Click Start Menu -> Control Panel -> System & Security -> Windows Update -> Check for Updates.While this step isn’t strictly necessary in order to get you mining, it is strongly recommended. If necessary, also install the LAN/Ethernet driver that came with your motherboard so that you can get online. Complete the installation and boot into the Windows desktop before proceeding to the next step. I’m going to assume that everyone reading this is capable of installing a fresh copy of Windows 7. Feel free to use the cheapest SATA hard drive that you can find, as it won’t impact mining performance. Windows 8 should work as well, although I have not tested it myself. For me, that meant disabling onboard audio, the USB 3.0 ports (I only had a 2.0 USB stick), the Firewire port, and the serial port.Īny 64-bit edition of Windows 7 should work fine (32-bit installations should work too, but may require tweaking the settings that I provide). This will save a little bit of power, and since your miner will likely be running 24/7, it’ll add up. Disable all components that you don’t plan to use.Second, it makes powering the computer on much easier if you don’t happen to have a power switch connected to the motherboard. The reason for this is two-fold: first, it’ll make sure that your miner automatically starts up after a power outage. Change power options so that the computer automatically turns itself on whenever power is restored.You should end up in the BIOS configuration area. Power on your computer, and press the “delete” key a few times immediately after power on. Step 1: Configure BIOS Settingsīefore we even get to Windows, make sure your mining computer’s BIOS settings are in order. The steps outlined below should be adequate for the average Windows user, but feel free to leave comments if anything is unclear or missing. I’m not going to go into quite as much detail as I did with our Linux setup guide, as most of you are probably already quite comfortable with basic Windows tasks. So with that in mind, if Windows sounds like it’s the right choice for you, read on for our setup guide!īuild a Litecoin Mining Rig, part 3: Windows Setup However, if you have GPUs that aren’t voltage-locked (such as the MSI 7950s that we recommend in our hardware guide), and you plan to take advantage of that feature to undervolt your cards (we’ll show you how), Windows might become the better long-term option for you, depending on how much electricity costs in your area (edit 10/2013: easy undervolting in linux is now possible, too). The actual mining performance will be the same on either platform, so the cost savings of Linux would seem to make it a no-brainer as long as you’re comfortable with the slightly more complex setup (although our guide makes it simple!). With Linux, you can use a $5 USB stick instead of a $50 harddrive, and you save yourself the cost of a Windows license as well. Let me just reiterate that for most people, Linux is likely the better choice. If Windows is more your thing, you’re in luck-this guide is for you. Perhaps you’ve decided that Linux just doesn’t seem like your cup of tea. By now you’ve probably seen our Linux Litecoin mining setup guide (and hopefully the hardware guide that preceded it).
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