Is monerod's built-in miner efficient compared to XMRig?

Monerod’s built-in miner usually produces fewer hashes per second than XMRig on the same CPU. It is convenient for trying solo mining, but XMRig is generally the better choice if you want more mining work from your hardware or electricity. The size of the difference depends on your CPU, operating system, and settings—not a fixed percentage.

Why XMRig usually performs better

monerod is the program that runs a Monero node: it downloads and checks the blockchain, the shared record of transactions. Its built-in miner lets you mine without installing a separate mining program.

XMRig focuses specifically on mining performance. Both use RandomX, Monero’s mining algorithm—the rules your computer follows when searching for a valid block. But XMRig offers more specialized tuning, including:

• Huge pages: Larger chunks of memory that can reduce memory-management overhead.
• CPU-specific settings: Adjustments that can improve RandomX performance on supported processors.
• Thread and processor placement controls: Ways to choose how many mining workers run and which CPU cores they use.

Some optimizations depend on operating-system support or extra permissions. Simply installing XMRig does not guarantee the best possible result.

How to compare efficiency fairly

Hashrate means how many mining attempts your computer makes each second. More is better when the power use stays the same, but hashrate alone does not tell you electricity efficiency.

For a useful comparison on your own machine:

• Let your node finish its initial blockchain synchronization first.
• Run only one miner at a time.
• Keep other workloads and cooling conditions similar.
• Allow each miner to warm up before recording sustained hashrate.
• Measure whole-computer power at the wall if you can.

Divide hashes per second by watts to compare hashes per joule, a measure of work per unit of energy.

Do not assume using every CPU thread is best. RandomX benefits from roughly 2 MB of L3 cache per mining thread. L3 cache is a small, fast memory area inside your CPU. Too many threads can compete for it, increasing heat and power without a matching performance gain.

XMRig also has a developer donation setting, normally 1% by default. Include that time when comparing work contributed toward your own rewards.

Solo mining does not require the built-in miner

You can use XMRig to solo mine through your own monerod node. The node checks the chain and handles network communication, while XMRig does the mining calculations. You do not need to run monerod’s built-in miner alongside it.

This gives you a useful middle ground: your own node and solo mining, with a more performance-focused miner.

Neither setup makes solo rewards predictable. You receive a mining reward only when you find a block. A faster miner improves your odds, but a typical home computer can still face extremely long waits.

For P2Pool, the usual arrangement is monerod plus P2Pool plus XMRig. P2Pool coordinates decentralized pooled mining; XMRig connects to it to perform the mining work. Monerod’s built-in miner is not a replacement for that connection.

The bottom line

Use monerod’s built-in miner for simplicity or a quick solo-mining test. Choose XMRig when sustained performance and electricity efficiency matter. Compare both on your own hardware, and remember that better efficiency does not guarantee profit or frequent solo rewards.