Radeon RX 470 mining: setup, firmware, overclocking, calculator

Not all graphics cards are equally well suited for mining.it is necessary to strictly select the parameters of the video card to create a farm. One of the most successful series is the MSI Radeon RX 470. It has attracted a lot of attention, as evidenced by its huge market demand.

Despite the fact that it has recently been replaced by a new family - the RX 500, the RX470 series continues to sell even at inflated prices, thanks to the convenient architecture for mining - Polaris.

The card is energy efficient and haspretty good hash rate. The popular mining calculator has included the RX 470 card in the list of recommended GPU devices. Let's review the characteristics of the models in this series, and conclude how profitable it is to mine cryptocurrency now.

It should be noted right away that in 2021cloud GPU mining has become the most profitable, which is much more profitable than buying your own equipment, more flexible in the amount of investment and does not require setting up / maintaining your farms. We have made a detailed review about cloud mining of cryptocurrency, within which we have compiled a rating of the best services for 2021.

Mining on RX 470 specifications

Graphics accelerator specifications:

CPU— Polaris 10 Pro;
Microchip manufacturing technology- 14 Hm;
Architecture— GCN 1.3;
Graphics core area— 232 mm²;
Number of transistors- 2048;
DirectX support- DirectX 12;
Video memory— 4 GB/8 GB;
Effective memory frequency— 1650 MHz (4GB), 2000 MHz (8GB);
Video processor clock speed- 920/1206 MHz;
Connectors— DisplayPort, HDMI, DVI-D;
Additional food— 8-pin.

Additional power to the video card providesstable overclocking. The polaris structure is very practical in mining, so the RX 470 remains in demand despite the release of newer series.

For example, if we compare RX 470 and RX 480 in mining, then the former is ahead in energy efficiency. Not to mention the video cards that were produced before (R 9 380, R 9 390, etc.)

In addition, the graphics adapters of this lineby simple manipulations it can be turned into an RX 570. We need cards of the same manufacturer and with the same memory. Video instructions for flashing RX 470 to RX 570:

After flashing, mining efficiency improves. Please note that in the event of an error, the RX 470 will turn not into a 570, but into a brick. All actions you perform at your own peril and risk.

Let's see what they are capable of in mining.Please note that 470, unlike 570, is available only with a memory capacity of 4 GB and, therefore, they can no longer mine Ether at the same speed as six months ago. On ETH you will get at most 15 MH/s, and maybe 10 MH/s, and that’s only provided that the farm runs on Linux (it’s best to use Hive OS). On the Windows operating system it will be even less.

Therefore, the WhatToMine calculator divided the Ethash algorithm into two columns. In the first, the hashrate for large Ethereum is written, and in the second, it is called thatEthash4GB, hash rate on all other coinsof this algorithm. After the hard fork, the cryptocurrency switched to the modernized Etchash protocol, but its hash rates are the same as on other coins of the Ethash algorithm. with a dag file less than four gigabytes. In January 2021, it is the only cryptocurrency on the Ethash4GB protocol that brings more or less significant income.

Model	Hashrate on Ethash (MH / s)	Hashrate on Ethash4GB (MH / s)	Consumption Email (W / h)	Algorithm-based efficiency Ethash (MHS/W)	Algorithm-based efficiency Ethash 4 GB(MHS/W)
RX 470	15	27	120	0.125	0.220
RX 480	29.5	29.5	135	0.218	0.218
RX 570 4GB / 8GB	17/28	28	120	0.141	0.215
RX 580 4GB / 8GB	18/30	30	140	0.128	0.215
RX 590	33	33	150	0.22	0.22

Indicators of a video card in mining

Productivity RX 470 mining farm, directis related to the hash algorithm. The mining calculator helps you choose the most profitable coins. Despite the decrease in the hashrate, the Ethereum (ETH) coin remains the best option. Followed by:

Veil-ProgPow (VEIL);
Ravencoin (RVN);
Beam (BEAM);
Ethereum Classic (ETC).

The situation may change tomorrow, so you need to regularly monitor the situation on the cryptoasset market.

Algorithm	Hashrate	Consumption
Ethhash	15 Mh / s	120 watts
Ethash 4GB	27 Mh / s	120 watts
KawPow	12 Mh / s	150 watts
BeamHashIII	13.5 H / s	120 watts
CNHaven	590 H / s	100 watts
CryptoNightV8	660 H / s	120 watts
Aion	80 H / s	110 watts
NeoScrypt	680 Kh / s	140 watts
BCD	6.8 Mh / s	120 watts
TimeTravel10	7.5 Mh / s	120 watts
X16R	4.5 Mh / s	90 watts
Lyra2Z	0.4 Mh / s	105 watts
Hex	2.0 Mh / s	85 watts
ProgPow	6.4 Mh / s	130 watts
X22i	3.2 Mh / s	120 watts

New promising projects appear periodically. Mining worked well using the Dagger Hashimoto algorithm (Ethash) in dual with (DCR, MAX, SMART, XVG), but in2020 year, this topic is no longer relevant. But a new option has appeared, combined mining ETH + Zill ETC + Zill. This is mining on the same algorithm.

Due to its specific features, the Zilik projectdoes not require constant work of miners. The Zill POW protocol is activated for a short period, once every few hours, and the rest of the time miners mine ETH or ETC. On the air, you practically do not lose anything and get an additional several Zill coins per day.

Which model to choose, the main nuances when buying a used one

Before the new graphics series of theNavi models 470/570 are themselves common workhorses on red gpu farms. But now these cards are morally outdated, and you can't find them in stores during the day. They are sold only on the secondary market, and most of the lots on display are mining video cards that have worked for several years in riga.

If you purchased such cards, be sure tocheck, or rather change the thermal interface immediately and be prepared for problems with the fans. If it hadn't been for Ether not costing more than $ 1000 per coin, then purchasing such old cards for mining would not make any sense. But with the uptrend in the virtual asset market, which will certainly generate a significant soar in prices for mining video cards, someone can buy a couple of used RX 470s, hoping that they will quickly pay off.

MSI RX 470

Low noiseMSI RX 470mining version was first released in Japan in2017. Standard MSI GPUs are also well-adapted for mining, thanks to dual-chamber air-cooling radiators. The video card is available in two versions with4 GBAnd8 GBvideo memory.

Model specifications:

Consumption– 130 W;
Memory– 4 GB, 7000 MHz;
Additional food– 8 pin;
Power supply unit– 500 W.

Powercolor RX 470

On a video acceleratorPowercolor RX 470mining is convenient thanks todual BIOS / UEFIand acceleration mode switch. A special profile of the cooler blades and a nickel radiator grille with heat-dissipating pipes guarantee protection against overheating under high loads.

Model specifications:

Consumption– 120 W;
Memory– 4 GB, 6600 MHz;
Additional food– 8 pin;
Power supply unit– 450 W.

Gigabyte RX 470

On the gamingGigabyte RX 470Mining is no worse than complex computer games. Proprietary utilityXTREME Engine, makes it easier to overclock the device to the desired parameters. WINDFORCE 2X coolers will provide effective heat dissipation, andcolored LED backlightallows you to visually monitor the operation of the video card.

Model specifications:

Consumption– 120 W;
Additional food– 8 pin;
Memory4GB, 7000 MHz;
Power supply unit– 450 W.

Asus RX 470

ForAsus RX 470mining is our native element.A video card with a Samsung memory chip was produced specifically for cryptocurrency mining. The video card quickly fails due to a poor cooling system; after 1 year of use, the killers stop spinning. We do not recommend buying such video cards for mining 24/7

Model specifications:

Consumption– 120 W;
Memory– 4GB, 7000 MHz;
Additional food– 8 pin;
Power supply unit– 450 W.

Sapphire RX 470

On the video cardSapphire RX 470mining will be as productive as possible. The graphics processor is not inferior in power to the 480 model. Even with standard parameters, the RX 470 sapphire demonstrates a high hashrate in mining.

Model specifications:

Consumption– 175 W;
Memory - 8 GB, 8000 MHz;
Additional food– 8 pin;
Power supply unit– 500 W.

The power supply unit for the RX 470 mining farm is selected according to its power based on the amount of consumption of nodes (GPU, riser, motherboard, processor) with the addition of 20% to protect against overload.

Before purchasing a used video card, you should carefully inspect the product. First of all, pay attention to such criteria.

Sale date.
Factory seals and stickers.
Bloated and chipped parts.
PCB color. After repairs, the silk-screen printing darkens and the shade of the textolite changes.
Degree of cooler wear. The blades should turn easily by hand, without any extraneous sounds or play.

After an external examination, performance tests are carried out using special programs (GPU-Z,FurMarketc.).

Factory defect appears in the first months.If the RX 470 worked in mining for a year withoutIf there are any breakdowns, provided that it is used carefully, it will serve the new owner for a long time. But no one is immune from troubles, so it is better for a mining farm to purchase new GPUs.

What to mine? Algorithm selection

The most profitable mining on the RX 470 Ethash (Etherum), KawPow, BeamHashIII video card. Ethereum Classic is more or less profitable, the rest of Ethash4GB coins are mined on ASICs.

What is better to mine on the RX 470 besides Ethereum (ether)? After the departure of Monero, there were almost no profitable tokens left on cryptonet. More or less profitable to mineBitTube, but onEthashyou will earn more. Algorithms can be an alternativeProgPowZAndKawPow (RVN), but they heat up the cards very much and it is not advisable to switch to them in the hot season. Moreover, the profit is still higher on ETH / ETC.

Experts constantly analyze the most profitable coins, the services that they use (Whattomine, Coincalculator). Current and latest news is published on the global forumBitcointalk... There you can find out the newest projects that no one knows about yet.

Dual mining, frequencies for the normal operation of the video card

In new releases of PhoenixMiner, the developers have added support for the modified ETChash algorithm and ETH / ETC + Zill combined mining.

Set the core frequency to 1169 and memory2100, with these parameters the card consumes 95 W, Ethereum mining on the video card reaches 26 Mh / s and 450 per decred. Frequencies 1070/2100 reduce power consumption in mining to 70 W, with a hash rate of 25/430, this is the best option for setting up the GPU of a crypto farm.

On the coins of the EquihashZero platform (Vidulum and Zclassic (ZCL)), according to the calculator, the hashrate for mining is not bad, but there are very few pools for work and exchanges.

Often video cards can melt during dual mining8 pin wires on the power supply. This happens due to the fact that the voltage on the core is colossally high. To avoid problems, set Core Voltage to -100. Detailed settings for dual mining.

BIOS firmware

How to flash an RX 470 video card for mining? To modify the BIOS, the following programs are required:

ATIWinflash— saves the settings and flashes the card.
SRBPolaris V3-Int- edits bios.
Atikmdag-patcher— adapts the re-flashed GPU for Windows and drivers.

https://youtu.be/ERqYAhJ-A34

Sequencing

OpeningAtiwinflashwith administrator rights, if there are several cards, select the one you need and press the right buttonSaveto save the original BIOS. It is necessary to make at least two copies, one for editing, the other for returning to the previous settings in case the card does not work correctly after reprogramming.
OpeningBIOS in the SRBPolaris utility to change timings(scheme of time delays for the correct execution of operations). We look at the device memory manufacturer. We select values that correspond to the RAM of the video card.
We edit the timings and save the modified BIOS. Instead ofSRBPolaris, can be usedPolarisBiosEditor-master with auto-timing function. But best of all, get the timings from here: https://forum.bits.media/index.php?/topic/38510-eth-xmrtimingsrx470480570580-optimized-timings-and-configs/
ClickLoad imagein the utilityAtiwinflash, select the new BIOS modification and give the Program command. After flashing the firmware, the utility will prompt you to restart the PC. Before rebooting you need to runAtikmdag-patcher, otherwise the system may not detect the video card.

It is important to consider:

Optimized timings 470 will speed up mining by25-30%, which is important given the cost of electricity.
When handing over the stitched video cards for warranty repair, the store has the right to refuse repair. Be careful if you decide to change your graphics card settings.
Claymore’s 15 and Phoenix 5.5 miners can modify timings on the fly. In the claymore you need to select the values–StrapAnd–Rxboost, and in Phoenix add the option- mt 1, or- mt 2... You will receive the same hash rate as on the modified BIOS and will not risk the warranty.

Overclocking Radeon RX 470 on 4 and 8 GB

In addition to modifying the BIOS, it is necessary to speed up the work. In this section you will learn: “How to overclock a video card for mining.” You need to install MSI Afterburner to adjust:

Core frequencies(Core Clock).
Memory frequencies(Memory Clock).
Power limit(Power Limit).
Core voltages(Core Voltage).
Cooler speed mode(Fan Speed).

Exceeding the optimum permissible frequencies leads to malfunctions. To determine the correct overclocking parameters for the video card.

We recommend overclocking your video card by gradually increasing+30 MHz.When miningETH core frequency is practically not usedtherefore the optimal value1169 MHz., but for the memory frequency you need to set the maximum effective values around2100 MHz.
You can also overclock cards using mining programs. Enter the required parameters in the Claymore’s or Phoenix batch file–CclockAnd–Mclockand the miner will do everything himself. But these options do not always work correctly, so watch the miner window when starting.

How to reduce power consumption?

The graphics accelerator is a power-hungry device. The consumption of the RX 470 in mining is higher than in gaming mode. To save energy, reduce the core voltage usingMSI Afterburner. In the utility settings you needopen access to voltage regulation, which allows you to change parameters within100 mV. To save on electricity bills and not lose hashrate, you need to increase the mining rig when overclocking the RX 470Power limitvideo cards

When flashing the card, you can lower the voltagememory and kernel. To do this, open the BIOS in the SRBPolarisV 3 program, go to the Voltages section and enter the parameters manually. Then you need to save the BIOS and flash the card with it. Usually gpu of this line work stably at 875 Mv. If the rig restarts or the hash rate drops, you need to increase the voltage to 900 Mv or even 925 Mv. In Claymore's 15 and Phoenix 5.5 miners, you can perform undervolting directly in the execution file. Just add -cvddc 900, -mvddc 900 to the batch file and you will reduce the consumption of the card in mining.

Attention!At low voltage, the –powlim value should be increased (to about +40). You will not lose energy efficiency at all, you will ensure stability of operation and a normal number of shares sent to the pool.

As a result, the card is flashed, overclocked and ready for cryptocurrency mining. Of course, one video card is not enough for mining; it is advisable to assemble a rig of at least 4 – 6 video cards.During the decline in prices for virtual not everyone has coinsdaredfor such costs.Many regretted this bitterly.When the next upswing began, the equipment became scarce again and those who sold their farms, disillusioned with mining, lost potential income and were left with nothing.