Best Graphics Cards for Mining: Top GPUs from Recent Years

Modern GPUs for Mining: Specifications and Comparative Analysis

Choosing the optimal GPU for cryptocurrency mining requires a thorough analysis of technical specifications, energy efficiency, and the price-to-performance ratio. In recent years, new GPU models have entered the market, significantly surpassing their predecessors in computational power and energy efficiency. Below, we review the most promising solutions for mining various cryptocurrencies.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090: Flagship Solution for Professional Mining

Technical Specifications:

• Release Year: 2025
• Memory: 32 GB GDDR7
• Memory Bus: 512-bit
• TDP: ~575 W
• Hashrate: Ethereum Classic: ~216 MH/s, Ravencoin: ~96 MH/s, Kaspa: ~2.0 GH/s
• Price: around $2,000

The flagship NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 represents the cutting edge of GPU technology for mining. Featuring 32 GB of revolutionary GDDR7 memory and a wide 512-bit bus, this card delivers outstanding performance on algorithms that require high memory bandwidth. A hashrate of 216 MH/s on Ethereum Classic places the RTX 5090 among the most powerful options available.

However, high power consumption (~575 W) demands a robust cooling system and a powerful power supply. This GPU is best suited for large-scale professional mining operations where peak performance is essential and the infrastructure supports stable electricity and efficient cooling.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080: Performance and Efficiency in Balance

Technical Specifications:

• Release Year: 2025
• Memory: 16 GB GDDR7
• Memory Bus: 256-bit
• TDP: ~360 W
• Hashrate: Ethereum Classic: ~130 MH/s, Ravencoin: ~60 MH/s, Kaspa: ~1.3–1.4 GH/s
• Price: around $1,000

The GeForce RTX 5080 offers a more affordable solution for miners seeking a strong balance between performance and power consumption. With 16 GB of GDDR7 memory and a hashrate of 130 MH/s on Ethereum Classic, this card delivers solid performance with notably lower energy demand than the flagship model.

A reduced TDP of 360 W makes the RTX 5080 attractive for mid-tier miners looking to build efficient farms without excessive spending on cooling and electricity. A price point near $1,000 ensures a reasonable payback period when paired with the right cryptocurrency for mining.

AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT: High Performance from AMD

Technical Specifications:

• Release Year: 2025
• Memory: 16 GB GDDR6
• Memory Bus: 256-bit
• TDP: ~304 W
• Hashrate: Ethereum Classic: ~215 MH/s, Ravencoin: ~95–100 MH/s, Kaspa: ~1.07 GH/s
• Price: around $600

The Radeon RX 9070 XT stands out with an impressive hashrate of ~215 MH/s on Ethereum Classic, making it one of the highest-performing cards in its price class. While it uses GDDR6 memory instead of the latest GDDR7, AMD's optimized architecture enables excellent results.

The price-to-performance ratio is especially compelling: at around $600 and a 304 W power draw, the RX 9070 XT delivers some of the best efficiency on the market. This card is ideal for miners aiming to maximize profits on a tight budget.

AMD Radeon RX 9070: Cost-Effective for Small-Scale Farms

Technical Specifications:

• Release Year: 2025
• Memory: 16 GB GDDR6
• Memory Bus: 256-bit
• TDP: ~220 W
• Hashrate: Ethereum Classic: ~180 MH/s, Ravencoin: ~80 MH/s, Kaspa: ~0.90 GH/s
• Price: around $550

The Radeon RX 9070 is a budget-friendly choice for miners who prioritize low energy consumption. With a TDP of just 220 W, it uses much less electricity than higher-end models—a critical factor in regions with high power costs.

A hashrate of 180 MH/s on Ethereum Classic, paired with a price around $550, offers an appealing payback period, especially for pool mining. This GPU is optimal for small home-based farms where quiet operation and minimal heat output are valuable.

Proven GPUs from Previous Generations

Beyond the latest models, proven solutions from earlier generations remain relevant, especially on the secondary market, offering a strong price-to-performance ratio. These GPUs have established themselves as reliable mining tools and continue to power thousands of rigs worldwide.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090: The Performance Benchmark

NVIDIA’s top GPU, released in 2022, remains a benchmark for mining coins that require high memory bandwidth. With 24 GB of GDDR6X memory and a wide 384-bit bus, the RTX 4090 provides consistently high performance across various algorithms.

A new card costs about $1,500–1,600, while secondary market units are available for ~$1,200. Despite the high price, the RTX 4090 remains a favorite among professional miners for its reliability and proven efficiency.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti: The Mid-Range Sweet Spot

Launched in 2023, the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is a powerful and energy-efficient option for intermediate miners. With 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and moderate power consumption, this model offers a favorable blend of performance and operating costs.

New units sell for around $750–800, with secondary market options at about $500. This combination of affordability and reliability makes the RTX 4070 Ti a popular choice for building medium-scale farms.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080: Secondary Market Favorite

Released in 2020, the RTX 3080 quickly became a mining favorite due to its high memory bandwidth (10 GB GDDR6X, 320-bit bus). Despite its age, this card continues to offer competitive performance on many mining algorithms.

On the secondary market, the RTX 3080 is available for about $400, making it an appealing pick for entry-level miners with limited budgets. Be sure to check the condition of the cooling system and thermal paste, as these cards were heavily used during the 2020–2021 mining boom.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti: Budget Efficiency Leader

Launched in 2020, the RTX 3060 Ti developed a reputation as one of the most balanced budget cards. With 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and moderate power draw (~200 W), it delivers an optimal price-to-performance ratio.

On the secondary market, the RTX 3060 Ti sells for about $200–250, making it ideal for beginners or expanding existing farms. Low power consumption helps minimize operating costs—essential for long-term mining profitability.

AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX: Previous-Gen AMD Flagship

AMD’s flagship, introduced in 2022, impresses with 24 GB of GDDR6 memory and a wide 384-bit bus. These specs make the RX 7900 XTX especially effective for coins with memory-intensive algorithms.

A new card costs around $800–900, with secondary units available for ~$600–700. AMD’s optimized RDNA 3 architecture delivers high energy efficiency, making this GPU attractive for serious miners.

AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT: Trusted Secondary Market Choice

Launched in 2020, the RX 6800 XT became one of AMD’s most successful mining cards. With 16 GB of GDDR6 memory and strong energy efficiency, it delivers solid performance across multiple algorithms.

Secondary market prices are around $300–350, offering excellent value. This card is especially popular among miners who prefer the AMD ecosystem, thanks to stable performance and reliable driver support.

AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT: Budget-Friendly Energy Efficiency

Debuting in 2021, the RX 6600 XT quickly gained popularity among budget miners for its low power usage (~120 W) and respectable performance. With 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, it’s suitable for most mainstream cryptocurrencies.

New cards are priced near $200, with secondary options at ~$150–170. This accessibility, combined with minimal operating costs, makes the RX 6600 XT an excellent pick for newcomers or compact home mining setups.

Choosing the Right GPU: Key Decision Factors

Selecting a mining GPU depends on financial resources, performance requirements, operating conditions, and long-term objectives. The latest models offer advanced technology and peak performance but require significant initial investment and robust cooling and power infrastructure.

Reliable older-generation GPUs remain relevant thanks to attractive secondary market prices and proven durability. For those on a budget, 2020–2023 models offer acceptable performance with a much lower entry cost.

Cryptocurrency Mining Fundamentals

Mining is the process of extracting new coins from a blockchain network by solving complex mathematical problems. The foundation is the Proof-of-Work (PoW) consensus mechanism, where miners use their hardware’s power to validate transactions and create new blocks.

Each time a miner successfully solves a cryptographic challenge and adds a new block, they receive rewards in the form of new coins and transaction fees. This process not only issues new tokens but also maintains the network’s security and decentralization.

GPU Mining: Technical Overview

GPUs serve as the primary mining hardware thanks to their ability to perform parallel computations. Unlike CPUs, GPUs contain thousands of cores, making them ideal for cryptographic calculations requiring repetitive operations.

GPU mining setups vary: single cards in home PCs, dedicated multi-GPU rigs, or large-scale farms combining multiple rigs. Each approach has unique advantages and infrastructure requirements.

Mining Setup: Solo or Pool

Miners can operate solo or join mining pools. In solo mining, the miner attempts to solve blocks independently and keeps the full reward, but the chance of success is extremely low with limited hardware.

Pools aggregate the computing power of multiple participants, significantly increasing the likelihood of finding blocks. Rewards are distributed proportionally to each participant’s contribution. To get started, miners need specialized software (e.g., Bitminer, BFGMiner) and a crypto wallet for payouts.

Calculating GPU Mining Payback

Payback time for mining hardware depends on the GPU’s purchase price, energy consumption, the current price of the mined coin, network difficulty, and local electricity rates. Platforms like Whattomine allow for accurate payback calculation.

On Whattomine, enter the GPU’s specs (hashrate, power draw), select the mining algorithm, and input your electricity rate. The calculator automatically estimates daily profit and payback period based on market conditions.

Profitability Analysis for Different GPUs

Mining profitability hinges on the balance between hashrate and electricity costs. More powerful GPUs offer higher hashrates but use more energy, which can reduce net profit in regions with expensive electricity.

The NiceHash profit calculator helps assess real-world profitability by factoring in current market conditions. The platform lets you compare different GPU models, which is particularly helpful for equipment selection. Regularly recalculate profitability, as coin prices and network difficulty fluctuate constantly.

Advantages of GPU Mining

GPU mining offers several advantages. First, previous-generation GPUs are available at low prices on the secondary market, lowering the entry barrier.

Second, miners can choose from a broad range of hardware (NVIDIA or AMD) to suit their needs and budgets. Third, GPU mining is flexible: you can mine different cryptocurrencies and switch targets based on market trends.

GPU availability and interchangeability are also key advantages. If a card fails, it’s easy to replace without shutting down the entire operation. GPUs also retain resale value and can be sold on the secondary market if needed.

Limitations and Challenges of GPU Mining

Despite its strengths, GPU mining has notable drawbacks. It requires a deep understanding of the crypto market and mining fundamentals. Beginners must grasp mining algorithms, software setup, performance optimization, and risk management.

Additional costs include facility rental or setup, cooling and ventilation systems, high-capacity power supplies, and voltage stabilizers. Mining rigs generate significant noise and heat, making them unsuitable for residential spaces.

Technical skills are necessary for rig assembly, BIOS configuration, driver installation, and troubleshooting. Without these, downtime and lost profits are likely.

Choosing Cryptocurrencies for GPU Mining

GPUs can mine a variety of Proof-of-Work coins, including Bitcoin (via pools and specialized protocols), Ethereum Classic, Ravencoin, Ergo, Beam, Kaspa, and other altcoins.

Selection depends on GPU specs, network difficulty, coin price, and personal preferences. Some algorithms (like Ethash for Ethereum Classic) require large video memory, while others (such as KawPow for Ravencoin) are more core-intensive.

Use profitability calculators to compare options and monitor the market frequently, as mining profitability can shift rapidly.

The Impact of Ethereum’s Transition to Proof-of-Stake

On September 15, 2022, Ethereum completed its historic transition from Proof-of-Work to Proof-of-Stake in the upgrade known as The Merge. This fundamentally changed GPU mining, as Ethereum was the most profitable coin for GPU miners.

After the switch, millions of miners redirected their hardware to other networks like Ethereum Classic, Ravencoin, Beam, and Ergo. The resulting influx of computing power drove up mining difficulty and reduced profitability on these networks.

GPU payback periods increased dramatically compared to pre-Merge levels. Many miners adjusted their strategies, optimized energy costs, and became more selective in coin choice. However, with the right approach and efficient hardware, GPU mining remains viable.

Buying New GPUs for Mining

Purchasing new GPUs offers clear advantages. The primary benefit is a manufacturer warranty—typically 2 to 3 years. In the event of defects or early failure, cards can be returned or replaced, reducing financial risk.

New GPUs deliver maximum performance and energy efficiency since they haven’t been subjected to wear. Cooling systems function optimally, thermal paste is fresh, and all components are in excellent condition—ensuring stable operation and minimal downtime.

The main drawback is high price, which extends mining payback periods. In a volatile crypto market with rising network difficulty, this can make mining less profitable.

Buying Used GPUs

The secondary market offers much lower prices than new models, allowing for faster equipment payback. A wide selection of generations lets miners match any budget and requirement.

The main risk is the lack of warranty and potentially higher failure rates. Used mining cards may suffer from worn cooling systems, dried thermal paste, or degraded memory. Carefully inspect, stress-test, and, if possible, obtain usage history before purchasing.

Used GPUs are available through classified sites (e.g., Avito), marketplaces (OZON, Wildberries), forums, and social media groups. Buy from reputable sellers with positive reviews and try to arrange in-person hardware tests.

FAQ

Which GPU is best for cryptocurrency mining in 2024?

For mining in 2024, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti (62-month payback) and RTX 3060 Ti (79 months) are recommended. RTX 3070 Ti is also a strong choice with a 92-month payback. The best option depends on current electricity prices and crypto exchange rates.

What GPU specs matter most for mining?

Key specs include hashrate (performance), VRAM (at least 6 GB), power draw (for profitability), architecture (NVIDIA or AMD), and cooling. Higher hashrate and lower power use lead to better results.

How much can you earn mining with a modern GPU?

A modern GPU generates roughly $1–3 in daily revenue. Profits depend on hardware performance, coin price, and electricity costs. Under current conditions, profitability may be lower due to rising energy expenses.

What’s the difference between NVIDIA and AMD GPUs for mining?

NVIDIA uses CUDA technology for mining, while AMD is better for a variety of algorithms. AMD GPUs cost less, but NVIDIA cards are easier to overclock and optimize for higher output.

Which GPU offers the best price-to-performance ratio for mining?

The RTX 3060 Ti remains the best value for mining. Newer RTX 4000-series cards are also competitive due to improved energy efficiency.

Which GPUs are outdated for mining and not recommended?

First-generation GPUs like GTX 1060 and Radeon R9 390 are obsolete for mining. Their performance is low and power consumption is high. Modern RTX 40-series and newer cards are much more efficient and cost-effective.