Key Takeaways
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There are dozens of noteworthy BTC ASICs on the market. The best ones are produced in China. Bitmain is the undisputed leader in this niche with its Atminer series.
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When selecting an optimal device, mind that top performance requires considerable upfront expenses. If you’re planning to place hardware in your house, opt for a model with a water-cooling system and not fans.
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Strive to place your rig in an area where electricity is cheap. This will enable you to cut down your power costs and generate a more impressive income.
In 2024, the price of Bitcoin is projected to go up after the mid-spring halving. It is never too late to start mining the pioneering crypto asset! In this article, we’d like to share our unbiased rating of the best Bitcoin mining hardware. We hand-picked the devices from different manufacturers and meticulously compared their characteristics. All the solutions that we’ll be talking about are made in China. This country has proved to be a global leader in producing ASICs – and they enjoy a steadily high demand around the world.
Essential Criteria to Analyze When Selecting a Miner
When choosing mining equipment, it makes sense to focus on these five parameters:
- Hashing power. This parameter reveals how long it takes the machine to solve a cryptographic puzzle. The higher this number, the more productive the device, the more costly it is and the more electricity it requires.
- Power efficiency. Some devices were designed to be placed in urban areas where electricity usually costs a lot. Others were built for mining farms in remote areas with cheap energy. Technically, nothing can prevent you from installing the rig with outstanding electricity consumption in your garage. But your bills can be sky-high then and they will drive down your profit.
- Price. The cheapest solutions cost a few hundred dollars and the most advanced ones cost over $5,000. The power of the brand can add a bit to the price tag but it is not the crucial parameter. The hashrate is the paramount factor that impacts the costs. To cut down on expenses, some people opt for second-hand devices — yet we recommend buying new ones. You can never know whether the used hardware is in good condition and can deliver the declared performance characteristics.
- Noise. Early generations of devices had fans inside them that prevented them from overheating. Today, many popular solutions on the market rely on fans too. But the most advanced models have water-cooling systems instead. They belong to a more premium segment. Their noise levels tend to be so low that you can place them right in your home.
- Algorithm. Each device supports a specific cryptographic algorithm and it is impossible to modify it. All the solutions from our list were purposefully built for mining BTC. If you decide to purchase another one, make sure it is compatible with this asset.
It would be unfair to say that any specific machine can suit everyone. People differ in their tastes and budgets. Some consumers prefer affordable equipment to place in their homes. They want it to be not too noisy and have an intuitive setup. Others buy rigs to place them at a mining farm located in a remote area with cheap electricity. They don’t care about the sounds that their purchase generates and they aren’t planning to cut down the expenses by sacrificing the performance.
Our list features solutions for all types of miners, from complete beginners to experienced professionals. We won’t indicate the exact prices because they can fluctuate over time — but we’ll mention whether each product is expensive or not.
Antminer S21
It is the current flagship product of Bitmain, the leading ASIC manufacturer on a global scale. It delivers up to 200 TH/s, generates a high level of noise and requires large amounts of electricity. Compared to older solutions on the market, it boasts the best ratio of the upfront expenses and the future ROI. It won’t take you too long to break even, especially if you place it in an area with affordable electricity. It is incredibly reliable and perfectly suitable for work after the upcoming halving. By the way, its Antminer S21 Hyd counterpart is the most powerful BTC-mining hardware in the world.
Antminer S19K Pro
The most obvious runner-up for our rating is available in two variations: 115 TH/s or 120 TH/s. Both consume a lot of power – but most alternatives with a comparable hashrate require even more, so this one deserves to be characterized as energy-efficient. It is loud and it isn’t cheap. You’ll appreciate its ROI and outstanding reliability.
Antminer S19 XP Hyd
The S19 XP model is available in two variations. The Hyd one scores higher on our list because it relies on water cooling, which drives down its noise level. With its 255 TH/s, it confidently outperforms most competitors. This advantage comes at a price in the literal meaning of this phrase – the machine costs more than many alternatives. Besides, its energy consumption is impressive, so the energy bills might seem prohibitive to some part of the audience.
Antminer S19 XP
The computing power of this one is nearly twice as low as that of its Hyd counterpart – but that is pretty much enough for profitable work. Plus, it is noisier because of its four fans. It requires less power, so you won’t have to pay through the nose for the energy.
AntMiner S19 Pro
Before the XP and XP Hyd models hit the market, this one was the leader. It boasts 110 TH/s, coupled with relatively modest electricity consumption. On the flip side, it is a bit costly. But it shouldn’t take you long to break even and start generating income.
AntMiner S9
With its 14 TH/s, it is hardly suitable for those who are planning to operate on a large scale. But it is a worthy option for entry-level crypto enthusiasts because it is deliciously cheap. It doesn’t need large amounts of energy. However, the level of noise that it produces is comparable to that of more powerful counterparts — so you’d better place it away from your home.
AntMiner T19
While the previous model was perfect for complete newcomers in the crypto industry, this one is spot-on for those who are ready to upgrade to the next level. It mines coins at a rate of 84 TH/s, is affordable and boasts decent energy efficiency. As for the drawbacks, it tends to be noisy.
Avalon Made A1366
Now that we’ve described the most prominent solutions by Bitmain, let’s switch to Canaan, another reputable brand. Before Autumn 2022, its biggest bestseller used to be the A10 model. Now, the A1366 has replaced it.
Its key competitive edge is its user-friendly interface. It will be easy for you to fine-tune the settings of this device and track its efficiency. Due to its 6 fans, it is not too suitable for being placed in your home. Its hashrate reaches 130 TH/s.
AvalonMiner 1246
This machine is spot-on for advanced miners who prefer to drive down their expenses. It is powerful and noisy. It requires a lot of energy and it solves puzzles at 90 TH/s.
Avalon 6
Compared to alternatives from our list, the hashrate of this one is remarkably low – only 3.5 TH/s. It is a firm favorite of entry-level users thanks to its low price and intuitive setup. It doesn’t roar like an airplane engine, so feel free to place it at home.
Whatsminer M50S
This series of miners is developed by the MicroBt company. The one that we’d like to start with boasts a hashrate of 126 TH/s. Even though it has only two fans, it is loud and not suitable for home use. Another reason to place it away from your house is its robust electricity consumption. The biggest advantage of this model is its reasonable price. Many other manufacturers charge more for devices with similar characteristics.
WhatsMiner M56S
With its 212 TH/s, it is one of the most powerful Bitcoin mining rigs on our list. Predictably enough, it costs a lot and consumes large amounts of energy. Even though its name doesn’t hint at it, this machine is equipped with a water cooling mechanism, which reduces its noise level. However, you might still prefer to place it not in your home but in an area with very low electricity costs.
Whatsminer M30S++
The productivity of this MicroBT Whatsminer is almost twice as low as that of the previous one – and nevertheless, it is powerful. It is noisy and beginners might prefer to avoid it because of its high power consumption. Its target audience is experienced miners who can’t afford the top-performing solutions yet – or their investment strategies are built around the performance of around 100 TH/s.
Dragonmint T1
It is the bestseller of Halong Mining, a credible hardware producer. It is affordable and, as you can easily guess, noisy. It requires modest amounts of energy and operates at 16 TH/s, which is pretty good for private users.
Ebit E11++
This one belongs to the product range of the Ebang manufacturer. The E11++ stands out from the other solutions with modest electricity consumption thanks to its high hashrate of 44 TH/s. It requires little energy and doesn’t involve huge upfront expenses. With this machine, you should be able to break even fast.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, our list allowed you to get a notion of the best Bitcoin mining hardware 2024! There are other worthy options on sale – but you can be sure we included all the main hits in our overview. Relying on the frequency of market updates, we believe our rating will remain relevant at least until 2025. Then, brand-new products should be likely to enter it, outperforming their outdated counterparts.
Why are Antminers so good?
Their manufacturer, Bitmain, is a large and established company. It hires top professionals in the industry and adopts innovative technologies faster than others. All of its products deliver excellent results and new ones are being regularly added to the range. It is not our subjective opinion. If you check other similar ratings, you’ll see that other authors place Atminers in top positions as well.
Why didn’t you include CPU miners in your list?
Because they aren’t relevant anymore. They’re too weak to cope with the current difficulty level of computations. Only ASIC miners can handle the process in the 2020s
Are Bitcoin mining machines compatible with other crypto assets that stick to the proof of work consensus principle?
It is not the consensus mechanism that matters but the cryptographic algorithm. Each ASIC is designed to support only one particular algorithm. Each algorithm, in turn, can be compatible with one or several assets. It is impossible to make the device switch from one algorithm to another. Please thoroughly calculate your investment strategy and opt for coins with decent potential.
Why is water cooling better than fans?
Fans are loud while water cooling isn’t. On the flip side, the ASICs equipped with the latter are more expensive. It is hardly possible to place a machine with fans in your home – but it is rather realistic to do so with a miner that cools down thanks to water.
How often is it necessary to buy a new ASIC?
The difficulty of computations within the Bitcoin network increases every four years. Many miners purchase new ASICs every one or two years because new and more efficient models hit the market. They require upfront expenses – but they enable their owners to earn more in the longer run. Your individual frequency of updates should align with your investment strategy.