What are Megahashes Per Second?

Megahashes per second (MH/s) is a unit of measurement equal to one million hashes per second.

A hash is a mathematical application used to convert data into alphanumerics of a fixed, predetermined length. Hashes are used to increase the speed of data storage and retrieval as they are shorter and easier to find than complete computations.

The calculation of hashes is used in cryptocurrency mining. The mining process requires powerful computers and specialized software that can create cryptocurrency and data blocks. Crypto miners must solve complicated mathematical problems which often require an algorithm to crack.

The calculations are measured at the performance speed of the mining computer, using the hash units of measurement such as MH/s. Cryptocurrency mining requires a lot of speed to solve the hashes, and mining devices can make thousands or, in some cases, even millions of guesses per second. The goal is to create a new block by solving its calculation.

With time, the difficulty rates of mineable cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) tend to rise to the point where attempting to solo mine one block on a single CPU at the speed of 50 hashes per second can require nearly a million years. Therefore, CPU is not the recommended method of mining.

Mining-specific equipment with upgraded and more powerful hardware, such as ASIC miners, is being developed to increase the speed of the mining process and the earnings of the miners themselves. However, the increasing difficulty and power requirements mean that the energy consumption also goes up.

Different cryptocurrencies require different hash rates and power requirements for the mining equipment. The hash rate affects the work of crypto miners directly as the difficulty level determines how likely they are to mine a new block. The higher the hash rate, the higher the odds of adding a new block to the chain.

The size measurements of hashes are the same as those used for other computational storage units, such as Kilo, Mega, Giga, or Tera. A hash rate of 100 hashes per second shows that the mining device is able to make 100 guesses per second as it tries to solve the computation of the block.

Ethereum (ETH) mining machines, which are primarily GPU-based, run their computations in the megahash range. For an Ethereum mining device, 50 megahashes per second is an optimal mining time with a good GPU. If an Ethereum mining setup contains seven GPUs running at roughly the same speed, the miner may be able to earn over 10 ETH yearly.