The Top 14 Hardware Setups for Crypto Mining
If you want to mine cryptocurrency, then you need the right hardware. If you’ve got the right hardware, then you can start earning cryptocurrencies immediately. Today, we’re highlighting the top 10 best hardware setups for crypto mining.
First, let’s clarify something: in days gone by, anyone with a PC could mine bitcoin. Bitcoin mining took place via CPUs, and you could mine bitcoin using a laptop, if you wanted to. Then, bitcoin mining moved to the GPU, which meant anyone with a powerful graphics card – like the card in a gaming PC – could mine cryptocurrencies. Today, we’ve mostly moved beyond GPU mining. Today, most crypto mining takes place using Application Specific Integrated Circuits, or ASICs, which are special machines designed specifically for mining cryptocurrency.
Second, the hardware setups listed below can be used to mine many different cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Zcash, and other cryptocurrencies. Some ASICs work well with specific cryptocurrencies, while others work across cryptocurrencies equally as well.
With that in mind, let’s look at the top 14 hardware setups for crypto mining.
DragonMint T1 Miner
The DragonMint T1 is one of the most popular and powerful bitcoin mining hardware setups available today. It’s a SHA256 rig with 16 TH of hashpower, putting it at the top of the list in terms of hashpower. It’s also got an Ethernet connection and dual, nine-blade fans. The DragonMint T1 also comes with AsicBoost technology to minimize power consumption while maximizing hashrate, which means more profit for you.
The DragonMint is similar to other ASICs in terms of setup. You can adjust PW settings, access a stats dashboard, and update the firmware, for example. There’s also a soft reboot function.
Pros
- One of the most efficient bitcoin miners available today
- More hashrate than any other bitcoin miner
- Easy to setup
- Compatible with multiple mining pools
Cons
- You’re typically restricted to AsicBoost mining pools
- High price and low availability
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Bitmain Antminer S7
The Antminer S7 was introduced in 2015, and it’s been at the top of the crypto community ever since. The energy-efficient rig comes with a 28nm BMI1385 ASCI chip, a 1000W PSU, 4.73 TH/s of hashpower, and energy efficiency of 0.25 Joules per GH/s. The S7 also has DHCP capability, which means it will automatically scan for an IP to use.
The Antminer S7 works well in temperatures between 40 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit, making it popular in datacenters and basements worldwide. The Antminer S7 features an Ethernet port.
Pros
- Affordable for hobby miners and mining farms alike
- Its popularity means there are plenty of guides and parts available
- High hashrate with good energy efficiency
- Twice as efficient as the S5
Cons
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Bitmain Antminer S9
The Antminer S9 is Bitmain’s other popular mining ASIC after the S7. It’s more powerful than the S7, but that power comes with added cost. Nevertheless, many people choose to purchase the S9 because it delivers three times the hashpower as the S7 without consuming significantly more electricity. That means you can earn significantly higher profits with the S7.
Other miners have similar hashrates to the S9, but few miners work as efficiently. Yes, you pay a premium for the S9, but the high efficiency allows you to earn back your money relatively quickly.
The S9 is a complete unit with no need to connect to other PCs. It has a built-in web management portal for easy setup and maintenance. The S9 has a power efficiency rating of 0.098 W/Gh, a weight of 8.1 pounds, and a 16nm chip. It has 3 circuit boards with a total of 189 chips, collectively delivering a hashrate of 13.5 TH/s.
Pros
- Energy efficient
- One of the most powerful mining rigs on the market
- More hashing power
- Easy to setup and maintain
Cons
- High price
- Separate power supply
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Bitmain Antminer S1
The Antminer S1 is one of the more basic and affordable options offered by mining giant Bitmain. If you’re looking for an affordable way to learn how crypto mining works, then the Antminer S1 is one good option. It’s also a popular miner for overclocking.
The S1 consumes about 407 W to 422 W when overclocked. When overclocked, you can expect hashrates of 180 GH/s to 200 GH/s, making the S1 significantly weaker than the miners listed above (of course, it’s also significantly cheaper). The S1 does have the unique ability to connect via Ethernet or Wi-Fi. A dual blade unit keeps the rig cool even when overclocked.
Pros
- Easy to setup and use
- Affordable
- Can be overclocked for higher hashrate
Cons
- Lower hashrate than the rigs above
- Power supply sold separately
- Minimal profits
Bitmain Antminer S2
The Bitmain Antminer S2 was launched in 2014 after the success of Bitmain’s S1. The S2 introduced several upgrades over the S1, including better hashrate and better power consumption. It’s also surprisingly quiet for a bitcoin miner: even when overclocked and mining, the S2 runs relatively quiet.
The S2 uses the same chip as the S1 (the BM1380). However, Bitmain tweaked the design for better power efficiency. The rig itself is squeezed into a 4U rack. Your S2 purchase comes with an Enermax-made PSU, so unlike the options above, there’s no need to purchase a separate PSU.
Other notable features of the S2 include the 1000W power consumption, a power efficiency of 1 W per GH/s, and a 55nm chip. The Antminer S2 is an SHA-256 ASIC miner.
Pros
- Surprisingly quiet
- Power efficient
- Affordable price
Cons
- Costlier than the S1 without delivering major performance improvements
Avalon 741
Avalon is a unique bitcoin mining company. When ordering form Avalon, you’ll need to order miners in larger batches – say, an order of 20, 50, or 100 miners. This makes Avalon more popular with larger bitcoin mining organizations, but less popular among hobby miners.
If you manage to purchase an Avalon 741, then you’ll get an efficient and powerful SHA-256 ASIC miner capable of delivering hashrates of 7.3 TH/s. It has a 16nm chip and the unit consumes approximately 1150W of power with a power efficiency rating of 0.16 Joules per GH. The operating temperature ranges from -5C to 40C.
Pros
- Comes with Avalon management system that makes it easy to control multiple miners simultaneously
- Powerful and energy efficient
- Stable rig
- Stocked with useful accessories
Cons
- Typically purchased in batches instead of single-unit orders
- Not cheap
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Bitmain Antminer T9
The Antminer T9 delivers a hashrate of 11.5 TH/s, although it’s slightly less efficient than the S9. The T9 is typically purchased by those who emphasize reliability, as it’s perceived to be more durable than the S9. The reason for the durability is that the T9 doesn’t put the same pressure on its chips as the S9, which is why the unit tends to last longer.
As a testament to its durability, the T9 has a 180 day warranty – twice as long as the 90 days you get with the S9. The T9, like other Bitmain miners, is also easy to setup and manage.
The T9 has a power efficiency rating of 0.126 Joules per GH. It has an Ethernet connection, 16nm BM1387 chip technology, and an operating temperature of 0 to 40 degrees Celsius.
Pros
- Powerful and efficient
- Lasts longer than the S9
- Warranty is twice as long as the S9
- Capable of mining several SHA-256 cryptocurrencies
Cons
- Less powerful and efficient than the S9, yet costs more
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Antminer L3/L3+ Scrypt Miner
If you want to mine Litecoin, then the Antminer L3/L3+ Scrypt Miner is one of the more popular options. With a hashrate of 255 MH/s, the L3/L3+ is one of the best Litecoin mining ASICs available today. It outperforms other popular Litecoin ASICs, including the KnC Titan and the A4.
The L3 and L3+ both consume very little electricity, which means you can maximize profitability when mining. So the L3/L3+ isn’t just a powerful rig: it’s also extremely efficient and profitable. As a testament to the L3/L3+’s power, Litecion creator Charlie Lee tweeted that the L3 was 2.5 times more efficient than the A4, according to his experience.
Other notable features on the L3/L3+ include a BM1485 Litecoin ASIC chip, dual fans, exposed boards, and 1.6 Joules per MH power efficiency. There’s no built-in power supply on the L3 or L3+.
Pros
- One of the best ASICs for mining Litecoin
- More efficient than other Litecoin miners
- Built-in controllers with no separate PC required
Cons
- Exclusively designed for mining Litecoin
- Can be hard to purchase, and supplies are limited
Bitmain Antminer R4
The Antminer R4 is yet another bitcoin miner. The SHA-256 ASIC mining rig has an efficiency rating similar to the S9, along with a hash rate of 8.6 TH per second. The rig outperforms the S7 and delivers power similar to the S9. Like other Bitmain miners, it’s easy to setup and run.
The R4 is a popular rig among hobby miners because of its small size, quiet operation, and slim form factor. It’s easy to fit into a basement, a garage, or an office. It also delivers a surprisingly high hashrate without consuming excessive electricity. The R4 consumers power at an efficiency of around 0.098 Joules per GH.
Pros
- Ultra-silent fans
- User-friendly design, interface, and setup
- As efficient as the S9, although with slightly lower power consumption
- Slim form factor
Cons
- Expensive
- Exclusively for bitcoin mining
AMD Radeon R9 295X2
The AMD Radeon R9 295X2 is one of the more popular Ethereum mining options available today. The “X2” in the name of this miner indicates that everything is doubled. The miner contains two Hawaii XT GPUs, for example.
The Radeon R9 delivers a hashrate of 46.0 MH/s, which makes it more powerful than most Ethereum mining GPUs available today.
To be clear, the R9 295X2 is just a GPU: you’ll need a PC to start mining Ethereum. Unlike some of the mining rigs above, it’s not a standalone unit.
Pros
- Great performance at a reasonable price
- Highest hashrate for Ethereum mining
- Can be used for gaming or Ethereum mining
Cons
- Consumes a lot of power
- Ideal for Ethereum, but not much else
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070
The GTX 1070 is a popular video card for gamers and miners alike. With the 1070, you can mine Ethereum, Zcash, and even bitcoin. You’ll get a hashrate of about 30MH/s when running the GTX 1070.
In the early days of launch, it was virtually impossible to purchase the GTX 1070. Demand was huge and supplies were limited. Nvidia even reached a point where they asked retailers to sell cards exclusively to gamers and not miners. Today, things have cooled down somewhat, and it’s relatively easy to get a GTX 1070.
The 1070 has a core clock of 1506 MHz and 8GB of GDDR5 memory inside.
Pros
- Great balance of power consumption and hashrate
- Can be used to mine multiple cryptocurrencies
- Great video card for gaming
Cons
- Won’t generate much profit when mining bitcoin
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Cryptocurrency Mining GPU Card
AMD Radeon RX580
The RX580 is another popular video card for cryptocurrency mining. The card produces a hashrate of 29mh/s without consuming excessive power. The RX580 is also more affordable than the 1070, making it popular among hobby miners. Key features include 8GB of GDDR5 memory, a power draw of 185W, and a memory clock of 8 Gbps.
Pros
- Great cooling efficiency
- Reasonable price
- Powerful hashrate
Cons
- Frequently out of stock due to high demand
AMD Radeon RX 580 Cryptocurrency Mining GPU Card By ASUS
AMD Radeon RX Vega 56
The Vega 56 outperforms the GTX 1070 when cryptocurrency mining, making it one of the most popular options on the market. It has a power draw of 210W, MaxContact technology, and great gaming performance. The Vega 56 is also known for its reliability. You pay a little more for the Vega 56 today, but enjoy superior long-term performance.
Pros
- Good performance
- Can be used for crypto mining or gaming
- Affordable price
Cons
Nvidia GTX 1080 Ti
The 1080 Ti is a high-priced graphics card that delivers equally strong performance. With a hashrate of 32MH/s, the card is ideal for mining multiple types of cryptocurrencies. It has a power draw of 250W with a shocking 11GB of GDDR5 memory inside, making the 1080 Ti ideal for cryptocurrency mining and gaming alike. With a core clock speed of 1480 MHz, the 1080 Ti is one of the most powerful graphics cards available today.
Pros
- High hashrates
- Huge power
- Can be used for crypto mining or gaming
Cons
- High power consumption compared to other GPUs
- High price
Nvidia Mining GPU GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Inno3D Card Details Coming
Conclusion
Whether you’re mining bitcoin with an ASIC or mining Ethereum and other cryptocurrencies with a GPU, you have more options for bitcoin mining today than ever before. The rigs listed above are some of the best bitcoin mining hardware setups on the market today.
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