Compare and select the best video cards for mining for 2022

Anyone can do mining on a video card in 2022, because this is one of the simplest and most effective ways to get started with cryptocurrency. However, you should immediately take into account that your earnings will directly depend on the capabilities of your equipment, so if you want to have a significant income, you will need a card with high characteristics.

GPU mining requires the most powerful video cards, usually the latest models from Nvidia and AMD. They, of course, are not cheap, but they will become a kind of down payment, which will later pay off, and the profitability of old lines can fall so quickly that you will not even have time to pay off the equipment.

It is important to note right away that the best alternative to mining is to buy cryptocurrency on the exchange; as history shows, in the long term it is no less profitable, but at the same time much simpler, faster and more reliable. It is worth buying on the stock exchange, not in an exchange office because... exchanges charge much lower commissions, provide maximum liquidity, and most importantly are safe to use.

The largest crypto exchange in the world is Binance, the platform supports transfers in rubles from Visa/MasterCard bank cards and payment systems QIWI, Advcash, Payeer. Especially for beginners, we have prepared a detailed guide: How to buy Bitcoin on a crypto exchange with a minimum commission?

For a safe and convenient purchase of cryptocurrencies with a minimum commission, we have prepared a rating of the TOP 5 exchanges that support deposits and withdrawals of funds in rubles, hryvnias, dollars and euros:

But if you love computer hardware and definitely want to build your own GPU farm, carefully read the recommendations and models of video cards given below in this publication.

The most popular operating system for mining, Hive OS, is from the Linux family based on the Ubuntu distribution, specially optimized for cryptocurrency mining. Linux miner hive OS is both a set of programs and a service for monitoring your rigs.

• Hive OS official website: https://hiveos.farm
• Promotional code for crediting 10 USD to your Hive OS balance: MINING-CRYPTO (specify during registration)

Key characteristics when choosing a video card

To purchase components for assembling a rig, you need to know the hashrate of video cards; the table of the best GPUs for mining should be studied by you first. The following parameters affect the performance of GPUs:

• Video memory volume . Here you should choose according to the principle “the more, the better.” Solid performance is provided by devices with storage capacity of two gigabytes or more. Ether mining on a video card with such a capacity gives the best self-sufficiency indicators.
• Memory speed . If you are wondering which video card is best for cryptocurrency mining. It is advisable to have a card with DDR 5 memory - in terms of the balance of energy consumption and computing power, they currently have no analogues on the market.
• Bus width . It is worth choosing solutions only with a 256-bit bus - 128-bit ones are several times inferior in performance to their modern counterparts. The mining speed on video cards with an old bus is several times lower, and mining itself from scratch on a video card is almost impossible.
• Cooling . Despite the fact that this item is the last on the list, it is the most important - the power of video cards for mining also depends on it. In the field of coin mining, solutions from Radeon perform best - they not only have a well-built active cooling system, but are also less susceptible to wear and tear due to long-term continuous operation.
• Overclocking capability . This is not such a significant advantage, it does not speed up mining on every card - no matter what video card you choose, it is worth studying how it behaves when mining coins. Correctly overclocking a video card can give you an additional advantage of 20-40% of the original power, but it also requires unnecessary device setup, and in this case the earnings may even be lower.

The possibility of overclocking depends on the video memory manufacturer. The best graphics accelerators for mining with Samsung memory. This parameter is not listed in the device specifications. In different batches of the same model, the memory may be from SAMSUNG, HUNIX, or another brand.

The market price of the GPU device is of great importance; the lower it is, the shorter the payback period. A top-end video accelerator may be less useful than a budget one due to its inflated cost. An example of this is the new products in the technological race from both companies. The price of the RTX 2080 and Radeon VII negated their superiority in computing speed. While they are of interest to gamers, miners prefer traditional models.

When assembling a mining rig, a configuration with 4 identical video cards is most often used. These are the most stable systems that bring the least number of problems during operation and configuration, and motherboards with 4 PCI slots are cheaper and appear on sale more often.

What is hashrate and what does it depend on?

Hashrate is something like a unit of measurement that allows you to determine the computing power of devices when mining cryptocurrency. Based on this speed, one can judge what the income will be in a particular network with a certain complexity.

Mining is a complex process that means that the hardware used to support the smooth and correct functioning of the network must perform certain mathematical operations to perform encryption. Each successful action allows the miner to receive some kind of reward for the work done.

It should be understood that mathematical operations are not carried out randomly on the network and are associated with the emergence of new transactions. A list of all completed transactions is entered into the blockchain, which is publicly available to everyone. Farms connected to the network process the incoming data, and the main task is to select random numbers to find a hash. As soon as the found hash matches the secret keys, the network will begin to consider the block complete and allow it to continue interaction with itself.

For a clearer explanation of what hashrate is, we need to give a clear example. Let's assume that we have mining hardware that, in a certain algorithm, is capable of producing a power of 20 MH/s (megahashes per second). This means that with such equipment it is possible to generate 20 million different combinations of numbers every second. One of these combinations will sooner or later fit the network and turn out to be correct. You can mine with any indicators and there is no minimum hashrate, but the reward will always be appropriate. Miners should also take into account the hashrate of the pool. If it is low, then searching for blocks will take longer.

How is hashrate measured?

Thus, we come to the question of how hashrate is measured. Equipment hashrate is expressed in the following units:

• Hashes per second (H/s)
• Megahashes per second (MH/s)
• Gigaheshes per second (GH/s)
• Terahashes per second (TH/s)
• Petahashes per second (PH/s)

It should be said right away that the minimum unit H/s is almost never encountered in practice. This is due to the fact that the complexity of each network is constantly growing and increasingly high-performance equipment is constantly required for mining.

You should not think that you will get the same profit from all algorithms. Most often, the values ​​for the Ethereum cryptocurrency with the Ethash algorithm will not be the same as those for ZCash with the Equihash algorithm or Monero with the CryptoNight algorithm.

To increase your income, you should learn to monitor the network status of each coin and switch between mining them in time. However, this is only relevant for those miners who immediately withdraw their earned money and do not save coins.

How to calculate income knowing the hashrate?

If you already have specific numbers and you managed to calculate the hashrate, then now you can roughly estimate your potential income. This is done using special calculator services. There are many of them available on the Internet; consider one of the most popular, called WhatToMine. This site is focused specifically on calculating income from mining and provides users with rich functionality.

On the main page we see a list of video cards whose hashrate can be used for calculation. The energy consumption of the selected devices is also taken into account; you can indicate the cost per kilowatt according to your tariff. All you need to do is click on the desired video card and indicate the number of cards you have. Next, click on the “Calculate” button and get a list of coins with data on potential earnings. It should be noted that the system is based on the current market and network conditions of each currency, so the situation may change in the future.

WhatToMine supports not only video cards, but also ASICs. To do this, you just need to go to the appropriate tab at the top of the page. Income calculation is identical. The downside is that there is no way to calculate profits through the processor hashrate. On the site you can also find detailed data on the state of each coin, find out the hashrate of the Bitcoin network or any other cryptocurrency. And it will be a particularly convenient solution for those involved in dual mining.

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Calculators for calculating mining profitability on a specific video card model

There are two of the most accurate calculators; in them you need to specify the model of the video card and the cost of electricity in your region.

• WhatToMine calculator – Crypto coins mining profit calculator compared https://whattomine.com/
• NiceHash calculator - Profitability calculator: https://www.nicehash.com/

Typically, the accuracy of their assessment ranges from 90% to 110%.

ASIC

The ASIC is a closed unit that contains the processor (usually 32-bit), cooler and power. There are a huge variety of ASIC models from different manufacturers, including “homemade” ones. Almost all options are highly specialized for a specific algorithm and cannot be reflashed, which means you need to understand how to mine litecoins.

The screenshots show the characteristics, including hashrate, of several popular ASICs.

Characteristics of Antminer S9.

Characteristics of Antminer R4.

Characteristics of Antminer S7.

Avalon 6 specifications.

Characteristics of Antminer S5.

Compared to video cards and processors, ASICs consume more power and have higher performance. In this case, the payback period changes slightly, because the prices for ASICs are quite high.

Advantages of mining on a video card

Mining on a video card using different numbers of chips is an excellent way to make money if you are not afraid of the initial investment.

• Firstly, it is a source of passive income. If you do the math, purchase the equipment, and set it up successfully, it will be a great asset. This can be 1, 2, 3 or 4 video cards that are paired with other devices and provide excellent performance and processing power.
• Secondly, the time costs when using this method of earning money will be minimal, since there is no need to constantly monitor the equipment, it only needs to be periodically checked for performance, temperature and general condition.
• Thirdly, this method provides a stable income, because you can mine not only bitcoins, but also other cryptocurrencies, which gives the user a winning position in any case.

Video cards, unlike ASICs:

• They have a lower noise level, which makes it possible to keep them in an apartment.
• Can switch between different mining algorithms
• Have a long warranty period

In addition, models released two years ago and even earlier are still relevant, which is basically impossible for ASICs. If you get tired of mining cryptocurrency, video cards can be used for other purposes.

Processor table (CPU)

To sort, use the search by processor or algorithm.

Disadvantages of mining on a video card

Disadvantages of mining on video cards:

• Only three popular cryptocurrencies (ETH, ETC, XMR) can be mined on GPU. ASIC miners are taking over more and more new networks. And some developers, fearing a 51% attack, are switching to algorithms like RandomHash, which are only available for CPUs.
• Assembling and launching a mining farm requires not only monetary costs, but also professional skills. The mining process must be constantly monitored and the rig periodically stopped for preventative maintenance.

Video cards are quieter than ASICs, but still not everyone can sleep in the same room as a mining rig. In summer, equipment overheats and requires additional cooling, which reduces the profitability of production.

Despite the fact that the profitability of such a business is quite high, there are several factors that make such an activity difficult and problematic.

Even if you choose the right equipment, there is a high degree of dependence on uninterrupted Internet and electricity. in the latter case, the solution to the problem is to install batteries and uninterruptible power supplies, and the stability and reliability of the Internet depends on the provider.

It is impossible to make money on old, weak and cheap computers. If the computer is weak, then Bitcoin mining is not able to bring tangible results. The power of the equipment is important. And if you decide to order it from China, then you should follow the necessary selection rules to get the required result.

Mining equipment makes a lot of noise and also heats up during operation. Due to strong heating, coolers rotate more strongly, which causes loud noise. The best option is to use a room equipped with air conditioning.

How many megahash are there in a unit of account?

Below is the procedure for calculating the main power parameters for both mining and the equipment used:

• 1 MH = 1,000 KH = 1,000,000 H;
• 1 GH = 1,000 MH = 1,000,000 KH;
• 1 TH = 1000 GH = 1,000,000 MH = 1,000,000,000 KH = 1,000,000,000,000 H.

For a visual example, let’s take a miner’s farm, where the value of megahashes is reliably known, this is 150 MH/s. That is, this equipment allows you to generate 150 million mathematical combinations every second.

Among this huge number of combinations, there will be one that will be completely correct and meet the requirements of a peer-to-peer network (a network of equal partners).

To summarize, mathematical algorithms go through all possible combinations to select a suitable hash.

Where is the best place to buy and exchange cryptocurrency? TOP 5 exchanges

For a safe and convenient purchase of cryptocurrencies, we have prepared a rating of the most reliable and popular cryptocurrency exchanges that support deposits and withdrawals of funds in rubles, hryvnias, dollars and euros .

The reliability of the site is primarily determined by the trading volume and the number of users. By all key metrics, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world is Binance. Binance is also the most popular crypto exchange in Russia and the CIS, since it has the largest cash turnover and supports transfers in rubles from Visa/MasterCard and payment systems QIWI, Advcash, Payeer .

Especially for beginners, we have prepared a detailed guide: How to buy Bitcoin on a crypto exchange for rubles?

Rating of cryptocurrency exchanges:

The criteria by which the rating is given in our rating of crypto exchanges:

• Reliability of operation
  - stable access to all functions of the platform, including uninterrupted trading, deposits and withdrawals of funds, as well as the period of operation on the market and daily trading volume.
• Commissions – the amount of commission for trading operations within the platform and withdrawal of assets.
• Reviews and support – we analyze user reviews and the quality of technical support.
• Interface convenience – we evaluate the functionality and intuitiveness of the interface, possible errors and failures when working with the exchange.
• Features of the platform are the presence of additional features - futures, options, staking, etc.
• The final score is the average number of points for all indicators, determines the place in the ranking.

Cloud alternative

If the user does not have enough money to purchase video cards, do not despair. There is a less expensive alternative - cloud mining. Today, the cryptocurrency market has a whole host of services that provide this service. The advantages of working with such companies include:

• unlimited hashrate;
• modern equipment;

Of course, cloud mining could not avoid its disadvantages:

• income is lower than with independent mining (of course, under equal conditions);
• the user is charged for renting capacity and electricity;
• inability to pick up equipment;
• the risk of becoming a victim of scammers offering their services under the guise of real services.

Potential income can be viewed before concluding a contract. Such companies know how to achieve high efficiency, and therefore configure devices as accurately as possible. If you can’t assemble a farm from top-end video cards, you should consider cloud mining as an option.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER

Best Budget NVIDIA GPU for Cryptocurrency Mining

★★★★★

RUB 62,966

price may vary

VIEW IN YA.MARKET

Hashrate: 26MH/s VRAM: 6GB GDDR6 TDP: 125W Power Input: 1x 8-pin PCIe

pros

• 1408 CUDA cores
• Available
• Low power consumption

Minuses

• Lower yield

NVIDIA GTX 1660 SUPER is an interesting and unique GPU. It's built on the same Turing architecture as the RTX 20 series GPUs, but doesn't have dedicated ray tracing cores or fancy features like DLSS. This is an inexpensive graphics card with enough power to run the latest games at 1080p resolution.

For mining, the story is the same. You'll find it way down the income chart with a hashrate of just 26MHz/s, but that's at a power draw of around 125W, which is great if you live in an area with high power costs. Let that little puppy run around continuously and you'll get some income to spend or save.

Other features of the GTX 1660 SUPER include 6GB GDDR6 VRAM and 336GB/s high memory bandwidth. Not bad if you can find it at a reasonable price!