So I could use some help, im a huge fan of the Zcash project and my current circumstances allow me a free power bill. Im sure you can guess where im going with this.
Im looking to get a little rig that doesnt generate too much noise and doesnt have too high of a cost to get started.
I appreciate the help!
Ive been told that z9 minis are not too loud, I see theyre not too cheap either. But if its worth it I can swing it. IF thats the way to go, do I need a certain OS to connect to it? (using a mac) . I dont know shit. haha. 
I’d suggest building a small GPU rig to play with, it wont make $$ but is extremely flexible and you can play/learn on all sorts of projects - you can also install nodes/wallets etc.
ASICs are pricey and only do one thing for one type of coin, but if you’re planning to go large on this they’re the most efficient. Plenty of info here on the economics/returns you can expect - these days it a’int much!
Alright good to know. Ill do some research. Im not opposed to the ASICs, i am thinking long term investment wise which is why im here as opposed to other cypto communities. How much more of a magnitude of returns do you get in comparison from ASICs to GPUs? I see also that new miners come out, or coins fork, and the game changes completely, so I take that in as a factor of risk and choice to be made. While doing a shopping search on Z9 minis I also saw how prices are all over the place, and finding a legit rig might not be easy (Bitmain wasnt selling z9’s where i looked.)
Sounds like you’re on the right track - there’s a huge thread on here about ASIC mining.
GPU mining ZEC isnt worth it, but you can mine other things and buy ZEC with it. With crypto prices down so much you’re prob better off buying coins rather than hardware to mine with.
Understood. Didnt hardware prices appreciate with coin prices during the 2017 boom? I thought i read miners were selling 3x value back then.
Also, may have found a z9 on a local marketplace for $400, is that a good deal for used?
That boom was largely driven by GPU demand, since the ASIC manufacturers have started making equipment faster and for more coins GPU mining has slowed down and prices have gone back to normal levels.
As ChileBob mentioned, mining can be a interesting hobby, I ran a few mining rigs a couple years ago. But if you are getting into it just to make a profit you should know that having one or two machines (ASICs on Zcash) may not break even with electric costs, but may not apply to you if you have “free” power. Unfortunately big players can afford lots of machines and have cheap electricity which squeezes out any profit for the little guys.
If you are interested in the Zcash tech you might enjoy setting up a node (not mining) and learning how to send/receive/use Zcash. You can even get a few bucks for free to start with: https://www.coinbase.com/earn/zcash/
2 Likes
How much free electricity can you get per hour in kw/h? To begin with this. And are you sure the “free access” will be long term or long enough to make investement in hardware returning the initial investment?
2 Likes
At that price you should just buy ~7 zec directly.
3 Likes
Good point, and im not sure exactly how much power i can pull out. Ideally im not trying to draw out too much power, if I do that ill be turning some heads and im just trying to keep it under the radar. Im just going a year by year lease.
As Root below mentioned I could just buy 7 (or 8 ) zcash directly instead of mining currently, how long would it take for a single z9 to mine 8 zec?
I personally by today would go with “buy directly” and forget about mining, especially asics. Just my 2 cents.
3 Likes
Is there any difference between Zcash and BTC mining?
I would follow that suggestion 100%.
In anycase with todays difficulty it would be around 10 ZEC a year mined with a z9 mini.
If you’d start today and check after a year I’d say 7-8 ZEC MAX and 500-800$ in eletric cost.
Buying directly is more effective: you have the coins right away, no studying pools and all basic knowledge for mining, no noise, no bills and no heat.
2 Likes
Thanks all I appreciate the input. Right now at current prices buying directly is the move. However if prices spike (im optimistic), then a $400 rig would pay for itself in a year or less no problem (with free power), right?
Also part of this is just wanting to help the cause and participate, and someone else suggested running a node. is there benefits for running a node? payouts?
There are benefits to running a Node like being able to use Private Z addresses as well as supporting the network by verifying transactions. But no, it doesn’t pay anything.
1 Like
Thats linux only, correct? i just got a big stupid mac.
The Zcash QT wallet runs on Mac, has a full Node, and will let you connect to it with and Android phone (if you have one)
1 Like
Something like that - Zcash uses the Equihash algorithm, which isn’t compatible with ASIC equipment, a high-powered mining rig commonly used with bitcoin. Instead, Zcash relies on RAM requirements, making it incompatible with ASIC. This allows to use a more basic setup, including CPUs or GPUs, which decreases potential startup costs.
a small GPU rig is a real thing! Recommended