What is better for mining – asic or video cards

What's best for mining

In 2024, different hardware is used for cryptocurrency mining. More often, however, participants of digital networks use GPUs and ASICs. But before operating such computer equipment, you need to know what is better: asic or video cards for mining in 2024. This requires analyzing the equipment.

The concept of mining on an asic or video card

Graphics processing units (GPUs, or GPU) began to be used for cryptocurrency mining at the end of 2010. For the first time, video cards were applied for Bitcoin mining. But in 2024 it is no longer profitable to mine Bitcoin using GPUs. Therefore, GPUs are used for mining other cryptocurrencies – ETH and others. Video cards are universal. They can mine many digital coins.

ASIC – single-task supercomputers. This equipment began to be used in mining in 2012. Then computer hardware manufacturers released the first ASICs for mining digital assets.

Any asic is very powerful. However, ASIC equipment performs only 1 set task. For example, a manufacturer may make a Bitcoin ASIC. This equipment will be programmed to calculate cryptographic functions only using the SHA-256 algorithm. Such a supercomputer will be able to mine only 3 coins:

Feature Comparison

Comparison of the parameters of the top video card and the best etherium-asic for May 27, 2022 is recorded in the table below (using the Ethereum network as an example).

CharacterizationGPUSupercomputerFeature difference
Model
Nvidia CMP GeForce 170HX 8GB
Innosilicon A11 Pro ETH Miner
Price from official sellers as of May 27, 2022
$4299
$16 920
396%
Maximum hash rate without overclocking, MH/s
161
2000
1242%
Average power consumption, W
450
2500
555%
Profit for 1 month (price of 1 kW is ₽4, or $0.06)
$89
$1235
1387%
Payback period in months
48
14
343%

But there are 4 other factors to consider when comparing ASICs and graphics cards for mining in 2024:

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  • The timeframe for return on investment and reaching net profit.
  • Availability of mining equipment on the market.
  • Practicality of computer hardware.
  • Prospectivity of extracted cryptocurrencies.

Payback period

Asics are more profitable than GPUs. They pay off faster due to the rapid development of supercomputers. Sometimes the power of new generation models exceeds the hash rate of old ones by 200%.

Weak ASIC equipment quickly becomes irrelevant and almost useless.

Graphics processors of new generations usually add only 10-30% of hashrate. This can be explained by a number of technical complexities and consumer requirements:

  • Manufacturers not only have to increase the number of electronic components, but also reduce their size. Otherwise, video cards will become very large after a while.
  • Manufacturers need to improve the energy efficiency of chips. Otherwise, electronics will start to generate a lot of heat, which will require the installation of expensive cooling systems.
  • Engineers need to create new technologies. Their development often takes several years.

Availability of equipment on the market

It is about the ease of buying computer equipment. It is easier for users from Russia to buy a GPU than an asic. GPU can be ordered in almost any electronics store and received within 7-10 days. At the same time, delivery is often free. As a result, assembling farms from graphics cards is relatively easy.

There are also many official representatives of computer hardware brands in Russia. They give customers a warranty of up to 3 years for purchased graphics processors. At the same time, users can apply to many repair shops for quick repair of broken GPUs.

It is difficult to buy ASIC equipment in Russia. This is due to the lack of official dealers in the Russian Federation. For this reason, users need to buy equipment for cryptocurrency mining in the United States or China. This approach requires payment of customs duties. In this case, the delivery is greatly stretched and takes up to 3 months.

Buying ASIC equipment from foreign dealers causes problems with warranties. For asics it is not more than 1 year, more often – 6 months. At the same time, the countdown of warranty periods starts from the moment of parcel shipment. For this reason, the time of delivery as if “burns” the period of free service of the equipment.

You can buy mining asics from unofficial sellers in Russia. But such retailers almost never provide a warranty on the equipment. At the same time, because of the shortage of supercomputers in Russia, sellers deliberately increase the price of mining asics by 50% or more of the recommended price.

There is a shortage of components for asics in Russia. Although it is very difficult to fix an ASIC-miner yourself, you have to order components from China and the USA. This promises long delivery and customs clearance.

Practicality

Before you decide whether it is better to mine with asics or video cards, you need to consider the pragmatics of buying computer equipment. Technically, GPUs are more practical. They are versatile and can work with almost any algorithm. At the same time, GPUs are low noise and suitable for installation at home. Usually GPU farms are located in separate rooms. This approach reduces discomfort from the work of mining-rigs.

What is better for mining - asic or video cards
Example of a mining ring made of 8 graphics cards

However, assembling farms for cryptocurrency mining from GPUs is difficult. It requires a lot of knowledge about computer components. Usually, a miningrig consists of the following components:

  • A case or frame.
  • A motherboard.
  • Several GPUs.
  • A power supply unit.
  • A processor (CPU)
  • RAM.
  • HDD or SSD.

Each of the components has a dozen basic characteristics. They need to be taken into account when choosing computer components for a mining ring. This complicates the assembly of the farm.

Asic miners, on the other hand, are non-universal. They work only with established algorithms. In this case, mining not every cryptocurrency is not profitable. Also ASIC-equipment is very noisy. Because of this, a mining installation at home will interfere with the user and neighbors. To accommodate asic devices, you need a separate room – a warehouse or garage. This causes costs and complications.

But ASIC mining farms are simple. Such equipment only needs to be connected to the power grid and the Internet. Then you can connect the farm to the digital chain of interest through a mining pool or third-party software (software). This does not require any specialized knowledge.

Perspectives on cryptocurrencies

Before buying mining equipment, you need to analyze the prices on the secondary market. This is necessary in case the user completes the mining of cryptocurrencies. Then the technique will need to be sold.

Popular models of video cards retain prices on the secondary market for a long time. Unnecessary GPUs can be sold profitably to other miners or fans of video games. Asics, on the other hand, get cheaper quickly. In 2 years ASIC miners can lose up to 70% of their price. This is due to the strong superiority of new generations.

Even before buying mining equipment you need to determine the coin for cryptocurrency mining. And already under the digital asset is required to choose computer equipment. This is due to the high volatility of cryptocurrencies. In the future, the coin selected for mining can become cheaper or more expensive. This will affect the final income over a long period of time.

What is better for mining - asic or video cards
Example of volatility of BTC coin quotes

It is also worth considering the relatively low price. Buying GP is almost risk-free. In case of force majeure (banning cryptocurrencies or making mining unprofitable) GPU can be quickly and profitably sold. Buying asics is more risky. For example, in the case of a collapse of the cryptocurrency market ASIC-equipment will be difficult to sell.

Pros and cons of mining methods

The advantages and disadvantages of ASIC-equipment are shown in the table.

ProsMinuses
Quick setup. ASICs need power and internet. After connection, the settings of the mining pool are set and cryptocurrency mining is launched.Non-universality. Asics support work only according to the established algorithms.
A small number of components. This reduces the probability of breakage of the asic miner.High price. ASIC-equipment of average power costs about ₽700 thousand. Not everyone has such capital.
High earnings. Asics pay off quickly – from 12 to 25 months. Profitability is higher than that of GPUs.Unrepairability. It is very difficult to repair an asic on your own. In case of breakage you need to return the mining equipment to the manufacturer.
High volume of ASIC operation. The noise level is 70 dB or more. It is not recommended to place ASIC equipment in your apartment.

The pros and cons of GP mining farms are as follows.

AdvantagesDisadvantages
Versatility. Video cards can be used for mining almost any cryptocurrency assets.High complexity of the assembly of the rig. Mining installations consist of a frame and 6 basic computer components.
Low noise level. Many GPUs run quietly. For this reason, mining regs can be installed at home.A farm of video cards takes up a lot of space. Mining-rig is weaker, but more asics with an average hash rate.
Lots of repair shops in RF. It is not difficult to repair broken GPUs.Long payback period. Mining cryptocurrencies with video cards is less profitable than mining digital assets with asics.
Popular models of video cards are almost always on sale. Buying a GPU is not difficult.

What is better to choose – ASIC or video card

Selecting equipment for mining cryptocurrencies takes time. At the same time, you need to know what is better – ASIC or GPU. The choice of mining equipment is influenced by:

  • Current goal
  • The size of the investment.
  • The user’s capabilities.

Beginners with a small capital are better to collect mining farms from GPUs. GPUs are versatile. At the same time, they have a low price.

Miners with large amounts of funds are better to pay attention to supercomputers. ASIC equipment is much more efficient than GPUs. Asics bring a lot of profit. But supercomputers need to be installed in a warehouse or garage.

Frequently Asked Questions

✅ Why did graphics cards become in demand at the end of 2010?

By then, the complexity of mining on the Bitcoin network had increased dramatically. Cryptocurrency mining on processors became unprofitable. GPUs turned out to be 5 times more efficient than CPUs.

❔ What cryptocurrencies can be mined using ASICs?

As of May 27, 2022, there are supercomputers for mining Ethereum, Litecoin, Dogecoin, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

❗ Why is ASIC hardware more powerful than GPUs?

Because of the technical specifications. Inside asics there are large integrated circuits that are sharpened only for cryptocurrency mining. Video cards, on the other hand, are not designed for obtaining digital assets.

❌ Why are ASICs not widely available in Russia?

Because of the low development of the cryptocurrency industry in Russia.

📈 Why have GPU prices become high?

Miners are buying GPUs en masse for cryptocurrency mining. This causes a shortage of GPUs and a rise in their prices.

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Author: Saifedean Ammous, an expert in cryptocurrency economics.

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