Building a Mining Rig for Complete Newbs:

16 min readJul 29, 2018

How I built my first mining rig ever, to mine Hycon

Let me open this article with the preface that for all intent and purposes, I have absolutely zero experience with assembling computers, and even less experience with how to code, so when I decided to build my first crypto mining rig ever, hoping to run it on Linux, I was entering a world of computing, which up until now I have only heard mentioned in obscure conversations.

I have chosen to take on the challenge, however, in part because I trust my common sense and my ability to follow instructions. I also tend to welcome a good challenge and the opportunity to learn something new.

For those with reading attention spans of 5 year olds, I would like to issue a warning at the present time, that this will most likely be a longer text as I would like to grind down the details of the mining rig assembly as well as my reasons for choosing Hycon as my first coin to mine.

Mining Hycon

Similarly to Bitcoin, Monero and Litecoin, Hycon is a coin. It is not an ERC20 token run on the Ethereum network, nor is it a token dependent on another blockchain. It operates on the blockchain developed by the Infinity Project, which in itself makes the coin appealing to mine. Hycon, which had its Initial Coin Offering in the early months of 2018,

“…is the digital asset built on top of a faster and more scalable blockchain developed by the Infinity Project team. Using a DAG (Directed Acyclic Graph) structure, it has the capability to publish several blocks simultaneously with the ability to resolve conflicting transactions and reject double-spends through the SPECTRE consensus algorithm.”

Readers interested in digging further into the details of the Hycon project are welcome to take a look at the projects whitepaper. Those seeking a quick summary before moving down in this article for the beefy details of building a mining rig, will be graced with the bare minimum of explanatory necessities.

What is the Infinity Project?

The Infinity Project’s goals are summarised simply by these 5 points:

1. Identify actual market needs for a cryptocurrency.

2. Develop a cryptocurrency that is flexible.

3. Create user-centric blockchain platform.

4. Develop an ecosystem that promotes sustainable innovation.

5. Investigate methods for a decentralized cryptocurrency exchange.

The Infinity Project has set a high standard for their goals by addressing the standing issue of mass adoption of cryptocurrencies. Presently, cryptocurrencies are used by a very small number of people globally, a number which some guestimate to be no more than 3% of the overall world’s population. This number of course does not include the underbanked parts of our society for whom access to banking and world finances is still out of reach and which means that the potential for growth within the financial sector of cryptocurrencies is still vast and ready for exploration.

While Bitcoin is hailed as the king of crypto and, by some, equated in value to gold, its transaction times make it virtually impossible for Bitcoin to be adopted as the main source of potential currency exchange. This is precisely where HYCON as a cryptocurrency stands out with the use of DAG technology, best explained by the Hycon Dev team.

Hycon is designed to be fast, cheap, scalable and safe, making it the prime target for the adoption and usage in a broad variety of real-world situations, which should solve the apparent problem of HODLing. A selected number of Crypto evangelists propose that HODLing, the idea of holding on to your cryptocurrency assets in face of bear markets and sustained financial losses, is one of the main causes for the present devaluation of the cryptocurrency market. To HODL means to not spend, and it is no secret that in order for a market to flourish it must be active. I am not suggesting that people should sell their crypto assets during bear markets, that would clearly be bad advice, but in order for cryptocurrencies to be seen as a form of payment, people need to start using it in such a way rather than just holding onto it in hope to exchange it for fiat once the Cryptocurrency market recovers.

The underlying Infinity blockchain on which HYCON is built, has been designed with an interchangeable, modular structure, which will allow for the facilitation and the easy adoption as well as alteration of the underlying technology to suit the needs of specific industries within which the Infinity blockchain and thus by extension HYCON will be used. This means that HYCON by extension of the Infinity blockchain, has the potential to be used throughout a broad range of industries, increasing the coins usability and the possibility of its adoption into the mainstream payment system.

But the HYCON coin is just one of several aspects of development of the Infinity project.

“The goal of our Infinity Platform research is to create a platform that is intuitive to use and one that can be implemented in various ways. Example use cases for the Infinity Platform include: implementing a secure cryptocurrency based on HYCON that is fast and cheap to use as a means to exchange value; the creation of decentralized corporate ledgers to enhance information security and facilitate more efficient data storage and transmission; and 10 adding cryptographic security to stock exchanges. Potential use cases and innovations built with the Infinity Platform are vast, and can adapt to offer potential users the flexibility to create the blockchain solution they need.”

It’s not just a coin to be traded on the cryptocurrency market although that most definitely is an asset. It’s a technology with vast potential and a team that aims to make the project accessible to a broad range of industrial sectors ranging from banking to transportation, and even apparently mundane everyday things like in store purchases.

The project is still quite new, and mining HYCON is still quite profitable at such early stages, which is why now is the best time to get in on the fun. The release of an Infinity Decentralized Exchange, and the use of atomic swaps, allowing crypto holders to use HYCON to exchange it into multiple other currencies thus making it a true medium of exchange, should render HYCON one of the most profitable coins for mining.

And this is precisely why I have decided to take on the challenge of building a mining rig.

Building the Rig

Despite what you may have heard and in the face of all the hallaballo, there are essentially two main parts to building a mining rig, the hardware assembly and the software programing. Contrary to what I thought and what many who have not yet taken the plunge may believe, assembling the hardware is the easy part. Figuring out the software is where things can get really tricky.

I will start this part of the article by providing my readers with all the nitty gritty details of how I assembled my first ever AMD GPU mining rig to mine the HYCON coin.

Hardware Assembly

As I am based in South Korea, and all my hardware purchases were conducted using a local supplier, my pricing will be provided in the local denomination, the South Korean Won. The overall cost of all the hardware essential for mining came out to 900,680 Won, which is roughly $900USD. The exchange rates vary based on price fluctuations but for the purpose of simplification, I will use a 1:1 exchange ratio.

The internet and especially youtube, are your best friends when it comes to finding out about, well anything I presume, but especially when it comes to learning about computer related issues. Often times you will find articles that describe in detail what type of hardware is required but will sometimes make mistakes in the type of hardware discussed and the pictures of the hardware used in the article, which can be confusing. Here you will find the exact details and names of all the hardware I have put together for my first crypto mining rig for the HYCON coin.

The reason why I chose to use these components to assemble my first rig is that they may be the most profitable for the mining of Monero, and since HYCON uses the cryptonight mining algorithms which were initially designed for Monero, it made sense to start here. This particular built is also well suited for mining Ethereum, versatility which made it even more attractive, just in case I decided to mine Ethereum instead. However a mining rig built to mine Ethereum would have to be a lot more expensive as it would require a lot more hashing power thus more graphic cards. The built I presently describe has only one graphic card, but can hold up to 5 additional GPU’s bringing the total up to 6 GPU’s.

So let’s get started.

#1 AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB

This beauty is said to cost around $290, which unfortunately for me was not the case. I ordered the Sapphire Radeon RX580 through one of Koreas largest computer suppliers Danawa with a price tag of 470,400 Won, we will simplify to roughly $470USD. This, however, is the most expensive piece of equipment for this built and if you shop around, I am sure you will be able to find one for less.

It is possible to use the MSI Redon GPUs for this built, but you may find that due to their popularity their availability may be rather spotty. The Sapphire should lead similar results with the additional flash effect of a nice glow effect.

You can find the Sapphire on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2JuQorR

Or the Korean Danawa site, which may only be helpful if you’re in Korea I assume:

#2 Motherboard

The mother board is the second most expensive piece of hardware, yet perhaps the most important one. The type of the motherboard you use, will essentially determine the size and thus profitability of your mining rig. The Asus Prime H270-Plus allows us to connect a total of 6 GPU’s and unless you are planning on investing heavily from the onset of your adventure, starting off with this motherboard should provide you with plenty of room to expand.

I have chosen the ASUS PRIME H270-PLUS iBORA, with a price tag of 133,350 Won, roughly $130USD, which at the moment, can be found on Amazon for a little less than $100USD, and can be found here: https://amzn.to/2LUFuxA

#3 Processor

Can’t run a computer without a processor. Unless you are planning on mining with the CPU processor, which you of course can, this particular part of the build does not need to be of the high end type. With its 2.9GHZ, the ‘Intel BX80677G3930 7th Gen Celeron Desktop Processors’ is plenty enough to run support the motherboard and still generate a slim 25h/s if you choose to mine with it. In Korea this this piece set me back 51,000 Won or roughly $50USD, but can be acquired for much less here: https://amzn.to/2uUERhb

If you do decide to splurge on a higher end mining CPU, which by all means you can, with the ‘Intel Core i7–8700K Desktop Processor 6 Cores up to 4.7GHz Turbo Unlocked LGA1151 300 Series 95W’ here: https://amzn.to/2K2habj

#4 RAM

An 8gb stick of ram should do the trick. Since RAM directs the speed of your mining rig, it is necessary to have a sufficient amount of it installed. Although one 4 GB RAM stick will suffice, I myself went with a generic 8 GB RAM, which set me back a whooping 90,000 Won or $90 USD. A good mining RAM stick can be gotten here: https://amzn.to/2K2hVkw

#5 Storage

I remember when 1 Terabite of HDD space cost close to $1000 US, which now seems like a very long time ago. Things have changed over last two odd decades. With the newly emerging technologies, the prices of memory storage have gone down drastically and it is now possible to get a high end 1 Terabyte HDD storage device for under $100. For our purpose an SSD (Static Storage Device) is what we are after. Unlike the HDD, the SSD does not have any moving parts and thus is much quicker in its functionality. Also, since we are going to be mining only, our space requirements are modest. A 120GB SSD will be enough to supply your rig with enough storage to install Operating System of your choosing, I recommend Windows 10 which is available for free on the Microsoft download page. I was able to scoop up a Samsung V-NAND SSD 850 Sata 3 drive for 59,100 won or roughly $58 USD.

It’s a little bit more on Amazon at the present moment but considering the relatively lower cost for all other components in this set up, having to pay the additional $10 will not put a dent in your pocket: https://amzn.to/2LImzco

#6 Power Supply

Next on the list is the power supply. Running only 1 GPU will not cause any significant power problems. You may be quite comfortable using a 320 watt power supply unit you may have dug out of an old computer, I will talk about that a bit later. If you’re planning on scaling up relatively quickly then a 1000 watt PSU should do the trick, if however, you are content with a 1 GPU rig set up for the time being, then a happy medium will do. I use a 500 watt PSU, which will be enough to run 2 additional GPU’s on if I manage to scrape the cash together to purchase some. At present Amazon seems to have only a 650 watts PSU, which at a cost of $65 USD should be sufficient for our purposes: https://amzn.to/2K0Gn65

#7 Risers

Normally, a GPU is plugged in directly into the motherboard, which means that there is a tight limit to how many GPU’s can be installed onto a motherboard at one time, usually 2 at most, maybe 3 if your motherboard is long enough, as GPU’s are quite bulky. With the help of Risers, it is possible to plug in up to 12 GPU’s per motherboard, depending on the make of the motherboard of course. Personally, running only 1 GPU, a Riser is not necessary but proofs to be helpful in reducing the heat generated by the close proximity of the GPU to the CPU if the GPU is plugged into the motherboard. Using a Riser allows for the GPU to be mounted on the mining rig frame and away from the motherboard, which ultimately separates these heat sources. Risers can be picked up in packs of 6 or individually. My riser set me back 5,060 Won or about $5. Individual risers can be found here: https://amzn.to/2LW48xO

#8 Mining Rig

The mining rig can be obtained in one of two ways, either through purchase or own built. Although the rig I use had a reasonable price tag of 25,000 won or approximately $25 USD, the actual built is somewhat questionable. Had I had more experience with rig building I would have gone with something more expensive and ultimately more practical. Amazon seems to supply a decent looking rig for a price of $37 USD, that closely resembles the $25USD I spent, yet offers a better quality for the buck: https://amzn.to/2mNmUwh

If, however you are leaning more towards the adventurous side of this game and would like to build one yourself, here is a simple quick video on how to build a simple and inexpensive mining rig: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YMxGGXme8g&t=192s&list=PLPQqOGiFlhDqZTXpm2Q_kpZ-RG_hr0wdo&index=4

#9 Power Buttons

The motherboard comes without an on/off switch, which means you will need to acquire one before you can even start your rig. Once again you can either purchase a simple button here: https://amzn.to/2LODKJg, for a price of $5 USD or do what I did and get a hold of an old desktop computer and use its on/off switch with your newly built mining rig.

To install a power button is quite simple, but you need to be able to locate the corresponding pins on the motherboard to which you will have to connect the switch cables. For all such nitty gritty details, YouTube is your friend and you should make plenty of use of this amazing collection of knowledge. Your other option is to shoot me a direct message and will be more than happy to help.

Software Installation

Since we have already gone through all the trouble of listing the necessary hardware to build a mining computer from scratch, we will have to decide on the correct operating system to use with our rig.

Linux vs. Windows

The simple answer is Windows. It is free, unless you want to activate it, and it is easy to use. Personally I thought Linux would be the way to go. I installed the newest version of Ubuntu 18.04, and spent close to 3 weeks trying to figure out the coding necessary to turn my rig profitable. I think I got close, but honestly cannot say for certain. I chatted with the dev Hycon Dev team and the dev team from Glosfer and the Infinity Project, all to no avail. They were more than helpful in trying to get things going for me and I have syphoned countless hours out of their time schedules. There were nights when I used to leave my office at 2am having spent the last 5 hours chatting on telegram with one of the dev’s. In the end I was told that perhaps switching to Windows may not be such a bad idea.

Once I installed Windows 10, it took me roughly 30 minutes to have everything up and running. No exaggeration. But I would not trade those 3 weeks of Linux struggle for anything in the world. I realised how much fun coding actually is, and I am most likely going to invest some more time in an attempt to expand the little Linux knowledge I have gained within this short period of time.

So the final judgement is Windows!!! For its simplicity of usage. Leave Linux for another time when you decide to learn something new.

Launching the Hycon Miner

Once Windows is installed, you will need to download the actual Hycon miner, which can be found through the Hycon GitHub depository.

AMD miner: https://github.com/Team-Hycon/xmrig-amd

CPU miner: https://github.com/team-hycon/hycon-core/releases

It is possible to have both running at the same time, although this particular CPU will lead below average hash rates, but you will have always more room on the motherboard to install additional GPU’s

The files can be downloaded as zip files onto your computer, then unzipped, saving the files into a folder of your choice, and if everything is hooked up correctly the exe files should launch without any problems.

When starting the miner for the first time, the program will ask you to create a password at which point it will generate a wallet for you which you then can use to collect your mined Hycons.

Once you start mining, you will be able to check the status of your wallet in a number of ways, either directly through localhost:2042 which should initialise once you activate the miner or http://hplorer.com.

I would also recommend that you join a mining pool as this will increase your chances of successfully mining. Presently there are two Hycon mining pools, neither one of them are officially hosted by the Hycon project, but rather managed by some of the Hycon dev team members. You can join their telegram chat groups which is the best way of getting help with any issues that may arise.

FreeHycon mining pool

You can view and join @freehycon right away.

t.me

MineHycon.com

Official Telegram Chat for minehycon.com. Join us at minehycon.com, see How to Connect for more info. (2018-07-24)…

t.me

You can find more specific details at the official Hycon article on Medium: https://medium.com/@teamhycon/so-you-want-to-start-mining-hycon-cde87a4cf58f

Making money with Cryptocurrencies

Whether you are trading, HODLing, investing in ICO’s, building mining rigs or enjoying the many different ways of benefitting from crypto dividends to increase your crypto profitability, one thing is certain. Blockchain and cryptocurrencies are here to stay. The revolution has come and it is up to us to embrace this new technology and bring it to the doorstep of the world’s population.

Here are some more profitability opportunities, contracts that will pay out dividends from investments:

https://goo.gl/7PHnnd

https://goo.gl/2hhi8g

If you are like me, you will enjoy the idea of building a passive income that one day may allow you to live a life of semi leisure engaged with the pursuit of the things that make you happy rather than things that need to be done to make a living.