As cryptocurrency becomes increasingly prevalent in our popular discourse and the general public becomes more aware of it, questions arise about the digital currency’s potential negative impacts. In addition to concerns about the effects of cryptocurrency mining on the environment and that it’s causing global GPU shortages, many believe mining for cryptocurrency could cause damage to your graphics card.
But is this a valid concern for crypto miners, or just misinformation ricocheting through the news? If you’re interested in mining for cryptocurrency, whether it be Dogecoin, Ethereum or another currency, consider every possible risk and set yourself up with the right crypto mining rig to make the most of your effort. Read on to learn everything you need to know to get started on the right foot.
Crypto mining’s impact on your GPU
If you’re just starting to consider crypto mining, you may have heard rumors of hardware degradation, and you have every right to be concerned. You’ve invested time and money in getting your computer perfectly configured for your specifications. And if you’re an avid gamer, damaging your hardware is the last thing you’d want to do.
Luckily, crypto mining doesn’t necessarily cause any more damage to your GPU than racking up hours on a AAA game with outstanding graphics. As far as the GPU is concerned, it’s all the same computing tasks.
A study done by UFD Tech set out to see how exactly different tasks wore on GPUs. They found that there was very little difference in the performance between one that had mined for two years straight and one that had been used for occasional gaming. It seems that the wear comes from the amount of time you spend mining, as you’d expect—but even mining 24 hours a day for a few years straight shouldn’t affect performance much.
How to extend the life of your graphics card
The key to keeping your GPU in great working order is not to avoid intensive work like crypto mining or gaming, but to ensure your crypto mining rig is well prepared to support the labor. If you’re considering venturing into crypto mining, you’ll prolong your GPU’s lifespan significantly by taking excellent care of your heating and cooling systems. How do you do this?
- Clean GPU fans regularly to ensure they’re rotating properly and replace them if you notice they aren’t, even after cleaning.
- Keep drivers up to date.
- Make sure there’s sufficient room for airflow on all sides of your rig and try to keep cords well distributed.
If you’d like to seriously pursue mining, getting a dedicated crypto mining rig might be your best option. Because every rig is designed to optimize performance in a specific area, knowing exactly what kind of crypto mining you’d like to do and then customizing your setup to excel there will be a huge asset. If you’re interested in learning more about different types of crypto mining and how to build a rig that is well suited to the task, read all about it on our blog. And when you’re ready to get started, contact Geekforce.biz for tips or assistance in building the rig you need!