Warning: ASIC's have made the difficulty so high that dogecoin is unmineable now on CPU and GPU.
This page is left as is for historical intrest.
|<NOTE: CPU and GPU Mining Dogecoin has been made impossible due to the rise of Scrypt ASICs. you can find more information about asics at https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/ASIC>
So you've got your wallet set up and are ready to get some Doge! Dogecoin mining is how new dogecoins are created. Mining uses the Scrypt key derivation algorithm to proving a Proof of Work, or a way to prove that you've actually mined what you claim you've mined. Mining a block can be likened to cracking a password for that block (the process is very similiar). ThiUsed to be done with GPUs (the processor on graphics cards) and CPUs - however with the rise of Asic Miners CPU/GPU Mining is only Profitable using Services like RSM Mining There are two different ways to mine - Solo Mining (you try to mine a block on a single device) and Pool Mining (where many people join together to mine the same block, splitting the block profits). Mining speeds are measured in MH/s (Megahashes per second),GH/s (Gigahashes per second) and TH/s (Terahashes per second)
Types of Mining Hardware:
A dogecoin miner is hardware that uses its processing power to mine Dogecoins by helping complete people's transactions. When a transaction is completed, a number of Dogecoins are created and divided amongst the miners that helped with the transaction. Miners fall into 4 categories, CPU, GPU, FPGA, and ASIC.
CPU
Stands for: Central Processing Unit
CPUs are the most basic (and usually weakest) type of mining hardware, and every computer has one, making them easy to attain. CPUs usually have a hashrate of <10 MH/s, (Megahash per second) and mining solo with a CPU will not usually offer much benefit.
GPU
Stands for: Graphics Processing Unit
GPUs are one step up from CPUs and will usually offer a hashrate from 10 MH/s to 1GH/s and they have fairly high availability. Their purpose is usually to do the heavy lifting for complex graphics, and that's the same type of math that it takes to mine Dogecoins. They are one of the most common forms of Dogecoin mining. Solo mining is possible with a GPU, but when not carrying an exceptionally powerful GPU, pool mining is usually the best course.
FPGA
Stands for: Field-Programmable Gate Array
FPGAs are usually more powerful than GPUs, but not always. They usually produce from 100MH/s to 10GH/s, and are less commonly used than GPUs. Solo mining is usually easy with FPGAs.
ASIC
Stands for: Application-Specific Integrated Circuit
ASICs are much more powerful than all other mining forms on this page, much more powerful, with a hashrate range from 1GH/s to 10 TH/s. ASIC miners are very expensive, some ranging from $50 to $5000. Solo mining is very easy with ASIC miners.
Types of Mining:
Solo mining and pool mining
Solo mining is like winning the jackpot, you mine alone and have much less chance of getting something. When you get something though, you don't have to share it and keep it for yourself. Thats how you mine.
A pool is a group of people that mine together, using multiple peoples hashing power combined. In a pool, chances of finding a block and receiving coins is much higher than solo mining. The amount of coins you get is proportional to the amount of work you put in usually measured in shares. Let's say you're in a pool, and you mine 10% of the total that is mined, that means you get 10% of every dogecoin that is found while mining.
CPU and GPU mining
Indirectly mining dogecoin means mining another coin which is more suitable for CPU and GPU mining and getting paid in Dogecoin. this is possible to do solo, but not reccomended as it is difficult and lengthy process. instead you can utilize services which use your hardware to mine the Cryptonight coin Monero. the service then hourly pays you in Dogecoin depending on how much you mined. the site gives you the software and data you need to start mining and doesnt need any maintanance.
Potential Issues:
CPU/GPU Overheating
If you are worried about your GPU or CPU temperatures during mining, there are monitor tools available.
Windows
HWMonitor CPUID is a free utility which gives useful info on your system's status. Voltage, fan speed, and most importantly, temparatures are listed. Download it from here.
Mac
Stat Nano is a free Dashboard widget which shows system info, such as fan speed, temperature and CPU usage.
EVGA Precision is a free (with registration at evga.com) utility for more advanced users - in addition to the voltage, fan speed, and temperature information, it also gives control over GPU and memory clock speeds allowing for overclocking, allows adjustment of the fan speed curve (increase/decrease fan speed at certain temperature points), gives the option for having an number of GPU metrics (temperature being the most useful while mining) displayed on screen and/or in the taskbar, and multiple profiles to easily switch groups of settings on and off.