GPU mining 101: a short guide on crypto-mining using graphics cards (2024)

Is GPU mining profitable?

GPU mining can be good depending on several things, such as how much electricity costs in your area, how much the hardware costs, how fast the GPU is, how hard the blockchain network being mined is, and how much the cryptocurrency being mined is worth.

At times, GPU mining can be very profitable, especially when the price of the cryptocurrency being mined is high and the cost of energy and the difficulty level of the network is low. However, profitability can fluctuate greatly depending on the current market conditions and can also be impacted by changes in the network difficulty level or the price of electricity.

By way of an example, let's say you have a mining rig with 6 GPUs and a total "hash rate" (more on that later) of 180 MH/s, and you are mining Bitcoin, which at the time of writing has a price of around $24,500 per coin. Suppose your rig consumes 1,200 watts of power, and you pay an electricity rate of $0.10 per kilowatt-hour.

Assuming those figures are correct, your rig would consume 28.8 kilowatt-hours of electricity daily, costing you around $2.88 or $86.40 per month. If you could mine 0.05 Bitcoin per day or 1.5 Bitcoin per month, that would translate to about $36,750 in revenue at the current price before subtracting costs (assuming you also trade the coins for cash).

Of course, these calculations do not consider the initial cost of purchasing the GPUs and building the mining rig, the ongoing maintenance costs, and potential downtime. Additionally, the price of Bitcoin could fluctuate significantly, which could impact your profitability.

It's important to note that the initial investment in hardware and the ongoing electricity costs of GPU mining can be significant, and profits can vary significantly over time. It's also worth considering that as the cryptocurrency market evolves, mining technology is also changing, and newer, more efficient technologies are becoming available, potentially reducing the profitability of GPU mining.

In general, if you are considering GPU mining, it's essential to research, calculate your costs and potential profits, and remember that mining cryptocurrency is a high-risk investment that requires ongoing monitoring and maintenance.

GPU mining 101: a short guide on crypto-mining using graphics cards (2024)

FAQs

How much GPU is needed for crypto mining? ›

There is no minimum or limit to the number of GPUs you can use when mining, and can even start with 1. However, if you are into a serious mining business, a rig of 6 GPUs is recommended.

What is the easiest coin to mine with GPU? ›

Most Profitable Crypto to Mine with GPU (Best Coins to Mine)
  • Monero.
  • Ravencoin.
  • Bitcoin Gold.
  • Feathercoin.
  • Dogecoin.
  • Litecoin.
  • GRiN.
  • Zcash
Mar 9, 2024

Is GPU mining still profitable? ›

Technically, you can mine Zcash with a GPU, but it's unlikely to be profitable. The Zcash community voted against prioritizing maintaining ASIC resistance back in 2021, as such, ASIC rigs tend to be the most profitable way to mine ZEC currently.

How to setup a GPU for mining? ›

Secure the GPUs onto the frame by using USB risers. Then, plug in PCI-e 6+2 power connectors into the GPUs. Lastly, double-check that all the cables are plugged in properly before booting up the mining rig. Once everything is plugged in, it's ready to start mining for cryptocurrency.

What is the best cheap graphics card for mining? ›

The 5 best GPU graphics cards for cryptocurrency mining
  • Best of the Best. ASUS TUF Gaming NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 OC Edition Graphics Card. ...
  • Best Bang for the Buck. NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Founders Edition. ...
  • Also Great. MSI NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Graphics Card. ...
  • Also Great. NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 16GB GDDR6X Graphics Card.
6 days ago

What is the best graphics card for mining? ›

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 – The best GPU for mining overall. NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 – One of the most powerful GPUs currently. NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti – Solid option for value-oriented miners. NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti – Last generation's flagship model.

Which coin can I mine with my phone? ›

Mobile Miner Mobile Miner is another popular mining app that is available on both Android and iOS devices. The app supports a variety of cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Monero.

Which coin can I mine for free? ›

Top 5 Free Mining Coins in 2023.
  • Pi network. The Pi Network is a platform that allows users to mine Pi cryptocurrency from their mobile phones without draining the battery. ...
  • Avive Coin. ...
  • ICE network. ...
  • Sidra Bank. ...
  • Bondex Orign.
Sep 4, 2023

What is the most profitable coin to mine right now? ›

Here are the top cryptocurrencies that offer promising mining opportunities in 2023:
  1. Bitcoin (BTC) Current Mining Reward: 6.25 BTC/block. ...
  2. Monero (XMR) Current Mining Reward: 0.6 XMR/block. ...
  3. Litecoin (LTC) Current Mining Reward: 12.5 LTC/block. ...
  4. Ravencoin (RVN) ...
  5. Zcash (ZEC) ...
  6. Dogecoin (DOGE) ...
  7. Dash (DASH) ...
  8. Grin (GRIN)

Is crypto mining dead in 2024? ›

Addressing the “Crypto Mining is Dead” Sentiment in 2024

As discussed above, the Bitcoin halving will shrink the mining supply considerably. However, many experts believe that the latest halving will negatively impact the smaller and mid-sized miners the most, while large-scale miners remain profitable.

Why is GPU mining dead? ›

Several factors have contributed to diminishing GPU mining profitability, including the significant increase in network difficulty, the emergence of more efficient ASIC miners, and the volatile nature of cryptocurrency prices which can affect mining rewards.

How much profit from 1 GPU mining rig? ›

Total Profit:
NoGPUmodelProfitability24h
1.RTX 3090 TiRevenue: $0.33 Profit: -$0.30
2.RTX 4090Revenue: $0.32 Profit: -$0.15
3.RTX 3090Revenue: $0.32 Profit: -$0.24
4.RTX 3080 TiRevenue: $0.31 Profit: -$0.23
57 more rows

How to start crypto mining for beginners? ›

Key Takeaways
  1. Becoming familiar with the mining process is a key factor when you're starting out.
  2. You'll need a cryptocurrency wallet, mining software, and mining hardware to begin mining cryptocurrency.
  3. The equipment you need can be very expensive; however, the more you pay for equipment, the more profitable it can be.

How much does it cost to set up a crypto mining rig? ›

The most cost-prohibitive aspect of Bitcoin mining involves the hardware. You'll need a powerful computer that uses an enormous amount of electricity in order to successfully mine Bitcoin. It's not uncommon for the hardware costs to run around $10,000 or more.

What is the best crypto mining rig? ›

The Best Bitcoin Mining Machines in 2024 (Expert Reviewed)
  • Quick Look: The 8 best Bitcoin mining hardware machines in 2024.
  • Bitmain AntMiner S19 Pro.
  • Bitmain AntMiner S9.
  • Bitmain AntMiner T19.
  • Whatsminer M30S++
  • Canaan AvalonMiner 1246.
  • Canaan Avalon6.
  • Dragonmint T1.

What is the minimum GPU for mining? ›

Mining on Desktop PC

There is only one essential requirement: a good graphics card with at least 6GB of RAM. The most affordable graphics cards that meet mining requirements are Nvidia 1060 6GB and AMD RX 480 8GB.

Can 1 GPU mine Bitcoin? ›

It is still possible to participate in Bitcoin mining with a regular at-home personal computer if you have one of the latest and fastest graphics processing units. However, the chances of receiving any reward by mining on your own with a single GPU in your computer are minuscule.

How long to mine 1 Bitcoin with rtx 3070? ›

You can mine the equivalent of 0.0001 Bitcoin in 12 hours. So to get one whole Bitcoin equivalent you would have to mine for 10,000 days. 27 years.

Do you need a good GPU to mine crypto? ›

A GPU, or graphics processing unit, is responsible for the digital rendering in a computer system. Due to a GPU's power potential vs. a CPU, or central processing unit, they have become more useful in blockchain mining due to their speed and efficiency.

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