The GPU is a special processing unit designed to perform complex calculations for computer graphics quickly and efficiently. Thanks to their high power and parallelism, they are widely used to mine different cryptocurrencies and thus increase the profit margin of mining.
DDue to the increased difficulty in Bitcoin mining, it became necessary to implement new computing equipment known as GPU. And although these teams are no longer so used in the current mining of Bitcoin, although yes in other cryptocurrencies, GPUs represented great potential and advancement for Bitcoin at the time. Let's learn a little more about GPU equipment and what important role they played in bitcoin mining.
All the GPUs are graphics processing units that have a higher computing power than those of central processing units (CPUs) conventional. They are commonly known as graphics cards. These allow to optimize and increase the computing power of the computers where they are installed. Usually aimed at the world of video games, but They were very useful in Bitcoin mining due to their high performance and processing power. For what they constituted the second generation of computer equipment in the mining of this cryptocurrency.
Introduction of GPUs to Bitcoin mining
Initially, GPU equipment was used for the execution and operation of video games or interactive 3-dimensional (3D) applications. Applications that required great graphic potential. But in 2010, a programming language known as OpenCL, which allowed the use of this equipment in other activities, including Bitcoin mining.
Thus, GPUs were introduced to cryptocurrency mining activities, and began to be used significantly, due to the great profitability they provided at the time. Since GPUs provided their users with a computing power similar to that of some 30 CPUs attached. And although its cost was somewhat high, the investment was worth it, since the odds of mining bitcoins with GPU equipment improved significantly.
But like all technology, cryptocurrencies evolve rapidly, which has left these teams out of the game, especially in Bitcoin mining.
Advantages and disadvantages of GPU equipment in cryptocurrency mining
Pros
- GPUs have the great advantage of allowing their users to mine and mine any cryptocurrency. There are many ASIC-resistant cryptocurrencies out there today, making GPUs an excellent choice.
- There are many cryptocurrencies with little mining competition where GPU mining can be profitable.
- GPUs have multiple arithmetic logic units (ALUs), so they can run multiple calculations in parallel to find different SHA-256 hashes much faster than conventional equipment.
- An ASIC is designed for a single Hash algorithm, if you want to use an ASIC for another currency that uses another algorithm you will not be able to. And if the currency you want to mine changes from Hash (see case of Monero) will also stop working. With a GPU you can mine, at a lower speed, but any algorithm.
- These equipments can be adapted according to the computational power requirements, so they have great flexibility and adaptability to the market. Literally, several GPUs can be assembled and configured to operate on the same computer.
- Its acquisition cost is much lower than current ASIC mining equipment, so GPUs allowed for greater decentralization of the crypto market. allowing both companies and amateurs to have access to mining.
Cons
- The high energy consumption produced by this equipment minimizes the profitability of mining, especially for the current difficulty of Bitcoin. Also, when a miner connected so many GPUs externally to a computer to improve its computing power, they overheated. So the energy consumption of temperature regulators, such as air conditioners, among others, was added.
- GPUs were not designed for Bitcoin mining, so many of their components were wasted without use.
- GPU equipment requires special configuration to start Bitcoin mining activities. For example, special bases for the assembly and operation of the same.
- Compared to current mining equipment, GPUs no longer provide high efficiency in the Bitcoin mining process; In addition, the high difficulty that the system has today made these equipment no longer profitable to carry out this process.
Use of GPU equipment today
Currently, in the crypto community there are many mining resistant cryptocurrencies with ASIC equipment. This makes the use of GPUs still profitable in such cryptocurrencies. Some of these cryptocurrencies are Monero y the Raveco. However, it is always recommended that before investing in the mining of any of these cryptocurrencies, a prior study of their profitability be carried out. That is, an evaluation of the efficiency of the equipment, its electricity consumption, the rewards granted by the cryptocurrency and its current price in the market.
Likewise, thanks to the flexibility of the GPUs, they can be used to mine them or any other cryptocurrency resistant to ASIC equipment. However, in this aspect we exclude Bitcoin. This is because the current difficulty of your bitcoin mining network is dominated by ASIC teams. Similarly, if a point were to be reached where mining with GPU equipment was no longer profitable in any respect, the owners of this equipment could use it to pursue other activities. For example, selling them in a second-hand market without fear of losing their full value.
Another option to continue giving these equipment a useful life is to rent their computing power. Nowadays it is possible to carry out this action since many companies are willing to pay computer equipment owners a certain amount of money, to make use of this potential. And it only takes GPU owners to leave their computers running and connected to a network for a couple of hours, depending on the computing power they are renting.