Hello Cryptominers! Welcome back again to a new article by JKCrypto.com.GPU Mining can be done using two types of hardware provided by the two GPU giants Nvidia and AMD. Originally, these cards were targeted for gaming,video editing and server applications but now these graphics cards can also serve as powerful processing engines for crypto-mining.Right now we have only two companies which makes GPU architecture, Nvidia and AMD. In this post, we will discuss about the fact that, should you buy AMD card for mining or Nvidia mining cards?We have also covered pros and cons of each in detail, so as to achieve better mining efficiency.
Remember all GPUs are not created equal, as certain GPU architectures are quicker and more effective than others. Similarly, not all cards are loaded with the same type of graphics memory and more powerful doesn’t always mean “better” when it comes to mining efficiency as the work done should also keep your electricity bill in check.In general newer ones are the better ones.
Previously, we explained in detail, the differences between ASIC mining and GPU mining but this time around we will put in our views about GPU Mining – it’s types and differences.
So without wasting anytime, let’s start with our comparison between AMD Mining vs Nvidia Mining.
AMD Mining Vs Nvidia Mining
This part here is for people who want conclusions : End of the story. Nothing more nothing less!
What is Best Mining GPU to Buy in 2018?
But if you want a detailed description of Nvidia Mining and AMD Mining then please hang on to the latter half of this article for full Explanation. But if you don’t have time for an elaborate explanation then go with the below tabular comparison.
| AMD Mining | Nvidia Mining |
|---|---|
| Less Risky Mining | Comparatively Riskier Mining |
| Cheaper Price | Relatively Costly |
| Excellent in Ethash and Cryptonight | Excellent in Equihash |
| Tweaker Friendly | Less Tweaker Friendly |
| Noisy | Relatively Silent |
| Not Power Efficient | Power Efficient |
| Produces more heat | Better Thermal Management |
| Less profitable today | Relatively Profitable |
| Lower Resale Value | Higher Resale Value |
| Less Driver Updates | Frequent Driver Updates |
| Less Coin Flexibility | Higher Coin Flexibility |
| Example - Radeon RX-580, Radeon RX Vega 64 | Example - GeForce 1070 Ti, GeForce 1080 Ti |
| Coins - Daggerhashimoto, Ethereum(ETH), Cryptonight, Monero(XMR) etc. | Coins - Equihash, Zcash(ZEC), Bitcoin Gold(BTG) etc. |
Points to Consider
As always, there are a few important factors that we have to look at before we start mining – which includes the type of GPU and other parts of mining rig like CPU,RAM,motherboard,power supply unit and most importantly cost of the power supply in your area
Once our rig is setup then we have to choose which coin to mine for most profits All these factors should be taken into consideration to sustain the fastest Return of Investment (ROI).
So let’s get in detail about some things you need to know before you choose AMD or Nvidia Mining Cards:
1. Calculate ROI
We highly suggest you to check out the profit calculators and factors in the build cost and electricity to see if mining is right for you. These factors give you a rough estimate of your ROI period which in turn helps you make better decisions for the future. No one can predict the future of cryptocurrencies, so this calculation can not be 100% accurate.
2. Coin Versatility
We highly suggest you to keep checking other currencies so as to remain profitable and get your ROI back as fast as possible. None of the coins you decide to mine will remain profitable for ever as market fluctuations keep affecting the ROI. So check out alternate favorable currencies for faster ROI.
3. Price
The price at which you are buying matters a lot as this directly affects your ROI. Recently there had been a run on both NVIDIA and AMD GPUs, that drove the retail prices through the roof on basic supply versus intense demand market dynamics and price gouging. But buying an equipment at inflated prices can result in longer ROI period which in turn halts short term profitability.
4. Power Consumption
We have to take into consideration the average power usage based on the type of coin or algorithm that is being mined. This differs with different algorithms and GPUs. Though you won’t be able to get the exact estimate until you start mining but a rough estimate should be considered as this will also add to the cost and ultimately affect the ROI planning directly.
5. Mining Efficiency (Hash Rate)
The Mining Rig and coin to be mined should be chosen keeping in mind the amount of work done over the power usage. The higher the hash rate and hash value per watt the better the mining efficiency becomes.
6. Coin Difficulty
The mining efficiency also depends on the difficulty of the coin that you are mining. Difficulty is basically a measure of how difficult it is to find block in blockchain. As we all know, with time, the difficulty of mining a particular coin increases and hence ROI can decrease if in case the coin price in the market doesn’t increase according to the difficulty.
So these were some factors that are to be kept in mind and researched before actually going for AMD or Nvidia Mining. Now that the pre-requisites have been taken care of, let’s go on with a detailed analysis.
AMD Mining : Radeon [RX Vega 64 & RX 580]
About an year back, the general notion was if mining is your goal then AMD Radeon series should be your pick but if gaming is your goal then the Nvidia Geforce Series is your way to go. But with the unexpected market fluctuation of 2017, the notion of a GPU Mining Rig is way too complicated and competitive. AMD cards are cheaper to buy but their power consumption end up making them a pricey GPU to run 24/7 in a mining rig. Here are the Best Buy Links for the Best AMD Radeon GPUs available in the market.
Radeon RX Vega 64
Radeon RX-580
An AMD Mining Rig usually consists of a bunch of AMD cards going for either Ethash algo or the Cryptonight based coins. As of today the most popular ethhash coin i.e. ethereum is no longer most profitable. Ethereum was and is initially mined using the Radeon RX 580 GPU and even Nvidia cards too but because of difficulty going up and large corporates getting into ethereum mining, Mining ethereum is not as profitable as it used to be. So in this post we will mostly talk about Radeon RX Vega 64 and it’s most profitable algo, the cryptonight.
So let’s elaborate:
Advantages of AMD Mining
1. Less Risky Mining
Even today if we look at the Mining results of the respective ethhash and cryptonight coins, the Nvidia cards stand nowhere and are beaten by large numbers. AMD just excels in these two departments by large numbers. The fact is these projects have a way promising future then the coins that Nvidia mines on the equihash algo. So if we see bloodbaths in crypto like it happened in 2013(Mt.Gox), then AMD favorable coins like Monero and Ethereum will definitely survive.
2. Cheaper Cards
AMD Cards have always been and are likely to be in future, cheaper than their Nvidia counterparts. Much of this credit goes to their incompetence to Nvidia in the gaming department. This in turn results in shorter ROI periods and hence faster profits.
3. Excellence in Ethhash and Cryptonight
To this day, when Nvidia has come at par with AMD in case of mining, the excellence of AMD GPU’s in mining Ethhash and Cryptonight based coins is unparalleled. This means Ethereum, one of the most promising Altcoin and Monero, the underdog Bitcoin alternative are yours to mine. No one knows the future but these two Altcoins are undoubtedly here to stay much because of their strong and promising projects.
4. Tweaker Friendly
AMD GPUs are known for their miner friendliness. They can be tweaked very easily and as desired. This makes them popular among people who love to make their way out while using GPU’s raw power. This makes it flexible for saving power or forcing overclocking to produce desired results.
Disadvantages of GPU Mining
1. Noisy
AMD GPU’s are comparatively louder than Nvidia ones. This is in part due to the reference blower design and because it has more raw power. This may not be a big disadvantage but for some particular audience this will matter especially if their mining rig is somewhere near their bedroom.
2. Not Power Efficient
AMD GPU’s have more raw power but they are not what we can call power efficient in many algos. This need for more power results in higher electricity bill.
3. Produces more heat
AMD GPU’s need for more power results in more heat being generated which is also not a good thing. You have to keep a watch on it’s proper ventilation so as to avoid some mishap.
4. Lower Resale Value
AMD has a lower resale value due to less preference by gamers. Say if in the distant future the Mining industry goes obsolete and you have to sell your extra cards then Nvidia cards will go easy but there are less gamers who prefer AMD over Nvidia for gaming. This lowers it’s resale value.
5. Less profitable today
An year back if you had forayed into the mining realm then AMD would surely have been the one and only truce. It was mining the most profitable coins and it’s relatively low cost made the ROI easy. Moreover gamers who had somehow purchased AMD had a point to make and something worthy to do. But as of today that is January 2018, Nvidia Mining has almost won the game. This is of-course due to multiple reasons and maybe someday in the future AMD would regain it’s throne but as of today Nvidia with it’s new shitty coins will easily provide you better profits than AMD.
Now let’s have a look at Nvidia Mining in detail.
Nvidia Mining : GeForce GTX [1070Ti & 1080Ti]
Nvidia Cards excels in Equihash algo which has become very profitable and popular nowadays. As mentioned above, Nvidia Cards were mostly popular for gaming but nowadays with the fall in profitability of AMD mineable coins, Nvidia has become the new trend. In Fact, Nvidia GPU’s are selling at premiums due to high demands. Nvidia GPUs are still expensive but they are somewhat more efficient in mining. Currently they are beating out the Best from AMD that is the RX Vega 64 in ROI.
GeForce GTX 1080Ti
Click Here to know the Best Coin that you can mine using your GTX 1080Ti.
GeForce GTX 1070Ti
They are more profitable but as usual not good enough if you try mining the coins based on cryptonight or ethhash algo. So it’s similar to like every Dog having its own territory and if they venture to any other’s territory they are almost destroyed.
I know the example was a little lame but let’s get into the details of Nvidia Mining to understand more:
Advantages of Nvidia Mining
1. Power Efficiency
No matter which GeForce card you use, Nvidia wins the Power consumption battle. While the AMD cards have more raw power, they are very power hungry and that ends up using higher power. Nvidia on the other hand is not only power efficient but also optimizable enough via overclocking to further reduce power consumption. This also affects the ROI positively to some extent.
Want to learn How to Overclock your Nvidia Card? Well! Here’s how to do it.
2. Relatively Silent
The relatively less power consumption makes Nvidia Mining less noisier as compared to AMD Rigs. They are basically silent as compared to AMD GPU’s even if the fans are made to run at the highest speeds.
3. Produce less heat
This power efficiency and excellent thermal management helps the Nvidia GPUs to run cooler than their AMD counterpart. This in turn makes them more home friendly and more manageable as you don’t have to keep check on the power consumption, noise and heat produced.
4. Good Support
Maintaining and setting up Nvidia is hassle free due to it’s popularity and Nvidia services that keep giving much needed frequent driver updates. Also if you come with some problems there will be a much larger Nvidia community online to help you out.
5. Coin Flexibility
Nvidia GPUs can be used to mine a wider variety of algos effectively. It excels at mining most high profit algos except cryptonight and Ethhash which is AMD’s niche. This in turn effects ROI and profitability and hence a very good advantage over the AMDs. To sum this up, Nvidia is basically known as the “King of shitty coins” in the mining industry.Know Best GPU for Equihash Mining
6. Good Resale Value
As mentioned above if some day mining industry becomes unprofitable then these are the GPUs that have more chances of being sold to gamers while AMD cards may be hard to sell. Maximum gamers prefer Nvidia over AMD.
7. More Profitable
The coin flexibility and power efficiency ultimately makes Nvidia Mining more profitable than AMD. Besides a higher ROI target, the current market situation and coin difficulty assessment makes the Nvidia Mining Rig a more favorable option. This can of course change in the future but that is always unpredictable.
Disadvantages of Nvidia Mining
1. Inferior in Ethhash and Cryptonight
Ethhash and Cryptonight algorithms host some major and promising coins in the market like Ethereum and Monero. Coins like these are here to stay as their projects are very strong and their applicability has already proven it’s metal. Nvidia is significantly inferior as compared to AMD in mining these major coins. Instead we have to settle out with relatively new and minor coins based on Equihash etc.
2. Costly
Be it Nvidia 1070 Ti or the 1080 Ti, Nvidia Cards are way pricier than their AMD competitors. This in turn adds to the ROI period which can be longer. Nvidia cards seem to be at a slight premium due to their popularity in the gaming world.
Conclusion: AMD Mining Vs Nvidia Mining?
So these are the basic conclusions that we have derived from the above description:
1. Firstly
It is very necessary to realize that different cards excel at different algorithms.
In-fact, AMD Radeon RX 500 series excel at Ethash mining while the Radeon RX Vega series excels at Cryptonight mining. Similarly, Nvidia GeForce series are the best for Equihash Mining.
All these cards can mine all the Cryptocurrencies mentioned above, but they have been categorized on the basis of what is best for each type of GPU. Based on the same classification here is a table for it:
| Radeon RX Series | Radeon Vega Series | GeForce GTX series |
|---|---|---|
| DAGGERHASHIMOTO (ETHASH) | CRYPTONIGHT | EQUIHASH |
| Ethereum(ETH) | Monero(XMR) | ZCash(ZEC) |
| Ethereum Classic(ETC) | Sumo Koin(SUMO) | ZCash Classic(ZCL) |
| Dubai Coin(DBIX) | Byte Coin(BCN) | Hush(HUSH) |
| Ubiq(UBQ) | Electroneum (ETN) | Bitcoin Gold(BTG) |
2. Secondly
As I have already mentioned that Nvidia Mining is relatively more profitable than AMD Mining as of today. Nvidia mines Equihash the best and hence only minor coins are mined. The major coins are still in AMD’s Basket. But the difficulty of mining these popular coins is very high and less profitable if you want to mine. Hence Nvidia Mining is the best way to go for now if price to performance ratio is considered.
3. Lastly
As we know less profitability means longer ROI hence we highly suggest looking at profit calculators and factor in the build cost and electricity to see if mining is right for you. Also keep looking at other currencies to remain profitable and to get your investment back. Remember the Key factor that actually matters is the ROI time. You should undoubtedly choose the one with fastest Return of Investment (ROI) or sustainability.
So, always make your own calculation and estimation of your budget. If you’re looking to jump into the mining game, then with a little bit of research and some tweaking, all cards can be made to run more efficiently and deliver better performance per kilowatt-hour.
4. My Advice(January 2018)
At this point when the prices of all the cards are hiked and finding a GPU at a decent price is almost impossible, you should forget about Nvidia or AMD prefernces and rather go for the one that you find at a decent price, No matter what you get, be it 1080Ti, 1070 Ti or the RX Vega 64 just go for it.
Hope your Mining goes well. All the Best and let us know if you have any questions in the comments below.
I write about Crypto mining, trading, referral programs. I have been in the cryptocurrency industry for the last 4 years.
