CPU profitability

How much a CPU earns from mining today

Over 70 AMD, Intel and Apple processors – from the Ryzen 5 3600 to the EPYC 9965, including laptop chips – and every CPU coin currently listed on WhatToMine: Monero, Etica, Epic Cash, Tari, Zephyr, QRL, Salvium, Xelis, Raptoreum, Verus and more. For each processor we calculate how much it earns today and what is left after paying for electricity. Click a processor to see its earnings on every coin.

To be frank: at Czech electricity prices, mining on an ordinary CPU does not pay

A typical desktop Ryzen or Core earns less per day than it costs in electricity. Mainly many-core server processors – AMD EPYC and Threadripper – end up in profit, and even then the payback on the processor itself takes years. Mining on an ordinary PC makes more sense when the computer is running anyway, you have surplus solar power or you can use the heat in winter. Switch to “PC runs anyway” below and enter your electricity price.

Jak počítat elektřinu
Manufacturer

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ProcesorMost profitable todayRevenue / dayElectricity / dayProfit / dayProfit / month

CPU performance on RandomX: xmrig.com/benchmark (best submitted results), Apple and Ryzen 9 7950X: kryptex and hashrate.no. For most models, CPU power draw is an estimate based on TDP. Performance on other algorithms (Xelis, GhostRider, VerusHash) is converted using the ratio of WhatToMine default values – indicative only. Coin earnings: WhatToMine, hourly; we use the lower of the current and 24-hour earnings and exchange rate. Excludes pool fee; not a forecast.

What to watch out for

  • Benchmark performance is the ceiling. In an ordinary computer, expect 10–15% lower performance – that is why “Real performance” is the default option.
  • For most processors, power draw is an estimate based on TDP, not a wall-socket measurement. Actual consumption depends on the motherboard, cooling and settings.
  • Low-liquidity coins look good in the table but are hard to sell – the price drops when you sell a larger amount. That is why we leave them out of “most profitable” by default.
  • Earnings change every hour with network difficulty and exchange rate. This is neither a forecast nor a promise of income.
  • Wear: continuous full load heats up the processor, the motherboard power delivery and the power supply. Keep an eye on temperatures and cooling.
  • XMR – Monero

    The most liquid CPU coin – you can sell it on any major exchange. Watch out for two things: ASIC miners for the RandomX algorithm already exist (Antminer X5, Antminer X9 with 1 MH/s), many times more powerful than a processor – as more of them come online, network difficulty rises. And the xmrig mining software is already preparing RandomX v2: after the algorithm change, both CPU performance and earnings may change.

  • ETI – Etica

    On paper it often earns the most today, but very little of it is traded (daily trading volume only in the order of thousands of crowns). You can sell larger amounts only at a discount, if at all. The price also sometimes spikes for a few hours – so we use the lower of the current and 24-hour exchange rate.

  • NICEHASH – selling hashpower

    This is not a coin: you sell your CPU’s hashpower on the NiceHash marketplace and get paid in bitcoin – the easiest way to turn it into money. The price of hashpower changes with demand, and the NiceHash fee is still deducted from the earnings.

  • EPIC – Epic Cash

    Epic Cash is mined on processors (RandomX) as well as on graphics cards (ProgPow). Liquidity is much lower than Monero’s.

  • XTM – Tari

    Tari can be mined on its own or together with Monero (merged mining) – in that case we add it to XMR in the table as a bonus. It is a young coin; earnings and price change quickly.

  • XTM-M – Tari with Monero

    Extra Tari when mining Monero (merged mining) – added to XMR.

  • XDAG – Dagger

    Very little of it is traded, so selling a larger amount is a problem. Do not treat the earnings on paper as money in hand.

  • ZEPH – Zephyr

    Coin of a stablecoin protocol, medium liquidity.

  • QRL – Quantum Resistant Ledger

    The QRL 2.0 project plans a switch to proof-of-stake. Once that happens, CPU mining will end.

  • SAL – Salvium

    It is missing from WhatToMine’s main overview of CPU coins, so we take the data from the coin’s own page. Take the price and earnings with a pinch of salt.

  • XEL – Xelis

    Xelis (XelisHash v3) is mined on both processors and graphics cards. We have no measurements for processors, so we convert performance from RandomX – an indicative estimate.

  • RTM – Raptoreum

    GhostRider algorithm: CPU performance is converted from RandomX (an estimate), and very little is traded.

  • VRSC – Verus

    VerusHash: performance is an estimate; very low CPU earnings today.

GPU profitabilityA graphics card mines considerably more than a CPU for the same electricity. How much a laptop minesA theoretical calculation for the gaming laptops we sell. ASIC miner profitabilityIncluding ASIC miners for Monero – many times more per 1 kWh.

FAQ on CPU mining

Is CPU mining worth it in 2026?

At a typical Czech electricity price (around 4.5 Kč/kWh), usually not – an ordinary desktop processor earns less per day than it costs in electricity. Mainly many-core server processors (AMD EPYC, Threadripper) end up in profit, and even then the payback on the processor itself takes years. It can make sense if the computer is running anyway, you have surplus solar power or you can use the heat in winter. The table above uses your electricity price and today’s data.

Which cryptocurrency should I mine on a CPU?

Most often Monero (XMR): it is the most liquid, and you can mine Tari at the same time (merged mining). For each processor, the table automatically picks the most profitable of the liquid coins. Low-liquidity coins such as Etica or Dagger look better on paper but are hard to sell – you can include them by ticking “Include low-liquidity coins”. Each coin has a note on what to watch out for.

What do “Dedicated PC” and “PC runs anyway” mean?

Dedicated PC runs only for mining: we count the CPU power draw at 90% power supply efficiency plus 30 W for the motherboard, memory and drive (8 W for laptops and Macs). PC runs anyway means the computer is on for work or gaming – you only pay for the extra electricity the processor uses while mining.

Why does my processor perform differently from the table?

We take RandomX performance from the public xmrig benchmark – these are the best submitted results with tuned memory and huge pages. In an ordinary computer, performance tends to be 10–15% lower, so by default we calculate with “real performance”. Memory (dual channel), cooling and mining software settings also matter. For most processors, power draw is an estimate based on TDP.

Is it better to mine on a CPU or a graphics card?

A modern graphics card usually mines considerably more for the same electricity – compare on the GPU profitability page. There are now also ASIC miners for Monero, such as the Antminer X9, which mine many times more per 1 kWh than a processor.

Will mining damage my computer?

Mining keeps the processor under continuous full load. A desktop with good cooling can handle it, but keep an eye on CPU temperatures, the motherboard power delivery and a clean cooler. Laptops are not built for this kind of operation – more on the How much a laptop mines page.