Question 1

What CPU do I need for a Chia plotter build?

Accepted Answer

I built this one around a Ryzen 9 3900X (12 cores / 24 threads) because it’s a really good price-to-performance point and it still has a life after plotting. Each plot likes at least 2 cores, and when you’re doing a bunch in parallel you’re basically running the CPU full blast all day. If you want more parallel plots without slowing down, more cores can help, but you’ll bottleneck somewhere else too.

Question 2

How many plots in parallel can a Ryzen 9 3900X do?

Accepted Answer

With the setup I’m running, I consider it good for about 14 in parallel without drastically reducing speed. I’m seeing roughly ~29,000 seconds (around 8–8.5 hours) when I’m doing 14 at a time. If you only run a few plots, times can be a lot faster, but the whole point is throughput.

Question 3

How much RAM do I need for Chia plotting, and does RAM speed matter?

Accepted Answer

RAM absolutely matters, especially on AMD. I like allocating about 6GB per plot for max speed, and if you’re trying to do 14 in parallel you’re basically going to use every bit of 32GB, so 64GB gives you more breathing room. Also, make sure your RAM isn’t stuck at the default low speed—go into BIOS and set it correctly (like 3600) or your plot times will be really slow.

Question 4

Is Gen4 NVMe worth it for Chia plotting?

Accepted Answer

Yes—if you’re using consumer M.2 drives, you want Gen4. Gen3 endurance is generally lower and you can burn them up fast when you’re plotting hard 24/7, especially trying to push parallel plots. Gen4 tends to last longer in this use case, and it helps keep you from bottlenecking as quickly.

Question 5

Should I use enterprise U.2 SSDs (like Intel P4510) for plotting?

Accepted Answer

If you can, I like the enterprise drives a lot for this because they’re just better at sustained read/write and endurance for the money. In my testing, the commercial drives let me push higher parallel counts than standard NVMe before things get slow. Just remember you’ll need the right adapter and you need to think about PCIe slot bandwidth and where your GPU is going.

Question 6

What motherboard features matter for a Chia plotter PC?

Accepted Answer

VRMs matter because plotting is basically like mining—you can be at 95–100% CPU usage 24 hours a day. I chose the ASUS TUF X570 because it has solid VRMs for the price and it’s built to take abuse. You also need to pay attention to PCIe slot layout and whether your M.2 slots are Gen4 if you’re going that route.

Question 7

What size power supply do I need for a Chia plotting rig?

Accepted Answer

You don’t need anything crazy like a 1600W—use what fits your build. I wouldn’t go smaller than a 650W Gold, and you should leave about 20% headroom from your max draw. If you’re planning a bigger GPU later, bump the PSU up accordingly.

Question 8

Are external hard drives okay for Chia farming storage?

Accepted Answer

Yeah, I like externals because they’re usually cheaper and a lot of the time it’s the same drive inside anyway. You can run them as externals or shuck them and use the internal drive if that’s your plan. Also pay attention to power strips—orientation matters when you’ve got a lot of bricks plugged in.

Chia Network Plotting & Mining PC Build Guide

🛍️ Products Mentioned (13)

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AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 12-core

G.SKILL Trident Z Neo Series 32GB (2 x 16GB)

ASUS AM4 TUF Gaming X570-Plus (Wi-Fi)

EVGA SuperNOVA 650 G+, 80 Plus Gold

Intel DC P4510 2 TB Solid State Drive

StarTech.com U.2 to PCIe Adapter

Corsair Force Series MP600 2TB Gen4 PCIe X4 NVMe M.2 SSD

If yop want it -- Rosewill ATX Case, Mid Tower Case

Sabrent 16-Port USB 3.0 Data HUB

WD 12 -14 - 16 -18 TB Elements Desktop Hard Drive HDD, USB 3.0

Pcie Pci-e Pci Express Riser Card

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