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Searching for the best Bitcoin (BTC) mining hardware and you haven’t found one? In this article you will find a list of pros and cons of the best Bitcoin mining hardware available on the market. If you are looking for a basic beginning guide to bitcoin mining, have a look at our guide. At the moment the ASIC mining hardware is used most by miners because the ASIC machines mine coins at greater speed and consume less power compared to the GPU mining rigs.
Below is the best Bitcoin mining hardware that you should consider:
- Bitmain AntMiner D3 (15GH/s Hash Power)
- AntMiner L3+ (504 MH/S Hash Power)
- Avalon 741 (7.3 TH/s Hash Power)
- AntMiner S5 (1155 GH/s Hash Power
- AntMiner S7 (4.73 TH/s Hash Power)
- AntMiner S9 (14.0 TH/s Hash Power)
- AntMiner T9 (11.5 TH/s Hash Power)
So now that I have listed the best Bitcoin mining hardware, I will move on to doing a mining hardware comparison of each. But before I start doing a review on each of the hardware, it is very crucial that you know that Bitcoin mining is becoming more and more competitive every day. In addition, China is dominating the Bitcoin market because of its cheap electricity.
To benefit from Bitcoin mining, it is very important to use hardware known as ASCIs. Initially, people used to mine Bitcoins on their personal computer, but with time miners found out that by using graphics cards, they could generate more hashing power. And fortunately, the ASCI is even greater than a graphics card.
Choosing the Best Bitcoin Miner for your needs
To choose the best Bitcoin miner, you have to put some things into considerations:
- The efficiency of Miner – You have to be sure of the efficiency of the miner before you choose it.
- Budget – If the price of the miner doesn’t fit into your budget, then you have to choose another miner.
- Hash Rate of Miner – The Hash Rate of miner is an important factor to consider when choosing a miner.
Mining Bitcoin the easy way
There are many cloud mining services starting to offer contracts for mining bitcoin. These contracts allow you to “buy” mining power so that you do not have to worry about the technicalities of mining. It allows you to mine worry free without using your electricity or buying expensive mining hardware. One we recommend is minergate.
7 Best Bitcoin Mining Hardware Machines in 2018
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Bitmain AntMiner D3
- Hash rate: 19.3 GH/s (Variation of ±5% is expected)
- Power consumption: 1200W (at the wall, with Bitmain's APW3 PSU, 93% efficiency, 25°C ambient temp)
- Hashing algorithm: X11 (Dash and many others)
- Power consumption figures will vary with your PSU's efficiency, the ambient operating temperature and the accuracy of the power meter. It recommends use of the APW3++ PSU with the Antminer D3. One APW3++ PSU can not power more than one Antminer D3
- All PCIe connectors on a hashing board need to be connected to the PSU for the hashboard to operate. Do not connect more than one PSU to the same hashing board! Separate power supply to control board: there is one additional 6pin PCIe connector on the IO board which must be connected to the PSU to get power. Be sure to power on the miner only after all the PCIE connectors are connected to power supply
The Bitmain AntMiner D3 was released in 2017; it is one of the best miners when we talk of the Dash ASIC miners.
I intentionally included the Bitmain AntMiner D3 because most miners are using the miner to mine Dash coins, then convert the dash coins to Bitcoins and make a lot of profits. The AntMiner gives a hash rate of around 15 GH/s, and it consumes about 1200W of power. The miner has a dimension of 320x130x190 mm which makes it possible for it to have a clean arrangement when multiple miners are running.
Pros
- Easy to Setup
- It consumes about 1200W of power
- It gives Hash Rate of 15 GH/s
Cons
- Cannot mine Bitcoin directly
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AntMiner L3+
- Fastest Litecoin (or other Scrypt-based coin) ASIC miner commercially available!
- Hash Rate: 504MH/s ±7%
- Power Consumption: 800W ±10% (Power supply sold separately)
- Built-in controller - No separate host computer required for operation.
- Power supply sold separately. AntMiner APW3++ recommended.
Another great Bitcoin miner is the AntMiner L3+. The AntMiner L3+ comes with four boards having 288 chips which is twice compared to that of a simple L3 miner and its design allows it to be arranged easily when multiple miners are used simultaneously. The AntMiner L3+ is powerful and simple to use just like all other Bitmain miners available in the market.
L3+ gives a Hash Rate of about 504 MH/s and it consumes about 800W of power at 1.6J/MH efficiency.
Pros
- Easy to Setup
- It gives Hash Rate of 504 MH/s
- 1.6J/MH Efficiency
- Power consumption of about 800W
Cons
- It is a little expensive
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Avalon 741
- Latest Generation Bitcoin Miner
- Hashrate: 7.3 TH/s
- Power Consumption: ≈ 1150W
- Dimensions: 320 mm x 136 mm x 150 mm
- Air-intake Temperature: -5 °C to 40°C
The Avalon 741 is another great option if you are looking for an awesome Bitcoin miner at medium price range. Avalon 741 is great mining hardware by Canaan and it gives hash rate of about 7.3 Tera Hash per second (RTHS; 7.3-8 RTH/s infield). It comes with an air-forming cooling system which allows around 88 chips to function simultaneously and is also great in keeping the miner running 24 hours a day.
Pros
- Best for small home miners
- It gives Hash Rate of about 7.3 TH/s
- Efficiency of about 0.16 Joules/GigaHash
Cons
- It is not suitable to put in the living room. It is better to have a separate room for the hardware
Profitability (Bitcoins per Month)
Check the profit calculator – With the increase in the cost of bitcoins, it is fair to say that Avalon 741 is a great choice and it gives good profit to small home miners. The profit you earn depends on your location’s power costs and other similar factors. The Avalon 741 is a great choice for people who want to get a good miner at an affordable rate.
Functions and Features of Avalon 741
- The air forming cooling system in the Avalon 741 keeps the miner cool and allows it to function 24 hours per day.
- It is super easy to setup the Avalon 741 and there are also plenty of tutorials you can find online on how to set up the Avalon 741.
- The noise of the Avalon 741 miner is about 50-60 decibels and that is a bit quiet compared to other miners.
- The efficiency of the Avalon 741 is about 0.16 Joules/GH and that is great compared to other miners of the same price range with Avalon 741.
- The Avalon 741 weighs about 4.3kg and its dimension is about 320x136x150 mm and that is helpful for organized arrangement when multiple miners are operating simultaneously.
- Power Supply. The power supply unit I would say is best for the Avalon 741 is the 1600W PSU. However, if you have an existing power supply unit having sufficient wattage, you can use it with this miner.
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Bitmain AntMiner S5.
- 1,155Gh/s stock speed (+/- 5%) - Best power efficiency
- 590 watt power consumption at the wall each (power supply sold separately)
- Built-in web interface for easy management
- 90-day manufacturer warranty - All Sale is FINAL
- DIRECT SALES FROM BITMAIN
The Bitmain AntMiner S5 was released in early 2014 and at that time, it was one of the most efficient Bitcoin Miners available in the market. It is still a good deal for a miner considering it gets the job done and is far less expensive than the newer models.
Pros
- Inexpensive
- Best for beginners who want to learn and experiment
- Demands Lower Power around 560W to 590W
Cons
- A little noisy
- Gives 1155 GH/s Hash Rate which is too low compared to other models.
Profitability (Bitcoins per Month)
Check the profit calculator – To get good profits with the S5 Miner, it is best to join a pool. If you want to go solo, you might end up getting zero profits. However, if you live somewhere when electricity costs is very low, it is possible to get some profits from the S5 miner.
Functions and Features of Bitmain AntMiner S5
- Very crucial to know that with lower operating temperature of the miner, higher it can be over clocked. In order to expand the lifetime of the S5 Miner, the temperature should be kept below 60 degree Celsius or 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Not a good choice to put the S5 Miner in your home because of its loud noise. However, to lower the noise, you will replace the stock fan with one that is not too loud.
- The S5 Miner produces about 1GH for each O.51W it consumes which is also known as 0.51 J/GH.
- You must know that when it comes to Bitmain, each new model comes with twice the efficiency of the previous model. The S5 miner is twice as efficient as the S3 miner.
- It is very easy to setup the S5 miner. The S5 miner detects the available IP address.
- With the help of the MinerLink software, users can easily configure the monitor status of the miner, mining pool settings, and easily share the access privileges to miners over the network connection.
- The S5 Miner weighs about 6.5 lbs (2.5 kg). The lightweight of the miner is because the sides of the miner are built with very lightweight plastic material.
- Power Supply. Any power supply unit like those used to run computers can run the S5 miner without problem.
Bitmain AntMiner S5 is a good choice for beginners who are looking to get some hands-on experience in mining Bitcoins. It is not as costly as most of the other miners and it can help you get some profits if you join a pool.
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Bitmain AntMiner S7.
- Hash Rate: 4.73 TH/s ±5%
- Power Consumption: 1293W ±10%
- Power Efficiency: 0.25 W/GH ±10%
- Built-in web interface for easy setup and configuration
- Power supply not included, APW3++ recommended.
Another great Bitcoin miner you should consider is the Bitmain AntMiner S7. The AntMiner S7 was released in mid 2015 and became very popular and started to dominate the market of ASIC mining hardware because of the low amount of power it consumes compared to other miners. The Bitmain AntMiner S7 is great for hobbyist miners and miners looking to learn to mine.
Pros
- Good Hash Rate of about 4.73 Tera Hash per second
- Easy to set up and it also comes with guides for setting up
- It is very affordable for learners and Hobbyists.
- 0.25 Joule per GH/s efficiency
Cons
- Consumes about 1300 to 1400 Watts
- A little noisy
- Little high power consumption.
Profitability (Bitcoins per Month)
Check the profit calculator – It is very possible to earn good profit with the S7 miner. If you have access to cheap electricity and you are on a budget, the S7 miner is the great choice for you. If we calculate the average pool fee of about 2.5%, average per block reward of 12.5 Bitcoin, and the average household power cost around 14kWH. Then you will see that it is possible to get good profit from the AntMiner S7. Before you decide to buy the S7, you should always do your calculations and research especially with the volatility in the market.
Functions and Features of Bitmain AntMiner S7
- The ideal temperature at which S7 operates is 40^C or 77^C. The best place to keep the S7 is a dry basement, because keeping S7 cool and dry will extend its life.
- When it comes to noise, S7 Miner is not a good choice if you want to put it in your home. You should also know that the hotter the environment you put the miner, the more energy it will consume to cool down the unit and more noise the fans will produce.
- Each newer version of AntMiner is twice as efficient compared to the previous ones. So the S7 miner is twice as efficient as the S5 Miner and per GH it requires about 0.25J of power.
- It is very easy to set up the S7 Miner because it comes with DHCP capability that detects the IP address that you need to use. However, if you are setting the S7 up using MinerLink GUI, you need a mining pool credentials to get started. There are also many tutorials on setting up S7 miner, so it is very easy to set up the S7 miner.
- AntMiner S7 weighs about 7.5 lbs. It comes in a very strong casing built by metal having a groove system and tongue that is helpful when required to arrange multiple miners neatly.
- Power Supply. I recommend that you use the 1600W APW3 as a power supply unit for S7 Miner. The 1600W APW3 is one of the most efficient power supply units and it is designed to be used with Bitcoin Miners. The 1600W APW3 is also able to run with the S9 miner. So this Power Supply Unit is one of the best options available in the market.
If you need a great miner at a very affordable price, you should go for the AntMiner S7. The S7 Miner can give you good profit if you have access to inexpensive electricity.
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Bitmain AntMiner S9.
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If you love quality and you don’t mind spending a lot to get that quality, AntMiner S9 is the real deal for you. This miner gives the highest Hash Rate of about 14 TH/s and it is one of the most efficient Bitcoin miners available. The Hash Rate of the S9 is made possible because of 3 circuit boards having around 189 chips. So it is correct to say that the AntMiner S9 gives you back your money through your Bitcoin profits.
Pros
- One of the most efficient miners (0.1 J/GH/s)
- It gives the Highest Hash Rate (14 TeraHash/Seconds) compared to other miners currently available.
Cons
- It is little costly compared to other miners.
Profitability (Bitcoins per Month)
Check the profit calculator – When it comes to profitability, Bitmain S9 miner gives better profit compared to all other miners available in the market because of its 14 TeraHash/Second Hash Rate. However its power cost depends on your location but even with high power cost, you will still be able to make high profit with the Bitmain S9 Miner. The Pool Fees is determined by the mining pool you’re in and of course your investment will be returned to you within a year or maybe less.
Features and Function of Bitmain AntMiner S9
- The S9 is air-cooled and it gives incredible performance in well-ventilated space and it is also one of the reasons for its incredible performance.
- Power Supply. If you have an existing power supply that has sufficient wattage, you can use it with the S9 miner. However, if you don’t have it, you can use other power supplies like the AntMiner 1600 Watt PSU.
- Weighs about 10.4 pounds and its dimensions are about 13.78 x 6.22 x 5.31 inches. It comes with sturdy design that helps in a very clean arrangement when multiple miners are required to work simultaneously.
- One of the most efficient miners available. Although it consumes more power compared to some other miner because it uses about 0.2 J/GH.
- Quieter when compared to other miners but it is not something you can put in your living room or bedroom. It is always great to have a separate room to put your miners.
- It is super easy to set up the S9 miner. It doesn’t require connection to another computer to interface with Bitcoin nodes. The S9 Miner also comes with a management portal that allows you to manage easily and set up the S9 miner.
The AntMiner S9 is a little bit expensive. If you are looking for sheer performance and high quality, then this miner is the one.
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AntMiner T9.
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Another great option to consider is the AntMiner T9. The AntMiner T9 is a little bit expensive because the S9 miner was being replaced with the AntMiner T9. There is a mix option when it comes to comparing T9 to S9 because many miners prefer S9 when compared to T9 ASCI Miner. Let’s look at the comparison in detail.
Pros
- Cooling system is the same as that of S9
- More stable compared to S9
- Its chip code is the same as of S9
- Dimensions are same as of S9.
Cons
- It is little expensive
- T9 Miner consumes 1450W for 11.5 Tera Hash per Second while S9 consumes around 11 Tera Hash per second at 1078W for Batch 22 and for Batch 23, S9 consumes about 1372W for 14 Tera Hash per second
AntMiner T9 VS AntMiner S9
The T9 came out to replace the S9. One difference is the S9 has lower quality chips that were leading to lower stability. The AntMiner T9 came out and addressed that issue. Another big problem most miners were facing with the S9 miner was the Pre-auto-freq issue which has been resolved in the T9 Miner. The T9 is a better choice but will cost more up front. Some people prefer to just go with the S9.
Conclusion
There are many good miners on the market today. With cryptocurrencies popularity increase, there are more companies putting out more products. Picking a miner is really based upon individual preferences and budget. Hopefully, this guide has helped in determining which miner is right for you.
Last update on 2019-10-31 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API