Ethereum mining quote era.
What we learned helping customers quote, source, and plan GPU mining setups during the 2016–2018 cycle — and how it shapes our AI workstation work today.
Client type
Independent miners and small mining shops with 4–48 GPUs across home and small commercial spaces.
Problem
Customers needed to understand whether builds would actually pay back at their electricity rate and risk tolerance.
Constraints
GPU availability, residential breaker limits, ambient temperature, and rapidly moving market conditions.
Recommended approach
Quote multiple build tiers, model break-evens with conservative and aggressive assumptions, and document thermal and circuit requirements clearly.
Hardware considerations
- GPU memory and BIOS behavior
- PSU efficiency under sustained load
- Riser quality and stability
- Airflow and exhaust paths
- Breaker and circuit headroom
Outcome
Customers entered builds with realistic expectations rather than chasing hype-cycle numbers.
Lessons learned
Hardware-ROI thinking transfers directly to today's AI hardware decisions — same trade-offs, different workload.
Historical mining consultation is presented as hardware-planning experience only. No profitability guarantees, past or future.
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Plan it before you buy it.
Tell us what you're trying to build. We'll review the project and reply within one business day.