Once it's no longer profitable to run, it was shut down and since it was purpose built to do one thing, it's left where it last ran, it has no other purpose.
Someday, if your lucky, your sha(256) miner will be in a museum.
Topic: What are ASIC miners good for once mining is no longer profitable? (Read 4437 times)
January 25, 2014, 12:38:26 PM
They're as about as good as this old gold wash plant left to rot in the the Alaska back woods.
Once it's no longer profitable to run, it was shut down and since it was purpose built to do one thing, it's left where it last ran, it has no other purpose.
Someday, if your lucky, your sha(256) miner will be in a museum.
Once it's no longer profitable to run, it was shut down and since it was purpose built to do one thing, it's left where it last ran, it has no other purpose.
Someday, if your lucky, your sha(256) miner will be in a museum.
January 25, 2014, 02:26:43 AM
ASICs by their very nature of being ASICs cannot be used for anything else bar 4 special uses: Doorstop, boat anchor, book end and paperweight.
This is were the brilliance of the Avalon crew shines, they essentially made huge pieces of lego for us to play with. I should have bought more minis and built myself a house when I was done mining.
January 24, 2014, 11:12:55 PM
Lease panels from Solar City, hook up your ASIC and double mine with these -> http://www.coindesk.com/solarcoin-awards-coins-solar-power-generation/ :-)? then buy a Tesla.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hF4XUmnWGM
They touch lightly on the topic at 18min, 28 and 30:30 ish
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hF4XUmnWGM
They touch lightly on the topic at 18min, 28 and 30:30 ish
January 24, 2014, 09:49:30 PM
OK, thanks for all teaching me ASICs could be used for other SHA-256 coins. Certainly gives ASICs a longer shelf-life than I had first imagined. Learn something new every day 
January 24, 2014, 02:25:40 PM
you can use ASIC miners to mine other profitable SHA-256 Coins
you should have a look at 21 Century Coin
Its a Ultra Rare SHA-256 Coin, its growing rapidly
here is ANN Thread for 21 Century Coin
https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/annsha-25621coin-ultra-rare-21-coin-now-in-cryptorushin-3-exchanges-426853
you should have a look at 21 Century Coin
Its a Ultra Rare SHA-256 Coin, its growing rapidly
here is ANN Thread for 21 Century Coin
https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/annsha-25621coin-ultra-rare-21-coin-now-in-cryptorushin-3-exchanges-426853
January 24, 2014, 01:05:58 PM
This is why there will 2-3 main crypto currencies because the old ASICs will be used to mine a currency with lower difficulty.
See a pretty long list of SHA-256 Alt coins on http://www.p2pool.org/
See a pretty long list of SHA-256 Alt coins on http://www.p2pool.org/
Are you saying you can "re-program" bitcoin ASICs to mine a different SHA-256 coin?
One of the pools provides a switching service. You point the miner to it's switched pool, and it mines the most profitable alt-coin.
Some ASIC miners had trouble with the pool switching during the testing phase. The number of rejects became very high for those miners.
stratum+tcp://stratum.coinex.pw:9944
January 24, 2014, 12:23:02 PM
Yes, maybe spend some more time in the altcoin forums 
January 24, 2014, 12:16:26 PM
This is why there will 2-3 main crypto currencies because the old ASICs will be used to mine a currency with lower difficulty.
See a pretty long list of SHA-256 Alt coins on http://www.p2pool.org/
See a pretty long list of SHA-256 Alt coins on http://www.p2pool.org/
Are you saying you can "re-program" bitcoin ASICs to mine a different SHA-256 coin?
Yes, you can mine any sha256d coin with the bitcoin asics.
Yes this is correct, bitcoin ASICs just do the SHA256 math, they are not coin specific, they can be used for anything else that the SHA256 calculation such as an alternative coin's blockchain.
January 24, 2014, 12:09:54 PM
This is why there will 2-3 main crypto currencies because the old ASICs will be used to mine a currency with lower difficulty.
See a pretty long list of SHA-256 Alt coins on http://www.p2pool.org/
See a pretty long list of SHA-256 Alt coins on http://www.p2pool.org/
Are you saying you can "re-program" bitcoin ASICs to mine a different SHA-256 coin?
Yes, you can mine any sha256d coin with the bitcoin asics.
January 24, 2014, 11:34:53 AM
This is why there will 2-3 main crypto currencies because the old ASICs will be used to mine a currency with lower difficulty.
See a pretty long list of SHA-256 Alt coins on http://www.p2pool.org/
See a pretty long list of SHA-256 Alt coins on http://www.p2pool.org/
Are you saying you can "re-program" bitcoin ASICs to mine a different SHA-256 coin?
January 24, 2014, 11:13:12 AM
This is why there will 2-3 main crypto currencies because the old ASICs will be used to mine a currency with lower difficulty.
See a pretty long list of SHA-256 Alt coins on http://www.p2pool.org/
See a pretty long list of SHA-256 Alt coins on http://www.p2pool.org/
January 24, 2014, 08:24:36 AM
details of their absolute unability of doing anything else than btc mining explained here:
http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/7236/bitcoin-mining-asics-used-for-cryptographic-application-rainbow-tables
http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/7236/bitcoin-mining-asics-used-for-cryptographic-application-rainbow-tables
What they should be pretty obvious anyway. They are task-specific devices. They can't be adapted to do anything. Except being a coffee table if they are the right dimensions and stylish enough
January 24, 2014, 08:17:54 AM
Has anyone tried whether they will blend yet?
Also, I think the jalapenos are excellent coffee mug heaters!
Also, I think the jalapenos are excellent coffee mug heaters!
January 24, 2014, 08:16:58 AM
details of their absolute unability of doing anything else than btc mining explained here:
http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/7236/bitcoin-mining-asics-used-for-cryptographic-application-rainbow-tables
http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/7236/bitcoin-mining-asics-used-for-cryptographic-application-rainbow-tables
January 24, 2014, 07:54:02 AM
Use for ASICs after difficulty has made them worthless? Tie a thick string around them and use them as conkers! Bash them together to see which breaks first 
January 23, 2014, 11:38:06 PM
This cold winter I'm already starting to enjoy the "free" heat from the BE Cube I got today, but once the weather changes and difficulty goes up - what are the alternative uses for these dedicated SHA-256 miners? Can they somehow be reprogrammed to do a worthwhile task or are they just really expensive electric heaters once mining is no longer profitable?
What are they good for, nothing, absolutely nothing, say it again ....
January 23, 2014, 10:15:11 PM
the electricitity bill is quite expensive ... I ran blade and cube miner , 600w+750w+150w ( for fan cooling ) ... no ROI now ... and quite noisy , I am using dell server PSU
I'll take it. Proly pay shipping as well.
January 23, 2014, 10:14:20 PM
the electricitity bill is quite expensive ... I ran blade and cube miner , 600w+750w+150w ( for fan cooling ) ... no ROI now ... and quite noisy , I am using dell server PSU
January 23, 2014, 10:11:16 PM
So you want to take an
Application Specific Integrated Circuit
and make it
Application In-Specific?
Application Specific Integrated Circuit
and make it
Application In-Specific?
No, obviously not. What I mean is - how can we use the same application to a different end.
The circuit performs a specific function at high speed - what other uses could there be for the same function (sha256()). Maybe I'm just asking too much trying to get you guys come up with a new use for sha256 hashing.
One obvious example: Namecoin.
It's application seems to be SHA256 hashing based on the provided algorithm. I'd think that using it to hash anything which uses the same SHA256 algo would be a great use for them. Or give them to me. The Casing, PCB, Components, etc aren't worthless in the future, just the actual chip. Who knows if the news reads "bitcoin banned globally" maybe these things will make millions in the underground farms....
January 23, 2014, 09:44:44 PM
So you want to take an
Application Specific Integrated Circuit
and make it
Application In-Specific?
Application Specific Integrated Circuit
and make it
Application In-Specific?
No, obviously not. What I mean is - how can we use the same application to a different end.
The circuit performs a specific function at high speed - what other uses could there be for the same function (sha256()). Maybe I'm just asking too much trying to get you guys come up with a new use for sha256 hashing.
One obvious example: Namecoin.
January 23, 2014, 09:32:32 PM
So you want to take an
Application Specific Integrated Circuit
and make it
Application In-Specific?
Application Specific Integrated Circuit
and make it
Application In-Specific?
January 23, 2014, 09:30:31 PM
Mining whatever cryptocurrencies require sha256(sha256()) and nothing else. They cannot do anything else. Period.
January 23, 2014, 09:18:02 PM
ASICs by their very nature of being ASICs cannot be used for anything else bar 4 special uses: Doorstop, boat anchor, book end and paperweight. Though some are too light for even those uses.
Let's broaden the horizon a bit - how can we innovate and use the nature of SHA-256 ASICS another way? I like the idea of NMC for instance, but I feel like there should be a lot more possible uses.
January 23, 2014, 08:42:23 PM
ASICs by their very nature of being ASICs cannot be used for anything else bar 4 special uses: Doorstop, boat anchor, book end and paperweight. Though some are too light for even those uses.
January 23, 2014, 08:17:11 PM
This cold winter I'm already starting to enjoy the "free" heat from the BE Cube I got today, but once the weather changes and difficulty goes up - what are the alternative uses for these dedicated SHA-256 miners? Can they somehow be reprogrammed to do a worthwhile task or are they just really expensive electric heaters once mining is no longer profitable?
They will be good to give to me.
January 23, 2014, 08:14:43 PM
This cold winter I'm already starting to enjoy the "free" heat from the BE Cube I got today, but once the weather changes and difficulty goes up - what are the alternative uses for these dedicated SHA-256 miners? Can they somehow be reprogrammed to do a worthwhile task or are they just really expensive electric heaters once mining is no longer profitable?
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