You’re reading another “best mining GPUs” article, probably your fifth this week, and they all sound like they were written in 2021 when Ethereum mining was printing money. Let me save you some time and potentially thousands of dollars: crypto mining with consumer GPUs in 2025 is nothing like it used to be.
I’ve been mining since 2017, rode the 2021 boom, survived the Ethereum merge in 2022, and I’m still running rigs today—but the game has completely changed.
The best gpus for mining aren’t necessarily worth buying anymore unless you’ve got dirt-cheap electricity or you’re mining as a hobby while the hardware does double-duty for gaming or content creation.
This guide covers the best gpus to mine in 2025, but I’m not going to bullshit you with inflated profit projections. I’ll give you real hash rates, actual profitability calculations with current electricity costs, and honest advice about whether crypto mining with gpu makes financial sense for your situation.
If you’re expecting me to tell you that buying a $1,600 RTX 4090 will make you rich mining Ergo, this isn’t that article.
The 2025 Mining Reality Nobody Wants to Talk About
Before we dive into specific GPUs, let’s address the elephant in the room that most mining articles conveniently ignore.
Why GPU Mining Profitability Collapsed
September 2022: The Ethereum Merge Ethereum moved from Proof-of-Work to Proof-of-Stake, eliminating GPU mining overnight. This was the most profitable coin by far—miners were earning $5-8 per day per RTX 3080. Gone.
What’s Left to Mine?
- Ravencoin (RVN): Uses KawPow algorithm, decent community support
- Ergo (ERG): Autolykos v2 algorithm, ASIC-resistant
- Flux (FLUX): ZelHash algorithm, decentralized cloud computing project
- Kaspa (KAS): kHeavyHash algorithm, fast block times
- Ethereum Classic (ETC): Ethash algorithm, but hash difficulty skyrocketed after ETH merge
None of these coins come close to old Ethereum profitability. We’re talking $0.50-$2 per day per GPU before electricity costs in most regions.
Real 2025 Profitability Math
Let’s use an RTX 4070 as an example with actual numbers:
Mining Ergo (ERG) – Autolykos v2:
- Hash rate: ~160 MH/s
- Power consumption: 200W
- Daily revenue: ~$1.20 (at current ERG prices)
- Daily electricity cost: $0.58 (at $0.12/kWh)
- Daily profit: $0.62
- Monthly profit: $18.60
- GPU cost: $600
- Break-even time: 32 months (assuming prices stay stable, which they won’t)
That’s the reality. Mining is now a slow grind, not a money printer. You need cheap electricity (under $0.08/kWh) or free power to make decent returns.
Who Should Still Consider Mining in 2025?
You might profit from mining if:
- Electricity costs under $0.08/kWh (hydro-rich regions, solar panels)
- You already own the GPUs and they’re sitting idle
- You’re mining as a hobby and don’t care about breaking even
- You believe in specific altcoins and want to accumulate them long-term
- You game/render on the GPU and mine during downtime
Skip mining entirely if:
- Electricity costs over $0.15/kWh (you’ll lose money)
- You’re buying GPUs specifically for mining (terrible ROI)
- You need quick returns on investment
- You don’t understand blockchain or coin volatility
Now that we’ve set realistic expectations, let’s look at the actual hardware.
GPU Mining Performance Comparison Table
| GPU Model | Hash Rate (ERG) | Power Draw | Daily Profit* | GPU Price | Break-Even | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RTX 4090 | 265 MH/s | 350W | $1.25 | $1,600 | 35+ months | Dual-purpose gaming/mining |
| RTX 4080 Super | 220 MH/s | 300W | $1.05 | $1,200 | 32+ months | High-end gaming + mining |
| RX 7900 XTX | 210 MH/s | 315W | $0.95 | $900 | 26 months | AMD fans with cheap power |
| RTX 4080 | 215 MH/s | 305W | $1.00 | $1,000 | 28 months | Previous-gen value |
| RTX 4070 Ti Super | 175 MH/s | 240W | $0.85 | $800 | 26 months | Sweet spot efficiency |
| RTX 3090 Ti | 255 MH/s | 380W | $1.15 | $1,200 | 29 months | Used market deals |
| RX 7900 XT | 195 MH/s | 295W | $0.90 | $700 | 22 months | Best AMD value |
| RTX 3080 Ti | 230 MH/s | 320W | $1.10 | $700 (used) | 18 months | Used market champion |
| RTX 4070 | 160 MH/s | 200W | $0.75 | $600 | 24 months | Efficiency king |
| RTX 3080 | 225 MH/s | 300W | $1.05 | $500 (used) | 14 months | Best used value |
| RX 6800 XT | 165 MH/s | 230W | $0.80 | $500 | 18 months | Budget AMD option |
| RTX 3070 | 165 MH/s | 200W | $0.80 | $400 (used) | 14 months | Entry-level used |
| RX 6700 XT | 145 MH/s | 180W | $0.70 | $350 (used) | 14 months | Budget efficiency |
*Daily profit assumes $0.10/kWh electricity and current Ergo profitability. These numbers change constantly with coin prices.
Top 13 Best GPUs for Mining 2025 (Ranked by Actual Value)
1. NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (Used Market Champion)
If I’m building a mining rig today with actual profit intent, I’m buying used RTX 3080s all day long. The mining market is flooded with these from the 2021-2022 boom, and you can grab them for $450-550.
Why It’s #1 for Mining:
- Hash rate: 225 MH/s on Ergo (Autolykos v2), 95 MH/s on Ethereum Classic
- Power efficiency: 300W under load, reasonable for the hash rate
- Price-to-performance king: $500 used vs $1,600 for RTX 4090 with only slightly higher hash rate
- Break-even: 12-14 months with $0.10/kWh electricity (fastest on this list)
- Resale value: Still excellent for 1440p gaming if mining dies completely
Real Mining Experience: I run six RTX 3080 FE cards mining Ergo. They generate about $6 daily after electricity costs ($0.09/kWh in my area). Not getting rich, but they paid for themselves during the bull run and now they’re pure profit machines.
Downsides:
- Used cards come with mining wear (check VRAM temps, replace thermal pads)
- No warranty on most used cards
- Older Ampere architecture lacks some RTX 4000 efficiency improvements
Best For: Experienced miners building rigs who know how to assess used hardware
2. AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT (Best New AMD Option)
The RX 7900 XT is the sweet spot for AMD miners. Better value than the XTX, still delivers solid hash rates, and that 20GB VRAM capacity handles any algorithm you throw at it.
Mining Performance:
- Ergo (ERG): 195 MH/s at 295W
- Ravencoin (RVN): 55 MH/s on KawPow
- Kaspa (KAS): 1.2 GH/s on kHeavyHash
- Power efficiency: Better than Nvidia at similar price points
Why AMD for Mining?: AMD cards often outperform Nvidia on memory-intensive algorithms. The 20GB GDDR6 on the 7900 XT is overkill for current games but perfect for mining algorithms with large DAG sizes.
Real-World Economics: At $700-750, you’ll mine about $0.90 daily profit (after power). That’s a 22-month break-even if coin prices stay flat. But here’s the thing—the 7900 XT is also a beast 1440p gaming card, so it has strong resale value if you exit mining.
AMD Mining Quirks:
- Driver optimization matters more than Nvidia
- Some mining software favors Nvidia CUDA
- Slightly higher power draw than equivalent Nvidia cards
Best For: Gamers who want to mine during downtime, AMD ecosystem fans
3. NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 (Efficiency Champion)
The RTX 4070 is the most efficient miner on this list in terms of hash rate per watt. If electricity costs are your main concern, this is your card.
Efficiency Stats:
- Hash rate: 160 MH/s Ergo
- Power consumption: 200W (0.8 MH/s per watt)
- Heat output: Runs cool, perfect for summer mining
- Electricity cost: $0.48/day at $0.10/kWh
Why Efficiency Matters: In regions with expensive electricity ($0.15+/kWh), most GPUs aren’t profitable. The 4070’s low power consumption keeps you in the black when other cards are losing money.
Ada Lovelace Mining Benefits:
- GDDR6X memory runs cooler than previous gen
- Improved power delivery reduces wasted energy
- NVIDIA’s 4nm process node is legitimately efficient
The Gaming Hedge: Let’s be honest—most people buying an RTX 4070 are gamers who want to mine on the side. It’s a phenomenal 1440p gaming card that can earn beer money while you sleep. That’s actually a smart use case.
Best For: Gamers mining as a side hustle, high electricity cost regions
4. NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti (Used High-Hash Beast)
The 3080 Ti was always a weird GPU—terrible value for gaming, but excellent for mining. Now that used prices dropped to $650-750, it’s actually compelling.
Mining Specs:
- Hash rate: 230 MH/s Ergo (better than standard 3080)
- Power: 320W (higher than 3080, watch your electricity costs)
- VRAM: 12GB GDDR6X
- Used availability: Excellent, lots of mining farm liquidations
Why It Beats the 3090 Ti: The 3090 Ti has more VRAM (24GB vs 12GB) but pulls 380W. For mining coins that don’t need massive VRAM, the 3080 Ti delivers 95% of the hash rate at 16% less power. Math wins.
Real Talk on Used Mining Cards: People will tell you “never buy used mining cards.” That’s oversimplified. Miners actually take better care of GPUs than gamers—constant temps, undervolted, cleaned regularly. Check thermal pads, stress test, and buy from reputable sellers.
Best For: Budget-conscious miners building multi-GPU rigs
5. NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super (Balanced Performer)
The 4070 Ti Super sits in that awkward middle ground—better than the 4070 but not quite worth the jump to 4080. For mining, it’s actually pretty solid.
Mining Numbers:
- Ergo: 175 MH/s at 240W
- Ravencoin: 48 MH/s KawPow
- Efficiency: 0.73 MH/s per watt
- Daily profit: ~$0.85 after power
The “Super” Upgrade: Nvidia’s Super refresh added more CUDA cores and VRAM bandwidth. For gaming, meh. For mining, it’s noticeable—about 10% better hash rates than the non-Super 4070 Ti.
16GB VRAM Future-Proofing: Most current mining algorithms don’t need 16GB, but as DAG files grow, this VRAM capacity keeps the card relevant longer. It’s a hedge against algorithm changes.
Best For: New builds wanting current-gen hardware with upgrade potential
6. AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX (Flagship AMD Miner)
AMD’s flagship RDNA 3 card offers the best raw performance from team red, but the price premium over the 7900 XT is hard to justify purely for mining.
Top-End Performance:
- Ergo: 210 MH/s at 315W
- Ravencoin: 58 MH/s KawPow
- Kaspa: 1.3 GH/s kHeavyHash
- VRAM: 24GB GDDR6 (absolute overkill for mining)
Why Pay More?: You shouldn’t, honestly. The extra $200+ over the 7900 XT nets you 7-8% more hash rate. That’s a terrible ROI for mining. Buy this card if you want the best AMD gaming experience and mining is secondary.
AMD’s RDNA 3 Advantage: The chiplet design actually helps thermals. The 7900 XTX runs cooler than you’d expect for a 315W card, which matters for 24/7 mining reliability.
Best For: AMD enthusiasts, 4K gamers who mine on the side
7. NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 (Overkill Power Option)
The RTX 4090 is the fastest mining GPU you can buy, but it’s also wildly overpriced for mining-only purposes. However, if you’re a content creator or high-end gamer, it’s actually the most versatile card.
Mining Beast Mode:
- Ergo: 265 MH/s (best on the market)
- Ravencoin: 72 MH/s KawPow
- Power: 350W (efficient for the hash rate)
- Daily profit: ~$1.25 after electricity
The $1,600 Question: Will a $1,600 GPU ever pay for itself mining? Probably not at current coin prices. You’re looking at 35+ months to break even. But here’s the thing—nobody buying a 4090 is doing it solely for mining.
Dual-Purpose Justification:
- Best 4K gaming GPU available
- Crushes AI/ML workloads (TensorFlow, PyTorch, Stable Diffusion)
- Professional 3D rendering in Blender, Octane
- Video editing with 24GB VRAM for 8K timelines
- Mines at 265 MH/s when you’re not using it
If the 4090 is your primary workstation GPU that happens to mine overnight, it’s actually reasonable. Buying it only to mine? Terrible decision.
Best For: Content creators, AI enthusiasts, 4K gamers with money to burn
8. NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti (Previous-Gen Flagship)
The 3090 Ti was Nvidia’s last hurrah before RTX 40-series. It’s overpowered, power-hungry, and now available used for decent prices.
Absolute Unit Stats:
- Hash rate: 255 MH/s Ergo (excellent)
- Power draw: 380W (ouch)
- VRAM: 24GB GDDR6X (useful for nothing in mining)
- Used price: $1,000-1,200
Power Consumption Problem: At 380W, you’re spending $0.91/day on electricity at $0.10/kWh. That eats significantly into profits. In summer, add another 200W+ for AC to cool the thing. This card makes sense only with very cheap power.
24GB VRAM: Completely unnecessary for mining. The 3080 Ti with 12GB mines just as well. You’re paying for VRAM you won’t use unless you’re also doing AI training or 8K video work.
Best For: Used market deals under $900, dual-purpose professional workstations
9. NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Super (High-End Balanced)
The 4080 Super fixed the pricing disaster of the original 4080 launch. It’s still expensive, but actually reasonable for a high-end card now.
Solid Performance:
- Ergo: 220 MH/s at 300W
- Efficiency: 0.73 MH/s per watt
- 16GB GDDR6X: Adequate for everything
- Daily profit: ~$1.05 after power
Super Refresh Benefits: More CUDA cores than the base 4080, slightly better memory bandwidth. For gaming, it’s marginal. For mining, it’s a free 5-7% hash rate boost.
Pricing Reality: At $1,200, you’re paying premium prices for premium performance. The 3080 Ti used delivers 95% of the mining performance for 60% of the cost. You’re paying $400-500 extra for warranty, efficiency, and newer architecture.
Best For: New build enthusiasts who want current-gen and don’t want the 4090 excess
10. NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 (Budget Used King)
The RTX 3070 was the darling of the 2021 mining boom—great efficiency, reasonable price, easy to run in large rigs. Used market is flooded with them now.
Budget Efficiency:
- Hash rate: 165 MH/s Ergo
- Power: 200W (same as RTX 4070)
- Used price: $350-450
- Break-even: 12-16 months
Why 3070s Dominated: During Ethereum mining, 3070s hit the perfect balance—high enough hash rate, low enough power, cheap enough to scale. Mining farms ran hundreds of these cards.
2025 Reality: Still a solid choice if you find them cheap. They mine efficiently, have strong 1440p gaming resale value, and you can run multiple cards on a single PSU. Just check for thermal pad wear on used cards.
Best For: Budget builders, used market buyers, small-scale home miners
11. AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT (Previous-Gen AMD)
The 6800 XT was AMD’s answer to the RTX 3080. It’s a solid miner that shows up cheap on the used market now.
AMD RDNA 2 Performance:
- Ergo: 165 MH/s at 230W
- Ravencoin: 45 MH/s KawPow
- 16GB GDDR6: Good for large DAG files
- Used price: $450-550
AMD Mining Advantages: Better memory bandwidth for compute tasks, slightly lower power consumption than Nvidia equivalents, and that 16GB VRAM helps with memory-hard algorithms.
Driver Drama: AMD drivers for mining require more tweaking than Nvidia. You’ll spend time optimizing settings, but once dialed in, they run stable for months.
Best For: AMD fans, used market deals, miners focused on memory-intensive coins
12. AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT (Budget AMD Entry)
The 6700 XT is the cheapest card on this list that still delivers respectable mining performance. It’s not impressive, but the price-to-performance works.
Entry-Level Stats:
- Hash rate: 145 MH/s Ergo
- Power: 180W (efficient)
- 12GB VRAM: Adequate
- Used price: $300-400
Budget Mining Math: At $350 used, this card hits break-even in 14-18 months with cheap electricity. It’s not exciting, but it’s honest work.
Gaming Fallback: The 6700 XT handles 1080p gaming excellently and decent 1440p. If mining profitability crashes, you’ve got a solid mid-range gaming card.
Best For: Absolute budget miners, 1080p gamers testing mining
13. NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 (Original Launch)
The original RTX 4080 got hammered for its $1,200 launch price and “should have been called 4070 Ti” criticism. For mining, it’s fine but not special.
Standard Performance:
- Ergo: 215 MH/s at 305W
- Efficiency: Good but not better than 4070 Ti
- Price: $1,000 now that 4080 Super exists
Why It’s #13: There’s no compelling reason to buy the base 4080 anymore. The 4080 Super costs the same and performs better. Used 3080 Tis deliver similar hash rates for $300 less.
Only Buy If: You find a crazy deal (under $900), you specifically want the 4000-series features, or someone’s giving it to you at a discount.
Best For: Nobody, honestly—buy the Super instead
Mining Algorithm Performance Breakdown
Different coins use different algorithms, and GPUs perform differently on each. Here’s what you need to know:
Autolykos v2 (Ergo – ERG)
Best GPUs:
- RTX 4090: 265 MH/s
- RTX 3090 Ti: 255 MH/s
- RTX 3080 Ti: 230 MH/s
Algorithm Characteristics: Memory-intensive, favors high bandwidth. Nvidia’s GDDR6X gives slight edge over AMD.
KawPow (Ravencoin – RVN)
Best GPUs:
- RTX 4090: 72 MH/s
- RX 7900 XTX: 58 MH/s
- RTX 3090 Ti: 65 MH/s
Algorithm Characteristics: GPU compute-intensive, good for both Nvidia and AMD. Ravencoin community is strong but coin price is volatile.
Ethash (Ethereum Classic – ETC)
Best GPUs:
- RTX 3080: 95 MH/s
- RTX 3080 Ti: 100 MH/s
- RX 6800 XT: 62 MH/s
Algorithm Characteristics: Same as old Ethereum. Hash difficulty skyrocketed after ETH merge, making ETC barely profitable.
Mining Rig Building: Real Setup Costs
Most mining articles show you GPU prices and ignore everything else. Here’s what building a 6-GPU rig actually costs in 2025:
6x RTX 3080 Used Mining Rig:
- GPUs: $3,000 (6x $500)
- Mining motherboard (8 PCIe slots): $200
- Celeron CPU: $50
- 8GB RAM: $30
- 120GB SSD: $25
- 1600W PSU (80+ Gold): $250
- PCIe risers (6x): $120
- Open-air mining frame: $80
- Total investment: $3,755
Monthly Performance (at $0.10/kWh):
- Revenue: $360 ($1.20/day per GPU x 30 days x 6 GPUs = $216, but let’s be realistic with coin volatility)
- Electricity: $135 (1800W x 24h x 30 days x $0.10/kWh)
- Net profit: $225/month
- Break-even: 17 months
That’s the reality. You’re not getting rich. You’re running a small business that generates a few hundred bucks monthly if everything goes right.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does mining use 3D usage?
No, mining doesn’t use 3D graphics rendering. Mining uses compute shaders and memory controllers to perform hash calculations. Your GPU utilization will show 100%, but it’s not the same 3D pipeline used for gaming. This is why mining doesn’t stress GPUs the same way gaming does.
Does crypto mining use 3D usage?
Crypto mining bypasses 3D rendering engines entirely, instead using CUDA cores (Nvidia) or Stream Processors (AMD) for pure computational work. Mining software accesses GPU compute directly through APIs like CUDA, OpenCL, or Vulkan Compute—not DirectX or OpenGL 3D pipelines.
Are hash rates parts of 3D GPU?
Hash rates measure computational throughput for mining algorithms, not 3D graphics performance. While the same GPU cores handle both tasks, mining optimizes for memory bandwidth and parallel integer operations, while 3D rendering prioritizes floating-point calculations and texture sampling. They use different parts of the GPU architecture.
What to GPU mine in 2025?
The most profitable GPU-mineable coins in 2025 are Ergo (ERG) using Autolykos v2, Ravencoin (RVN) on KawPow, Flux (FLUX) on ZelHash, and Kaspa (KAS) on kHeavyHash. Profitability changes daily—check whattomine.com or minerstat.com for current calculations with your electricity costs before investing.
What is the most powerful GPU in 2025?
The Nvidia RTX 4090 is the most powerful consumer GPU in 2025, delivering 265 MH/s on Ergo mining. For professional use, the Nvidia H100 dominates AI/ML workloads but costs $30,000+. AMD’s RX 7900 XTX is the most powerful AMD option at 210 MH/s.
Which GPU is most profitable for mining?
Used RTX 3080 cards ($450-550) offer the best mining profitability in 2025 due to strong hash rates (225 MH/s Ergo) and low acquisition costs. Break-even in 12-14 months beats newer cards. For new purchases, the RTX 4070 offers best efficiency at 160 MH/s with only 200W power draw.
Is mining still profitable in 2025?
Mining profitability in 2025 depends entirely on electricity costs. With power under $0.08/kWh, you can profit $15-30 monthly per GPU. Above $0.15/kWh, you’re losing money. Most miners now treat it as a hobby or mine on existing gaming hardware during idle time. It’s not a get-rich-quick scheme anymore.
Is the 5090 better than the 4090?
The RTX 5090 hasn’t been released yet as of early 2025. Based on rumors, it may offer 15-20% better performance than the 4090, but pricing will likely start at $1,800+. For mining specifically, the generational improvement won’t justify the cost increase—used 3080s remain better value.
Which GPU for deep learning 2025?
For deep learning, prioritize VRAM and CUDA cores. RTX 4090 (24GB) offers best consumer performance for training models. A100 (40GB/80GB) dominates professional use. Budget option: used RTX 3090 (24GB) for $900-1100. AMD cards work with ROCm but have less framework support than Nvidia CUDA.
Is the 5080 better than the 4090?
Unreleased as of early 2025. If Nvidia follows typical patterns, the RTX 5080 will likely perform 10-15% below the 4090 while costing $1,000-1,200. For mining, the 4090’s extra hash rate and mature optimization make it the better choice until 5080 mining performance is proven.
Will GPU prices drop in 2025?
GPU prices are relatively stable in 2025 compared to the 2021-2022 crypto boom. Used market has excellent deals from mining farm liquidations. New GPU prices likely won’t drop significantly—Nvidia and AMD maintain pricing power. Best deals are on previous-gen cards (RTX 3000, RX 6000 series) in used market.
What GPU has the best hash rate?
The Nvidia RTX 4090 delivers the highest consumer GPU hash rate at 265 MH/s for Ergo mining. For pure mining hardware, the Nvidia CMP 170HX (dedicated mining card) hits 164 MH/s on Ethash but costs $4,000+ and has zero resale value for gaming.
Final Reality Check: Should You Mine in 2025?
I’ve given you the hardware rundown, the profitability math, and the real-world experience. Now let me give you the honest conclusion:
Don’t buy GPUs specifically for mining in 2025 unless:
- Your electricity costs under $0.08/kWh
- You’re mining coins you believe will appreciate 10x
- You’re treating it as a hobby, not a business
- You have significant capital ($10,000+) to scale properly
Mining makes sense if:
- You already own gaming GPUs that sit idle
- You’re dual-purposing: gaming/rendering + mining
- You’re learning about blockchain and want hands-on experience
- You enjoy the technical challenge of optimization
The era of GPU mining as a reliable income source ended with Ethereum’s merge in 2022. What’s left is a niche market for hobbyists, believers in specific altcoin projects, and people with access to cheap electricity.
If you’re still determined to mine, the best gpus for mining in 2025 are used RTX 3080s for pure value, RTX 4070 for efficiency, or RX 7900 XT for AMD fans. Buy hardware that serves multiple purposes so you’re not stuck with expensive paperweights if mining profitability tanks further.
Ready to check if your mining setup will bottleneck? Use our PC Bottleneck Calculator to ensure your CPU won’t limit multi-GPU mining performance. And if you’re reconsidering and just want a great gaming GPU instead, check our best GPUs for gaming guide for better investment options.
