In China, several people are purchasing 50 gaming laptops to mine cryptocurrency. But why does this matter only in 2021?
This is what it’s about: Currently, some users are mining cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or Ethereum. Normally, a fast graphics card is needed to perform these computations. This is likely well known to many readers, but mining with laptops is rather unusual. In China, there have already been discussions about banning Bitcoin mining to protect the environment.
However, until the law is enacted, several Chinese are taking advantage of the rising prices of the currencies. In fact, they are using multiple gaming laptops to mine the valuable cryptocurrencies. Mining cryptocurrencies still plays an important role in China (via PCGamer.com).
What does it look like? Several images have now been posted on Twitter showing what a so-called “mining rig” made of gaming laptops can look like:
In the pictures, a total of four mining systems can be seen:
- The devices are partially propped open in a cabinet.
- In the next image, the devices are simply stacked on top of each other so they can operate.
- In the third image, the devices are set up in a metal stand, with fresh air coming from the fan setup at the window.
- Another user has set up a dozen devices (presumably) in the basement and is mining cryptocurrency this way.
Cover image: The image used is taken from the linked Twitter post.
Gaming laptops suddenly become profitable thanks to RTX 3000
How powerful are notebooks? Anyone looking to mine Ethereum, Bitcoin, or other cryptocurrencies needs a graphics card with at least 4 GB of video memory (via Tomshardware.com). In many gaming notebooks, smaller graphics cards have been installed until now.
The mobile version of the RTX 3000 offers more power than the previous chips and is on a similar level to desktop graphics cards (via ComputerBase.de).
This is why mining is currently exciting: Cryptocurrencies are currently gaining significantly in value, and many are beginning to take an interest. While crypto mining is not profitable in Germany due to high electricity prices, it looks different in the USA or China.
This is why Chinese are buying these laptops: Due to the strong performance of mobile RTX 3000 graphics cards and the high prices of cryptocurrencies, gaming laptops with RTX 3060 or RTX 3070 are now interesting for miners.
The devices equipped with RTX 3000 graphics cards were presented at the beginning of the year at CES 2021 and offer significantly more power than last year’s devices. It’s not surprising that these laptops are also becoming interesting for miners. We have presented the best gaming notebooks for you in detail here:
Because these were previously less profitable due to their design and poorer ventilation compared to desktop GPUs. But this is changing thanks to the high performance and the valuable cryptocurrencies.
A different example shows how significant cryptocurrencies currently are: Here, a driver installed several RTX 3080 graphics cards in his BMW. His electric car has enough power to easily run several graphics cards at the same time. His setup just prevents him from closing his trunk.
