We felt that the main thread was a bit outdated for info and it was all over the place, so I decided to write a new guide for new members of the team to use to connect to the team's pool.
First you have to download and install Bitcoin qt found here: http://bitcoin.org/
Then download and extract GUIMiner (found here): http://www.mediafire.com/?23q67zig9hw03l4
Most of the settings will be the same for everyone, but the only real differences will be usernames.
Here are the majority of settings that everyone will be using:
Server (drop down menu): other
- Host: mint.bitminter.com
- Port: 8332
- Password: 123
- Username: teksyndicate_[your forum name]
You get your username form here: link
Extra Flags: (This depends on the GPU) Just try experimenting and see what works best. But generally:
- NVIDIA cards use: -v - cuda (only use this if you are running a nvidia, also note the space between the - and the cuda)
- AMD cards x7xx series use: -v
- AMD cards x8xx series use: -v -w 128
- AMD cards x9xx series use: -v -w 256
CPU Affinity does not affect GPUs newer than 2011, but older cards gain Mhash/s when you tick more boxes.
-Ticking box 0 is required for all cards.
Frequently Asked Questions
This thread will be updated as we think of more questions to answer.
Q: There is no start mining button. What do i do?
A: Expand the window and it should show now.
Q: I start GUIMiner, but I can't see it? What do I do?
A: In the search bar (in the start menu), type in '%appdata%' and then open the 'Roaming' folder.Find the folder 'poclmb' inside and delete its contents. It will restore GUIMiner to defaults.Restart guiminer and just put in the settings that you had before.
Q: I'm getting a lot of stale/invalid shares? Why is this?
A: High latency is the usual culprit for this, but sometimes the firewall blocks outgoing connections. If your wallet isn't synced, you will get more stale shares. So don't be concerned until your wallet finishes syncing.
Q: My Mhash rate is really low, why?
A: Make sure your device is set to 0-0, as it is your GPU. If you have multiple GPUs, there will be multiple devices with the same name, those are your GPUs.
Q: Do I need to sync Bitcoin qt before I start mining?
A: Under most instances you don't have to, but there are rare cases where it is required. You can just run it in the background while you mine though. It isn't too resource heavy
Q: There is an error message along the lines of "no such option as -c".
A: This is a problem with your flags. Ensure there is a space between the dash and the command. i.e it's '- cuda', not '-cuda', or '-w 128', not '-w128'
Q: There is an error message along the lines of "poclmb error...(and then a whole load of numbers and letters)"
A:95% of these are due to typing in the information wrongly. Make sure the port and host are spelled right (that includes having the periods right for the host). And for the username, check it is the same spelling and format as the username we gave you.
Q: My GPU is running really hot, what can i do? (hot=80-85+)
A:You can try turning up the fans if they are not at max. Or, reduce your overclock if you have one, or underclock your card if its not overclocked (use msi afterburner or eqivalent).
Q: Does overclocking help with bitcoin mining?
A: Yes, but only the core clock. To go all out mining, you bring the memory clock all the way down and then start increasing the core clock. This reduces temps. When doing an overclock, try to aim to have temps below 75 degrees.
Q: My Wallet doesn't have any bitcoins in it. Is it working right?
A: Yes, your wallet wont show any bitcoins. They are all being directed to our wallet. To check you are mining, use this link and find your name: www.teksyndicate.com/bitcoin
Q: Why does that link you posted above have my hasrate so low?
A: That thing is pretty buggy. It estimates your hashrate based on the time it took for you to submit your last few shares. So only use it as a general guide. Whatever it says in guiminer in the bottom right is your actual hashrate. That is what your computer is doing, so don't worry if that page says something different.
If you think of another FAQ i should add to the list, just post it in the comments below.
Thanks for all your support and help guys :)