Mining: GPU vs Asic
When it comes to "mining" cryptocurrency, the miner is faced with a choice: GPU or ASIC. Let's find out more about these types of equipment. Well, the administrator of the website woolypooly.com will tell us about this, where you can read in more detail what to mine on Nvidia, as well as AMD video cards, as well as find out the approximate profitability.
Specific integrated circuit vs GPU
ASICs are effective, but they can only be used to mine one coin. This makes you tied to that coin - and your investment is entirely dependent on the future of that coin. On the other hand, GPUs are great calculators for just about anything, and with the click of a button, you can mine another coin. Now you have a choice - choose when and what to mine. This gives GPUs an edge and can significantly increase profits. Now let's talk in more detail about the pros and cons of this equipment.
Pros of ASIC:
+ Low power consumption. An ASIC can consume significantly less power compared to a GPU or CPU. The H / W efficiency of ASICs is unmatched.
+ Very high hash rate for a specific coin. The ASIC will significantly outperform all other mining hardware.
+ Physical size. ASICs are usually much smaller and lighter than other hardware for similar performance.
+ Higher profit margins. ASICs are much more efficient and powerful, therefore much more profitable.
Cons of ASIC:
- Very high entry point. ASIC costs can be very high.
- Depends on the application. The ASIC for Litecoin can only mine Litecoin, and is completely useless for anything else.
- Low resale value. Unlike GPUs, ASICs cost very little at resale.
- Short lifespan. Bitcoin ASICS is currently in version 9. The previous eight versions are at a very disadvantage.
- Can become obsolete overnight. Changing the hashing algorithm can render the ASIC useless.
- Controlled by several manufacturers. The very high cost of developing and manufacturing a batch of ASICs holds a large portion of this market. Coin developers often create ASICs in an attempt to stabilize the mining of the coin over the long term and maintain interest in it.
- There is no upgrade option. When a new ASIC comes out, the old one will become obsolete.
GPU Pros:
+ General purpose computing power. From mining to Al, GPUs are very good at complex computing, no matter what type. It can mine any type of coins and also transform into an Al machine or whatever if mining is no longer profitable.
+ Easy to find. Although GPUs are only developed by AMD and NVIDIA, many companies such as ASUS, EVGA, and Gigabyte manufacture and resell GPUs. This creates competition and does not allow a single organization to control the market.
+ Standard equipment. The video card is included in the standard set of PC hardware.
+ High resale value. GPUs can always be resold at a price much higher than the original cost of an ASIC.
+ Possibility of updating. BIOS updates are always available that can significantly improve performance. In the worst case, you can replace each GPU one at a time.
Cons of GPU:
- Higher power consumption. GPUs have lower overall efficiency compared to ASICs.
- Requires a lot of equipment. A pocket-sized ASIC can sometimes be compared to a 4U server.
- It is impossible to mine certain coins. It is not possible to profitably mine coins like Bitcoin and LiteCoin, or any coin that ASIC mines.