Introduction
Planning to build a password cracking rig for security research? Choosing the right GPU is crucial for maximizing your hashcat performance. This comprehensive benchmark table compares hash rates across NVIDIA and AMD graphics cards, from the latest RTX 4090 to budget-friendly older models.
We've compiled verified benchmark results from the hashcat community to help you make an informed decision. Whether you're building a professional cracking rig or optimizing an existing setup, this guide covers everything you need to know about GPU performance for password cracking.
Key Findings for 2025
- Best Overall Performance: NVIDIA RTX 4090 dominates with 2,600 kH/s on WPA2
- Best Value: RTX 3090 offers excellent performance at lower used prices
- AMD Competitor: RX 7900 XTX delivers 1,466 kH/s on WPA2 - competitive with RTX 3090
- Power Efficiency: RTX 40-series cards offer best hash/watt ratio
Hardware Recommendations
For a dedicated cracking rig, consider these factors:
-
Power consumption: Modern cards are more power-efficient. The RTX 4090 delivers 2x+ the performance of the 3090 at similar power draw.
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VRAM: More VRAM helps with certain attack types. 24GB cards (RTX 4090, 3090) are ideal.
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Linux vs Windows: NVIDIA cards have better Linux driver support. AMD requires ROCm for optimal performance.
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Multi-GPU setups: Use PCIe risers (1x to 16x) for multiple GPUs. Ensure adequate power supply (750W+ per high-end GPU).
Hashcat GPU Benchmark Comparison Table
Below are verified benchmark results from community tests. All benchmarks use hashcat's -b benchmark mode with optimized kernels (-O flag).
Benchmarks from hashcat community tests (Chick3nman, OnlineHashCrack, hashcat forums). Your results may vary based on driver version, cooling, and system configuration.
WPA2 (Mode 22000) - Primary Comparison
WPA2/WPA3 cracking is one of the most common use cases. This table shows verified WPA-PBKDF2-PMKID+EAPOL (mode 22000) speeds:
| GPU | WPA2 (22000) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| NVIDIA RTX 4090 | 2,600 kH/s | Chick3nman |
| NVIDIA RTX 3090 Ti | ~1,280 kH/s | Estimated |
| NVIDIA RTX 3090 | 1,106 kH/s | Chick3nman |
| NVIDIA RTX 3080 Ti | ~1,000 kH/s | OnlineHashCrack |
| NVIDIA RTX 3080 | 862 kH/s | Chick3nman |
| NVIDIA RTX 3070 | ~650 kH/s | Community |
| AMD RX 7900 XTX | 1,466 kH/s | hashcat forum |
| AMD RX 7900 XT | 1,242 kH/s | gartnera |
| NVIDIA RTX 2080 Ti | ~760 kH/s | Community |
| NVIDIA GTX 1080 Ti | ~575 kH/s | Community |
Complete Benchmark Table - Multiple Hash Types
NVIDIA RTX 40-Series (Verified)
| GPU | MD5 (0) | NTLM (1000) | WPA2 (22000) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RTX 4090 | 164.1 GH/s | 288.5 GH/s | 2,600 kH/s | Chick3nman |
| RTX 4080 Super | ~105 GH/s | ~165 GH/s | ~1,700 kH/s | Estimated |
| RTX 4080 | ~100 GH/s | ~156 GH/s | ~1,600 kH/s | Estimated |
| RTX 4070 Ti Super | ~85 GH/s | ~135 GH/s | ~1,350 kH/s | Estimated |
| RTX 4070 Ti | ~75 GH/s | ~120 GH/s | ~1,200 kH/s | Estimated |
NVIDIA RTX 30-Series (Verified)
| GPU | MD5 (0) | NTLM (1000) | WPA2 (22000) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RTX 3090 Ti | ~75 GH/s | ~140 GH/s | ~1,280 kH/s | Community |
| RTX 3090 | 65.1 GH/s | 121.2 GH/s | 1,106 kH/s | Chick3nman |
| RTX 3080 Ti | ~63 GH/s | ~115 GH/s | ~1,000 kH/s | OnlineHashCrack |
| RTX 3080 | 54.0 GH/s | 93.4 GH/s | 862 kH/s | Chick3nman |
| RTX 3070 Ti | ~45 GH/s | ~78 GH/s | ~710 kH/s | Community |
| RTX 3070 | ~40 GH/s | ~70 GH/s | 646 kH/s | Community |
| RTX 3060 Ti | ~37 GH/s | ~65 GH/s | ~580 kH/s | Community |
| RTX 3060 | ~32 GH/s | ~55 GH/s | 525 kH/s | Community |
AMD Radeon RX 7000-Series (Verified)
| GPU | MD5 (0) | NTLM (1000) | WPA2 (22000) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RX 7900 XTX | 74.2 GH/s | 114.5 GH/s | 1,466 kH/s | hashcat forum |
| RX 7900 XT | 61.7 GH/s | 97.8 GH/s | 1,242 kH/s | gartnera |
| RX 7800 XT | ~45 GH/s | ~70 GH/s | ~900 kH/s | Estimated |
| RX 7700 XT | ~38 GH/s | ~60 GH/s | ~750 kH/s | Estimated |
| RX 7600 | ~25 GH/s | ~40 GH/s | ~500 kH/s | Estimated |
NVIDIA RTX 20-Series and GTX 10-Series
| GPU | MD5 (0) | NTLM (1000) | WPA2 (22000) |
|---|---|---|---|
| RTX 2080 Ti | ~48 GH/s | ~82 GH/s | ~759 kH/s |
| RTX 2080 Super | ~40 GH/s | ~70 GH/s | ~620 kH/s |
| RTX 2080 | ~38 GH/s | ~65 GH/s | ~571 kH/s |
| RTX 2070 Super | ~35 GH/s | ~58 GH/s | ~510 kH/s |
| RTX 2070 | ~30 GH/s | ~50 GH/s | ~450 kH/s |
| RTX 2060 | ~26 GH/s | ~42 GH/s | ~380 kH/s |
| GTX 1080 Ti | 35.4 GH/s | 58.7 GH/s | ~576 kH/s |
| GTX 1080 | ~27 GH/s | ~45 GH/s | ~397 kH/s |
| GTX 1070 Ti | ~22 GH/s | ~36 GH/s | ~320 kH/s |
| GTX 1070 | ~20 GH/s | ~33 GH/s | ~285 kH/s |
| GTX 1060 6GB | ~12 GH/s | ~20 GH/s | ~180 kH/s |
AMD Radeon RX 6000/5000-Series
| GPU | MD5 (0) | NTLM (1000) | WPA2 (22000) |
|---|---|---|---|
| RX 6900 XT | ~55 GH/s | ~85 GH/s | ~1,132 kH/s |
| RX 6800 XT | ~45 GH/s | ~70 GH/s | ~747 kH/s |
| RX 6800 | ~38 GH/s | ~60 GH/s | ~620 kH/s |
| RX 6700 XT | ~30 GH/s | ~48 GH/s | ~480 kH/s |
| RX 5700 XT | ~28 GH/s | ~45 GH/s | ~474 kH/s |
Older AMD Cards (Budget Builds)
| GPU | MD5 (0) | WPA2 (22000) |
|---|---|---|
| Radeon VII 16GB | ~35 GH/s | ~534 kH/s |
| RX 580 8GB | ~15 GH/s | ~224 kH/s |
| RX 570 8GB | ~13 GH/s | ~195 kH/s |
| RX 480 | ~12 GH/s | ~185 kH/s |
| R9 295 X2 | ~22 GH/s | ~347 kH/s |
| R9 290X | ~11 GH/s | ~163 kH/s |
RTX 4090 vs Competition Analysis
Based on verified benchmarks, here's how the RTX 4090 compares:
| Comparison | RTX 4090 Advantage |
|---|---|
| vs RTX 3090 | 2.35x faster on WPA2 |
| vs RX 7900 XTX | 1.77x faster on WPA2 |
| vs RTX 3080 | 3.02x faster on WPA2 |
| vs GTX 1080 Ti | 4.51x faster on WPA2 |
The RTX 4090 represents a significant leap in hashcat performance, making it the clear choice for serious password cracking rigs.
How to Run Your Own Benchmarks
Test your GPU's performance with hashcat's built-in benchmark:
# Benchmark all hash types (takes a while)
hashcat -b
# Benchmark specific hash type (WPA2 = 22000)
hashcat -b -m 22000
# Benchmark with optimized kernels (recommended)
hashcat -b -m 22000 -O
# Benchmark with workload profile 4 (highest performance)
hashcat -b -m 22000 -O -w 4
# Benchmark specific device
hashcat -b -d 1
Understanding Hash Types
Common hash types for benchmarking:
| Mode | Hash Type | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | MD5 | Web apps, older systems |
| 100 | SHA1 | Legacy systems |
| 1000 | NTLM | Windows passwords |
| 1800 | sha512crypt | Linux /etc/shadow |
| 3200 | bcrypt | Modern web apps |
| 22000 | WPA-PBKDF2-PMKID+EAPOL | WiFi WPA2/WPA3 |
Building a Cracking Rig: Tips
Power Supply Calculation
Each high-end GPU needs adequate power:
- RTX 4090: 450W TDP → 600W recommended headroom
- RTX 4080: 320W TDP → 450W recommended headroom
- RTX 3090: 350W TDP → 500W recommended headroom
- RX 7900 XTX: 355W TDP → 500W recommended headroom
For multi-GPU: (GPU wattage × number of GPUs) + 200W for system = minimum PSU
Cooling Considerations
- Use open-air mining frames for multiple GPUs
- Maintain 65-80°C under load
- Consider water cooling for sustained operation
- Adequate case fans or room ventilation
Driver Setup
NVIDIA on Linux
# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install nvidia-driver-535 nvidia-cuda-toolkit
# Verify installation
nvidia-smi
hashcat -I
AMD on Linux (ROCm)
# Install ROCm for optimal AMD GPU performance
# Follow AMD's official documentation:
# https://rocmdocs.amd.com/en/latest/
# Verify
rocm-smi
hashcat -I
Data Sources & Citations
These benchmarks were compiled from verified community sources:
- Chick3nman's Gists - RTX 4090, 3090, 3080 benchmarks
- https://gist.github.com/Chick3nman/32e662a5bb63bc4f51b847bb422222fd (RTX 4090)
- https://gist.github.com/Chick3nman/e4fcee00cb6d82874dace72106d73fef (RTX 3090)
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https://gist.github.com/Chick3nman/bb22b28ec4ddec0cb5f59df97c994db4 (RTX 3080)
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OnlineHashCrack - Multi-GPU benchmarks
- https://www.onlinehashcrack.com/tools-benchmark-hashcat-nvidia-rtx-4090.php
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https://www.onlinehashcrack.com/tools-benchmark-hashcat-nvidia-rtx-3090.php
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hashcat Forums - AMD RX 7900 series benchmarks
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https://hashcat.net/forum/thread-11234.html
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gartnera's Gist - RX 7900 XT Linux benchmarks
- https://gist.github.com/gartnera/4b9dca45cb6be647dbb12e25c2b645db
Summary
For the best hashcat performance in 2025:
- Top tier: RTX 4090 offers unmatched performance (2,600 kH/s WPA2)
- High performance: RTX 3090 (~1,100 kH/s) or RX 7900 XTX (~1,466 kH/s)
- Mid-range: RTX 3080 (~862 kH/s) or RX 7900 XT (~1,242 kH/s)
- Budget: Used RTX 3060/2080 or RX 6800 XT
Remember that real-world cracking performance depends on multiple factors including cooling, driver optimization, and the specific hash type being targeted.
Last updated: February 2026. Benchmarks are from verified community sources. Values marked with ~ are estimates based on similar hardware.