I had a very similar goal—test the waters without spending thousands. What worked for me was an article I found on captainaltcoin that highlights cheap bitcoin miners 2025 and what you can realistically expect from them. It’s not just a list of budget options—they actually explain how each one performs under real conditions. The Hashivo B1 stood out for me. At about $2,200, it delivers 500 TH/s with decent efficiency (11.0 J/TH) and hydro cooling that keeps it quiet. That was perfect for a beginner setup in my apartment. The Antminer S21 Hyd is more powerful but was outside my budget and louder than I liked. The article even outlines long-term costs like energy and maintenance, so you’re not caught off guard after buying. Here’s the full post that helped me make my decision: captainaltcoin.com. Give it a read—it’ll save you from making a bad first purchase like I almost did.