With the extraordinary growth of Bitcoin mining lately, some debates from 2015 are starting to resurface. For example, why can’t we mine bitcoin with GPUs and other high-performance computing (HPC) units found in data centers? What makes application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) much better suited for mining bitcoin? An S19 doesn’t seem like a more capable machine than a supercomputer; what gives? In this article, we will explore why ASICs outperform HPC in bitcoin mining and provide 5 distinct points to support this argument.
1) ASICs are specifically designed for bitcoin mining.
Simply put, ASICs outperform HPC in bitcoin mining is that they are specifically designed for this task. ASICs are optimized to perform the SHA-256 algorithm used in bitcoin mining. This optimization gives them such a massive advantage over HPC, which has to allocate resources to a wide range of tasks because they are more general in their compute capabilities. In contrast, it gives HPCs a significant advantage over ASICs in that they can perform a wide array of functions, but mining not so much.
This lack of complexity makes ASICs much faster and more efficient than HPC systems for bitcoin mining.
2) ASICs are much faster than HPC systems.
Another critical advantage of ASICs over HPC systems is their speed. Bitcoin mining uses an SHA-256d algorithm that is simple, fast, and efficient by proxy. These omnidirectional hashes can be computed quickly by ASICs. In contrast, HPC systems are optimized for complex calculations, such as video rendering, scientific simulations, and even weather forecasting, which require much more processing power and take much longer to compute. This lack of complexity makes ASICs much faster and more efficient than HPC systems for bitcoin mining.
3) ASICs are more power-efficient than HPC systems.
Because of the simplicity of the hash functions needed to solve a block header, ASICs are also much more power-efficient than HPC systems. ASICs are designed to use as little power as possible while still being able to perform the SHA-256 algorithm, and they mine bitcoins much more efficiently than HPC systems. Not only does this efficiency make ASICs more cost-effective, but it also helps to reduce their carbon footprint, something HPCs cannot claim.
4) ASICs are easier to maintain than HPC systems.
In many ways, ASICs are also much easier to maintain than HPC systems. Specifically, ASICs are custom-designed microchips; they are much less likely to fail than HPC systems, which can be complex and prone to SDK depreciations, driver conflicts, and compiler pathways errors. Additionally, ASICs require less environmental protection than HPC systems, which must be regularly maintained and operated inside air-conditioned and negative-pressure clean rooms to ensure they function correctly. In the long run, the opex makes ASICs more reliable and less costly to maintain than HPC systems.
ASICs are more cost-effective than HPC systems for bitcoin mining.
5) ASICs are more cost-effective than HPC systems for bitcoin mining.
ASICs are specifically designed to perform the SHA-256 algorithm used in bitcoin mining, meaning they can mine bitcoins much more efficiently than HPC systems. What I mean by that is that an S19 Bitcoin miner from Bitmain can generate more revenue per unit of energy consumed, making them much more cost-effective than HPC systems. Some models of Bitmain’s S19 are in the low to middle 20s/joules per terahash. For every trillion SHA256d hashes per second produced, it uses 20-30 watts. My guess is that an HPC would be above 100/Joules/Th. This makes ASIC much more cost-effective than HPC systems regarding bitcoin mining. Let’s remember that ASICs are much cheaper than HPC systems, which can be complex and expensive. ASICs are a more cost-effective investment for those looking to enter the bitcoin mining industry.
High-performance computing (HPC) systems demonstrate considerable potential in diverse tasks, including bitcoin mining. Nevertheless, when it comes to this specific undertaking, ASICs triumph over HPCs. ASICs are exclusively crafted to execute the SHA-256 algorithm utilized in bitcoin mining, making them swifter, more energy-efficient, more straightforward to upkeep, and more economical than HPC systems. The hash functions applied in bitcoin mining are elementary, and ASICs have been optimized to leverage this advantage, granting them a tremendous upper hand over HPC systems. While HPC systems have advantages of efficiency, speed, and cost-effectiveness, ASICs reign supreme in bitcoin mining.
The hash functions applied in bitcoin mining are elementary, and ASICs have been optimized to leverage this advantage.
High-performance computing (HPC) systems demonstrate considerable potential in diverse tasks, including bitcoin mining. Nevertheless, when it comes to this specific undertaking, ASICs triumph over HPCs. ASICs are exclusively crafted to execute the SHA-256 algorithm utilized in bitcoin mining, making them swifter, more energy-efficient, more straightforward to upkeep, and more economical than HPC systems. The hash functions applied in bitcoin mining are elementary, and ASICs have been optimized to leverage this advantage, granting them a tremendous upper hand over HPC systems. While HPC systems have advantages of efficiency, speed, and cost-effectiveness, ASICs reign supreme in bitcoin mining.
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