There is no single best GPU for mining, and no GPU is the right tool for Bitcoin, which is mined on ASICs. The right card is the one that delivers the most hash rate per watt on the algorithm of the coin you plan to mine, has enough memory for that algorithm, and earns more than it costs to power at your electricity price. Pick the coin first, then compare cards on that coin's algorithm only, then run the numbers below with your own power rate.
Bitcoin is mined on ASICs, not GPUs
Bitcoin uses the SHA-256 proof-of-work algorithm. The Bitcoin.org FAQ says that "the only cost-effective method of mining today is using specialized hardware." That hardware is the ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit), a chip built to run one algorithm.
The scale gap is large. Bitmain's spec sheet for the Antminer S21 lists 200 TH/s on SHA-256 at 3,500 W measured at the wall, which works out to 17.5 joules per terahash. A graphics card competes against machines like that for the same block rewards, so a GPU on Bitcoin pays for electricity and earns almost nothing back.
If you want to mine with a GPU, the realistic route is a coin whose algorithm still suits GPUs.
Which coins GPUs can still mine, and why the list changes
A coin stays "GPU-mineable" only while no ASIC beats a graphics card on its algorithm by a wide margin. That has changed several times.
- Ethereum: no longer mined. The Merge on September 15, 2022 ended proof-of-work on Ethereum, according to ethereum.org. Ethash hash rate tables for Ethereum are now historical.
- Ethereum Classic (Etchash): GPUs still work, ASICs exist. The Ethereum Classic mining guide (dated February 22, 2022) recommends "the most power efficient cards with at least 4 GB of memory." The same page says ASICs for Ethash "did come to market," and that its algorithm tweak was meant to keep 4 GB cards mining only until about mid-2025. Treat 4 GB cards as out of date for this coin and check the current memory requirement before buying.
- Ravencoin (KAWPOW): designed for GPUs. The Ravencoin project says KAWPOW "is intended to allow most consumer grade GPU hardware to mine Ravencoin." It replaced X16R after X16R ASICs became viable. KAWPOW is a variant of ProgPoW, whose authors say a custom ASIC would gain only about 1.1 to 1.2 times the efficiency of a commodity GPU.
- Kaspa (kHeavyHash): now an ASIC market. Bitmain lists the Antminer KS5 Pro for kHeavyHash/KAS at 21 TH/s and 3,150 W at the wall (150 J/TH). That is 21,000,000 MH/s from one machine. Any GPU benchmark on kHeavyHash has to be read against that.
- Monero (RandomX): built for CPUs. Monero's documentation says RandomX "is optimized for CPUs." GPUs can run it but are not the target hardware.
The status of each coin can shift fast: a new ASIC, an algorithm change or a fork can move a coin out of GPU range within months. Read the coin's own documentation and current ASIC spec sheets before you buy hardware for it.
How to judge a mining GPU
1. Hash rate on the right algorithm
Hash rate is the number of hash attempts per second, quoted in MH/s or GH/s for GPUs and in TH/s for most ASICs. A figure only means something next to its algorithm: the same card produces very different numbers on Etchash, KAWPOW and kHeavyHash, because each algorithm does different work. Compare cards on one algorithm, using benchmarks dated close to when you buy.
2. Hash rate per watt
Efficiency decides whether a card makes money once electricity is paid. For GPUs it is usually written as MH/s per watt; for ASICs as joules per terahash (J/TH = watts divided by TH/s). Measure watts at the wall, not the card's rated board power. Wall power includes power supply losses and everything else in the rig. The 80 PLUS program, run by CLEAResult, certifies supplies at 80% efficiency or better across load levels, and higher tiers go above that, so a better supply lowers your wall draw for the same hash rate.
3. Memory size, type and bandwidth
Memory-hard algorithms keep a large dataset (the DAG on Etchash and KAWPOW) on the card. If the dataset outgrows the card's memory, the card stops mining that coin, which is what happened to 4 GB cards on Ethereum in 2020 according to the Ethereum Classic guide. Bandwidth also limits speed on these algorithms; ProgPoW was designed to match "what is available on commodity GPUs," memory reads included. System RAM only needs to run the operating system and miner.
4. Purchase price
A useful comparison is price divided by hash rate on your algorithm, which gives the cost of one unit of hash rate. The rest of the rig adds to the total: motherboard, processor, power supply, risers, cooling. Card prices move quickly, so work from current listings.
5. Heat and noise
Almost all the electricity a card draws ends up as heat. A 450 W card running all day is a 450 W heater in the room, which means ventilation or air conditioning, and that cooling power belongs in your wall-power figure too.
What does your mining card cost to power each day?
Enter your card's power draw, the rest of the rig, your power supply efficiency and your electricity price to see the daily power cost a card must earn back before it makes any profit.
| Card power draw | Rest of the rig (motherboard, processor, risers, cooling) | Power supply efficiency | Your electricity price | Power cost per day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 450 W | 0 W | 90 % | 18.16 cents per kWh | 2.18 USD |
| 450 W | 0 W | 90 % | 14.87 cents per kWh | 1.78 USD |
| 450 W | 0 W | 90 % | 18.16 cents per kWh | 2.18 USD |
- All four values are your own inputs; the defaults repeat the article's worked example (450 W card, 0 W rest of rig, 90% supply efficiency, 18.16 cents per kWh), which gives about $2.18 a day.
- The result is the daily hurdle: the card makes a profit only if its expected reward per day, after pool fees, is higher than this figure.
This shows the power cost only: it does not estimate coins earned, which depend on network hash rate, block reward and coin price that change daily, and it leaves out the card's purchase price, wear and tax.
How profitability works: the formula
Daily profit is expected reward minus power cost:
- Power cost per day = wall power (kW) × 24 h × electricity price ($/kWh)
- Wall power = (GPU power + rest of rig) ÷ power supply efficiency
- Expected coins per day = (your hash rate ÷ network hash rate) × blocks per day × block reward
- Reward per day = expected coins × coin price × (1 − pool fee)
The network hash rate, block reward and coin price all change, often daily. Difficulty adjusts as other miners join or leave, so a card that is profitable this month can lose money next month with no change on your side.
Worked example: the cost side of one high-end card
Inputs, each with its source:
- Card power: Nvidia rates the GeForce RTX 4090 at 450 W total graphics power, with 24 GB of GDDR6X memory (Nvidia spec page). Mining often runs below this with tuning; 450 W is used here as an upper bound.
- Power supply efficiency: 90%, an assumption for a good unit. Check the efficiency curve in your own supply's 80 PLUS report.
- Rest of the rig: set to 0 W to keep the arithmetic visible; add your own figure.
- Electricity price: 18.16 cents per kWh, the US average residential price for August 2026 (U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A).
Calculation:
- Wall power = 450 W ÷ 0.90 = 500 W = 0.5 kW
- Energy per day = 0.5 kW × 24 h = 12 kWh
- Power cost per day = 12 kWh × $0.1816 = about $2.18 per day, or about $65 over 30 days
That $2.18 is the hurdle. On Ravencoin, which targets a block every minute (1,440 blocks a day, per ravencoin.org), the card breaks even only if:
(your hash rate ÷ network hash rate) × 1,440 × block reward × RVN price × (1 − pool fee) ≥ $2.18
Fill in the current network hash rate, block reward and coin price from a block explorer on the day you calculate, since all three move daily. The power price matters as much as the hardware: at the August 2026 US all-sector average of 14.87 cents per kWh (same EIA table), the same card costs about $1.78 a day, and at a cheaper industrial rate the hurdle drops further.
Trade-offs in short
| Factor | What it buys you | What it costs you |
|---|---|---|
| Higher hash rate | More expected coins | Usually more power and a higher card price |
| Better hash rate per watt | Lower cost per coin mined | Often a newer, more expensive card |
| More memory | Longer useful life on memory-hard algorithms | Higher price |
| Lower electricity price | Biggest single lever on profit | Depends on where you live |
| Running at full power | Peak hash rate | More heat, noise and wear |
