I can definitely share my personal experience with CPU mining on a Mac. So, let’s dive in.
First and foremost, it’s important to understand that CPU mining for cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin is not profitable or practical anymore. In the early days of Bitcoin, mining with a CPU was feasible, but as the network difficulty increased and specialized mining hardware (ASICs) came into the picture, CPU mining became obsolete.
Now, let’s talk about mining on a mid-tier MacBook Pro. Macs are not really designed for mining, especially when it comes to Bitcoin. The hardware components in MacBooks, including the CPU and graphics card, are not optimized for mining efficiency. Mining requires a lot of computational power, and MacBooks just don’t have that level of power compared to dedicated mining rigs or ASIC miners.
If you were to attempt CPU mining on a MacBook Pro for 24 hours, you would barely make any progress. The mining software would utilize your CPU, but the returns would be significantly low, probably less than micro-cents worth of Bitcoin. It simply wouldn’t be worth the electricity costs or the wear and tear on your machine.
Moreover, continuously running the CPU at high levels for mining purposes can generate a lot of heat, potentially causing your MacBook Pro to overheat. This could lead to performance issues, reduced lifespan of components, or even damage to your machine. It’s just not worth the risk.
In terms of mining with the graphics card on a MacBook Pro, it’s not a viable option either. MacBooks, in general, don’t have powerful graphics cards suitable for mining cryptocurrencies. Even if you were to mine with the graphics card, the returns would be minuscule, and you would likely burn out your graphics card before mining even a fraction of a Bitcoin.
So, in conclusion, CPU mining on a mid-tier MacBook Pro for Bitcoin or any other profitable cryptocurrency is practically pointless. The returns would be negligible, and the potential damage to your machine is not worth the minimal gains. If you’re interested in mining, it’s best to invest in specialized mining hardware or join mining pools with dedicated ASIC miners.