptex It allows us to control mining remotely from anywhere, and it even has one of the lowest withdrawal minimums: $0.5.
We can start working with this tool, and earn money.
Cudo Miner
If we should highlight something Cudo Miner is that this program is capable of mining using both the CPU and the GPU of the computer. In this way, we can select the most profitable component based on the currency that we are going to work with. In addition, it supports a large number of algorithms, which helps improve work performance (and therefore profits).
This program also stands out for being a very simple program to configure and start up, which can help beginners to take their first steps in the world of mining. It has a large number of additional functions (such as remote control,…