A USB miner flash drive is a portable device that is inserted into a PC port and allows you to mine cryptocurrencies. Let us immediately note that such equipment is aimed exclusively at newcomers to the cryptocurrency environment who would like to test the waters before buying a full-fledged ASIC or other more expensive equipment, so USB miners should not be regarded as a means of earning money. In this article we will look at the 5 best devices of this type.
USB miner flash drive Sapphire Block Erupter
Sapphire Block Erupters is a device that was the first to occupy the niche of USB miners. The specifications state a power of 330 MH/s, and energy consumption per month in US dollars will be only $0.1.
The high efficiency and not the lowest performance of the device make it an ideal option for the first steps in mining. You can start the mining process with a minimum of funds and, perhaps, get some benefit, for example, from new altcoins that have a very low network complexity. The Sapphire USB miner will cost you $30.
Installation details
Running a USB cryptocurrency miner is quite easy, because you don’t need to have any special knowledge or skills to do it. You just need to perform a series of simple manipulations that will ensure the desired effect is achieved in a matter of moments. They include:
- place the device in the USB port of a personal computer;
- download special software for your operating system (Windows, Linux supported);
- then download and install the latest version of bfgminer (the mining process will be carried out through the application);
- create a batch file (extension “.bat”) that makes it possible to run the software (the type of commands will differ depending on the device used).
That's it, now you can start mining cryptocurrency. The process itself is very lengthy, so it is better for the miner to reduce the time spent at the PC to a minimum. This approach will make it possible to avoid additional load on the hardware and provide the user with good passive income.
USB miner flash drive GekkoScience Compac
The GekkoScience miner is slightly better than the model described above. The declared power of this miner is 8 GH/s, and power consumption is also kept at a minimum level. In addition, manufacturers claim that the miner is absolutely silent.
Despite its higher productivity, the device is not able to compete with other miners. The most you can expect is to mine some new altcoins. The device costs about $50.
A mining revolution or a useless toy?
USB miners are perfect for those who are just starting to get acquainted with the world of digital coins and blockchain technology. Among their advantages:
- affordable price;
- good computing power;
- no noise;
- high operational reliability.
During operation, the device consumes a minimum of electricity, so one PC can easily accommodate a dozen of these devices. The productivity of the machines will make it possible to receive a stable income. All you need is a computer and a good Internet connection.
The right USB cryptocurrency miner is a fairly reliable and profitable toy. It will undoubtedly work for the entire required period and will even be able to pay off well. But to make a profit, you will need to invest money in purchasing the device.
If you want to earn 100% profit in 12 months, pay attention to the Gectacoin USB cryptocurrency miner, the return on investment is already after 6 months of operation!
USB miner flash drive Bitmain Antrouter R1
Bitmain AntRouter is not quite a USB flash drive miner, but very similar. In the listed list, this device has one of the highest prices, while its performance is far from its competitors and is only 5.5 GH/s.
The main advantage of this device is that it can operate as a wireless router. But think about it, do you really need a $60 router? It will be difficult to mine and make a profit on such a device.
Available options on the market
Today the market can offer a wide range of USB miners, in addition, their list is constantly updated with various new products. Among the most popular are:
- USB miner Gectacoin from Central Marketing Ltd in collaboration with the marketing platform Synterium .
- ANTMiner. The device is designed and manufactured in China. It boasts very good power, but pays for it with strong heating. Considering its modest price, it is perfect for solo mining. Using the device to mine cryptocurrency on an “industrial” scale is not productive.
- HexFury. It has gained popularity among users thanks to its phenomenal performance indicators. In addition, the creators of the device have improved some algorithms, thereby achieving low power consumption of the device.
Of course, there are other copies, but the demand for them is significantly less:
- Avalon Nano 3 is a device with a capacity of almost 4 Gigahash per second, which, with proper use and selection of digital currency, can reach a net profit in a couple of months. The device operates without any additional cooling systems - you just need to insert it into a USB connector and install the necessary software. The price of the device does not exceed $20.
- GekkoScience is slightly better than the example presented above. The performance of this device is about 8 Gigahash, while power consumption is minimal. In addition, the creators of the device claim that it is practically silent. Despite its higher computing power, the device is unlikely to be able to compete with other types of miners. The maximum it is suitable for is mining only launched altcoins. The price of the device is at $50.
- Sapphire Block Erupters is a true veteran among USB miners. The first model of this line was released back in 2013. The parameters indicate a power of 300 Megahashes, and energy consumption (in terms of currency) does not exceed $0.1 monthly. Excellent profitability and not the least performance have turned the device into the best option for all those who are just getting acquainted with the world of cryptocurrency. Anyone can start mining at a minimum cost and, probably, even receive a small passive income. The cost of the device is approximately $30.
- 21 Bitcoin Computer. The main difference from similar models is significant power indicators. Without taking into account overclocking, the machine is capable of producing as much as 90 Gigahash per second. True, you will have to pay a higher price for this. Connection to a personal computer is made via a USB connector.
- Bitmain AntRouter. Not a miner in the truest sense of the word. Of all the models described here, it has the highest cost, while its computing power is only 5.5 Gigahash. The main advantage of the device is the ability to work as a wireless router. But whether a regular $60 router is actually necessary is a moot point. It will be quite difficult to mine digital currency and generate income on such a device.
When approaching the purchase of a device, you first need to decide on the currency that will be mined. Such a currency is, for example, GectaCoin. In this case, this is a promising young digital currency with a unique idea, huge potential and, most importantly, “for experienced miners” - at the beginning of its development.
USB miner 21 Bitcoin Computer
21 Bitcoin Computer is not your typical mini miner. However, it connects to the PC via USB. In terms of price and hashrate ratio, this is not a very good choice. Priced at $400, this device produces 90 GH/s. In such situations, it’s easier to save up a little more and buy yourself something more serious.
A USB flash drive miner has not been a relevant technical achievement in the cryptocurrency segment for a long time. Such a device was in demand back in the period of CPU mining, so today, when the difficulty of mining is much higher than before, it simply cannot cope with the calculations. But if you want to get a feel for the mining industry, then this is the most economical option!
Pros and cons of the device
How does this type of equipment differ from others? First of all, because it works via USB. This allows us to offer the user a number of advantages:
- Low power consumption . Compared to video cards or specialized USB ASICs, a cryptocurrency miner boasts very modest power consumption requirements.
- Reliability . Manufacturers claim thousands of hours of operation.
- No additional space needed. Compared to ASIC devices for Bitcoin mining, which occupy entire hangars, a regular desktop will be quite enough here.
- No noise . With a USB device, you protect yourself, your family and neighbors from the constant noise that traditional types of miners produce.
- Ability to connect multiple devices to one computer.
However, the USB cryptocurrency miner is not without some disadvantages. Among them it should be noted:
- Heats up quickly . Due to its limited size, the device is not equipped with a cooling system.
- High price . The price to hashrate ratio is not in favor of the miner.
- You cannot mine top digital currencies. The device is only suitable for mining little-known altcoins.
- Low hash rates . The device is significantly inferior in this regard to video cards or even more so to specialized ASICs.
Since the USB port used plays a significant role in the operation of the device, it is necessary to cover this point in more detail. There are 2 types of connectors:
- Version 2.0 . Makes it possible to supply no more than 2.5 volts and accelerate to 400 KHS. At the maximum permissible temperature of 44 degrees (it reaches higher values only in the case of targeted overclocking), the miner is able to function for the entire declared service life. The device frequency is 144 MHz.
- Version 3.0. By increasing the voltage range to 4.5 volts, the device now produces more than 700 KHS. However, at the same time, the maximum temperature of the device increases. The frequency parameters are at around 264 MHz.
However, the speeds indicated above are not the limit. You can overclock the miner to 1 MHS. However, this will require a USB hub and an additional power source. Considering the cost of the required hardware, overclocking devices is currently not cost-effective.
Almost a month has passed since another ASIC, or rather the GC3355 miner, worked in my mine, or rather in the mines, since there were two of them. Let me remind you that this miner allows you to simultaneously mine two cryptocurrencies Bitcoin (SHA256) and any scrypt currency, in my case the second crypt was Litecoin. And due to new changes in the script algorithm, simultaneously with Litecoin, my ASIC GC3355 began to mine Dogecoin as well, a very pleasant surprise - it turned out to be able to mine as many as three cryptocurrencies simultaneously. And even after such a short period of time, we can safely make a small comparison with the operation of another mining device, albeit one that mines only Bitcoin, with the USB miner Antminer U1/U2.
What these devices have in common is connection to a computer via a USB port. At the same time, the asic Antminer U1/U2 consumes energy from the port, but the asic GC3355 requires additional power. Let me explain in more detail: the power supply for it is only suitable for 12v, but not for various devices like mobile phones and various electronic toys, don’t even try to connect it. The power supply should be relatively powerful: 12v and at least 5-6A per device. I can reassure you right away - if the power supply is weak, it will not “burn out” or fail. The GC3355 miner simply won’t turn on and won’t be able to start working, but this only applies to the miner’s operation using the SHA256 algorithm, that is, when setting up its bitcoin mining. For mining lighter currencies, the scrypt algorithm, the consumption of the GC3355 miner is significantly lower and amounts to 12V 1-1.5 A from the power supply per device, and this is quite enough for stable operation. Since when mining light script currencies, energy consumption is relatively low, the heating is not very strong, and with its large radiator, it is quite sufficient for cooling. Therefore, many miners turn off the cooler, switching the ASIC to passive cooling in order to make mining cheaper and more profitable.
As for stability, my conclusion is clear - asic USB Antminer U1/U2 is more stable and much more reliable. When operating continuously for a month, the USB Antminer U1/U2 rarely failed; it could work without failure for several days, which cannot be said about the ASIC GC3355. Alas, the stability of his work leaves much to be desired. It seems that the product was released to the market, to put it mildly, “in its raw form.” It malfunctioned with frustrating regularity. During the month of operation, it froze several times a day or even closed with an error, which, you see, cannot characterize it on the positive side. Therefore, my verdict is not encouraging. For a large and medium-sized farm, such a miner is poorly suited, and if you do it on these devices, you need constant monitoring. But with USB Antminer U1/U2 everything is simpler. If it is possible to get or exchange them, then you will see for yourself: a small experimental farm on these devices is more stable, and energy consumption is low. Also, which is quite important, although few people pay attention to this, they are silent, and this, you see, is a very significant argument, especially at night.
