Mining cryptocurrencies is a very profitable, yet risky business. In the past two years crypto market has experienced some serious ups and downs, and the whole mining business is proving to be more similar to a roller-coaster ride. Nevertheless, there is a lot of money in crypto, and many have made a fortune by hashing out precious digital coins. In 2022, Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) remain to be two dominant proof of work-based coins, with Ethereum being the most popular coin to mine with a GPU. In this guide, we’ll take a look at the best graphics cards for mining cryptocurrencies in 2022, and provide you with advice how to increase you profits from mining crypto.
Must read: The Best Motherboards for Mining Bitcoin and Ethereum in 2022
For mining cryptocurrencies such as Ethereum or ERGO, you don’t have to own a high-end graphics card. Of course, having more power means you’ll able to generate more money quickly, however, if a graphics card comes with a high price tag, that doesn’t necessarily mean it will perform good while mining crypto. All good mining GPUs must have enough power and memory to perform numerous calculations simultaneously, while at the same time be as much energy efficient as possible to be profitable. Some of the key metrics that determine whether a GPU is good for mining are its compute performance, and hashrate. The higher these two values are, the better will the card be at mining crypto.
As of May 7th 2022 all LHR cards can now be fully unlocked! If you plan to mine Ethereum with an LHR card we strongly recommend using the latest version of NBMiner or NiceHash QuickMiner. These miners fully bypass the card’s built-in mining limiter, thus allowing the LHR cards to deliver maximum mining speed.
Both NVIDIA and AMD cards are good for mining crypto. However, NVIDIA cards tend to deliver higher hashrate, but for an increased power consumption, while AMD cards are extremely energy efficient. Up until recently, many NVIDIA cards couldn’t deliver maximum possible hashrate due to their built-in LHR mining limiters which NVIDIA installed in all of its new graphics cards to make them less profitable for mining. The reason for that was to make the cards less interesting to miners, and more accessible to gamers. As of May 2022, all LHR cards can be now 100% unlocked, thanks to NBMiner, NiceHash QuickMiner and other mining software, meaning that they can now deliver full mining speed, and increase your crypto income.
wdt_ID | Brand | Model | Hashrate | Miner | Core Clock | Memory Clock Offset | Voltage | Power | Efficiency | Availability |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | AMD | Radeon RX 6800 | 64.40 | PhoenixMiner 6.2c | 1,300 | 2,150 | 620 mV | 110 | 585.45 | |
2 | AMD | Radeon RX 6800 XT | 63.70 | NiceHash | 1,200 | 2,150 | 612 mV | 95 | 670.53 | |
3 | AMD | Radeon RX 6900 XT | 63.00 | NiceHash | 1,140 | 2,140 | 650 mV | 104 | 605.77 | |
4 | AMD | Radeon RX 6700 XT | 46.55 | PhoenixMiner 6.2c | 1,040 | 2,150 | 625 mV | 93 | 500.54 | |
5 | AMD | Radeon RX 6600 XT | 33.20 | PhoenixMiner 6.2c | 1,250 | 2,300 | 762 mV | 55 | 603.64 | |
6 | AMD | Radeon RX 6600 | 29.00 | PhoenixMiner 6.2c | 1,100 | 1,900 | 900 mV | 55 | 527.27 | |
7 | NVIDIA | GeForce RTX 3080 Ti | 122.40 | NBMiner 41.0 | 1,100 | 1,500 | Stock | 289 | 423.53 | |
8 | NVIDIA | GeForce RTX 3090 | 122.20 | NBMiner 41.0 | 1,295 | 1,200 | Stock | 305 | 400.66 | |
9 | NVIDIA | GeForce RTX 3080 12GB LHR | 108.90 | NBMiner 41.4 | 1,400 | 1,600 | Stock | 273 | 398.90 | |
10 | NVIDIA | GeForce RTX 3080 10GB LHR | 102.00 | NBMiner 41.3 | 1,100 | 1,400 | Stock | 240 | 425.00 | |
11 | NVIDIA | GeForce RTX 3070 Ti | 79.45 | NBMiner 41.0 | 900 | 1,150 | Stock | 194 | 409.54 | |
12 | NVIDIA | GeForce RTX 3060 Ti LHR (GA103) | 64.50 | Gminer 2.92 | 1,500 | 1,600 | Stock | 157 | 410.83 | |
13 | NVIDIA | GeForce RTX 3070 LHR | 61.60 | Gminer 2.92 | 1,125 | 1,200 | Stock | 124 | 496.77 | |
14 | NVIDIA | GeForce RTX 3060 Ti LHR (GA104) | 59.40 | T-Rex 0.26.1 | 1,350 | 1,050 | Stock | 135 | 440.00 | |
15 | NVIDIA | GeForce RTX 3060 LHR | 49.30 | NBMiner 41.3 | 1,552 | 1,300 | Stock | 113 | 436.28 | |
16 | NVIDIA | GeForce RTX 3050 | 26.60 | NBMiner 41.4 | 1,200 | 1,000 | Stock | 77 | 345.45 |
Note: Memory Clock Offset speed for AMD cards refers to absolute memory clock value, and not relative memory clock offset value.
Here you can see a table showing the list of all graphics card currently available on the market that you can use to mine cryptocurrencies. Since Ethereum is still the most popular coin to mine, we’ve ranked the graphics cards in our table according to their Ethereum mining speed, as this has become the “gold standard” to compare the mining performance of various graphics cards. We’ve also included the the best overclock settings which you can apply to these cards to achieve the highest possible hashrate.
Many GPUs mine much better when being overclocked, so be sure to check their mining performance with applied custom clock settings before you decide to purchase them. Many websites that compare mining performance between different GPUs never show their mining speed while being overclocked, which doesn’t show the true picture. Here at ViCadia, we’ve tested all the cards shown in the table above. Our mining results are reliable and reproducible, and are not biased. If you don’t have time to analyze our table, we’ve also included a list of our top picks for each GPU category, so just scroll down below to see our top recommendations.
Best Overall:
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti LHR
Best Efficiency:
AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT
Best Budget:
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 LHR
Highest Hashrate:
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti
Lowest Power Consumption:
AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT
Worst GPU for Mining:
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050
Best Overall: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti LHR
Boost Clock: 1,770 MHz | Memory: 8GB GDDR6X | Max. TDP: 290 W | ETH Mining Hashrate: 79.45 MH/s
- Amazing mining performance
- Great power efficiency
- LHR limiter can be 100% unlocked
- Also good for mining altcoins
- Custom models selling above MSRP
When it comes to mining cryptocurrencies, the GeForce RTX 3070 Ti is currently the holy grail of mining graphics cards. Thanks to the advent of new mining software featuring 100% LHR unlocks, the GeForce RTX 3070 Ti is proving to be one of the best mining GPUs ever made, since it can deliver an outstanding Ethereum mining performance (around 80 MH/s), and can generate nearly the same revenue from mining altcoins as its more expensive AMD counterparts.
Although its power consumption of 195 W may seem quite high, the RTX 3070 Ti is a very efficient graphics card, since it can deliver stellar Ethereum mining hashrate, and is able to beat even the mighty GeForce RTX 3090 when it comes to efficiency. These days GeForce RTX 3070 Ti LHR can be found in almost all online retail stores, and some models are even cheaper than the less powerful GeForce RTX 3060 Ti model.
Best Efficiency: AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT
Boost Clock: 2,250 MHz | Memory: 16GB GDDR5 | Max. TDP: 300 W | ETH Mining Hashrate: 63.70 MH/s
- Excellent power efficiency
- Features 16GB of VRAM
- Runs cool and quiet
- Easy to overclock
- Mines ETH slower than GeForce RTX 3070 Ti
- High retail price
With a power efficiency rating of 670.5 kH per watt, the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT is without a doubt the most efficient mining GPU out there. Although its Ethereum mining hashrate is somewhat low for such a high-end card (around 64 MH/s), the fact that the Radeon RX 6800 XT consumes only around 95 W while mining it is quite simply mind-blowing.
The Radeon RX 6800 XT performs best when being undervolted, so be sure to apply custom overclock settings if you are planning to use this card for your mining operations. Another big advantage of this great graphics card is the fact that it features 16 GB of VRAM, and can boast with a decent ray-tracing performance, meaning its resell value is high.
Best Budget: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 LHR
Boost Clock: 1,777 MHz | Memory: 12GB GDDR6 | Max. TDP: 170 W | ETH Mining Hashrate: 49.30 MH/s
- Great price-to-performance ratio
- High power efficiency
- Lots of overclocking headroom
- 12GB of GDDR6 VRAM
- 1440p gaming performance could be better
Thanks to the 100% LHR unlock hack, the GeForce RTX 3060 has become an incredibly good mining card for miners on a tight budget. For a retail price of around $450, the GeForce RTX 3060 is able to deliver a respectable 49 MH/s Ethereum mining hashrate, and with a power consumption of only 113 W, its power efficiency rating now stands at 436.3 kH per watt. As such, the GeForce RTX 3060 is 8% more efficient than the GeForce RTX 3090, while being 120% cheaper.
The RTX 3060 is also great for mining altcoins like Ergo (ERG), RavenCoin (RVN), or Conflux (CFX). It can deliver 50 MH/s on Octopus algorithm, or 25 MH/s on KawPow algorithm for a total power consumption of only 150 watts. It can also mine ERGO at speed of 112 MH/s while consuming only 110 watts, meaning it can deliver a full 1 MH per watt. Another big plus is the fact that the card features 12GB of VRAM, which even some high-end RTX 30 series GPUs don’t.
Highest Hashrate: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti
Boost Clock: 1,665 MHz | Memory: 12GB GDDR6X | Max. TDP: 350 W | ETH Mining Hashrate: 122.40 MH/s
- Extraordinary high hashrate
- Respectable power efficiency rating
- Mind-blowing 4K performance
- Great for 3D modelling and video rendering
- 15% cheaper than the GeForce RTX 3090
- Requires 750 W power supply
- Has only 12GB of VRAM
Yes, that’s right. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is currently the fastest mining GPU. With custom overclock settings it can beat even the mighty GeForce RTX 3090, by delivering a whooping 122.40 MH/s on Ethash algorithm. Thanks to the 100% LHR unlock, the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti has become the fastest mining tool around, and if you want to mine cryptos as quickly as possible, this is the right GPU for you.
With a 100% LHR unlock, the RTX 3080 Ti can now deliver 423.5 kH per watt, which is fantastic power efficiency rating. Truth be told, this card is still a power hog, as it draws 290 W while mining Ethereum, and it requires a 750 W PSU to run properly. The only major disadvantage compared to the RTX 3090 is the fact that it comes with “only” 12 GB of VRAM, while the RTX 3090 has 24 GB of VRAM. Despite that, the RTX 3080 Ti is a much better option for mining, as it’s 10-20% cheaper than the RTX 3090, and can still deliver fantastic mining and gaming performance.
Lowest Power Consumption: AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT
Boost Clock: 2,589 MHz | Memory: 8GB GDDR6 | Max. TDP: 160 W | ETH Mining Hashrate: 33.20 MH/s
- One of the most efficient mining GPUs
- Ultra-low power consumption
- Mines great while being undervolted
- Runs very quiet and cool
- Mediocre mining hashrate
- Costs the same as the RTX 3060
When it comes to Ethereum mining hashrate, the Radeon RX 6600 XT doesn’t leave a very good impression. It can deliver only around 33.2 MH/s, which is much less compared to the GeForce RTX 3060. However, its power consumption is simply stellar, as the Radeon RX 6600 XT consumes only around 55 W while mining, and can deliver 603 kH per watt.
The RX 6600 XT is also very good for mining altcoins like ERGO, since it can deliver 62 MH/s hashrate for a power consumption of only 79 watts. Although RX 6600 XT is very energy efficient, its ROI is much worse compared to the RTX 3060, which costs almost the same, but can mine cryptos more quickly. Overall, this is a decent GPU for mining which may be interesting to users who are looking for a cool, quiet, and power-efficient graphics card.
Worst GPU for Mining: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050
Boost Clock: 1,552 MHz | Memory: 8GB GDDR6 | Max. TDP: 130 W | ETH Mining Hashrate: 26.60 MH/s
- Affordable price
- Low power consumption
- Low mining hashrate
- Features V3 LHR limiter
- Horrible power efficiency
- Poor ray-tracing performance
The GeForce RTX 3050 is currently the worst GPU for mining cryptocurrencies. Its price to performance ratio is pretty poor, since it can only deliver around 26.6 MH/s on Ethash algorithm, while costing almost the same as the Radeon RX 6600. Its power efficiency is also bad, despite the fact that it consumes only around 77 W while mining Ethereum. The RTX 3050 can deliver only 345 kH per watt, which is by far the worst power efficiency score among all cards on our list.
The reason why GeForce RTX 3050 is so bad for mining is the fact that it features the latest V3 LHR limiter, which still hasn’t been fully unlocked. This means that existing miners with 100% LHR unlocks won’t be able to unlock GeForce RTX 3050, so we strongly recommend avoiding this card. Even when it comes to gaming, the GeForce RTX 3050 is mediocre at best, and as such is a waste of silicon.
Is it worth mining in 2022?
It is still worth mining in 2022, but there is a big BUT. Ethereum is becoming increasingly difficult to mine, and geopolitical circumstances are causing energy prices to rise. In some areas of the world, electricity is becoming very expensive, causing mining operations to be no longer profitable. However, if you live in the Western Hemisphere, mining is still profitable, even if you want to mine Ethereum. High-end graphics cards can still deliver around $3 of pure net profit every day, and with new mining software that is able to fully unlock LHR cards, many cards are now becoming extremely profitable.
Unfortunately, with global economy becoming extremely unstable, crypto market will also experience serious ups and downs. Ethereum will switch to proof-of-stake model eventually, but hopefully until then new GPU-mineable cryptocurrencies will emerge. There is no doubt that cryptocurrencies are going to stay with us and become an everyday part of our life, however, their future is still quite murky.
Conclusion
Mining Ethereum and other cryptocurrencies is still quite popular. The global GPU shortage has finally ended, but unfortunately crypto market has dipped quite a lot in the first half of 2022. However, this doesn’t mean that mining is no longer profitable. Provided that you equip yourself with a high-performance graphics cards, you still have a good chance to make an impressive amount of money by mining Ethereum or other coins. We hope our buying guide helped you in search of the information you were looking for. If you still feel confused, and need advice about buying, feel free to post a comment below. We will try to help you.