Want to try a bit of mining as a taster?
If you're like me as I was a few months ago and want to dip your CPU/GPU/ASIC power into the deep seas that is cryptocurrency mining, you'll probably want a way that works for any OS, is simple, and gives you a decent reward (or at least enough that you'll break even). Unless you want to do hire someone to cloud mine for you, I stumbled across a really simple way to mine a few months back. (This isn't sponsored by the way)
I found the tool Minergate - simple because it removes the hassle of port forwarding, trying to find a good pool, finding the best currency to mine, etc.
Some benefits and detriments I found:
Pros
- Can work on almost any OS (certainly every major OS)
- No need to port forward (especially useful for double router homes like myself)
- Has multiple currencies you can pick one out of or auto mine the most profitable
- Has it's own pool so you don't have to have the best PC to make money
- CPU, GPU and ASIC mining can all be configured
- Easy setup: download and run!
Cons
- Most of the currencies are pretty minor
- Withdraw limit can take a while to reach with an average computer
- Mining speed is a bit slower then otherwise due to lack of port forwarding (although pretty minor)
Some tools that will come in useful:
- Shapeshift.io (converting coins into Steem or other things)
- Changelly (for the coins Shapeshift won't accept)
Overall, I think that you should try this before moving onto more serious mining if you want to do so, or just for recreational purposes.