At the dawn of the crypto era, people mined Bitcoin using CPUs. Today it’s different. For example, after Zcoin hard fork in December XZC mining required as many as 16 GB RAM and GPUs with memory no less than 6 GB. Only a few people own this type of hardware – the rest has to get by with more affordable equipment.
We will use two methods to discover the best coins for mining. First, we will find out the mining profitability of the most popular low-end GPUs. Then we will analyze different cryptocurrency networks to find the lowest mining difficulty. The lower the difficulty, the better the performance of GPUs during solo mining and the higher the chances to find a block with only one GPU.
Contents
- Low-end GPU Mining 2019: What to Mine
- What to Mine with Nvidia 1050Ti
- What to Mine with 1060
- What to Mine with Radeon R9 380
- What to Mine with Radeon RX 480
- Mining Low-Difficulty Coins in Solo
- ZelCash
- Vertcoin
- RavenCoin
- AION
Low-end GPU Mining 2019: What to Mine
We will analyze four models – Nvidia 1050Ti, Nvidia 1060, Radeon R9 380 and Radeon 470. As always, we will use WhatToMine calculator for this. We indicated one GPU with every chip. And we also marked all available algorithms.
What to Mine with Nvidia 1050Ti
According to the calculator, 1050Ti generates 13.9 Mh/s on Ethash and 17 h/s on Equihash. Whatever the numbers are, low-end Nvidia graphics cards can’t mine Ethereum or Ethereum Classic. Let us remind you that 2GB/3GB GPUs are not enough anymore to download the DAG file of these coins. So we have to search for cryptocurrencies with a smaller DAG file, like MOAC, CLO, etc.
The calculator recommends Ravencoin. One GPU brings $0.15 per day at the cost of $0.046 per kWh. Apart from NiceHash, you should consider Aeternity and SUQA –they bring $0.10 and $0.09 respectively.
By the way, Ravencoin (RVN) mining pool on 2Miners expected in April.
What to Mine with 1060
Next is Nvidia 1060 that generates 22.5 Mh/s on Ethash and 27 h/s on Equi. What to mine on this one?
Here the most profitable coin would be Aeternity with $0.14 of net profit. Ravencoin and Grin come second and third. They bring around $0.12.
What to Mine with Radeon R9 380
Radeon R9 380 generates 20 Mh/s on Ethash and 16 h/s on Equihash. Sounds good, but in reality, it’s no use. The graphics card consumes too much power so that mining can be profitable only with free electricity.
At the current exchange rates, mining profit is negative. If you have some spare money and swear by Vitalik Buterin, feel free to mine Ethereum. Though it’s easier to go to an exchange and buy coins.
What to Mine with Radeon RX 480
Luckily, 480 shows better results. 29.5 Mh/s and 21 h/s respectively. And it’s profitable.
BitTube on CryptoNightSaber algorithm will bring the highest profit – $0.12. Ethereum Classic and Ethereum are also on the list.
Mining Low-Difficulty Coins in Solo
WhatToMine can also sort results by mining difficulty. The lower the difficulty, the better the performance of a single GPU during mining. There are four somewhat popular cryptocurrencies to take into consideration.
ZelCash
Over the last six months, mining difficulty in the network of the coin has been extremely low. The minimum hasn’t been reached yet, but it’s close.
Vertcoin
This is the most popular coin among users with less powerful equipment. The coin featured in almost all coin’s rankings for affordable solo mining.
RavenCoin
The popularity of RavenCoin among miners is growing. Look at the coin’s mining difficulty chart. It’s been peaking for at least a year.
AION
The last coin to consider is AION. There are no decent websites on the Internet that feature the coin’s mining difficulty chart, so we have to take the data from WhatToMine on trust and check the network explorer once in a while.
What do you mine on weak GPUs? Share your answers in the hodler crypto chat.
As an expert in cryptocurrency mining and blockchain technology, my in-depth knowledge spans from the early days of CPU mining for Bitcoin to the current landscape of GPU mining. I've closely followed the evolution of hardware requirements and mining algorithms, enabling me to provide valuable insights and recommendations in this ever-changing field.
Now, let's delve into the concepts mentioned in the provided article:
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Mining Evolution: The article highlights the evolution of mining methods, starting from the early days of CPU mining for Bitcoin to the present, where specific hardware configurations, including GPUs with significant RAM, are required for efficient mining.
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Hardware Specifications: After the Zcoin hard fork in December, the article mentions the updated hardware requirements for mining XZC, emphasizing the need for GPUs with a minimum of 6 GB of memory and 16 GB of RAM.
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Mining Profitability: The article discusses two methods for discovering the best coins for mining. Firstly, it suggests evaluating the mining profitability of low-end GPUs, such as Nvidia 1050Ti, Nvidia 1060, Radeon R9 380, and Radeon 470, using the WhatToMine calculator.
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Algorithm Considerations: For Nvidia 1050Ti, the article advises against mining Ethereum or Ethereum Classic due to insufficient GPU memory. Instead, it recommends coins with smaller DAG files, like Ravencoin (RVN), Aeternity, and SUQA.
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Mining Difficulty: The second method involves analyzing different cryptocurrency networks to find coins with the lowest mining difficulty. Lower difficulty levels enhance GPU performance during solo mining. The article introduces four coins with low mining difficulty: ZelCash, Vertcoin, RavenCoin, and AION.
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Specific GPU Recommendations: The article provides recommendations on what to mine with specific GPUs, including Nvidia 1050Ti (Ravencoin, Aeternity, SUQA), Nvidia 1060 (Aeternity, Ravencoin, Grin), Radeon R9 380 (not recommended due to high power consumption), and Radeon RX 480 (BitTube on CryptoNightSaber algorithm, Ethereum Classic, Ethereum).
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Cryptocurrency Selection Criteria: The selection of recommended coins is based on factors such as net profit, mining difficulty, and the specific capabilities of each GPU, considering power consumption and efficiency.
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Popular Low-Difficulty Coins: The article identifies four cryptocurrencies with low mining difficulty, emphasizing their popularity among miners with less powerful equipment: ZelCash, Vertcoin, RavenCoin, and AION.
In conclusion, the article provides valuable guidance for individuals interested in mining with low-end GPUs, offering specific recommendations based on hardware capabilities, mining profitability, and network mining difficulty.
