What is GPU mining?
A proof-of-work coin asks miners to run the same calculation billions of times with a different input each time. A graphics card is built to run one small program on thousands of cores at once, so it does this far faster than a computer’s main processor.
Definition · GPU mining
Mining a proof-of-work cryptocurrency with graphics cards (GPUs) instead of the computer’s processor or a purpose-built ASIC. It suits coins whose algorithms were designed to keep ASICs from taking over.
Why a graphics card hashes faster than a processor
CPU: a few big cores
Each core is clever: it predicts branches and juggles many tasks. Great for a computer, wasted on repeating one hash.
GPU: thousands of small ones
Each core is simple, but they all run the same instruction at once. That’s exactly what mining asks for.
What can GPUs still mine after the Ethereum Merge?
Until September 2022 most mining GPUs mined Ethereum. The Merge moved Ethereum to proof of stake, and ethereum.org puts it plainly: mining has been switched off. The cards moved to smaller coins. Where they stand now:
Ergo Autolykos v2
GPU-friendlyErgo calls it ASIC resistant and friendly to common GPUs. Its memory table grows over time.
Ravencoin KawPow
GPU-friendlyMined with graphics cards. Ravencoin says KawPow allows more decentralized mining.
Ethereum Classic Etchash
GPUs work, ASICs existStill proof of work. ETC’s own FAQ says ASICs mine it 2 to 6 times more efficiently than GPUs.
Monero RandomX
A CPU does betterBuilt for CPUs. Its designers say GPUs are at a disadvantage, and benchmarks agree.
Kaspa kHeavyHash
GPUs work, ASICs existThe first Kaspa ASICs launched in 2023, sold as more efficient than GPUs. A card is up against them now.
Bitcoin SHA-256
ASICs onlyASICs since 2013. One modern Bitcoin ASIC does the work of thousands of graphics cards.
Ethereum Ethash
No mining at allThe Merge on 15 September 2022 switched Ethereum to proof of stake. Nothing to mine.
The pattern repeats. A coin gets popular, someone builds an ASIC for its algorithm, and GPUs get pushed to the next coin. Ethereum Classic’s own FAQ says there’s no such thing as ASIC resistance in the long run. Coins like Ergo make their algorithms need lots of memory to slow that down. Monero took another route and built for CPUs; see the Monero mining guide.
Can you mine Bitcoin with a GPU?
Not any more. GPUs took over from CPUs in Bitcoin’s early years, then ASICs arrived in 2013 and made them obsolete. The Bitcoin Wiki’s old GPU table, kept for history, says most cards did under 1 GH/s while single ASIC units passed 1,000 GH/s in 2014 on less power. Today’s machines do hundreds of TH/s.
| Bitcoin (SHA-256) | GPU coins | |
|---|---|---|
| Who mines it | ASICs only | Mostly graphics cards |
| What a GPU adds | Nothing measurable | A real share, at a power cost |
| Where to learn more | Mining rigs, then and now | How crypto mining works |
Want to see the gap on your own machine? The PC mining page runs a live SHA-256 speed test and compares it to an ASIC and the whole network. Litecoin and Dogecoin went the same way as Bitcoin; see Litecoin and Dogecoin mining.
How much power and heat does GPU mining use?
A mining card runs at or near its rated power around the clock, and all of that electricity ends up as heat. One watt is about 3.41 BTU per hour. A rig with several cards is a space heater you can’t turn down. Size one here:
Size a GPU rig
Total draw
1,150 W
Current
9.6 A
at 120 V (5.0 A at 230 V)
Heat
3,924
BTU per hour
Power per 30 days
$124
Cards at NVIDIA’s rated total graphics power, plus an example 150 W for the rest of the rig. Real draw depends on tuning. A common rule for home wiring is to keep a continuous load to 80% of the circuit’s rating; ask an electrician before running a rig.
Big rigs need their own circuit, airflow and a plan for summer. Our home mining guide covers wiring, noise and heat reuse, and the maths of power prices is the same one covered in the cost to mine a bitcoin.
Is mining hard on a graphics card?
Mining keeps a card hot and busy for months. We haven’t found solid data on lifespan, so here’s what’s certain:
🌡 Heat
Constant temperature
The card sits at load all day instead of cycling like it does in games.
🌀 Fans
Fans run nonstop
Fans are moving parts. Nonstop use wears them sooner, though they can be replaced.
âš™ Tuning
Miners often undervolt
Lower power and temperature for a small loss of speed. It cuts the bill too.
🔎 Buying used
Ask how it was used
A used ex-mining card isn’t automatically bad. Check temperatures and fans before you buy.
What to check before you start GPU mining
- 1
Know your power price
The number on your bill per kWh, including any peak rates. It decides almost everything.
- 2
Check a live calculator
Enter your card and power price for the coin you want. Earnings move daily, so check again before you buy anything.
- 3
Get software from the source
Download miners only from the project’s official releases page, and check the published hash. Fake miners are common.
- 4
Pick a pool and a wallet
A pool smooths payouts; a wallet you control receives them. See mining pools.
How can you mine Bitcoin without a graphics card?
You mine bitcoin for free in the CloudMineCrypto app, with no hardware, no heat and no power bill. Claim a free 4.6 GH/s plan that runs 8 hours, add more from ads, games, offers and daily check-ins, and withdraw to your own wallet, Lightning included.
Mine for free
Free plan
4.6 GH/s for 8 h
Claim it, and claim it again when it ends.
Watch ads
7.3 GH/s for 24 h
Each rewarded ad adds another plan.
Play games
7.3 GH/s for 24 h
Game rewards add plans on top.
Complete offers
7.3 GH/s for 24 h
Partner offers add plans too.
Daily check-in
7.3 GH/s for 24 h
Come back each day for another plan.
Optional boost
Paid plans, for more speed
Much more hashrate for longer, for the fun of it. They usually mine less than they cost, and the price is shown before you confirm.
Hashrates live, updated hourly. Ads, games and offers are in the mobile apps; availability varies. Rewards are estimates and aren’t guaranteed.
Good to know: rewards are estimates that aren’t guaranteed. It’s a rewards app, not an investment, and a plan doesn’t give you ownership of any hardware or pool. Paid plans are an optional boost and usually mine less than they cost. Terms apply, see the reward rules.
Frequently asked questions
Is GPU mining still worth it?
It depends on the coin, its price that day and your power price, and for most people at typical home tariffs the power bill is the problem. Ethereum, the coin most GPUs mined, stopped mining in September 2022. Check a live calculator for the coin you want and compare it with your power cost first.
What can I mine with a GPU?
Coins whose algorithms still favour graphics cards, such as Ergo (Autolykos) and Ravencoin (KawPow). Ethereum Classic and Kaspa can be mined with GPUs, but ASICs now compete on both. Bitcoin and Litecoin are ASIC-only in practice.
Can you mine Bitcoin with a GPU?
Not usefully. ASICs took over Bitcoin mining from 2013, and one modern ASIC does the work of thousands of graphics cards on far less power per hash.
Why did GPU mining end for Ethereum?
Ethereum switched from proof of work to proof of stake in the Merge on 15 September 2022. Blocks are no longer mined, so there is nothing for a GPU to do.
How much electricity does a GPU use for mining?
Roughly its rated power while mining at full load: NVIDIA rates the RTX 5060 at 145 W, the RTX 5070 at 250 W and the RTX 5090 at 575 W. At $0.15 per kWh, 250 W nonstop costs about $0.90 a day, and every watt ends up as heat in the room.
Is it better to mine Monero with a GPU or a CPU?
A CPU. RandomX, Monero's algorithm, was designed for processors, and its authors note that GPUs are at a disadvantage. In published benchmarks, a strong desktop CPU beats a graphics card on it by a wide margin.
Can I mine Bitcoin without a graphics card?
Yes, with a mining rewards app. CloudMineCrypto doesn’t mine on your device. You claim plans for free with the free plan, ads, games, offers and daily check-ins, and the app credits estimated rewards worked out from each plan’s hashrate and live network data. Rewards are estimates and aren’t guaranteed.
Sources and further reading
- The Merge · ethereum.org
- FAQs for miners (Etchash and ASICs) · Ethereum Classic
- ICERIVER launches KS1 and KS2, the first ASIC miners for Kaspa · IceRiver (manufacturer)
- Autolykos · Ergo documentation
- Ergo mining · Ergo Platform
- Ravencoin (KAWPOW) · Ravencoin
- RandomX: GPU performance · GitHub (RandomX authors)
- Non-specialized hardware comparison · Bitcoin Wiki
- Why a GPU mines faster than a CPU · Bitcoin Wiki
- GeForce RTX 5060, 5070 and 5090 specifications · NVIDIA
- NIST Guide to the SI, Appendix B.9 (BTU per hour to watts) · NIST
Live figures on this page come from the CloudMineCrypto API or from the public blockchain data services named next to them, refresh on a schedule, and are labelled where they appear. This guide is educational and not financial advice. CloudMineCrypto is not an investment product; rewards in the app are estimates and aren’t guaranteed.
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