How I Killed My Gaming Laptop Mining Bitcoin And Why You Should Too

Some ideas are stupid, and some are so stupid they’re worth trying anyway.

Image by Dorothe Pixabay

Image by Tamim Tarin Pixabay

This is one of those.

I decided to turn my Asus ROG GL702VM gaming laptop into a full-time Bitcoin mining rig, and two days later, it was dead. Not “struggling” or “laggy” dead completely cooked. The moment I shut off my extra cooling, the thing instantly powered down like it had finally found peace. It went out the way all great warriors do, burning at full throttle, fighting for a cause it didn’t even understand.

Was it a bad idea? Obviously.

Would I do it again? Absolutely.

And if you’ve got an old laptop lying around, you should, too.

How I Set Up My Doomed Laptop for Mining

The best part about Bitcoin mining is that it requires zero technical skill. You just need an internet connection, a laptop you’re willing to sacrifice, and an app that does all the heavy lifting.

I found Cudo Miner, a Windows app that automatically manages mining efficiency, selects the most profitable cryptocurrency and adjusts power settings to keep things running smoothly. Within minutes, my laptop had gone from a relatively chill gaming machine to a full-scale furnace, working at 100% capacity 24/7 to process transactions on the Bitcoin network.

Cranked to max mining, the internal fan kicked in immediately, running so hard it sounded like a jet preparing for takeoff. But even that wasn’t enough. I set up extra cooling, including a 5-fan turbo USB fan bed underneath the laptop to pull heat away, a high-powered desk fan blasting air directly onto the keyboard, and an open window to let cold air in because, at this point, my room was basically a low-budget server farm.

It was like throwing a few ice cubes into a boiling pot of water and hoping for the best. It helped for a while, but deep down, I knew it wouldn’t last.

The Beauty of 'Free' Electricity

There was one obvious flaw in this plan, electricity costs. Mining crypto at home is a horrendously inefficient way to make money, mostly because the energy bill eats all your earnings.

Unless… you’re not the one paying for it.

I set up my experiment at my parent's place, which meant I was running off Dad's electricity bill. For two glorious days, my mining rig pulled enough power to burn through £10 a day worth of energy. But since I wasn’t paying for it, that technically meant it was free money.

Shoutout to the Bank of Mum & Dad for subsidising my reckless science.

Of course, my dad was less than thrilled when I explained how his electric bill had been silently funding a failing crypto operation. But by then, it was too late. My laptop was dead, my earnings were locked in, and all he could do was shake his head.

So, Did I Get Rich?

After 48 hours of full-blast mining, I checked my earnings.

I had made…

£2, that was it. Two pounds.

At this rate, it would have taken five days just to break even on the electricity costs (if my laptop had survived that long). Weeks to make enough for a coffee. And months to justify even turning the thing on in the first place.

But the money wasn’t really the point. The point was seeing how the blockchain actually worked, and getting a first-hand look at the sheer amount of power required to keep Bitcoin running.

Would I Do It Again? Absolutely.

So, what did I learn from all this?

First, mining Bitcoin on a laptop is a terrible financial decision. You won’t make money. You will kill your hardware. And if you’re paying for electricity, you’ll probably lose money.

But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try it.

Because the real value isn’t in the £2 worth of Bitcoin, it’s in understanding how blockchain works, seeing the raw power behind crypto mining, and, most importantly, getting a great story out of it.

Just don’t do this on company equipment unless you enjoy awkward conversations with IT and HR. And when your laptop finally overheats, crashes, and dies, well, it’s just a laptop. Hardware dies. But experience lasts forever.

How to Set Up Cudo Miner on Windows for the ASUS ROG GL702VM

If you’re still here, you might be crazy enough to actually try mining yourself. If so, Cudo Miner is an excellent choice because it automates everything and makes mining easy for beginners.

1. Go to Cudo Miner’s website and sign up.

2. Download the Windows app and install it.

3. Log in and let Cudo Miner detect your hardware.

Optimise Mining Settings

1. Enable GPU mining for maximum efficiency.

2. Lower CPU mining intensity to prevent overheating.

3. Keep your laptop plugged in and set Windows Power Settings to 'High Performance.'

4. Use a cooling setup: A 5-fan turbo USB fan bed under the laptop. A desk fan pointed at the keyboard. 

Start Mining & Monitor Performance

Open Cudo Miner and let it automatically switch to the most profitable coin. Use MSI Afterburner to track GPU temperature (stay below 80°C). Restart your laptop every 24-48 hours to prevent crashes.

Withdraw Your Earnings

1. Go to the Cudo Miner dashboard.

2. Click 'Withdraw.'

3. Select your wallet (Bitcoin, Ethereum, etc.).

4. Enter your wallet address and confirm.

Mining will push your laptop to its limits, so expect high temperatures and power consumption. If your computer starts throttling or crashing, dial back the settings or take breaks. And don't dow what I did and push past these signs for maximum mining results.

Will this make you rich? No.

Will it kill your laptop? Probably.

Should you do it anyway? Absolutely.