Updated on August 14, 2022
Even the most powerful graphics card can’t keep up with the demands of cryptocurrency mining. Your PC’s GPU will be under heavy strain for extended periods of time when you’re mining these materials. Our list of the top mining GPUs is here to help you make an informed decision. If you’re concerned about power consumption and up-front costs, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 is a great choice for best mining GPU.
The best GPU for crypto at a glance
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti — Best overall: 60MH/s, 200W TDP, 8GB GDDR6 VRAM, $399 MSRP.
- AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT — Runner-up: 54MH/s, 225W TDP, 8GB GDDR6 VRAM, $399 MSRP.
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 — Best value: 36MH/s, 225W TDP, 8GB GDDR6 VRAM, $499 MSRP.
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 — Best performance: 121MH/s, 350W TDP, 24GB GDDR6X VRAM, $1,499 MSRP.
- AMD Radeon RX 580 — Best budget AMD: 28MH/s, 185W TDP, 8GB GDDR5 VRAM, $229 MSRP.
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER — Best budget NVIDIA: 26MH/s, 125W TDP, 6GB GDDR6 VRAM, $229 MSRP.
What is the best GPU for crypto mining?
Best mining GPU 2022:
- 1.NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
- 2.AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT
- 3.NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070
- 4.NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090
- 5.AMD Radeon RX 580
- 6.NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER
You can’t just buy the most expensive graphics card you can find and call it a day when it comes to choosing the finest graphics card for cryptocurrency mining. It’s important to weigh the pros and disadvantages of different GPUs before making a purchase with the intention of (hopefully) making some money. If you’re going to use a GPU for cryptocurrency mining, the most crucial factor is efficiency—you want the maximum hash rate for the least amount of electricity possible.
Take, for example, our highest recommendation. An superb GPU for both gaming and crypto mining, the NVIDIA GeForce 3060 Ti is a great choice. Although it won’t win any awards for the highest hash rate, you can get up and running with it for a fraction of the price. In terms of price/performance, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 is a good pick for gamers on a budget.
However, NVIDIA GPUs aren’t the only ones worth looking at. AMD’s RX 5700 XT is our best value GPU, delivering an outstanding hash rate at a reasonable price. A budget-friendly option, the AMD Radeon RX 580, is available for individuals looking to stash away some Bitcoins or Ethereum in case things turn tough financially.
To make money mining cryptocurrencies, you don’t need to spend a lot of money. The hash rate is already in your favour as long as it brings in coins that you can sell and earn enough to pay your electricity expenditures. A few months of paying off the GPU, and you’re in profit—and that doesn’t include the worth of the card itself.
1. NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti: Best overall GPU for crypto mining
Bottom line: It takes a lot for a GPU to be recommended as the best overall choice, but that’s precisely what the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti manages to achieve. It has a hashrate of around 60MH/s once you’ve optimized everything, and the low 200W TDP makes it easier to manage heat output, as well as enjoy a high level of efficiency.
Hashrate: 60MH/s | VRAM: 8GB GDDR6 | TDP: 200W | Power input: 1x 12-pin PCIe (FE only) or 1x 8-pin PCIe
| Manufacturer | Version | Vendor |
|---|---|---|
| NVIDIA | GeForce RTX 3060 Ti | See at Amazon |
| NVIDIA | GeForce RTX 3060 Ti | See at Best Buy |
| NVIDIA | GeForce RTX 3060 Ti | See at Newegg |
Pros:
- 60MH/s hashrate
- 8GB GDDR6 VRAM
- 200W
- 4,864 CUDA cores
- Affordable RTX 30-series GPU
Cons:
- Awkward 12-pin connector on FE cards
The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti from NVIDIA is a beast of a GPU. Normally, a $399 graphics card would be relegated to low-cost PC configurations or to people who intend to play games at 1080p resolution. NVIDIA’s newest Ampere architecture powers the 3060 Ti, which rewrites the rules. For both gaming and mining, this is a fantastic card to have.
Despite its low price, it outperforms the RTX 2080 SUPER in 1080p and 1440p gaming performance. Even if you don’t care about 4K gaming, you’ll likely find this to be very appealing. In terms of mining, the 2080 SUPER comes out on top thanks to its superior performance and efficiency.
The hashrate isn’t the quickest, and the earnings aren’t the highest, but this is about as good as it gets if you want a steady monthly income with low energy expenditures. There are some cards that have 12-pin PCIe connections that you should be aware of, though.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti GPU
NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is not the fastest graphics card in the company’s latest family of GPUs, but it offers fantastic potential returns for the initial investment. It’s also pretty good at gaming too!
When choosing a GPU for cryptocurrency mining, there are a few things to keep in mind. A bigger initial outlay could result in a higher return, but is it something you’re willing to risk? Would a low-cost GPU suffice for you to supplement your income in the event that the mining industry suffers from lower than expected returns?
Because the bitcoin market is a financial one, it is sensitive to media coverage and human emotion. Take, for example, the devastating environmental reports on Bitcoin that came out at the same time as China’s price crackdown. The cost of a GPU to mine cryptocurrency should be recouped at the very least if you’re going to spend $2,000 on it.
Because of this, we’re not suggesting simply the most powerful (and expensive) GPUs on the market today. When it comes to digital currency mining, this is not just lousy advice, but it’s also irrational. In contrast to gaming, when the greatest GPU you can afford is required, picking a mining GPU can be a little more difficult.
2. AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT: Best runner-up GPU for crypto mining
Bottom line: It’s not just NVIDIA GPUs that are worth buying for cryptocurrency mining. AMD makes some excellent graphics cards like the RX 5700 XT. While it’s not quite as good as our RTX 3060 Ti top pick, this card will still be able to push through a hashrate of 54MH/s with the same 8GB of GDDR6 VRAM.
Hashrate: 54MH/s | VRAM: 8GB GDDR6 | TDP: 225W | Power input: 2x 8-pin PCIe
| Manufacturer | Version | Vendor |
|---|---|---|
| AMD | Radeon RX 5700 XT | See at Amazon |
| AMD | Radeon RX 5700 XT | See at Newegg |
Pros:
- 54MH/s hashrate
- 8GB GGDR6 VRAM
- 225W
- Great value
- Efficient performance
Cons:
- Some instability issues
- Lacks latest-gen AMD features
The RX 5700 XT is a significant step forward for AMD’s RDNA GPUs. In terms of performance and power consumption, it dwarfs even AMD’s own older Radeon cards, which are built using the same 7nm manufacturing technique. Even though AMD’s RX 5700 XT isn’t the newest and greatest, it’s still one of the best value propositions for cryptocurrency mining.
Just like the RTX 3060 Ti, it’s good enough for 1440p gaming and is excellent at mining. Even though AMD cards don’t have DLSS 2.0 or the same degree of ray tracing capabilities as NVIDIA GPUs, mining is where this GPU shines. The 3060 Ti has a higher average hashrate, but these cards can be bought for far less money and have a similar average hashrate.
The RX 5700 XT is a good option if you’re looking to get into mining.
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT GPU
You could go for the RX 6800, which costs a little more but is capable of a higher frame rate, but the 5700 XT is just such a good value proposition. If you’re just starting, this is a good GPU to choose.
3. NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070: Best GPU for value
Bottom line: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 may be from the previous generation of cards, but it’s still an excellent GPU for gaming and crypto mining. It’s possible to achieve a hashrate of 36MH/s, which isn’t too bad considering the lower cost of these older GPUs, as well as the low power draw.
Hashrate: 36MH/s | VRAM: 8GB GDDR6 | TDP: 225W | Power input: 2x 8-pin PCIe
| Manufacturer | Version | Vendor |
|---|---|---|
| NVIDIA | GeForce RTX 2070 | See at Amazon |
| NVIDIA | GeForce RTX 2070 | See at Newegg |
Pros:
- 36MH/s hashrate
- 8GB GDDR6 VRAM
- 225W
- 2,304 CUDA cores
- Good value
Cons:
- Older generation
In addition to being a terrific GPU for gaming, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 is an excellent choice for affordable mining setups. It should be possible to get at least 40MH/s for the hashrate at a reasonable price, which should bring in a significant amount of passive money with a power usage of roughly 225 watts.
There is a good chance this GPU can be sold for enough to cover your initial investment should you opt not to mine anymore. However, if you’re interested in developing a gaming PC, you’ll be able to play even the most modern PC games. Because it has been around for a long time, you can even add water cooling with blocks to your mining setup.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 GPU
If you can’t get your hands on the RTX 3060 Ti, the RTX 2070 is a great secondary option for value. It may be from an older generation of cards, but it’s still great for crypto mining.
4. NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090: Best GPU for mining performance
Bottom line: This is it, the big one. The RTX 3090 is the most powerful GPU from NVIDIA’s RTX 30 series to date. It has everything you need to create one powerful mining rig. I’m talking a hashrate of 121MH/s, 24GB of GDDR6X VRAM, more than 10,000 CUDA cores for gaming. It’s a monster.
Hashrate: 121MH/s | VRAM: 24GB GDDR6X | TDP: 350W | Power input: 1x 12-pin PCIe (FE only) or 2x 8-pin PCIe
| Manufacturer | Version | Vendor |
|---|---|---|
| NVIDIA | GeForce RTX 3090 | See at AmazonSee at Walmart |
| NVIDIA | GeForce RTX 3090 | See at Best Buy |
| NVIDIA | GeForce RTX 3090 | See at Newegg |
Pros:
- 121MH/s hashrate
- 24GB GDDR6X VRAM
- 350W
- 10,496 CUDA cores
- Great performance
- Amazing for gaming too
Cons:
- Expensive
- Power hungry
NVIDIA’s RTX 3090 is the obvious option for “greatest performance,” but it genuinely is. You can’t beat it for gaming, pushing the frontiers of 4K (and some even mention 8K), and crypto mining. AMD’s Radeon RX 6000 cards have undeniably reduced NVIDIA’s claim to the GPU throne, but NVIDIA still has the best option.
DLSS 2.0 and 2.1 are two of the most astounding characteristics of this GPU when it comes to gaming. In order to conduct AI rendering in real time, it makes use of dedicated Tensor cores, which helps to increase frame rates while also improving the quality of the rendered images. Because ray tracing can have a negative impact on performance, DLSS is the ideal solution.
The RTX 3090 sports a hefty 24GB of GDDR6X VRAM and 10,496 CUDA cores for mining. You might easily rack up a monthly bill in the three-figure range, even if you don’t factor in the cost of electricity (depending on your area).
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 GPU
This is about as good as you can get right now in terms of gaming performance. The same goes for GPU mining. You’ll struggle to find a better option for returns so long as you can afford the initial investment.
5. AMD Radeon RX 580: Best budget AMD GPU for crypto mining
Bottom line: If you don’t have much of a budget to spare on a GPU for crypto mining, fear not as there are some great cards out there for a low price. The Radeon RX 580 is an old GPU, but it’s still capable of hitting 28MH/s, which makes for a tidy profit. You’ll need a good few months to pay off the cost of the card, but then you’re set for a trickle of income.
Hashrate: 28MH/s | VRAM: 8GB GDDR5 | TDP: 185W | Power input: 1x 8-pin PCIe
| Manufacturer | Version | Vendor |
|---|---|---|
| AMD | Radeon RX 580 | See at Amazon |
| AMD | Radeon RX 580 | See at Newegg |
Pros:
- 28MH/s hashrate
- 8GB GDDR5 VRAM
- 185W
- Affordable
Cons:
- Lower rate of return
- Higher power draw
This graphics card from AMD, the Radeon RX 580, can be used for both gaming and mining, but if you’re simply looking for a little extra cash, this is the card for you. At 185W, you may expect a hashrate of about 28MH/s when using an optimum configuration (that, like other GPUs, can be dropped considerably).
When it comes to crypto mining, memory is king, and 8GB of GDDR5 is more than enough to run NiceHash and other mining software. Avoid buying a lot of them if you think mining revenues will stay at current levels for a long time.
AMD Radeon RX 580 GPU
Even something like an AMD Radeon RX 580 will be able to earn you some small change each day. It may not be the most capable mining (or gaming) GPU around, but this is a great choice if you’re only playing around with crypto.
6. NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER: Best budget NVIDIA GPU for crypto mining
Bottom line: You don’t need the most powerful GPU to make a little mining crypto, and the NVIDIA GTX 1660 SUPER is a fine example of this. It’s got 6GB of speedy GDDR6 VRAM, a TDP of just 125W, and can comfortably achieve a hashrate of 26MH/s, all for a low price tag.
Hashrate: 26MH/s | VRAM: 6GB GDDR6 | TDP: 125W | Power input: 1x 8-pin PCIe
| Manufacturer | Version | Vendor |
|---|---|---|
| NVIDIA | GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER | See at Amazon |
| NVIDIA | GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER | See at Newegg |
Pros:
- 26MH/s hashrate
- 6GB GDDR6 VRAM
- 125W
- 1,408 CUDA cores
- Affordable
- Low power draw
Cons:
- Lower rate of return
The GTX 1660 SUPER from NVIDIA is a fascinating and singular GPU. Even though it has the same Turing architecture as the RTX 20 series of GPUs, this model lacks ray-tracing cores and other high-end capabilities such as deep learning support for surface normal mapping. Budget-friendly graphics card with enough power to run today’s most popular 1080p-enabled games.
There is nothing new here. If you reside in a location where electricity expenses are high, this is a wonderful option because it has a hashrate of merely 26 MH/s but consumes just 125W of power. You’ll make some money if you keep this tiny puppy running all the time.
The GTX 1660 SUPER’s other notable features include 6GB of GDDR6 VRAM and 336GB/s of memory bandwidth. The pricing isn’t awful if you can find one!
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER GPU
You can use an affordable, low-power GPU like the GTX 1660 SUPER and still make some profit each day. It won’t be anything near our other recommendations, but it’s great for starting out.
What about all other GPUs?
As far as bitcoin mining is concerned, GPUs are a great option because of their high hashrates. For this collection, we couldn’t include every graphics card, so we’ve narrowed it down to a few of our favourite picks.
It’s all excellent if the GPU you’re considering buys you more money than it costs to power your PC. Leaving it running for a few months can allow you to pay off the credit card. You can either stop here and recoup some of your initial investment by selling the card, or you can carry on with passive revenue.
What makes a good GPU for crypto mining?
The most powerful graphics cards on the market aren’t usually the most expensive when it comes to mining cryptocurrencies. It’s a lot easier to join a mining pool than to try to mine bitcoins on your own.
For the most part, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the greatest all-around card, but the AMD RX 5700 XT is a viable option if you’re on a smaller budget. That is, if you can find a stock GPU. In addition to solving the algorithms, both of these GPUs generate a small amount of passive money for themselves.
How to make money mining crypto on your PC
We’ve put together a guide on how to use your gaming PC to mine cryptocurrencies and make money passively. NiceHash, for example, makes it exceedingly simple to get up and running in a matter of minutes.
