GPU Mining

GPU mining is the use of graphics cards to mine cryptocurrency, exploiting their ability to perform many parallel calculations at once. Graphics processors were built to compute millions of pixels simultaneously, and that same parallelism suits the repetitive hashing that proof-of-work mining requires. A GPU mining rig typically consists of several graphics cards attached to a basic motherboard, running around the clock.

GPU mining matters mainly for coins whose algorithms resist ASICs — designs that require lots of memory or frequently changing computation, which specialized chips handle poorly. Historically the largest example was Ethereum: before its 2022 switch to proof of stake, millions of GPUs worldwide mined Ether, and the transition instantly ended the biggest source of GPU mining demand. Today GPU miners work smaller networks such as Ravencoin or Ergo, where profitability depends heavily on local electricity prices.

A common misconception is that any gaming PC can mine profitably; in most places, residential power rates and modest hash rates mean a single card earns less than it costs to run. GPU mining's appeal is its low barrier to entry and hardware flexibility — a graphics card can be resold to gamers or repurposed for other computation, unlike an ASIC — but that same accessibility means competition quickly erodes margins on any coin worth mining.