The 5 best GPUs for mining in 2022

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While not the best thing for the video game industry, crypto-currencies have really started to become an important part of the global internet landscape. Not so long ago, most people doubted the longevity of any form of crypto-currency and refused to believe that it was even a real currency. However, in 2022, we have seen the rise of bitcoin and other currencies to values that were thought impossible just a few years ago As an example, the value of one bitcoin has surpassed $41,000 as of this writing. Another indication of the popularity of crypto-currencies in general, has been the formation of a separate sector of the online gaming market, such as bitcoin casinos.

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Crypto-currencies have also played a major role in the massive stock shortages and rising prices of PC components such as graphics cards, so it is understandable that mining is not held in very high regard by PC gamers. However, one cannot simply deny the fiscal potential and profitability of crypto mining in the current scenario. Thus, in this roundup, we will take a look at the best GPUs for crypto mining in 2022. This list takes into account multiple factors such as mining performance, hashrate, input cost, power consumption, daily profit and days to break even in an ideal scenario. The ranking is objectively based on the best value offered among the various GPUs on the market today.

5. AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB

Memory: 8GB GDDR5 Mining performance (MH/s): 29 MH/s Mining power (Watts) : 135 W Number of days to break even: 114 The Radeon RX 580 8GB is an iconic GPU that was the ideal low-budget gaming GPU for a long time before becoming the mining GPU we know today. The RX 580 8GB is almost synonymous with mining today, and it seems to be the GPU that disappears from the market first when there is a rise in crypto-currencies. That’s understandable, though, because the RX 580 offers excellent mining performance at a reasonable cost of entry while keeping power consumption in check as well. It also has 8GB of GDDR5 memory, but at the time of writing, the average asking price on eBay for an 8GB 580 is $363, even MORE than the RX 590. This is due to the relative rarity of the RX 580 on the market. Its hash rate is 29 MH/s, which is also slightly higher than the RX 590, and its power is 135W. The daily profit can be as high as $3.20 and it takes about 114 days to break even. The RX 580 is also relatively harder to find than the RX 590 for the reasons mentioned above. The RX 580’s gaming performance is fairly similar to the RX 590, although it is generally 2-3% lower than the RX 590. Nevertheless, the card can handle 1080p games quite well and can play most AAA games at medium-high detail at an average of 60 FPS. Among the various AIB models of the Radeon RX 580 8GB, we recommend the XFX Radeon RX 580 8GB GTS XXX variant. This is a fairly well-built variant with excellent cooling performance and a couple of quiet fans. It’s also a good overclocker, although this may depend more on the overall quality of the silicon. If you can pick the variant of your choice for the RX 580, the XFX GTX XXX is one to watch. Clearly, the Radeon RX 580 8GB is still a great card for crypto-currency mining, but due to the scarcity of the card in the new and used markets and the relative cost of entry, it would be wise to look for other options such as the Radeon RX 590 8GB to meet your mining needs. If, however, you can find an RX 580 8GB for less than $330 in the current situation, there’s no harm in grabbing that offer.

For

  • Good mining performance
  • Reasonable power consumption

Cons

  • More expensive than the RX 590
  • High entry cost
  • Hard to find

4. AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 8GB

Memory: 8GB HBM2 Mining performance (MH/s): 42.5 MH/s Mining power (Watts) : 254 W Number of days to break even: 114 The Radeon RX Vega 64 is essentially the same as the Vega 56, but it’s a bit more powerful. It has the same 8GB of HBM2 memory that is perfect for crypto-mining, but this time there are 64 compute units compared to 56 on the Vega 56, hence the name. The Vega 64 is also great in terms of overall mining performance and profits, but it is also a bit more expensive. The average asking price for a Vega 64 on eBay at the time of this writing is $519, which is ridiculous when compared to the “hyped” MSRP of modern GPUs. The card’s mining performance is 42.5 MH/s, while it consumes 254W of power during mining. This is one of the most power-hungry cards ever released and, like the Vega 56, it must be underpowered before mining. The daily profit is $4.55 and it takes about 114 days to break even. The Vega 64 is also a fantastic gaming GPU that is still capable of playing at 1080p and 1440p. It can play most AAA titles at 1440p with medium and high detail at 60 FPS, while going down to 1080p, the Vega 64 can break the 60 FPS barrier in almost any game with ultra settings. The Vega 64 does have a major power consumption issue, however, and it should be underpowered quite heavily if you’re looking to use it for extended periods of time in mining. Overall, the Vega 64 is slightly less attractive than the Vega 56 for mining due to its higher input cost and higher power consumption, but it also offers a higher transfer rate. It is up to the potential buyer to decide if the extra mining performance is worth it.

For

  • Another high-performance machine
  • HBM2 memory
  • A solid gaming GPU

Cons

  • High power consumption
  • High input cost

3. AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 8GB

Memory: 8GB HBM2 Mining performance (MH/s): 39.2 MH/s Mining Power (Watts) : 174 W Number of days to break even: 111 The Radeon RX Vega 56 is a huge step up from the Radeon RX 590 and the RX 500 series of graphics cards in terms of crypto mining performance. The Vega 56 is one of two cards developed by AMD on the Vega architecture. These cards also offer excellent gaming performance, although the mainstream reception for the Vega 56 and Vega 64 at the time of their launch was disappointing to say the least. Nevertheless, the Radeon RX Vega 56 is an excellent choice for moderate crypto-mining activity. The Vega 56 features 8GB of HBM2 memory, which offers huge improvements over standard GDDR memory types due to its massive bandwidth. The cost of entry for a Vega 56 is quite high, at $483 on eBay at the time of writing. That would be the MSRP of an RX 6700 XT in an ideal world, but unfortunately that’s not the case now. The Vega 56’s mining performance is 39.2 MH/s and it consumes about 174W. At this rate, it can provide a daily profit of $4.34 and would need 111 days to break even. The Vega 56 is an interesting card to hold onto in 2022. When fully stocked, it’s a fairly power-hungry graphics card that tends to get hot, which isn’t helped by the complete lack of third-party AIB models. The real trick with Vega cards is undervolting. When in undervolt mode, the Vega 56 card can actually perform much better than the stock card, while reducing power consumption and therefore temperatures. This makes it an ideal option for enthusiasts who like to tinker with their graphics cards. The RX Vega 56 is also a great gaming GPU, and it can play all AAA games at 1080p with High-Ultra detail at 60 FPS or more. It can also play entry-level games at 1440p in older AAA or lighter eSports titles. The Vega 56 doesn’t have many third-party AIB models, so you’ll have to settle for a fan-based model like the MSI Airboost RX Vega 56 8GB which we recommend. Undervolting would really help control the temperature of this card. The Radeon RX Vega 56 is a significant step up in mining performance over the RX 590 or similar cards, but it also has a higher entry cost. It’s also a bit more difficult to maintain due to its high power consumption and hot internal components. Fortunately, there are a few tricks to keep it under control and maximize profits quite easily.

For

  • Very high mining performance
  • HBM2 memory
  • High resale value

Against

  • High power consumption
  • Generally higher temperatures

2. AMD Radeon RX 590 8GB

Memory: 8GB GDDR5 Mining performance (MH/s): 28.6 MH/s Mining power (Watts) : 130 W Number of days to break even: 106 The AMD RX 590 was one of the less interesting graphics cards when it came out. It was essentially a slightly updated RX 580, which itself was a slightly updated RX 480. So as far as gaming goes, the RX 590 was pretty tepid, but it has great potential when it comes to mining crypto-currencies. Its performance is solid if you look at its raw numbers alone, but its real strength lies in its relatively low cost of entry and quite decent value proposition. The RX 590 has 8GB of GDDR5 memory, which is very handy for crypto-currency mining. Buyers should avoid the 4GB variant of the 590 if they are looking to mine crypto-currency on it, as it would lead to less performance. The average eBay price for the 8GB Radeon RX 590 is $336 at the time of writing, and that can get you 28.6 MH/s in terms of raw mining performance. The RX 590 uses about 130W during mining and is one of the most power hungry cards. You can expect a daily profit of $3.16 and it takes about 106 days to break even at this rate. The RX 590 is also a gaming card capable of delivering solid performance at 1080p. The RX 590 can play all modern AAA games at 1080p with high settings and deliver an average of 60 FPS or more. It is also moderately power hungry, but not as much as some of the Vega cards of this era. The RX 590 is also much more available than the RX 580 or similar cards due to its relatively higher price and initial poor public reception. The variant we recommend for the RX 590 is the Gigabyte Gaming RX 590 8GB Windforce which is an entry-level variant of the RX 590. It has decent cooling performance and quiet fans that can really help when mining. This model would be relatively cheaper to get, so it is a good option to look for if you are in the market for a used or new RX 590 8GB. Overall, the RX 590 8GB is a very solid crypto mining GPU due to its excellent value and relatively low cost of entry. It provides good profit numbers and is easier to manage than some of the other mining GPUs on the market.

For

  • Good performance in mining
  • Very cost effective
  • Relatively high availability
  • Reasonable power consumption

Cons

  • Relatively high price

1. Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 6GB

Memory: 6GB GDDR5 Mining performance (MH/s) : 25 MH/s Mining power (Watts) : 90 W Number of days to break even: 96 The Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 6GB is a mid-range GPU based on the Pascal architecture that was released in 2016. The GeForce GTX 1060 6GB holds the crown for being the most widely used GPU among PC gamers according to the Steam hardware survey. This could make it a particularly unbeatable value since many PC gamers may already own this GPU, and thus take advantage of its excellent crypto mining capabilities. The GTX 1060 6GB comes with 6GB of GDDR5 memory, which is great for crypto-mining. If you are in the market for a used or new GTX 1060, you should avoid the 3GB models as their gaming and mining performance is significantly worse than the 6GB models. The average asking price on eBay for this GPU in March 2022 is $271, which is certainly quite high for a 4-year-old mid-range GPU, but such is the current state of the PC graphics card market. In terms of raw numbers, the 1060 6GB delivers a hashrate of 25 MH/s, which is pretty good considering the card’s age and market positioning. The card uses a relatively comfortable 90W during mining and the daily profit can be expected at $2.82 in the current situation. At this rate, it would take about 96 days to recoup the initial investment if you were to buy the card at the listed price. The 1060 6GB card is a fairly mild card in terms of power consumption, so its running cost shouldn’t be outrageous by any means. The card can also handle 1080p gaming if you want to indulge in a little action while the card isn’t crypto mining. There are several variants of the card, but our choice is the MSI Gaming GTX 1060 6GB which is an entry-level variant of the card. This variant is cheaper than many others and thus can maximize your profits while offering solid cooling and acoustic performance. While the 1060 6GB’s mining performance isn’t amazing if you look at it as a standalone number, it’s an excellent value when considered in conjunction with the card’s price. The 1060 6GB therefore offers a great experience when mining crypto-currencies value at a reasonable cost of entry and can provide some pretty decent profits if you go for it.

For

  • High mining performance
  • Low cost of entry
  • Low power consumption
  • Reasonable temperatures

Cons

  • Low overall profit