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As cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) become more widespread and the price of the flagship digital asset has grown dramatically since the publication of Satoshi Nakamoto’s whitepaper, more people are interested in getting a piece of the pie for themselves.

Although Bitcoin can be purchased on crypto exchanges with fiat or digital money, it can also be acquired through mining and the best way to mine it on a larger scale is through mining rigs. These are normally powerful, highly-specialized sets of hardware elements used for mining operations exclusively.

Today, there is a very wide array of different crypto mining hardware to choose from, and the ultimate choice boils down to weighing between hash rate (affecting how much crypto is earned), money invested (how much you pay for the rig), and power consumed (its effect on the environment).

With its 110 Th/s hash power, Bitmain’s Antminer S19 Pro is a mining beast ideal for industry-level operations. Despite costing a whopping $10,290, it is the best illustration of the maxim “you get what you pay for.”

Namely, it is one of the leading performers in terms of hash rate and efficiency, but also consumes the most power – 3,250 W (±5% variation). S19 Pro comes with four cooling fans to keep its running temperature down.

Boasting a lower yet decently profitable hash rate of 16TH/s, Halong Mining’s DragonMint T1 is the middle road for those that want a small, but solid mining rig but don’t want to break their budget. 

Specifically, this trusty little device comes with a price tag of $1,371, includes three chipboards, and consumes 1,480W of power. Furthermore, it is considered one of the more reliable mining devices as it limits the power supply to 12 V.

One of the fastest commercially available Bitcoin mining rigs on the market, AntMiner L3+ packs some serious power, including a hash rate of 504 Mh/s (±7%). It uses up around 800W (±10%) of energy.

Featuring a PCI Express connector and built-in control panel, it requires no separate host computer to run. L3+ falls among more affordable mining rigs as it can be purchased for $482. However, the power supply for it is sold separately.

At only $249.95, a slightly older yet very popular AntMiner D3 is truly a budget mining machine. Its hash rate is 19.3 Gh/s (±5%), and it consumes 1,200W (±10%) of electricity. 

However, there’s a small, yet potentially deal-breaking catch. With this piece of mining equipment, a user can only mine Dash (DASH) coins but they can then be converted into Bitcoins to increase profits.

Another power player, Canaan’s AvalonMiner 1246 prides itself on the efficiency of 90 Th/s (±3%), as well as two 7-blade cooling fans that prevent dust accumulation on the dashboard, which prolongs its lifespan. 

If it encounters a malfunction affecting its hash rate, 1246 will automatically alert the user. That said, this machine consumes 3,420 W (-5%, +8%) and costs $4,599.

If completely relying on the local power grid for the mining operations is an uncomfortable notion, a more skillful person keen on building things can always assemble their own, albeit weaker mining rig, that would operate solely using solar power. The results may vary.

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Ana Nicenko has a plethora of knowledge and experience as a journalist covering the cryptocurrency and blockchain industries, having written for a variety of projects and organizations. Additionally, Ana has a master's degree in English Language and Literature. At Finbold, she reports news on the digital assets sector.

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