Earlier this unusual and sometimes difficult year, the cryptocurrency world recalled the crypto mining boom and whether it was over. But soon, fears were dispelled, as large Nasdaq-registered companies expressed a clear interest in mining Bitcoin (BTC) for additional gains.
It has been said more than once that the strong increase in mining this year is directly related to the significant increase in cryptocurrency prices. During the summer, Bitcoin could be purchased for just over $ 10,000; now it costs well more than twice the value. Altcoins are also not falling behind. Ether (ETH) hit the $ 650 mark this month and Litecoin (LTC) was above $ 117 recently, although, six months ago, the latter could be purchased for just $ 41.
As price analysts expect the market upward trend to continue in 2021, the most up-to-date hardware offerings are likely to be in high demand. So here are some of the most interesting products on the hardware market that miners should expect to see on the shelves in 2021.
On dry land
When it comes to Bitcoin mining, ASIC miners are the primary choice for hardware. An ASIC, or application-specific integrated circuit, is a ready-to-use device that is easy to configure and program. In the mining of tokens based on Ether and Ethereum, things start to get more interesting, since they require the assembly of a rig that consists of a motherboard, GPU cards and several other components.
So, what was in use this year and what miners in the world spent the most money on? More recently, Riot Blockchain purchased 15,000 variations of the Antminer 19 series, to be delivered in 2021. Nathaniel Justin Yu, manager of Bitmain’s international marketing team, confirmed to Cointelegraph that the Antminer 19 series models launched in May 2020 were in high demand among Bitcoin Miners:
“We have seen an increasing demand for mining hardware, especially for our Antminer Series 19 models (Antminer S19 Pro, S19 and T19). The 19 series presented an industry-leading market performance this year, as it is equipped with a tailor-made new generation chip, achieving an energy efficiency of up to 23 J / TH. Our Antminer products were purchased until July 2021. ”
For those who decided to build mining probes on their own, the list of equipment most in demand for mining this year starts naturally with GPU cards. Two longtime rivals unveiled their newest lines this year: Nvidia with its cutting-edge GeForce RTX 3000 Series GPU cards in September, followed by AMD Radeon RX 6800.
Miners are still divided over which of these cards is best, but the main question is when these cards will be available to everyone, as demand significantly exceeds supply. While the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti and AMD Radeon RX580 are still high-end cards, interest in the new offerings is likely to spread through 2021.
New ASICs
Next year, Bitmain will continue to delight users with ASIC miners in the 19 series. According to the manufacturer, new solutions will be implemented to help increase mining efficiency.
Another Chinese manufacturer, Canaan Creative, introduced a new model of the AvalonMiner 1246 miner in September, which claims to be 30% better than the previous model. According to the producer, the AvalonMiner 1246 can reach 90 terahashes per second, while the A11 series processes at an average of 60–68 Th / s.
The miner will be available from January. Although this model is inferior in performance to the Antminer 19, its cost is slightly cheaper. For about $ 3,000, it is still worth taking a second look at those who wish to mine Bitcoin.
New GPU cards
While Nvidia was struggling with the launch of its flagship GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, AMD is already working on the next, having just introduced its 6000 series. The company announced the launch of the next series with a new RDNA 3 architecture on end of 2021. According to the manufacturer, the GPU should surpass the previous one in performance by 50% and will require less power and cooling to function.
But Nvidia is not to be ruled out yet. Despite some delays in the launch of its GeForce RTX 3000 cards, the company may be preparing to present new products during the event scheduled for January 12, 2021. Presumably, the manufacturer will reveal the Ti and Super modifications, which should appeal to miners . In any case, the line will expand with cards of different price categories, which will allow users to have more options when setting up mining rigs.
New motherboard
If GPUs are the preferred method for mining, a good motherboard is an absolute must. The main feature in this case is the number of slots in which the GPU cards can be installed.
Considering what is already available in the mining motherboard market, such as the MSI H310-F PRO, which has 13 slots for GPU cards, or the Asus B250 Mining Expert with 19 slots, miners should not expect to receive special gifts from manufacturers in 2021.
However, new products are on the way. Biostar, one of the largest hardware producers, recently launched a new TB360-BTC D + motherboard designed for cryptocurrency mining. The motherboard has eight PCIe x16 slots, which is sufficient for standard equipment. However, the price and start date for sales are still unclear.
Hardware that should not be overlooked
For efficient mining, the choice of each component is crucial. In addition to the correct GPU and motherboard, uninterrupted internet and electricity are essential. In addition, cryptocurrency mining equipment is very noisy and can get hot, so miners need to follow safety precautions. When mining at home, operating the platform in an air-conditioned room is the best option when it’s hot and a balcony when it’s not.
Related article: The best cryptographic mining graphics cards to get a great return on your investment
In addition, it is worth choosing a powerful power supply with sufficient energy and, most importantly, with protection against power surges and other electrical problems. One such option that will ship in early 2021 is the EVGA SuperNOVA 1000, which costs almost $ 200.
Choosing a frame is not the last task, as it affects the noise level generated by the platform. Guntis Vitolins of the company Mineshop, which offers ready-made platforms and equipment separately, noted to Cointelegraph that miners’ tastes in frames have changed this year:
“The GPU mining industry has changed since 2017, most miners prefer the type of server without GPU boxes over outdoor structures with risers. As the cooling is better in closed box and also the installation is much faster. The only downside in these cases is that they can be a little loud at 50-60db. “
For those who don’t want to discover the complex topic of designing a mining platform, GPU board selection and so on, there are companies that offer turnkey solutions. This year, experts have discussed the growth in sales of these ready-made platforms, called “mining 2.0”.
Vitolins further stated that “sales have increased dramatically since March 2020”, adding that GPU miners built with AMD graphics cards (the best for mining Ether) were a particular success.
2021 is good for mining?
Watching rising cryptocurrency prices and enthusiasm for mining equipment gives hope that 2021 will not start worse than the previous year for the sector. However, it is impossible to predict whether crypto mining will remain in fashion due to economic uncertainty amid the devastating COVID-19 pandemic.
However, it is safe to say that miners in 2020 became more experienced and battle-tested after cutting Bitcoin’s mining reward in half and China’s not-so-quiet rainy season. Today, miners are no longer babies seeing the world around them for the first time, but ready for market shocks and able to adapt to any condition. In addition, as large public companies are beginning to enter crypto mining, 2021 is expected to further solidify the trend of adoption and acceptance.