How to Choose an ASIC Miner: Hashrate, Efficiency, Price and Risk

Put these five characteristics side by side

Compare hashrate, power draw, energy efficiency, hardware price and expected net result. Energy efficiency shows how much energy is needed for one unit of work: J/TH for SHA-256 or J/KSol for Equihash.

Also account for noise, size, voltage, network requirements, cooling availability and whether the device can be sold on the secondary market.

• revenue before costs is not profit
• nameplate hashrate does not guarantee stable operation
• the ASIC price without delivery and repairs is not the full cost
• ROI should be checked under several price scenarios

New or used

A new device comes with a warranty and fewer unknowns, but often costs more. A used device may have an attractive price, yet you should check board temperatures, errors, fans, the power supply, operating history and repair history.

Before buying, ask for a video of stable operation and screenshots of the statistics. Clarify whether third-party firmware has been installed and whether it could void the warranty.