Category: Computer Build

After two weeks of stable operation, I decided to finally address the aforementioned issues, starting with the graphics card memory chip junction temperatures. This was by far the most complex issue, as there was no straightforward way to improve memory chip cooling.

With the system complete, this blog post recaps a few of the test results, issues and improvements to be made.

With the main computer built, it was time to finish the water cooling loop and the radiator configuration. In total, I had ordered one 380mm and one 240mm radiator, giving me a total of 620mm of radiator length, equivalent to 5 fans. The fans luckily came with the radiators upon purchase, saving me extra cost.

With a proof of concept of the graphics card cooling fully functional, and very promising noise levels, it was time to proceed with the first build. This would, in theory, eliminate the noise caused by the CPU cooler – which was ironically already “water cooled”, but with an “all-in-one” CPU cooler that was less than adequate for the power output.

I intend to make this post more of an image gallery rather than a step-by-step, since the build was very specific to the components used!

After successfully installing the water cooling block onto the graphics card, it was time to test the functionality and cooling performance.

After testing the new PC and verifying that everything worked as expected, the first step of the build was to install the cooling block onto the RTX 3080 and test the cooling.

Initial cost estimate

With a basic plan on how to proceed, it was time to make a list of parts and purchase them to start the project.

Constraints

My plan was to build a daily driver PC that would not distract me while still mining at maximum profitability and that would be easily transportable (in order to be able to bring it home and back over the holidays), all while operating at ideal temperatures and looking esthetically pleasing in the room.

Going pre-built: a solution to all the initial catches

Despite the multiple catches of building an cryptocurrency miner, I had never felt this close to making this project, which I had admittedly been thinking for many years, a reality. While the margin still seemed razor-thin, the idea of building a GPU miner was finally becoming attractive, for one main reason. A GPU miner would have uses other than mining, and would be a worthy purchase even without the mining. An ASIC miner, on the other hand, would be a complete loss of money if crypto lost all of its value or if the difficulty increased beyond profitability.

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