As the popularity of cryptocurrency is rising, so is the need for performance-driven computer hardware such as motherboards and hard drives. The new introduction in the cryptocurrency market is the Chia coin that is an eco-friendly alternative to Bitcoin. 

Why the Need of High Performance Motherboard for Chia Mining  

Chia Coin is a cryptocurrency using blockchain technology, and it uses the ‘Proof of Space and Works’ mechanism, which means holding a large amount of data and also providing it. The two elements of the Chia network are ‘plotting’ and ‘farming.’ 

Putting the data on a storage device is ‘plotting’ while checking that you still have the data on the storage device is ‘farming.’ The two aspects you need to consider for Chia mining are SSDs (Solid State Drives) and HDD (Hard Drive Disks) and a premium motherboard. 

The growing trend of crypto mining has made several enthusiasts stock up data storage drives which have spiked the demands. SSDs are probably the fastest and most affordable ways to read and write data. However, HDDs have been the conventional storage devices for years and still reliable when it comes to storing a large amount of data.

On the other hand, an increase in hard drive sales means crypto fans are looking for high-quality motherboards. The mining process of Chia Coin requires intensive read and write operation. The HDD and SSD manufacturers are already developing custom storage spaces for those wishing to mine Chia coins. Motherboard manufacturers are also following suit and designing special versions that can mine Chia cryptocurrency. 

The Onda Motherboard that Supports 32 SATA Ports

Seeing the trend of Chia coin mining in China, Onda a renowned OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) has come up with a new motherboard, the Chia D32H-D4 that offers 32 SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) ports which means support to 32 SSDs and HDDs at the same time. The staggering number of SATA ports get power from the two 6-pin connectors

The 32 SATA ports motherboard are more SATA backplane connectors to provide electricity and necessary power. The SATA ports can store up to 448 TB (Terabyte) in either SSD or HDD. The motherboard measures 530mm*310mm. The motherboard consists of LGA1151 socket, has a B365 chipset, and other specifications include

  • Custom chassis and 800W power supply
  • Powered by 24 pin ATX connector
  • One PCIe (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express) Gen 3 x16 and PCIe 3 x1 slot
  • Two 6-pin connectors for additional power
  • Four DDR4 DIMM Slots
  • 1 USB 2.0 slot 
  • 4 USB 3.0 slots 
  • A VGA & HDMI port for connecting displays

The Onda Chia D32H-D4 is quite cost-effective, efficient, and provides advanced processor support. The motherboard SATA port is compatible with Intel’s Coffee Lake, Skylake Kaby Lake, and Coffee Lake Refresh processors. 

The four DDR4 memory slots offer a maximum of 128 GB of space, and you have the option to line up 32 plots in parallel. One also gets generous expansion with the help of one M.2 slot, one PCIe 3 x16 slot, and one PCIe 3 x1 slot. The power button for the switch on/off is located at the end of the motherboard. 

The Onda B365 D32-D4 is said to be priced at nearly $510 which is not much given the numerous hardware features of the motherboard. The Chia miners are excited about the Onda motherboard and have started buying it and the first batch is sold out. One concern is a right size case for the motherboard but many Chinese OEMs are designing a rack style case that can host the 32 hard drives. 

The one major difference between Chia and other blockchain cryptocurrencies is the application of algorithms and mechanisms. For example, Chia uses ‘proof of space and time’ for which a user has to maintain a large storage space and increase capacity to ensure increased payout rates. 

On the contrary, other cryptocurrencies use a ‘proof of capacity mechanism that allows the end-user to reuse the same storage drive without any addition. 

Final Thoughts

The trend of mining Chia coins is rising, but the key consideration is an efficient motherboard and a large storage space. The more disk space, the more efficient the mining process will be. Along with the premium quality SSDs and HDDs, you also need a high-performance motherboard and other hardware components. The Onda B365 D32-D4 with its brilliant features seems to be the best hardware to support Chia mining.To place order visit harddiskdirect.