Top mining graphics cards: Which are the best for mining?

Original title: Top graphics cards for profitable mining in 2021

Graphics cards have been used for mining for years, and adoption in the cryptocurrency space is higher than ever, but many are beginning to wonder — is mining worth it in 2021? After all, volatility is still very high and will likely stay that way. But even so, there are still plenty of options for mining, from large-cap coins to smaller, newer assets. It looks like the mining scene will still be very active in 2021.

Of course, we are not just talking about large companies that can afford to invest millions of dollars into the mining industry and purchase hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of ASICs for mining Bitcoin and similar coins. Instead, we are interested in the best graphics cards for mining privately. This way, individuals can join the mining ranks on their own or by joining one of the growing number of mining pools out there.

With this in mind, we decided to list all of the best mining graphics cards currently available in 2021, ranging across both Nvidia and AMD, and at a variety of price points. Hopefully, this guide will help you decide what type of setup is right for you, and by extension, which graphics card you should choose.

GPUThings to consider when choosing a GPU

Before we start listing mining graphics cards and evaluating their features, it may be helpful to know what features are most important when it comes to mining. Here is a brief reminder of what to look for in a mining graphics card and how to evaluate its usefulness before purchasing and joining the mining industry.

Here are a few factors to keep in mind:

1. Price

As you probably know, crypto mining is quite expensive because it requires a lot of resources. The electricity consumption is huge, and the difficulty of mining goes up as everyone joins, which means a lot of computing power is needed.

As costs go up, you should keep in mind that the price of GPUs for mining should be one of your first considerations .

Nowadays, most mining rigs are created with several GPUs in order to be able to make more (network) contributions and earn more money (tokens). The cost per GPU may vary, depending on how much you are willing and able to spend, but you can expect prices to range from $150 to $1300 per GPU.

Your best bet is to buy one of those moderately priced graphics cards. That way you won’t pay too much but still get a decent product that’s worth your time mining.

2. Power consumption

As mentioned before, power consumption is a big issue, the more power consumption, the more heat is generated during mining , but both of these issues can be controlled by not using high-wattage GPUs.

If you don’t want to deal with these issues, go for a low- or medium-wattage GPU, or spend the extra money on advanced cooling technology. However, you should keep in mind that this will mean your hash rate will be lower, and therefore your profits will not be as high.

3. Hash rate

This is also an important factor when we talk about hash rate, which is determined by the execution speed of the GPU, or mining speed . The type of GPU you are using, and the algorithm the coin is utilizing are also important factors.

So if you don’t have a specific coin in mind, probably your best bet is to buy a GPU with a good all-around hash rate so that it can work across a wider range of hashing algorithms.

This way, you are not limited to mining one coin, but have the opportunity to switch to mining another coin.

4. Warranty

Warranty is also something you should be aware of. However, to be clear, mining will not damage your GPU any more than gaming or some other high-performance tasks.

However, as long as you choose to mine, your GPU must perform under continuous load, so for safety reasons, it is recommended to buy a warranty of about 2 years . After all, if something goes wrong, the money will be wasted.

5. Overclocking performance

Overclocking is also something you need to look into, as many GPUs can be tweaked to perform faster, sometimes by as much as 20-30%.

This will make the graphics card more efficient, helping you make more contributions when solving each block, thereby ensuring a larger share of the spoils. With this in mind, it depends on the overclocking performance of the GPU. When pushed to the limit, choose the one that can do better.

Of course, there are other smaller factors that will also affect your performance as a miner, but these are the main things to look out for. With that out of the way, let’s take a look at some of the best graphics cards for mining in 2021.

Nvidia is the best GPU for mining

1. Nvidia RTX 3080

Pros: This card is a beast. It can reach hash rates of up to 90Mh/s, which is more powerful than any other card on our list. This can also have the added advantage that it is often easier and cheaper to fit fewer, more powerful graphics cards into a single rig than to fit many cards into multiple rigs. The 3080 is a top choice for rigs where space and heat output are major concerns. Cons: The biggest one is the price. Yes, this card is capable of offering awesome hash rates, but with an MSRP of over $700, it may take some time to get a return on your investment. It also draws a pretty hefty 240 watts of power, which is something you must consider when choosing a GPU.

2. Nvidia RTX 3070

Pros: While the 3070 is still a solid choice, it's certainly not as powerful as the 3080. The 3070 can reach a hash rate of 60 MH/s and consumes only 130 watts. Of course, this is reflected in the price, with the 3070 selling for just over $500.

Disadvantages: The main disadvantage of 3070 is not the graphics card itself, but the low cost performance. The performance of the graphics card we are going to talk about next is similar to 3070, but the price is much cheaper.

3. Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti

Pros: The best thing about the 3060 Ti is that it can output almost the same hashrate as the 3070, but at only 120 watts and for just $400. This makes it a very attractive option, in fact, it is considered one of the most cost-effective mining machines on the market right now. Cons: There aren’t a lot of direct downsides to this graphics card. But the only reason you might skip it is if you’re specifically looking for something that’s either more powerful or cheaper. 4. Nvidia RTX 1660 6GB Ti

Pros: Next up, the RTX 1660 6GB, this is a slightly older mining graphics card and uses DDR6 memory. This is a good budget option for some people, as these cards can be bought for under $300, and they use significantly less power, just 75 watts. This card will likely be a top choice for those who have rigs assembled from multiple, cheaper graphics cards. Plus it can be used to mine a wider range of cryptocurrencies (one of the common strengths of Nvidia GPUs), so this could be a good start for new miners. Cons: Of course, the lower price and power consumption also means lower hashrate, with the GTX 1660 coming in at around 30Mh/s. Also, another point of dislike for miners is that this card only has 6GB of memory, which means it can't handle some mining algorithms that require 8GB of memory. Still, its hashrate is pretty good across the board; it also generates very little heat, and, being an Nvidia GPU, it's easy to overclock.

AMD is the best GPU for mining

1. AMD RX 6800 and 6800 XT

Pros: The RX 6800 and 6800 XT are solid middle-of-the-road options. For miners, you might want to stick with the 6800 as the XT is a bit more expensive but offers essentially the same performance. 60+Mh/s hashrate, 145 watts of power consumption, and a price tag of $579 make this card neither the best nor the least efficient, so it could be a good choice depending on your setup. Cons: At the time of writing, this card has become very hard to come by. That, combined with the price and mid-range performance, might make it easy for some users to overlook this product.

2. AMD Radeon VII

Pros: While the Radeon VII is a bit older than some of the other products on this list, it is still one of the most powerful graphics cards. It has a core clock of 1400MHz, 16GB of video memory, and a memory clock of 5Gbps. Of course, its huge power also requires a lot of electricity to make it work, which is why this card is not used lightly.

However, if you know what you're doing, this card will likely help you generate more profit, but the upfront cost is higher. Cons: This card still ranks among the most expensive on this list, costing $79. This, combined with the 300-watt power draw, means many users may bite off more than they can chew.

3. AMD RX 5700 and 5700 XT

Pros: The 5700 offers a great alternative to the 6800. First, the price is significantly better, with the 5700 costing $349 and still hitting 58Mh/s at 130W. On top of that, this card is easier to find than its aforementioned counterparts. Cons: While these cards are available online, they are still in fairly high demand. That is, it's uncommon, and when you can find one, it's selling for quite a bit more than the $349 MSRP ($399 for the XT). So it may take some patience and sleuthing to find a 5700 at a price that's worth it.

4. AMD RX 5600 XT

Pros: Here we have another card that caters more to budget shoppers. A $279 MSRP, along with a 40+Mh/s hashrate, makes this a more economical option than the GTX 1660 Ti listed above. Additionally, this card is even more accessible at MSRP than 5700s, so that may be an important factor for some. Cons: This card is still the weakest on this list, so it's perhaps most effective for gamers who want to build a rig with multiple weaker cards. That said, on its own, the 5600 XT isn't going to be as useful as some of the more powerful options we've covered.

in conclusion

Above is our list of what we consider to be the best graphics cards for mining in 2021. As you can see, there is a pretty wide range of options out there, and we have only covered a handful of the best options.

Of course the final decision is up to you, i.e. based on your wishes, needs and budget . However, any GPU in this list will perform reasonably well, so you can’t go wrong. Just pick the one that suits you and start mining.

By David Borman

Compiled by: Public account @萌眼财经