<p>Using a CPU is a bad idea; a GPU is better. Good AMD...  The best AMDs are hard to find or impossible to find, but the AMD R9 280x and 290x you can find (second-hand on eBay if you don't see them on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newegg" rel="nofollow">Newegg</a>, etc..) Sort the chart by GPU, or in your case CPU, search for your CPU...  </p>

<p>I tried to play with mining with an i7-3770, and it wouldn't. I don't have any idea why. I had to tell <a href="https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/CGMiner" rel="nofollow">CGMiner</a> to use my GPU which is NOT an AMD, thus horrible. I could mine <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coinye" rel="nofollow">Coinye</a> coins, but who cares about that.</p>

<p>The page <em><a href="https://litecoin.info/Mining_hardware_comparison" rel="nofollow">Mining hardware comparison</a></em> is great for your question.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-16T21:18:44.010Z
If an i5 yields about 0.3 Primecoins a week, with an i7 I suspect you could get 50% more. Since you need the whole PC to be on so the GPU can work, the extra cost of putting the CPU at 100% instead of idle would be almost negligible.
Joe Pineda
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-17T01:34:16.833Z
i don't advise using CPU,  and if a good GPU is being pushed... you NEED to have open rig with fans blowing on them. In a case, you will burn them up.
Tom Stickel
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-17T03:13:03.227Z
Primecoins are only mineable with CPU - some experimental GPU miners exist, but they're less productive (and thus, profitable) than CPUs. Quarkcoins are CPU-only mineable as well. My point is: having the CPU at 100% won't add much electric consumption or heat vs. what the GPU is already consuming, but do can add for the final profit.
Joe Pineda
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-17T06:08:03.340Z
My fault I didn't know that about Prime until now , thx Joe
Tom Stickel
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-16T03:24:14.270Z
2014-01-16T14:11:11.317Z
2014-01-16T14:11:11.317Z
Tom Stickel
<p>Based on <a href="https://litecoin.info/Mining_hardware_comparison#Intel" rel="nofollow">this hardware comparison</a></p>

<p>1 CPU ~ 50 KH/s</p>

<p>3 rigs x 2 CPU x 50 KH/s each ~ 300 KH/s</p>

<p>At the moment, according to the <a href="http://www.coinwarz.com/calculators/litecoin-mining-calculator/?h=300&amp;p=1000.00&amp;pc=0.10&amp;pf=0.00&amp;d=3931.59487261&amp;r=50.00000000&amp;er=0.02929000&amp;hc=0.00" rel="nofollow">coinwars</a>, you would mine $9.75 a month or $0.33 a day. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-16T14:25:56.447Z
2014-01-16T14:25:56.447Z
oleksii
<p>Better mine new alt coin and then convert them into litecoin that will be more convenient. Have a look on coinchoose.com to select a coin with less difficulty and which website is trading them.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-16T21:20:32.140Z
He'd lose money mining any scrypt-based SHA-256-based coin. CPUs are only good for primecoin, quarkcoin, protoshares and a few others, no more.
Joe Pineda
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-17T01:32:20.717Z
Agree with mine new alt coin and convert to litecoin, but not with the OP CPU
Tom Stickel
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-17T19:31:14.777Z
Khan: the original poster is asking specifically about mining with CPU only for he lacks a GPU and is tight on money to buy one.
Joe Pineda
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-16T01:32:18.270Z
2014-01-16T01:32:18.270Z
Khan Shahrukh
<p>I plan on mining <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Litecoin" rel="nofollow">litecoins</a>, but I'm somewhat late and new into the game. Would it be better for me to get a video card later, tight on budget? </p>

<p>I'm not sure how to do the math. There isn't any overhead costs; I just want to build and let it run. I can build three rigs, all with 2 x <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGA_2011#Server_.28Xeon_E5-16xx.2F26xx.29" rel="nofollow">E5 2620</a> and 32&nbsp;GB RAM. How much would I produce per day? </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-16T01:30:35.920Z
*Can I mine...?* Yes. *How much...?* Build one, see how it goes and multiply by three.
Greg Hewgill
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-16T01:31:39.770Z
But I don't know how the hash math thing works. If you can give me an answer for one. I can multiply by 3. :)
user12284
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-16T03:25:31.697Z
See my answer.  You will get horrible results.  CPU are not made for mining I cannot even get my i7-3770 to mine.  I have to have cgminer use my GPU.
Tom Stickel
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-16T21:16:11.643Z
The only coins you can mine nowadays using *any* CPU, no matter how fast, are those using algorithms specifically designed to be GPU- or ASIC- unfriendly, such as primecoin (search of primes), quarkcoin (several hashes in row), etc. Anything else, and you'd only lose money - unless you're doing it just for fun.
Joe Pineda
<litecoin><mining-profitability><cpu>
Can I mine with an E5 2620 CPU?
user12284
# Can I mine with an E5 2620 CPU?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-01-16)

I plan on mining [litecoins](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Litecoin), but I'm somewhat late and new into the game. Would it be better for me to get a video card later, tight on budget?

I'm not sure how to do the math. There isn't any overhead costs; I just want to build and let it run. I can build three rigs, all with 2 x [E5 2620](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGA_2011#Server_.28Xeon_E5-16xx.2F26xx.29) and 32 GB RAM. How much would I produce per day?

**Tags:** litecoin, mining-profitability, cpu

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: *Can I mine...?* Yes. *How much...?* Build one, see how it goes and multiply by three.  
> **username_0**: But I don't know how the hash math thing works. If you can give me an answer for one. I can multiply by 3. :)  
> **username_2**: See my answer.  You will get horrible results.  CPU are not made for mining I cannot even get my i7-3770 to mine.  I have to have cgminer use my GPU.  
> **username_3**: The only coins you can mine nowadays using *any* CPU, no matter how fast, are those using algorithms specifically designed to be GPU- or ASIC- unfriendly, such as primecoin (search of primes), quarkcoin (several hashes in row), etc. Anything else, and you'd only lose money - unless you're doing it just for fun.  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2014-01-16. Score: 1

Using a CPU is a bad idea; a GPU is better. Good AMD... The best AMDs are hard to find or impossible to find, but the AMD R9 280x and 290x you can find (second-hand on eBay if you don't see them on [Newegg](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newegg), etc..) Sort the chart by GPU, or in your case CPU, search for your CPU...

I tried to play with mining with an i7-3770, and it wouldn't. I don't have any idea why. I had to tell [CGMiner](https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/CGMiner) to use my GPU which is NOT an AMD, thus horrible. I could mine [Coinye](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coinye) coins, but who cares about that.

The page *[Mining hardware comparison](https://litecoin.info/Mining_hardware_comparison)* is great for your question.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: If an i5 yields about 0.3 Primecoins a week, with an i7 I suspect you could get 50% more. Since you need the whole PC to be on so the GPU can work, the extra cost of putting the CPU at 100% instead of idle would be almost negligible.  
> **username_2**: i don't advise using CPU,  and if a good GPU is being pushed... you NEED to have open rig with fans blowing on them. In a case, you will burn them up.  
> **username_3**: Primecoins are only mineable with CPU - some experimental GPU miners exist, but they're less productive (and thus, profitable) than CPUs. Quarkcoins are CPU-only mineable as well. My point is: having the CPU at 100% won't add much electric consumption or heat vs. what the GPU is already consuming, but do can add for the final profit.  
> **username_2**: My fault I didn't know that about Prime until now , thx Joe  

---

### Answer by username_4 on 2014-01-16. Score: 0

Based on [this hardware comparison](https://litecoin.info/Mining_hardware_comparison#Intel)

1 CPU ~ 50 KH/s

3 rigs x 2 CPU x 50 KH/s each ~ 300 KH/s

At the moment, according to the [coinwars](http://www.coinwarz.com/calculators/litecoin-mining-calculator/?h=300&p=1000.00&pc=0.10&pf=0.00&d=3931.59487261&r=50.00000000&er=0.02929000&hc=0.00), you would mine $9.75 a month or $0.33 a day.


---

### Answer by username_5 on 2014-01-16. Score: -2

Better mine new alt coin and then convert them into litecoin that will be more convenient. Have a look on coinchoose.com to select a coin with less difficulty and which website is trading them.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: He'd lose money mining any scrypt-based SHA-256-based coin. CPUs are only good for primecoin, quarkcoin, protoshares and a few others, no more.  
> **username_2**: Agree with mine new alt coin and convert to litecoin, but not with the OP CPU  
> **username_3**: Khan: the original poster is asking specifically about mining with CPU only for he lacks a GPU and is tight on money to buy one.  

---

