Learning How to Mine Ethereum on Mac – Blockchain FAQs
This short guide will help you understand how to mine Ethereum on Mac computer. Keep reading to learn about the requirements, and well as the pros and cons of the process.
How to Mine Ethereum on Mac (and why)?
To be clear, mining cryptocurrencies with a Mac machine is not the best idea. If your goal is to make a good amount of profit, you should look for an alternative option. For example, a multiple GPU mining rig setup under a Windows or Linux machine.
Why? Well, the capacities of onboard Mac graphics cards are quite underwhelming when it comes to GPU mining.
The mining difficulty is too high for them to turn a profit, and more often than not, your electricity costs will be higher than the expected rewards.
How to start the mining process
Assuming you are here for some lightweight hobby mining, let’s get you started by installing Minergate.
This application is great for this purpose, as it’s very user-friendly and proposes a clean graphical interface that will help you navigate through it. It’s quite different from professional miner applications like Ethminer, which require command-line interaction and are much more difficult to use.
So let’s get started:
- 1st Step – Visit Minergate.
- 2nd Step – Download the Mac version of the software and install it.
- 3rd Step – Launch Minergate and, in the “Smart Miner” tab, select Ethereum
- 4rth Step – Click on “Start Mining”. It’s as simple as that!
For more detailed information on how to do this, check out this video.
When you want to withdraw your mined coins, go in the “Wallet” tab, enter your Ethereum wallet address and withdraw your funds to a wallet of your choice.
How to increase your mining results with your Mac?
If your Mac machine includes a Thunderbolt 3 port, you can increase your GPU capabilities by adding an external GPU.
Just keep in mind that EGPU casings can be pretty expensive, ranging between $300 to $500 (plus the cost of the graphics card itself).
If you decide to upgrade your Mac for some gaming capabilities, your new graphics card will certainly yield more Ethereum than your integrated graphics chip. Check out our list of the best Ethereum mining cards to help you make a decision on which one to buy.
