Video Сard Overclocking for Mining: Increasing Hash Rate and Cutting Power Consumption

Originally published in the ChangeNOW blogHi there! This is another article in the series where I share my experience with beginner miners. Last time, we talked mainly about setting up the rigs; today, we’ll be learning about video card overclocking which is used to increase hash rate and cut power consumption.Using special software, we can increase performance of the processor, RAM, and other hardware components. However, in GPU mining, it makes sense to tinker with video cards only. Actually, it means changing AMD card timings, voltage, and core and memory frequency. Let’s take a look at how it’s done on Windows and Hive OS!Before we start, I have to warn you that manufacturers usually don’t support hardware overclocking. Even if you have a special model suitable for overclocking, it may be somehow limited in terms of functioning. For this reason, we’ll use “unconventional” means of overclocking which will most likely result in voiding your warranty, so be careful: incorrect settings may turn your device into a piece of garbage. Proceed at your own risk.By the way, devices suitable for overclocking are usually more resistant to unsuccessful attempts: you can always switch back to default settings! Non-overclocking devices can be reset only with the help of some special equipment.I recommend you to start by testing your equipment. Do it to get the general idea of its default capabilities. Just start mining for something about five minutes, check the hash rate and temperature, and measure the rig’s power consumption (if possible).In my case, one 4 Gb Gigabyte RX 470 video card offered only 21–22 MH/s at default settings, about 25 MH/s when overclocked with the popular MSI Afterburner utility, — and 29.5 MH/s after I changed the timings through flashing.Instructions given at this step are applicable only to AMD video cards. It…