Biostar has added yet another installment into its line of cryptocurrency mining motherboards.
The TB250-BTC Pro joins the likes of Biostar’s TB250-BTC+, TB350-BTC, and TA320-BTC mining-specific motherboards. In addition to more PCI-E x1 3.0 slots, the company has also introduced new optimized miner-friendly BIOS features to its line of cryptocurrency mining motherboards.
The mining craze has hit an all-time high thanks to the recent surge in value of digital currency. Although some motherboard vendors have struggled with performance issues, Biostar has not only double downed on PCI-E x1 3.0 slots, the company has also introduced a new feature that enables an auto-reboot setting that keeps your mining rig running smoothly even when a reboot is required.
Based on Intel's B250 chipset, this motherboard supports 6th and 7th generation Intel LGA 1151 socket processors. Its two DIMM slots can be fitted with up to 32GB of DDR4-2400 memory, there are two PCI-E 12V 4-pin connectors for added power delivery, plenty of USB 3.1 ports, and 7.1 channel HD audio.
The TB250-BTC Pro features a single PCI-E x16 3.0 slot and a total of eleven PCI-E x1 3.0 slots. Using AMD based graphics cards and the latest Radeon Software Crimson ReLive Edition 17.11.1 or later drivers , end users can easily install up to 12 graphics cards for maximum mining goodness.
As with Biostar's other mining-specific motherboards, this motherboard includes a moisture proof PCB and low resistance mosfets as well as electrostatic discharge (ESD) and overvoltage protection.
For those of you new to cryptocurrency mining, Biostar has put together handy guides for setting up your 12 GPU mining rig and a basic guide to crypto mining as well.
The TB250-BTC Pro is available now with an MSRP of $130.
| Biostar TB250-BTC Pro | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Intel B250 | ||
| CPU Support | Intel Core i7 LGA 1151 ProcessorIntel Core i5 LGA 1151 ProcessorIntel Core i3 LGA 1151 ProcessorIntel Pentium LGA 1151 ProcessorIntel Celeron LGA 1151 ProcessorMaximum CPU TDP: 95Watt | ||
| Memory | 2 x DDR4 DIMM Memory SlotDual Channel DDR4 2400/ 2133/ 1866 MHzMax 32GB Memory | ||
| Expansion Slots | 1 x PCI-E x16 3.0 Slot11 x PCI-E x1 3.0 Slot*Note: PEX1_6/11 slot are not compatible w/ ATX standard, users need extra connecting kit to install VGA card for crypto mining. | ||
| Storage | 6x SATA3 Connectors | ||
| USB | 4 x USB 3.0 Port1 x USB 3.0 Header2 x USB 2.0 Port2 x USB 2.0 Port (only 5V power, up to 1.5A)2 x USB 2.0 Header | ||
| LAN | Realtek RTL8111H - 10/100/1000 ControllerSupport Super LAN Surge Protection | ||
| Integrated Video | *By CPU Model | ||
| Rear I/O | 1 x PS/2 Mouse1 x PS/2 Keyboard4 x USB 3.0 Port2 x USB 2.0 Port2 x USB 2.0 Port(only 5V power, up to 1.5A)1 x DVI-D Connector, resolution up to 1920 x 1200 @60Hz1 x RJ-45 Port3 x Audio Connector | ||
| Internal I/O | 1 x USB 3.0 Header2 x USB 2.0 Header6 x SATA3 6Gb/s Connector1 x SATA Power Connector(for rear USB power enhancement)1 x Front Audio Header1 x Front Panel Header1 x CPU Fan Header2 x System Fan Header1 x Serial Header2 x PCI-E 12V 4Pin Connector (Must be installed when using for bitcoin mining.) | ||
| Dimensions (W x L) | 29.5cm x 21cm | ||
| Price | $130 | ||
they could reduce cost and save us power by removing the following:
the audio circuitry
5 of the sata headers
all the usb 2 ports
the ps/2 ports
1 x Front Audio Header
1 x Front Panel Header
1 x Serial Header
Nvidia graphics cards aren't supported?
IMO, you gotta go on 2 x 1,500 watt psu setup on this one.
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NVIDIA currently limits the number of GPUs to 8 using Windows. I've read this is not an issue in Linux though. My company currently uses a hybrid deployment of 6/6 AMD/NVIDIA cards using the TB250-BTC Pro without issue. We also have 1 system that is running 12 AMD RX570 cards. Our other 12 card systems use the B250 Mining Expert from Asus which supports 19 GPUs according to their site but we have not tested. For our 6 GPU systems we use the TB250-BTC with AMD cards.
If you are using either of the TB250-BTC boards you must update the bios to the most recent version. Once updated reset the BIOS to default setting then reboot. Next you will want to boot the system without any external GPUs installed and change the BIOS to use IGFX, TOLUD to 3.5GB, Enable 4G encoding and set all your PCI-E interfaces to Gen 2. Once done you can reboot the system into windows then shut down the system to install all 6 of your cards. Continue to use the onboard GFX, also ensure you install the Intel driver for the onboard. If you have any additional issues make sure each component of your setup is working correctly by testing them individually.
How would that compare to an AntMinor 9s for cost/hash and energy/hash?
I had boot problems with a biostar board. All kinds of random no-post issues, bluescreens and such. I could get it to work with fewer cards, but adding too many cards would cause issues. I solved it by setting BIOS to use onboard graphics instead of the other GPUs. Boots fine now.