If you are **new to cryptocurrency**, and looking to get a taste of mining without getting into the nuts and bolts of mining – ***Minergate’s GUI consule** is the best option for you*. It is by far the **easiest way to get started with mining** – easily downloaded and installed, quick setup and simple UI. Once installed, you are on your way with the click of a button – it’s so easy that your grandma could get it up and running in a few mins.

If you aren’t familiar with the process of mining (*process of generating bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies*) and want to get a quick intro to bitcoin, mining and cryptocurrencies in general, **[feel free to browse through my post by clicking here](https://steemit.com/bitcoin/@himalayanhasher/bitcoin-basics-and-getting-started-with-cryptocurrencies)**.

While the more **established cryptocurrencies require miners to invest $1,000s** into computing/specialised hardware, **mining altcoins is still possible and potentially profitable** if you missed the early arms race.

With that said, let’s take a look at if MinerGate is for you and how to get going.

## What is Minergate
Minergate provides a **software that allows you to mine a variety of cryptocurrencies** as a part of a pool [more on that here]( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mining_pool). Miners *attach* their hardware to the **pool to collectively mine the coin(s) of their choice**.

## What you need to mine
**You can get going with a CPU or GPU**, minergate software and a steady connection to the internet.

* **Hardware**
You can **get a reasonable taste of mining even with 3-4yr old hardware** – any older and the returns may be low enough to demoralize you too soon. One of my rigs with an AMD FX-8300 CPU and MSI R9280x GPU is dedicated to Minergate and accumulating altcoins.

Needless to say, the **latest GPU’s would give you a higher daily return**. 
  * **CPU**: Intel has a definite edge here over its AMD counterparts
  * **GPU**: While AMD had the edge in the early years, Nvidia has caught up in recent times.
  *Make sure to do your research before you begin. Mining will put additional stress on your equipment and potentially reduce its life*

* **Software**
Minergate makes it **easy to download and install the software** which you can **[download from their website]( https://minergate.com/a/eae2313e4aac641abb964762)**. The software is currently *available across Windows, Mac, Ubuntu and Fedora*.
![](https://steemitimages.com/DQmRtUQ27qATEYys1fKF5P4CfaSAoKRtdtHd2he9pLar7fj/image.png)

* **Internet**
If you are in the developing region of the world, quality internet access can be an issue. However, mining does not require superfast connection speeds or unlimited data – a basic, but **steady connection that allows for constant connectivity is enough**.

## What coins can I mine
Minergate currently supports mining of 14 cryptocurrencies
![](https://steemitimages.com/DQmVwxGdSoCQGhkkZA93DxhMi3kA7frCWyYsRwMYvhVDSfp/image.png)
 
## Getting started
To begin with, you will need to sign up on MinerGate’s website 

* **Step 1**
Go to **[MinerGate’s website](https://minergate.com/a/eae2313e4aac641abb964762)** and **sign up**.
![](https://steemitimages.com/DQmYcWERP2wPaGyrup6fXgDn93cxKGe8RB4APK2e1tvKgt8/image.png) 

* **Step 2**
**Download** the GUI Miner.
 ![](https://steemitimages.com/DQmPF33A6b87FCyQVm9Fpza3jfCVSCy86eLg4QMmWnMLCgu/image.png)

* **Step 3**
Open the MinerGate application. You will be prompted to **sign in** – use the credentials you used in Step 1 earlier.

* **Step 4**
Once you are signed in you will land on the **smart mining tab within the application**. Click on the “Start smart mining button” and you are on your way – **no command lines, no GPU settings required**– as easy as that.

The **smart mining feature** within the GUI miner *automatically chooses which coin is mined based on current difficulty and exchange rates of the coins*. In theory, this allows you to mine the most profitable coin at the moment - however, due to constant variation in pricing and changes in difficulty, you should research which coin to mine.

![](https://steemitimages.com/DQmRY8TZnN9QxmmVSqt1nhyvpAZRgXuZduJyK1qXAwzxnD3/image.png)

If you feel that you are not happy with the smart mined coin or just **prefer a different cryptocurrency**, you can choose which coin to mine by going to the **Miner tab**
![](https://steemitimages.com/DQmf59Lnt72a7C8tDCpjJ6PZfq4g4h94qiNHF41qSX3wGRZ/image.png)
*Note: Leaving one CPU core free while mining with your GPU or while working on your system simultaneously increases output*

## Who is MinerGate for
MinerGate is easily **my first recommendation to anyone looking to get their hands dirty and experience mining for the first time**.

It **won’t satisfy the purists** or the tinkerers, but it is a great way to get started. For those of you who want to play around with the setting and optimize your output/hardware performance, you can take a look at the Console miner MinerGate (and others) provide – more on that in another post.

* MinerGate Pros
  * Easy to Setup
  * Requires basic ability to operate a computer  
  * Can mine multiple coins simultaneosly
* Minergate Cons
  * Cannot tweak the hardware settings
  * Limited number of mineable coins

Hope this help smoothen your entry into mining and building your very own crypto fortune :).
**Drop your questions/comments below** or email me at **[himalayanhasher@gmail.com](himalayanhasher@gmail.com)**