Arweave has emerged as a groundbreaking decentralized storage network, enabling permanent data storage through its innovative proof-of-access consensus mechanism. For those looking to participate in the network by mining $AR tokens, building a custom mining rig is a viable path. This guide walks you through the essential hardware components, performance considerations, and practical configurations needed to assemble an efficient Arweave mining setup—without straying from technical accuracy or real-world feasibility.
Understanding Arweave Mining: Syncing, Packing, and Mining
Before diving into hardware, it's crucial to understand the two primary phases of Arweave mining:
- Syncing & Packing: Downloading the full data weave (approximately 177 TB as of early 2024) and encrypting it under your mining address.
- Mining: Actively participating in block validation by rapidly accessing random data chunks from the stored weave.
This article focuses on the mining phase, where hardware performance—especially storage bandwidth—is critical.
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Core Hardware Requirements for Arweave Mining
The Arweave network divides its total data—known as the "Weave"—into fixed-size partitions of 3.6TB each. As of 2025, there are over 50 such partitions, meaning the full dataset exceeds 180TB. The protocol strongly incentivizes miners who store complete copies (or multiple partial copies that together form a full copy) of this data.
Mining performance hinges on one key factor: storage read bandwidth. To remain competitive, your system must sustain an average read speed of at least 200 MB/s per 3.6TB partition.
Let’s break down the core components required to meet this demand.
1. Storage: Hard Drives (HDD)
Each 3.6TB partition requires sustained read throughput of ~200 MB/s. Modern 7200 RPM HDDs typically deliver peak speeds close to this threshold.
Recommended Approach:
- Use one 4TB HDD per partition.
- The extra ~400GB accommodates metadata and filesystem overhead.
While 4TB drives are ideal for simplicity, alternatives exist:
- Combine smaller drives (e.g., four 3TB drives for three partitions).
- Use larger drives (e.g., 8TB or 12TB) and allocate one partition per drive, using leftover space for cold storage.
Both SATA and SAS drives are compatible. However, ensure consistent interface standards across all components to avoid bottlenecks.
⚠️ RAID configurations are not recommended. They add complexity, cost, and may degrade performance due to parity calculations or controller limitations.
2. Host Bus Adapter (HBA): Connecting Multiple Drives
Most motherboards support only a limited number of SATA ports—usually fewer than 10. For rigs handling 16+ drives, an HBA card becomes essential.
An HBA acts as a bridge between your motherboard’s PCIe slots and multiple hard drives via SAS/SATA connections.
Key Selection Criteria:
SAS Version Compatibility
SAS standards define maximum transfer rates per lane:
- SAS-1: 3 Gbps
- SAS-2: 6 Gbps
- SAS-3: 12 Gbps
All versions are backward compatible, but speed is capped by the slowest component. For future-proofing and stability, SAS-2 or SAS-3 HBAs are strongly recommended.
Number of SAS Channels
HBA models like "16i" or "16e" indicate channel count:
- A 16i HBA provides 16 internal Mini-SAS ports.
- Each Mini-SAS connector supports 4 channels → total of 16 channels.
For example, a SAS-2 HBA with 16 channels delivers up to 96 Gbps aggregate bandwidth—more than sufficient for 16 HDDs requiring ~1.2 Gbps each.
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SAS Expanders: Proceed with Caution
SAS expanders allow multiple drives to share a single SAS channel. While cost-effective, they introduce complexity:
- Throughput is shared across connected drives.
- Lower-tier expanders (e.g., SAS-1) can become bottlenecks.
- Additional PCIe slot usage and maintenance overhead.
Given these risks, avoid SAS expanders unless you have advanced technical expertise.
PCIe Interface Requirements
Ensure the HBA connects via a high-bandwidth PCIe slot:
- Minimum: PCIe 3.0 x8 (provides ~62.4 Gbps)
- This supports up to ~39 drives at full throughput.
Always verify your motherboard has enough PCIe 3.0+ slots and proper spacing for large expansion cards.
Internal vs External Connectors
- "i" suffix (e.g., 16i): Internal Mini-SAS connectors (inside chassis)
- "e" suffix (e.g., 16e): External Mini-SAS connectors (rear I/O)
Choose based on your rack or case design—no performance difference.
3. Motherboard and PCIe Slots
Your motherboard must support:
- At least one PCIe 3.0 x8 (or higher) slot for the HBA.
- Adequate physical space and power delivery for multi-drive setups.
- Reliable UEFI firmware for stable boot and drive detection.
Server-grade motherboards (e.g., Supermicro, ASRock Rack) are preferred due to better multi-disk support and ECC memory compatibility.
Mining Architecture: Single Node vs Collaborative Mining
Arweave supports two main mining strategies:
Single Node (Full Copy)
- One machine stores all partitions (~180TB+).
- Simpler coordination but demands massive storage and bandwidth.
- Rarely cost-effective for most independent miners.
Collaborative Mining (Multi-Node Setup)
- Multiple nodes each store a subset of partitions.
- Nodes communicate to reconstruct the full weave during mining.
- Introduced in Arweave v2.7.2, this method scales efficiently.
Example Configuration:
- Each node handles 16 partitions (~57.6TB)
- Four such nodes collaborate to cover all 50+ partitions
- Reduces per-node hardware burden while maintaining competitiveness
This modular approach is now the de facto standard among serious miners.
Syncing & Packing: Pre-Mining Phase Requirements
Before mining begins, you must:
- Download the full weave (~177 TB as of early 2025)
- Encrypt ("pack") it using your mining wallet’s key
This phase is CPU and network intensive, not storage-bound.
Network Bandwidth
- With a 1 Gbps connection, full sync takes ~16+ days.
- After initial sync, only 100–200 Mbps is needed for ongoing updates.
CPU Requirements
Packing uses symmetric encryption (AES), making it highly CPU-dependent.
- A 16-core Ryzen 9 7950X processes ~90 MB/s
- Full packing time: ~22 days on a single high-end CPU
Since syncing and packing can run in parallel, a well-configured rig can complete both stages within 3 weeks.
Some miners opt to rent cloud instances (high-bandwidth + high-CPU) to accelerate this phase before transitioning to dedicated hardware.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Can I use SSDs instead of HDDs for Arweave mining?
A: Technically yes, but it's not cost-effective. The protocol requires large sequential reads—not random IOPS—where HDDs perform adequately at a fraction of the price.
Q: Is RAID necessary for redundancy?
A: No. Data redundancy is handled by the network itself. Individual node failures don’t compromise rewards if other collaborators cover the missing partitions.
Q: How often does the Weave size increase?
A: Continuously. With growing adoption—especially from the AO computing layer—the data grows by several TB monthly. Plan for annual hardware upgrades.
Q: Can I join a mining pool with partial data?
A: Yes. Pools accept partial replicas and coordinate access across members, allowing smaller operators to participate profitably.
Q: What happens if my drive fails during mining?
A: You’ll miss out on block rewards until the data is restored. Regular monitoring and hot-spare drives are recommended.
Q: Do I need ECC RAM or enterprise-grade components?
A: Not strictly required, but advised. Data integrity is paramount; ECC memory reduces corruption risks during long-term operation.
Final Thoughts
Building an Arweave mining rig isn't about raw compute power—it's about sustained storage throughput and architectural efficiency. Focus on reliable HDDs, high-bandwidth HBAs, and scalable multi-node designs rather than chasing peak specs.
Whether you're deploying a single rig or planning a small-scale farm, understanding the interplay between bandwidth, partition size, and collaborative architecture will determine your success in earning $AR rewards over time.
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