There have been drastic changes in the hardware used since the beginning of
Bitcoin mining. At the inception, a lot of miners made use of their computer’s
Central Processing Unit, (CPU) but this was later abandoned because of the
slow speed and lagging of the computer system. Most of the Bitcoin hardware
on the market today are Application-Specific Integrated Circuit miners,
otherwise known as ASIC Miners.
The speed of this hardware is extremely high while they consume less power
than the earlier Graphical Processing Unit (GPU) or Field-Programmable Gate
Array (FGPA) processers, which both came on the scene after the use of the
CPU was found ineffectual. A lot of companies have produced great ASIC Bitcoin
Mining Hardware which can be purchased from different stores.
ASIC's Bitcoin hardware are created solely to solve Bitcoin blocks, and they do
not require an arm and a leg to have them run on your computer. ASIC Bitcoin
Hardware consumes less electricity than any of CPU, GPU or FPGA, and they
are able to solve Bitcoin blocks much faster.
There are two major factors that must be considered when choosing the best
Bitcoin hardware--cost and electricity efficiency. Some of the best products are
highlighted below.
These first three processors are the least expensive, though they may create a
much larger electricity bill.
- AntMiner U2
This Bitcoin mining hardware works on ASIC technology. It has a power
efficiency of 1.0 W/Gh and an advertised capacity of 2Gh/s. It weighs 0.8
ounces and costs about $49. - BMPC Red Fury
This Bitcoin hardware has a power efficiency of 0.96W/Gh and an advertised
capacity of 2.5Gh/s. It weighs 1.6 ounces and costs $44.96. - Gekko Science
With an advertised capacity of 9.5GH/s, this Bitcoin hardware has a power
efficiency of 0.88W/GH and a weight of 0.8 ounces. It costs $49.97 on Amazon.
Based on electrical efficiency and price per hash, the best Bitcoin hardware to
go for are highlighted below. - Antminer S7
Coming in a bulky weight of 8.8 pounds, this Bitcoin hardware has a power
efficiency of 0.25 W/Gh and an advertised capacity of 4.73Th/s. It costs about
$479.95. - AntMiner S9
This one weighs 8.1 pounds, has a power efficiency of 0.098 W/Gh and an
advertised capacity of 13.5 Th/s. It is on the pricey side, however, at $1,987. - Avalon 6
This Bitcoin hardware can be owned for $499, weighs 9.5 pounds and has a
power efficiency of 0.29W/Gh as well as an advertised capacity of 3.5 Th/s.