The efficiency of cryptocurrency mining depends on the performance of the equipment. The technical characteristics of video cards, ASICs, and processors are conditional. It is difficult to understand which parameters significantly influence the problem’s solution and how the equipment will behave at peak loads. Therefore, miners test equipment for performance using special software – a benchmark. The program loads computer components to the maximum and gives the result in relative units. Here we will tell you what a benchmark is in mining and how to test equipment with it. You must check how the video card behaves at peak loads and what hashrate it gives in operating mode.
- What is a benchmark in mining
- Processors
- Video cards
- Hard drives
- ASIC
- How to test equipment
- Parameters for tests
- Benchmarks
- Summary
- Frequently asked Questions
What is a benchmark in mining
A Cryptocurrency farm is a complex system with many parameters. It is not always clear how individual characteristics affect hash lookups. To determine the performance of a particular video card or processor model, they test and compare the obtained values with a reference one – a benchmark. The program gives the result in relative points.
Processors
To keep the equipment in working condition, it is necessary to conduct stress testing regularly. Such a check will allow you to timely detect a deviation from the norm of the processor temperature. The reason may be outdated drivers or cooling failure. In 2022, such benchmarks in CPU mining will be famous:
- Cinebench. The application works in 2 modes: Multi Core (uses available cores), and Single Core (1 computing unit is busy). The computer processes the specified 3D image. The program gives the result in relative units. The screen on the right displays a rating table with the most powerful processors. The user’s CPU is highlighted in orange. You can compare the technique with other models. Keep in mind that scores in Cinebench R20 are different from units in R21. You can only compare results in one program.
- AIDA64. The universal application tests the central processor, video card, and RAM. CPU AES mode determines mining efficiency. This is the global encryption standard for CPU-mined cryptocurrency algorithms. The program tests the CPU at peak loads. AES can be run in parallel with the primary task or separately.
- Prime95. The program evaluates the efficiency of mathematical calculations performed by the processor’s L1 and L2 cache memory. The software does not display the results window. The indicators must be monitored in real-time. It is necessary to abort the test if the temperature rises above 115 degrees.
- Linx. The application is used to overclock the central processors. A mining benchmark is needed to check the correctness of complex calculations. To do this, load the CPU and RAM. Linpack tests are a matrix of linear equations. You need to load the processor cores as much as possible to get a solution. The program will calculate the theoretical peak performance. The actual efficiency will be lower. The report will show the number of operations the CPU can perform and the number of errors.
Video cards
To evaluate the computational abilities of GPUs, benchmarks or miner programs are used. The first ones check the operation of video cards at peak loads. The latter determines the effectiveness of a specific task. The obtained data should be compared with the manufacturer’s standards. In 2022, most miners will use these benchmarks for video cards:
- Furmark. You can find the results of testing new video cards on the developer’s resource and in thematic blogs. The utility checks the stability of the GPU during peak loads. It is also used to evaluate the state of the kernel. For the convenience of users, the application contains test templates. It is necessary to mark the relevant one and start the process.
- Gfxbench. The application is compatible with Windows, Linux, and Android operating systems. The utility checks video cards in many ways; you can enable support for DirectX and OpenGL libraries. GFXBench includes 15 benchmarks. The program determines the relevant variant automatically.
- OCCT. Benchmark in mining operates in several modes. You can choose shaders and resolutions, temperature, and stress test time. The results are given in the tabular form. The user can compare the obtained values with the characteristics of other popular models.
Hard drives
The characteristics of drives may not correspond to those declared by the manufacturer. In this case, you should return the defective product. Benchmarks are used to check hard drives. In July 2022, the following programs will be famous:
- Crystal DiskMark. The utility randomly selects blocks to read from and write to disk. The user can adjust the file sizes and the number of data streams. After the end of the test, the program will issue a report – the actual speed of information processing under the given conditions.
- PCMark 8 Storage benchmark. The program is used for complex testing of a computer. The report displays the result in relative units and delays. You can also run the drive test mode (HDD and SDD). The utility simulates the operation of the Microsoft Office package, Adobe Photoshop, and estimates the speed of writing and reading data blocks of different sizes. These indicators determine the profitability of mining on a hard drive
- ATTO Disk Benchmark. One of the oldest utilities has not lost its relevance in 2022. To determine the read and write speed, the program uses data files with a size of 64 Kb-2 Gb and a request queue depth of 2-10 blocks. The user can define the block processing speed. The utility also shows the latency of calculations. The total time of the operation from start to finish will appear on the screen.
- If there is only one request in the queue, the next one will be executed only after the previous one. As the number of blocks increases, some operations take place simultaneously. Also, data reading can be started before completing the previous request. Performance can be improved by increasing the queue depth.
How to test equipment
Mining equipment should be checked for performance immediately after purchase. Used equipment is tested before the deal. The procedure is as follows:
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- Study the technique carefully. It is necessary to inspect the seals and check the connectors for burnout.
- Study the technical data sheet of the device or the specification on the developer’s resource.
- Determine the reference hash rate. You can find the traditional value of productivity and profit calculation at a given electricity price on online mining calculators.
- Check your BIOS settings to make sure there is no custom firmware.
- Find the ASIC serial number on the manufacturer’s website. The identifier will allow you to determine the date of manufacture and the ASIC model. The data sheet or the GPU-Z application can identify the graphics card.
Evaluate the potential of equipment using benchmarks. It is necessary to check the compliance of the parameters with the declared ones and compare these indicators with other models.
Parameters for tests
In mining, the equipment operates around the clock at peak loads. To maintain the working life of the video card, you need to test the indicators regularly. To do this, you can use any benchmark (for example, FurMark). To run a check, you need:
- Download the utility from the manufacturer’s website.
- Run installation. Activate Fullscreen to work in full-screen mode and at a resolution suitable for the monitor.
- Use default options or set average values.
- In the settings section, mark the necessary tests.
- In the menu, select Dynamic Background (to use the PC for other tasks during the scan), Burn-in, or Xtreme burn-in (for heavy or super-powerful workload).
- In the GPU Temperature Alarm tab, enter the peak temperature. When the indicator is reached, the system will emit a signal. The value must not exceed 90°C.
- Start the process by pressing Go.
You need to test for at least an hour. The program will issue a report that can be compared with the indicators of other devices. After checking the stability of the technique under peak loads, you can begin to evaluate the performance of solving cryptographic problems. For this, any miner program is suitable. One of the most popular in 2022 is NiceHash. The verification algorithm is as follows:
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- Download the program from the developer’s resource. The utility is distributed free of charge.
- Install the application. Agree to the terms of service. You will also need to select the interface language and add NiceHash to the list of antivirus exclusions.
- Enter the address of the cryptocurrency wallet.
- The program should detect mining equipment. At the same time, automatic loading of additional software for working with a separate algorithm can start.
- The application will start checking the efficiency of mining equipment (the stage is called “benchmark”). Equipment parameters (hashrate, temperature, fan speed, supply voltage) can be viewed in the Devices item.
- Start mining. The equipment should work within 24-48 hours. The statistics will calculate the average rate of cryptocurrency mining.
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Benchmarks
When stress testing, you must ensure the technique is stable. There should be no freezes, random reboots, or any errors. Performance is evaluated in relative units – points. You can find test results for each GPU and CPU model in popular applications on the developer’s resource.
The hash rate depends on the cryptocurrency algorithm. Reference values for each coin can be viewed in the mining calculator of the selected pool.
Summary
Mining employs technically complex equipment with many characteristics. Estimating which of them will be more effective for finding a valid hash is not easy. Therefore, the equipment is run through special software that loads the system to the maximum (benchmark).
Testing under the same conditions allows you to find the most powerful equipment for mining coins. Each model’s benchmark can be viewed on the developer’s website or in the mining calculator. Benchmarks also allow you to find problems in the system. If the tests show a deviation from the standard of more than 10%, you need to check the cooling and connection of the farm and update the drivers. The problem can also be related to unstable internet.
