I'm having a tough time understanding what the optimal hardware formula is for this project. Seems like RAM plays a big part, but I have a machine with half the RAM outhashing another machine. Is virtual memory applicable? I haven't won a single block and seem pretty confident that I won't at the rate of things... getting the snowfields isn't even an issue for me.
Insight appreciated!
It's more about RAM throughput. if you can fit the whole snowfield (note: it is now 64gb) into memory, then you are either going to be capped by CPU (probably) or (less likely) memory throughput. If you can't fit the whole thing in memory then it will (almost assuredly) be capped by throughput to disk.
BTW, there are now some mining pools set up, so you can get some snowblossoms by mining on there without requiring you finding an entire block!