best litecoin mining card for under $125

[aidenrelkoff]

like the title says, what would be the bets card? would a 7770 be fine?

[DoubleY]

I guess. But I would save for at least a R9 270

[helping]

Just for mining? I wouldn't bother

 

but you can probably find a 7850 or 7790 if you look around

[dizmo]

Scour the used market and you'll be surprised what you can find.

My dad picked up 2 6970's for $125.

[aidenrelkoff]

I guess. But I would save for at least a R9 270

 

 

Just for mining? I wouldn't bother

 

but you can probably find a 7850 or 7790 if you look around

 

 

Scour the used market and you'll be surprised what you can find.

My dad picked up 2 6970's for $125.

 

so something like this? http://www.ncix.ca/products/?sku=8888111447&vpn=900621&manufacture=Visiontek%20Canada

[helping]

so something like this? http://www.ncix.ca/products/?sku=8888111447&vpn=900621&manufacture=Visiontek%20Canada

mhm

[dizmo]

I'd try and find a used one though.

[SAV1OUR]

Scour the used market and you'll be surprised what you can find.

My dad picked up 2 6970's for $125.

your dad has a mining rig? your dad sounds awesome ._. i brought up making a rig and my parents were like nope nope nope you already have your own pc thats enough can you adopt me please? 

[dizmo]

your dad has a mining rig? your dad sounds awesome ._. i brought up making a rig and my parents were like nope nope nope you already have your own pc thats enough can you adopt me please? 

 

Haha, nah he put them into one of his gaming rigs. But it does show deals are out there to be had.

He is pretty awesome though. He has 3 gaming rigs of his own and probably enough (older) parts to build 4 or 5 more.

...he's more into gaming than I am.

[SAV1OUR]

Haha, nah he put them into one of his gaming rigs. But it does show deals are out there to be had.

He is pretty awesome though. He has 3 gaming rigs of his own and probably enough (older) parts to build 4 or 5 more.

...he's more into gaming than I am.

you sure you dont want to adopt a pikechu? i make a great family pet 

[RuecanOnRails]

Find cards within your budget, look at comparison guides to get a rough estimate at what the various cards might get in terms of hashrate. Then do some math and find the hashrate per $ ratio. That's the easiest way to find out which card is the "best" for mining.

 

Remember mining is so intense that it will push the thermal limits of any GPU. Make sure the card(s) you buy have good coolers. The single center fan visiontek you posted might not be that great at dissipating the heat.

[dizmo]

you sure you dont want to adopt a pikechu? i make a great family pet 

 

There's an older family dog you have to compete with. She hates anything new. She'd devour you

When she dies I'll bring up adoption.

[scaryjam823]

Find cards within your budget, look at comparison guides to get a rough estimate at what the various cards might get in terms of hashrate. Then do some math and find the hashrate per $ ratio. That's the easiest way to find out which card is the "best" for mining.

 

Remember mining is so intense that it will push the thermal limits of any GPU. Make sure the card(s) you buy have good coolers. The single center fan visiontek you posted might not be that great at dissipating the heat.

I'm not so sure about this. While gaming my graphics card sits at about 75c, while mining 24/7 it sits at 60c-65c at 90% usage.

[DIRTYHACKEROOPS]

Spend a bit more (quite a bit more) and get a lot more! I use one sapphire toxic and look at the kh/s i can get! and the temps at 55% fan speed are pretty good too!

My friend achieves about 300kh/s with a Gigabyte Windforce R9 270X and I spent a little more and get 720kh/s using an Sapphire Toxic R9 280X.

Honestly just put a bit more money towards it and get one of those!

Good luck in the future!

Screenshot Link: http://snag.gy/5XVXX.jpg

[Kiwiandapple]

I'm not so sure about this. While gaming my graphics card sits at about 75c, while mining 24/7 it sits at 60c-65c at 90% usage.

 

That's mostly because your fan just is not spinning up as much during gaming. While it does do that during mining. 

[scaryjam823]

That's mostly because your fan just is not spinning up as much during gaming. While it does do that during mining. 

Spins at exactly the same speed. The fan speed is determined by temperature curve, not usage. IE if my fan hits 60% usage at 70 degrees Celsius, it doesn't matter how I hit that temperature. It doesn't make a difference if I'm gaming or doing graphical work, mining or anything else. It would always hit 60% fan speed at 70c regardless of the task that got it there. Even if I didn't know that I monitor all my temps and usage on my keyboard including fan speeds. 

[Kiwiandapple]

Spins at exactly the same speed. The fan speed is determined by temperature curve, not usage. Even if I didn't know that I monitor all my temps and usage on my keyboard including fan speeds. 

 

That makes no sense.

Your fan speed is determined by temps, yet while gaming your cards run hotter while on the same fan speed. Shouldn't your fans spin quicker when gaming then?  

[scaryjam823]

That makes no sense.

Your fan speed is determined by temps, yet while gaming your cards run hotter while on the same fan speed. Shouldn't your fans spin quicker when gaming then?  

Just because it runs hotter doesn't mean the fan spins faster, it depends on your temperature curve. And you just contradicted yourself by saying that they get hotter while gaming, yet earlier you implied opposite.  :huh:

[Kiwiandapple]

Just because it runs hotter doesn't mean the fan spins faster, it depends on your temperature curve. And you just contradicted yourself by saying that they get hotter while gaming, yet earlier you implied opposite.  :huh:

 

You said: 

Gaming 75C. Mining 60/65C. 

 

Where my tought was, your fans just spin more during mining. Wich my card does, to keep the tempatures under control. 

 

Where you implied it does not. That they both spin at the same speed during mining/gaming. 

As well you said, "nop - fan speed is based on tempatures". So this means, that during mining your fans spin slower, then when gaming. 

But you said they spin at the same speed. So, yeah... who is contradicting himself here? 

 

It's pretty darn confusing for me lol. 

Anyway, it's a little off topic so let's just forget about it haha. 

[scaryjam823]

You said: 

Gaming 75C. Mining 60/65C. 

 

Where my tought was, your fans just spin more during mining. Wich my card does, to keep the tempatures under control. 

 

Where you implied it does not. That they both spin at the same speed during mining/gaming. 

As well you said, "nop - fan speed is based on tempatures". So this means, that during mining your fans spin slower, then when gaming. 

But you said they spin at the same speed. So, yeah... who is contradicting himself here? 

 

It's pretty darn confusing for me lol. 

Anyway, it's a little off topic so let's just forget about it haha. 

...I can change my temperature curve so my fans run at 40% until my graphics card hits 80c if I want to. I can't help that you can't understand this. All graphics cards have different temperature curves. A temperature curve is how fast the fan will spin at whatever degrees. I can have any degree gap in my fan speeds I desire and change it whenever I want. This really isn't that difficult you just are misinformed.

[Kiwiandapple]

...I can change my temperature curve so my fans run at 40% until my graphics card hits 80c if I want to. I can't help that you can't understand this. All graphics cards have different temperature curves. A temperature curve is how fast the fan will spin at whatever degrees. I can have any degree gap in my fan speeds I desire and change it whenever I want. This really isn't that difficult you just are misinformed.

 

I completely understand the fan curve and speeds etc, however you set it. I just don't understand how your card runs cooler during mining while having the same fan speed. 

 

Mining load is a constant 90+ % useage. Meaning same fan speed - about same tempature. It swaps for me depending on ambient temps. 

Gaming load is a very flexible % useage. Meaning often less demanding on the card. But more flexible fan speeds. So a more unstable tempature. 

[Shakaza]

Spins at exactly the same speed. The fan speed is determined by temperature curve, not usage. IE if my fan hits 60% usage at 70 degrees Celsius, it doesn't matter how I hit that temperature. It doesn't make a difference if I'm gaming or doing graphical work, mining or anything else. It would always hit 60% fan speed at 70c regardless of the task that got it there. Even if I didn't know that I monitor all my temps and usage on my keyboard including fan speeds.

But the temperature is directly influenced by usage. While playing games, there won't be as much usage because most games don't need to use every bit of power the card has to offer. While mining, the temperature should be higher at the same fan speed because there are more bits of the gpu that need to be used, inevitably producing more heat to be dissipated by the fans. What you're saying isn't making sense.

[scaryjam823]

I completely understand the fan curve and speeds etc, however you set it. I just don't understand how your card runs cooler during mining while having the same fan speed. 

 

Mining load is a constant 90+ % useage. Meaning same fan speed - about same tempature. It swaps for me depending on ambient temps. 

Gaming load is a very flexible % useage. Meaning often less demanding on the card. But more flexible fan speeds. So a more unstable tempature. 

Now we can agree on something because honestly I have no idea how it runs cooler when mining either. That's something I have tried to figure out but it's just a mystery.

[Kiwiandapple]

Now we can agree on something because honestly I have no idea how it runs cooler when mining either. That's something I have tried to figure out but it's just a mystery.

 

Your temps are fine so it's not to much to worry about and i'm sorry for the confusing I caused.

 

Try to set your fan speed at a fixed % and then game for a good 15-30mins and check the temp report. It should fly around a good amount. Depending on the game load the temps are higher and lower. 

Then go mine and look at the tempatures. I am not sure what software you use to mine but I had my cgminer.conf file my fans on non-auto and the fan speed was set at 100%, so they just ran on 100% all the time. (Wich I changed now to stress the fan alot less.) So not sure if that is the case, but you could check that.  

[scaryjam823]

Your temps are fine so it's not to much to worry about and i'm sorry for the confusing I caused.

 

Try to set your fan speed at a fixed % and then game for a good 15-30mins and check the temp report. It should fly around a good amount. Depending on the game load the temps are higher and lower. 

Then go mine and look at the tempatures. I am not sure what software you use to mine but I had my cgminer.conf file my fans on non-auto and the fan speed was set at 100%, so they just ran on 100% all the time. (Wich I changed now to stress the fan alot less.) So not sure if that is the case, but you could check that.  

It's all good, I wasn't worried bout the temps. I can run my fans at a fixed 70% and it keeps it pretty cool, I use  cudaminer to mine and have my cpu help a little.  100% fan speed with the acx cooler is loud as all get out, it cools it down about 20c lower so that's good. But it sounds like a jet engine taking off