Quick Answer: Best GPU for Hashcat by Budget (2026)
| Budget | Best Pick | WPA2 Speed | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $300 | RTX 3080 (used) | ~862 kH/s | Outstanding $/hash ratio |
| Under $500 | RTX 3090 (used) | 1,106 kH/s | 24GB VRAM, excellent value |
| Under $800 | RX 7900 XTX | 1,466 kH/s | Best AMD, great all-rounder |
| Under $1,200 | RTX 4090 (used) | 2,600 kH/s | Proven best-in-class performance |
| No limit | RTX 5090 | ~3,800 kH/s | Fastest single GPU available |
Introduction
Choosing the best GPU for Hashcat in 2026 comes down to three factors: raw hash rate, price, and the hash types you target most. The GPU market has shifted significantly — NVIDIA's Blackwell RTX 50-series launched in early 2025, pushing single-GPU cracking performance to new heights, while used RTX 40-series and 30-series cards have dropped to compelling price points.
This guide cuts through the noise. We cover verified benchmark data for MD5, NTLM, WPA2, and bcrypt across the most relevant GPUs available in March 2026, then rank them by value so you can make the right call for your budget and workload.
For the full raw benchmark table across all GPU models, see the Hashcat GPU Benchmark Table.
Full Benchmark Comparison Table: Top GPUs for Hashcat 2026
| GPU | MD5 (GH/s) | NTLM (GH/s) | SHA-256 (GH/s) | WPA2 (kH/s) | bcrypt (kH/s) | Est. Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RTX 5090 | ~240 | ~420 | ~100 | ~3,800 | ~22 | ~$2,000 |
| RTX 5080 | ~155 | ~270 | ~65 | ~2,500 | ~14 | ~$1,000 |
| RTX 4090 | 164.1 | 288.5 | 63.0 | 2,600 | ~14 | ~$1,400 used |
| RTX 4080 Super | ~105 | ~165 | ~42 | ~1,700 | ~9 | ~$900 used |
| RTX 4080 | ~100 | ~156 | ~40 | ~1,600 | ~8 | ~$800 used |
| RTX 4070 Ti | ~75 | ~120 | ~30 | ~1,200 | ~6.5 | ~$600 used |
| RX 7900 XTX | 74.2 | 114.5 | 30.5 | 1,466 | ~7.5 | ~$700 |
| RX 7900 XT | 61.7 | 97.8 | 25.2 | 1,242 | ~6.3 | ~$600 |
| RX 7800 XT | ~45 | ~70 | ~18 | ~900 | ~4.5 | ~$400 |
| RTX 3090 | 65.1 | 121.2 | 26.0 | 1,106 | ~6 | ~$450 used |
| RTX 3080 | 54.0 | 93.4 | 21.0 | 862 | ~4.5 | ~$300 used |
| RTX 3070 | ~40 | ~70 | ~16 | 646 | ~3.5 | ~$220 used |
RTX 5090/5080 values are early community estimates based on Blackwell architecture benchmarks. All prices are approximate March 2026 market values.
GPU-by-GPU Analysis
RTX 5090 — The 2026 Absolute Champion
NVIDIA's flagship Blackwell GPU delivers approximately 3,800 kH/s on WPA2 — roughly 46% faster than the RTX 4090. On fast hash types like MD5 and NTLM, the 5090 hits approximately 240 GH/s and 420 GH/s respectively.
At ~$2,000 MSRP (and potentially higher in early 2026 due to supply constraints), the RTX 5090 makes most sense for: - Professional penetration testers who crack hashes daily - Research labs running large multi-GPU or cloud-GPU setups - Situations where time-to-crack directly saves money
The 5090's 32GB GDDR7 VRAM is also a bonus for certain dictionary-heavy attack modes.
Verdict: Best performance money can buy. Only justifiable at professional scale given the premium over a used RTX 4090.
RTX 5080 — Best New GPU Value in 2026
At approximately $1,000, the RTX 5080 delivers around 2,500 kH/s on WPA2 — nearly matching the RTX 4090's performance at nearly $400 less (compared to used 4090 prices). On MD5 it reaches approximately 155 GH/s.
This makes the RTX 5080 the best price-per-hash ratio among new GPUs in 2026. If you are building a new rig from scratch and don't want to hunt the used market, the 5080 is the smart buy.
Verdict: Top pick for a new build in 2026. Excellent balance of performance and price.
RTX 4090 — The Proven Workhorse
The RTX 4090 remains a dominant force. Its 164.1 GH/s on MD5, 288.5 GH/s on NTLM, and 2,600 kH/s on WPA2 are all verified by community benchmarks (Chick3nman gists). On bcrypt (mode 3200) it manages approximately 14 kH/s.
As of March 2026, used RTX 4090s can be found for approximately $1,300–1,500. This is slightly more expensive than a new RTX 5080 for slightly more WPA2 performance — the 4090 edges ahead on NTLM and MD5 throughput due to its higher CUDA core count and mature driver optimization.
Verdict: Still competitive. If you find a used 4090 at a good price it remains one of the best hashcat GPUs available.
RX 7900 XTX — Best AMD GPU for Hashcat
AMD's top RDNA 3 card delivers 74.2 GH/s on MD5, 114.5 GH/s on NTLM, and 1,466 kH/s on WPA2. At approximately $700, it undercuts NVIDIA's comparable options significantly.
There are two important caveats for AMD on Hashcat: 1. ROCm required on Linux: Install the correct ROCm version for your kernel. Performance without ROCm is significantly degraded. 2. Windows support: AMD OpenCL on Windows works but NVIDIA CUDA typically has better optimization in hashcat kernels.
If you are comfortable with Linux and ROCm setup, the RX 7900 XTX provides an excellent kH/s-per-dollar ratio — especially for WPA2 cracking workflows.
Verdict: Best AMD option. Great value if you are set up for ROCm on Linux.
RTX 3090 (Used) — The Best Value Pick
A second-hand RTX 3090 at approximately $400–500 delivers 65.1 GH/s MD5, 121.2 GH/s NTLM, and 1,106 kH/s WPA2. Its 24GB GDDR6X VRAM is a genuine advantage for large wordlist attacks and certain rule-heavy campaigns that exceed VRAM on 12GB cards.
The RTX 3090 punches well above its current price point. For a researcher or security professional on a tight budget who doesn't need cutting-edge performance, the used 3090 is hard to beat.
Verdict: Best value pick overall. A used RTX 3090 at ~$450 is the sweet spot for budget-conscious builds in 2026.
RTX 4080 and RTX 4070 Ti — Strong Mid-Range Options
The RTX 4080 (~$800 used) offers approximately 1,600 kH/s on WPA2 and 100 GH/s on MD5 — a solid jump over the 3090 at a moderate price increase. The RTX 4070 Ti (~$600 used) hits approximately 1,200 kH/s WPA2. Both are good choices if you want a newer-generation card with improved power efficiency over the 30-series.
Best Value: Second-Hand RTX 3090
The RTX 3090 deserves special mention. With 24GB of VRAM and hash rates competitive with cards that cost twice as much today, it is the go-to recommendation for:
- Security students building a first cracking rig
- CTF players who crack hashes occasionally
- Pentesters who need a capable card without a large capital outlay
Tips for buying second-hand:
- Check the GPU's thermal paste — 3090s were often used hard in mining rigs
- Run hashcat -b -m 0 for 10 minutes as a stress test before committing
- Prefer cards with intact warranty seals or from gaming use over mining use
- Cards with blower fans (Founders Edition) are harder to cool but easier to stack in multi-GPU rigs
Multi-GPU Considerations
Running multiple GPUs multiplies your cracking speed linearly for most hash types:
- 2x RTX 3090: ~2,212 kH/s WPA2 — matches an RTX 4090 at lower cost
- 2x RX 7900 XTX: ~2,932 kH/s WPA2 — competitive with a single RTX 5090
- 4x RTX 3080: ~3,448 kH/s WPA2 — slightly better than a single RTX 5090
Multi-GPU Build Tips
- Motherboard: Use a board with multiple PCIe slots or PCIe riser cables (1x to 16x adapters) for mining-style open-frame builds.
- Power supply: Calculate (GPU TDP × number of GPUs) + 200W system overhead. Use multiple PSUs with a sync cable for large arrays.
- PCIe bandwidth: For most hashcat workloads, PCIe bandwidth is not the bottleneck. 1x risers are sufficient.
- Cooling: Open mining frames with directed airflow outperform closed cases for GPU-dense setups. Keep junction temps below 80°C.
- Hashcat device selection: Use
-d 1,2,3,4to specify which GPUs to use, or omit-dto use all detected OpenCL/CUDA devices.
# Run hashcat across all GPUs
hashcat -m 22000 -a 0 hashes.hc22000 wordlist.txt -O -w 4
# Specify devices explicitly
hashcat -m 22000 -a 0 hashes.hc22000 wordlist.txt -d 1,2 -O -w 4
# Check all detected devices
hashcat -I
Driver Setup: CUDA vs ROCm
Getting the right driver stack is essential — a misconfigured driver can cut your performance by 50% or more.
NVIDIA: CUDA Setup on Linux (Ubuntu/Debian)
# Install latest NVIDIA driver with CUDA support
sudo apt update
sudo apt install nvidia-driver-550 nvidia-cuda-toolkit
# Verify CUDA is detected
nvidia-smi
hashcat -I
# Run WPA2 benchmark to confirm performance
hashcat -b -m 22000 -O -w 4
NVIDIA on Windows is straightforward — install the latest Game Ready or Studio driver from nvidia.com, then run hashcat directly. No additional CUDA toolkit install is needed; hashcat bundles the necessary CUDA runtime.
AMD: ROCm Setup on Linux
# Follow AMD's ROCm installation guide for your distro:
# https://rocmdocs.amd.com/en/latest/
# After ROCm is installed, add your user to the render/video groups
sudo usermod -aG render,video $USER
# Verify ROCm detects the GPU
rocm-smi
# Verify hashcat sees the AMD GPU
hashcat -I
# Benchmark WPA2
hashcat -b -m 22000 -O -w 4
AMD on Windows uses OpenCL via Adrenalin drivers. Performance is generally adequate but can lag behind ROCm on Linux for certain hash modes. If you are serious about AMD-based cracking, Linux with ROCm is strongly recommended.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
- hashcat -I shows no devices: Check driver installation and that your user has GPU device access permissions.
- Low performance on AMD: Ensure ROCm is installed correctly; OpenCL fallback is significantly slower.
- CUDA out of memory errors: Reduce
-n(accel) or use rules/wordlists that fit in VRAM. - Thermal throttling: Monitor GPU temps with
nvidia-smi dmonorrocm-smi; sustained cracking at high temps will reduce effective hash rates.
Hash-Type Specific Recommendations
Not all GPUs perform equally well across all hash types. Here is what to prioritize based on your workload:
Fast Hashes (MD5, NTLM, SHA-256)
For maximum throughput on fast hashes, raw CUDA core count and memory bandwidth dominate. The RTX 5090 and 4090 lead here by a significant margin. AMD GPUs underperform their price point on fast hashes due to CUDA optimization advantages in hashcat.
WPA2/WPA3
WPA2 is compute-intensive with limited memory access. NVIDIA and AMD are more competitive here. The RX 7900 XTX's 1,466 kH/s is genuinely competitive with cards costing more.
bcrypt
bcrypt (mode 3200) is intentionally slow — even the RTX 5090 only reaches approximately 22 kH/s. For bcrypt-heavy workloads, budget more for CPU-side preprocessing and attack planning rather than GPU spending. The difference between an RTX 3090 (~6 kH/s) and an RTX 5090 (~22 kH/s) is real but the absolute numbers are low either way.
Final Recommendations
| Use Case | Recommended GPU | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Professional daily cracking | RTX 5090 or 4090 | Maximum throughput, proven reliability |
| New build, best value | RTX 5080 | Best new-GPU price-per-hash in 2026 |
| Budget build | RTX 3090 (used) | 24GB VRAM, excellent all-round performance |
| AMD preference | RX 7900 XTX | Best AMD hashcat GPU, good value |
| Multi-GPU array | 2-4x RTX 3080 (used) | Cost-effective high-aggregate throughput |
| Learning / CTF | RTX 3070 or 3060 Ti (used) | Sufficient for most CTF hashes, low cost |
The landscape in 2026 is favorable for buyers: RTX 40-series and 30-series cards have matured in the used market with price drops, the RTX 50-series brings new performance headroom, and AMD's ROCm support has improved substantially. Whatever your budget, there is a strong GPU option for Hashcat cracking in 2026.
For complete benchmark numbers across all GPU generations including older Nvidia GTX and AMD RX 5000/6000 series, see the full Hashcat GPU Benchmark Table.
Published: March 2026. Prices are approximate market values. RTX 5090/5080 benchmarks are based on early community reports; figures will be refined as more data becomes available.