Want "free" PC games? You can get them by letting a German company mine on your GPU

Kukielka · May 25, 2018

22 minutes ago, Morgan MLGman said:

So considering that you're paying ~4$ (along with the rest of the rig) for a 10$ game is a bad deal to you?
You're also forgetting one thing - electricity is sometimes paid as a fixed amount of money if you live in a block of flats. So no matter how much you draw, you pay the same amount. You're also not taking into consideration renewable resources like solar panels etc, people mining at work with their rigs etc. You cannot generalize like that judging solely on your own situation in terms of electricity as there's too many different people and different places in the world to have such a narrow point of view.

Also, what does being a forum moderator have to do with any of it?

1. I never said it is a bad deal, all I said was that it's not just a couple of cents. But while I'm at it, yes, it is a terrible deal. They take about 15% for using their service. Most cryptopools have 1% fees for using them. You could just mine straight crypto and be off far better.

2. We already assumed that we add "a few cents more on their electricity bill", so no, we are not talking about fixed rates.

3. Power from private solar arrays that exceed battery capacity are beeing sold to the grid, in this case less profit is beeing generated, about equal to the costs you would have.

4. This is pretty much 2. but with the fact that mining at work (in most cases) is prohibited and can get you fired as soon as your employer finds out.

5. Beeing a forum moderator should atleast show that you have a bit more knowledge in tech. Users see you as a person of authority.

Princess Luna · May 25, 2018

@Morgan MLGman @Kukielka In Brazil it depends a lot on where you live and the weather conditions, during raining seasons the hydro plants can fill all the quota so we work on "green flag" which has a decreased cost on the bill... when raining is shorter and the hydroplants can't do it all alone and the coal plants are active then we go to yellow/red flags which increases the bill.

But the government also gives a lot of incentives to people install solar panels if their roofs are big enough and produce your own electricity... low prices and what not to install every thing, which we did here at home, within 4 years we pretty had the investment paid out and now not only our electricity is literally free we still get paid whatever extra we return to the power line.

Therefore a chart from 2011 from w/e website you find is really not an accurate demonstration of a country reality.

Morgan MLGman · May 25, 2018

2 hours ago, Kukielka said:

1. I never said it is a bad deal, all I said was that it's not just a couple of cents. But while I'm at it, yes, it is a terrible deal. They take about 15% for using their service. Most cryptopools have 1% fees for using them. You could just mine straight crypto and be off far better.

2. We already assumed that we add "a few cents more on their electricity bill", so no, we are not talking about fixed rates.

3. Power from private solar arrays that exceed battery capacity are beeing sold to the grid, in this case less profit is beeing generated, about equal to the costs you would have.

4. This is pretty much 2. but with the fact that mining at work (in most cases) is prohibited and can get you fired as soon as your employer finds out.

5. Beeing a forum moderator should atleast show that you have a bit more knowledge in tech. Users see you as a person of authority.

You take it all too literally. It's obvious that it's not a literal few cents, at least it is for me. It's also obvious that it's not a solution for people who want to get the best profit, it might be for people who don't know how (or don't want to) configure their PCs to mine normal cryptocurrencies. At least it should be obvious, along with the fact that this company surely doesn't do it non-profit.

Please keep in mind that the purpose of this thread was purely informational and to create a civil discussion about the matter. It was in no way an advertisement or a recommendation to use this solution.

As for my knowledge, I work as a systems engineer that specializes in storage, data protection and backup & recovery solutions and I believe it's more than sufficient in multiple fields.
I do not need to know everything and no person can do that.
Personally, I feel a bit offended that you judged my "knowledge" by one, specific case about costs of electricity in different world areas which has quite a far-fetched relation to technology, which is the main point of discussion on this forum. It also shows a very narrow point of view that you have on things, but I'll leave it at that.

I merely said that you cannot generalize that electricity is "expensive" because it costs A LOT differently in different places. The word "expensive" is also relative for different people.

Kukielka · May 25, 2018

2 hours ago, Princess Cadence said:

@Morgan MLGman @Kukielka In Brazil it depends a lot on where you live and the weather conditions, during raining seasons the hydro plants can fill all the quota so we work on "green flag" which has a decreased cost on the bill... when raining is shorter and the hydroplants can't do it all alone and the coal plants are active then we go to yellow/red flags which increases the bill.

But the government also gives a lot of incentives to people install solar panels if their roofs are big enough and produce your own electricity... low prices and what not to install every thing, which we did here at home, within 4 years we pretty had the investment paid out and now not only our electricity is literally free we still get paid whatever extra we return to the power line.

Therefore a chart from 2011 from w/e website you find is really not an accurate demonstration of a country reality.

To be honest the cost of electricity in brazil was the least of my concers, my argument, and my calculation still stands. 8 cents seems to be the bottom line.

22 minutes ago, Morgan MLGman said:

You take it all too literally. It's obvious that it's not a literal few cents, at least it is for me. It's also obvious that it's not a solution for people who want to get the best profit, it might be for people who don't know how (or don't want to) configure their PCs to mine normal cryptocurrencies. At least it should be obvious, along with the fact that this company surely doesn't do it non-profit.

Please keep in mind that the purpose of this thread was purely informational and to create a civil discussion about the matter. It was in no way an advertisement or a recommendation to use this solution.

As for my knowledge, I work as a systems engineer that specializes in storage, data protection and backup & recovery solutions and I believe it's more than sufficient in multiple fields.
I do not need to know everything and no person can do that.
Personally, I feel a bit offended that you judged my "knowledge" by one, specific case about costs of electricity in different world areas which has quite a far-fetched relation to technology, which is the main point of discussion on this forum. It also shows a very narrow point of view that you have on things, but I'll leave it at that.

I merely said that you cannot generalize that electricity is "expensive" because it costs A LOT differently in different places. The word "expensive" is also relative for different people.

Facts have to be taken literal, there is no playroom for facts.

And users on this forum do think electricity costs just a few cents 'cause they are too young and uneducated in that regard to know stuff like that.

I merely said that electricity doesn't cost "a few cents more" because even if it costs A LOT differently in different places, it is not free. The word "expensive" is also relative for different people, especially for parents that try to make reason out of their electric bill.

WkdPaul · May 25, 2018

9 hours ago, Kukielka said:

Beeing a forum moderator should at least show that you have a bit more knowledge in tech. Users see you as a person of authority.

We're all humans and nobody is perfect, you can disagree all you want and discuss the situation, but the fact that he's a moderator has nothing to do with this discussion.

Same goes for everyone here, we all make mistakes at one point or another, and what we do in life, or who we are doesn't change that.

While you might be right about the "a few cents more", you're wrong in your calculations, I personally pay less than $0.08/kwh and my 1060 doesn't use 120w when mining.

...so let's drop the "you aren't allowed to be wrong because you're a mod" argument.

Edited May 25, 2018 by wkdpaul

spartaman64 · May 25, 2018

7 hours ago, Kukielka said:

Source: https://www.ovoenergy.com/guides/energy-guides/average-electricity-prices-kwh.html

Let's say we take the cheapest prices with 0,08$/kWh.

And let's say we take the most efficient GPU miner on the market, the GTX1060.

And let's say we keep that running for 10 days 24/7 (Should be enough to get sth like a 10$ game).

At max efficiency the 1060 draws 120 watts (and we assume the rest of the rig uses 0 watts).

0,12 W * 24 hours * 10 days * 0,08$/kWh = 2,3$

WIth all the BEST CASE scenarios you are still at 2,3$ added in just 10 days. That's far from "just a couple cents".

A staff moderator should know this.

2