Time for a Cryptocurrency Heater for Your Home

DooKey

DooKey

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Cryptocurrency seems to be infecting everything now and this new heater from a French startup seems to be a natural evolution of this infection. The heater is manufactured using two Sapphire Nitro+ RX 580 GPU's (has normal heating conductors as well) and mines Ethereum by default. Put your wallet address into the mobile app and off you go to mining and heating your home. You can buy this device for the low, low, low, price of just $3,600. Did I say low price? My bad. The company thinks they'll sell hundreds of these in the next year. I'm not so sure about that. However, the saying a fool and his money are soon parted comes to mind.

You can set it up in a few minutes by plugging an Ethernet cable and putting your Ethereum wallet address in the mobile app. You’ll then gradually receive ethers on this address - Qarnot doesn’t receive any coin, you keep 100 percent of your cryptocurrencies.
 
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pointlessness aside, I'm relatively sure whoever buys this, wont even know it has the capability in it..(as useless as that capability is...)
 
So basically you're paying $2600 for a cabinet/case and a web app. Too bad there isn't a startup that just lets you buy a nice case to use as a space heater in a room.
 
The concept of generating value and heat at the same time makes sense. Compared to just using the electricity for heat, vs getting currency at the same time it does make sense, but not at that high price, and also, electricity is not the best way to heat your home either way, it's horribly inefficient and costly.

It may work in France or down south where it never really gets that cold, but if you live anywhere where you get real winter temperatures electricity is the last thing you want to use to heat your home.
 
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Zarathustra[H] said:
The concept of generating Values and heat at the same time makes sense. Compared to just using the electricity for heat, vs getting currency at the same time it does make sense, but not at that high price, and also, electricity is not the best way to hear your home either way, it's horribly inefficient and costly.

It may work in France or down south where it never really gets that cold, but if you live anywhere where you get real winter temperatures electricity is the last thing you want to use to hear your home.
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And yet almost what looks like about 40% of US homes do just that. Electricity may be inefficient but it was my only real choice in my area. Oil is too expensive. Gas wasnt an option because the utility company wanted me to write them a blank check to get lines installed. Tanks were not an option either (not enough space to place them according to local reqs).


SRC: https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=3690
 
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Zarathustra[H] said:
The concept of generating Values and heat at the same time makes sense. Compared to just using the electricity for heat, vs getting currency at the same time it does make sense, but not at that high price, and also, electricity is not the best way to hear your home either way, it's horribly inefficient and costly.
Click to expand...

While the price is a bit of a deterrent initially, if crypto currency keeps rising the way it has against the US Dollar these units could very well pay for themselves in a reasonable amount of time.

I honestly think this is a great idea as far as concept goes. We all know GPUs create tons of heat (hell, my lone 1070 can kick the room up a few degrees under load and it's running stock!) How cool would it be to have a heater that not only pays for the electricity it uses but also pays for itself over time (and not in that "oh you'll save money on your bill" way that's always pimped out)?
 
eh, my problem isn't the idea of mining as a means of heating, but in this product, there are 2.... rx580 gpus..... is that really enough to make a dent? not to mention the price at which your paying and having to ROI....in todays climate....sure its enough to pump out...what 200w-300w or so... which honestly is enough to perhaps heat a sub 100sq ft area,..... but still I'm thinking more of the return on crypto here vs heating
 
U-238 said:
hell, my lone 1070 can kick the room up a few degrees under load and it's running stock!)
Click to expand...

I call BS unless youre gaming in a closet. For any average sized bedroom you need a 1,500W electric heater and those are designed to put out heat. More likely youre sitting next to it and feeling the warm air blown on you. Check the thermostat on the other side of the room - my bet is it hasnt significantly changed.
 
kju1 said:
I call BS unless youre gaming in a closet. For any average sized bedroom you need a 1,500W electric heater and those are designed to put out heat. More likely youre sitting next to it and feeling the warm air blown on you. Check the thermostat on the other side of the room - my bet is it hasnt significantly changed.
Click to expand...


no over the course of time a couple cards can definitely heat up a big airspace.

Last summer in my basement, a pair of Fury X, running at full tilt mining made my large underground basement almost unbearable for any other use. About 600 watts of heat continuous. My basement is NOT small, and it's a walkout basement so about half underground due to the slope from the front of the house. 1 window, which was closed.
 
Archaea said:
no over the course of time a couple cards can definitely heat up a big airspace.

Last summer in my basement, a pair of Fury X, running at full tilt mining made my large underground basement almost unbearable for any other use. About 600 watts of heat continuous. My basement is NOT small, and it's a walkout basement so about half underground due to the slope from the front of the house. 1 window, which was closed.
Click to expand...

Its not completely underground if its a walkout basement. The front of your house probably faces south which gets a lot of sunlight. Which contributes to the heating of the basement due to the exposed surface. A 1000W heater would need about 20 minutes to raise a 300 sq foot room by 1 degree assuming ZERO heat loss in the room. Thats my back of envelope math anyway. So I have a hard time believing it was just your cards when there is a lot more involved here...
 
I've been kinda sorta doing this already. My computers put off enough heat that I don't use the furnace in my apartment except when it get below about 15F outside. Getting crypto profits from that would be kinda nice.
 
kju1 said:
And yet almost what looks like about 40% of US homes do just that. Electricity may be inefficient but it was my only real choice in my area. Oil is too expensive. Gas wasnt an option because the utility company wanted me to write them a blank check to get lines installed. Tanks were not an option either (not enough space to place them according to local reqs).


SRC: https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=3690
Click to expand...

That's a shame. Not all electric heat is created equal though.

The absolute worst is direct electric heat, space heater style, using resistive heat elements.

If you use an air to air heat exchanger, things improve somewhat.

The absolute best choice for electric heat is using a ground source heat exchanger. This can actually be pretty damned efficient, but they do cost more to install, as there is some digging involved to lay the ground side of the coolant loop.

The best part about heat exchangers is that they can work both ways, so not only is it a heater in the winter, but it can also be an air conditioner in the summer, using the same hardware. Hook up a desuper heater and you get free hot water in the summer when you are air conditioning.
 
kju1 said:
Its not completely underground if its a walkout basement. The front of your house probably faces south which gets a lot of sunlight. Which contributes to the heating of the basement due to the exposed surface. A 1000W heater would need about 20 minutes to raise a 300 sq foot room by 1 degree assuming ZERO heat loss in the room. Thats my back of envelope math anyway. So I have a hard time believing it was just your cards when there is a lot more involved here...
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My house faces SW in the front (no basement exposure) and thus NE in the back (full sun)
My house is 1.5 story, 3,100 sq foot. The basement is the full footprint of the house. It usually stays pretty cool, much cooler than the rest of the house which we set thermostat to 72* in the summer. I live in Kansas City Mo - basically center of the U.S.

I don't know how to calculate the math, but I know those two Fury X cards made my basement theater room and computer desk area in the finished section of the basement so warm you'd start sweating right away. The main finished theater/computer room is 23' by 18'.
http://www.avsforum.com/forum/15-ge...rchaea-s-multi-purpose-home-theater-room.html

It was uncomfortable in late July, early August with just those two cards working. The heat pouring out the radiators would burn your hand. You couldn't keep your hand on the metal. X2 pouring that heat into the room for days. It warmed up significantly --- and that in a large house with no windows in the basement, where the basement in previous years, before mining was almost chilly.
 
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Archaea said:
My house faces SW in the front (no basement exposure) and thus NE in the back (full sun)
My house is 3,100 sq foot. The basement is the full footprint of the house. It usually stays pretty cool, much cooler than the rest of the house which we set thermostat to 72* in the summer. I live in Kansas City Mo - basically center of the U.S.

I don't know how to calculate the math, but I know those two Fury X cards made my basement theater room and computer desk area in the finished section of the basement so warm you'd start sweating right away. The main finished theater/computer room is 23' by 18'.
http://www.avsforum.com/forum/15-ge...rchaea-s-multi-purpose-home-theater-room.html

It was uncomfortable in late July, early August with just those two cards working. The heat pouring out the radiators would burn your hand. You couldn't keep your hand on the metal. X2 pouring that heat into the room for days. It warmed up significantly --- and that in a large house with no windows in the basement, where the basement in previous years, before mining was almost chilly.
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hell of a theater room! Wish my wife would take the reigns off and let me do the same. And quit flipping mining if you can't use your room! And bummer on your Royals - I have a buddy that works in the organization. Quick fall.
 
I thought of the idea of running coolant lines throughout my home connected to some gaming PCs. Each PC would have two water blocks, one for the CPU and one for the GPU. Not for crypto mining, just from regular gaming.
 
kju1 said:
I call BS unless youre gaming in a closet. For any average sized bedroom you need a 1,500W electric heater and those are designed to put out heat. More likely youre sitting next to it and feeling the warm air blown on you. Check the thermostat on the other side of the room - my bet is it hasnt significantly changed.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't dismiss him totally. When I was living with my parents we were getting carpets replaced and all the computers when in my room for a few days in the winter. I know there was a celeron 333a overclocked and a abit dual celeron 366a overclocked. Both of the computers used peltiers for cooling so there was some heat generated in my bedroom. It was enough to raise the temperature with the door open that it would keep the thermostat across the hall from turning on the heat in the house.

Later on before I moved out I replaced 3 computers that were serving as file shares with a wd nas device and the temperature in the basement dropped 2 degrees Fahrenheit on a roughly 1500sq walkout basement with concrete walls.
 
kju1 said:
A 1000W heater would need about 20 minutes to raise a 300 sq foot room by 1 degree assuming ZERO heat loss in the room. Thats my back of envelope math anyway. So I have a hard time believing it was just your cards when there is a lot more involved here...
Click to expand...

I'm getting a 1kw heater would heat a 300sq foot room about 11 degrees Kelvin/Celcius in 20 min. Is my math wrong?
Code: 
300 sq feet * 10 foot ceiling = 3000 cu feet volume 84.95 cubic meters.
air density = 1.225 kg/m^3
Air mass in room = 84.85 m^3 * 1.225 kg/m3^3 = 103.95 kg
air heat capacity ~ 1.00 kJ/kg*K
1000 watts = 1 kJ/s
temp change (kelvin/Celcius) of 300 sq foot room after heating for 20min with 1kW heater (assuming no losses):
(1.00 kg*K/kJ)(1 kJ/s)(1/103.95kg)(20min*60sec/min) = 11.54 K
 
I use my 7 cards spread over three rigs to heat my house. It never gets below 60 degrees in my 1200 sqft home with vaulted ceilings when I turn my gas heat off. My wife has also been happy since the air is not as dry now like when I use the natural gas furnace.
 
serpretetsky said:
I'm getting a 1kw heater would heat a 300sq foot room about 11 degrees Kelvin/Celcius in 20 min. Is my math wrong?
Code: 
300 sq feet * 10 foot ceiling = 3000 cu feet volume 84.95 cubic meters.
air density = 1.225 kg/m^3
Air mass in room = 84.85 m^3 * 1.225 kg/m3^3 = 103.95 kg
air heat capacity ~ 1.00 kJ/kg*K
1000 watts = 1 kJ/s
temp change (kelvin/Celcius) of 300 sq foot room after heating for 20min with 1kW heater (assuming no losses):
(1.00 kg*K/kJ)(1 kJ/s)(1/103.95kg)(20min*60sec/min) = 11.54 K
Click to expand...

Checked with a BTU calculator and yours matches up more (insulation value may play a roll in the difference).

For 11deg change, it says 1.4kWh. http://www.calculator.net/btu-calcu...=11&temperatureunit=f&calctype=heat&x=42&y=15

Same reason a well insulated house can continually gain heat from everyday devices.
 
Now if someone wanted to pay me to have their mining rig heating my house, I might go for it, in the winter.
But not in the Arizona summer, of course.
 
Spidey329 said:
Checked with a BTU calculator and yours matches up more (insulation value may play a roll in the difference).

For 11deg change, it says 1.4kWh. http://www.calculator.net/btu-calcu...=11&temperatureunit=f&calctype=heat&x=42&y=15

Same reason a well insulated house can continually gain heat from everyday devices.
Click to expand...
Yeah, assuming my math was correct, mine was pretty theoretical (perfect insulation) and basically says the room will heat 11 degrees C EVERY 20min. That site is probably much more accurate. Eitherway, it seems pretty reasonable to say that a an average gaming computer can heat one room a few degrees like U-238 originally said. Even more so if he was talking about fahrenheit.
U-238 said:
... (hell, my lone 1070 can kick the room up a few degrees under load and it's running stock!)
Click to expand...
 
This makes a lot of sense to me, why create heat for no reason other than for the sake of heat? Might as well put some computation with it as well. I have toyed around with NiceHash which sells your CPU/GPU cycles for crypto currency mining. Made a few bucks for my unused CPU/GPU time. Neat idea but creating two tangible results would be better. Both heat and money.
 
Not surprised. Went to a new hospital. PC's are still on Windows XP.
 
Zarathustra[H] said:
, electricity is not the best way to hear your home either way, it's horribly inefficient and costly.
Click to expand...
Depends upon what you mean by inefficient, as far as how much of every dollar you put into making heat actually heats your home electricity absolutely the most efficient at that with near 100% efficiency, compared to gas fired furnaces where the standard ones installed over the past 30 or so years about 20 cents of every dollar goes out the hot gas vent, sure there are some gas furnaces now that boast 96% efficiency but that might not be worth the additional cost associated with them.

Now if you mean inefficient as in a hot plate on the floor is inefficient as a way to warm the room, then yeah that goes without saying, but the same can be said for any type of heating that doesn't move air in an effective fashion whether it is gas or electric.
 
Interesting idea, but that price is pretty ridiculous. I wonder how it's heating capability compares to just a desktop computer with the same innards doing the same thing.
 
About twenty years ago there were DVD rewinders on the market.

There wasn't then and isn't now any shortage of gag items available for purchase.
 
Zarathustra[H] said:
The concept of generating value and heat at the same time makes sense. Compared to just using the electricity for heat, vs getting currency at the same time it does make sense, but not at that high price, and also, electricity is not the best way to heat your home either way, it's horribly inefficient and costly.

It may work in France or down south where it never really gets that cold, but if you live anywhere where you get real winter temperatures electricity is the last thing you want to use to heat your home.
Click to expand...

I live in a place where I see winter 6-7 months a year, I also have 3 sources of heat.
My temperatures are average 0C-5 C during winter with lows of -30 and electricity is often the cheapest method, when it's at the lows I chuck a few logs into the fireplace and that's it.
Firewood is often more expensive than electricity so it does make sense....
My mining cover my entire electricity bill as well as a few bucks on top, during summer I do not mine at all, usually haven't though.
 
kju1 said:
And yet almost what looks like about 40% of US homes do just that. Electricity may be inefficient but it was my only real choice in my area. Oil is too expensive. Gas wasnt an option because the utility company wanted me to write them a blank check to get lines installed. Tanks were not an option either (not enough space to place them according to local reqs).


SRC: https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=3690
Click to expand...


It has to do with when a lot of the houses were built. Gas is much cheaper now but it hasn't always been an option.
 
I still stand by my high opinion of current AMD Cpu's but this brings back funny memories of older ATI/AMD. I honestly used to joke that they'd make great heaters.

Back on the other side of the fence(sort of), a few years ago I fired up my last P4 build. The last GPU I put in it was a ATI HD2600 and man I couldn't believe how warm the room got after a couple of hours.

My current heavy duty rig in my sig(1080SLI) puts out a significant amount of heat too. A lot of fun in the winter to open a window, crank the clocks to max, and enjoy the fresh air.
 
Make a cryptobox that also COOLS my room for those hot East Texas summers and you've got my attention.

Until then, MEH.
 
I user 240 cores at 100% 24/7 to help heat my house during the winter mining Aeon. At 2.3 cents per kwh its comes out about even with what my heat pump would do when it drops below 20* F.
 
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