At the start of cryptocurrency mining, small computer chips called CPUs (Central Processing Units) were used to complete mining operations. This made sense as CPUs are essentially the brain of any computer system. Things have changed a lot over the past decade and now GPU mining and ASIC mining are the dominant methods for mining crypto that support Proof of Work (PoW).

What is GPU mining?

Crypto mining using GPUs

GPU mining – this involves using the GPU (graphics processing unit) of a computer, otherwise known as the graphics card, to complete often complex mathematical tasks involving blockchain electronic transactions

What is ASIC mining?

Crypto mining using ASIC miners

ASIC mining – this is a process exclusively used to mine cryptocurrencies. ASIC rigs (application-specific integrated circuits) came to prominence in 2010 and were created to mine as much cryptocurrency as possible. ASIC rigs are only used for mining cryptocurrencies and have no other purpose

Is CPU mining dead?

Whilst GPU and ASIC mining have taken centre stage for crypto mining due to the greater returns available, CPU mining is still possible and profitable for certain coins such as Monero and more recently Raptoreum.

In fact, Raptoreum (referred to as RTM) has seen significant growth recently and profitability when mining on the latest CPUs (for example the AMD Ryzen 9 3950x or  AMD Ryzen 9 5950x) currently rivals GPU mining, making around 50 USD

Raptoreum CPU mining is very profitable

Are there other ways of mining crypto?

As well as CPU, ASIC and GPU mining, there are also other forms of cryptocurrency mining including Proof of Coverage (PoC). Helium for example uses low-power routers to create a wireless network and users can earn/mine Helium’s HNT cryptocurrency by purchasing a HNT router and taking part in the network.

If you are interested in cryptocurrency mining, all methods are viable approaches depending on your goal. Here we will explore the two main forms of mining, GPU and ASIC, and explain why we choose and recommend GPU mining computers.

Why are GPUs so ideal for mining?

GPUs were originally intended for the rendering of 3D graphical designs and shapes. This task requires complex mathematical calculations which all need to be completed quickly and in parallel. GPUs are expert at displaying complex computer games in real-time with the number of calculations required being staggering.

Computers with powerful GPUs are ideal for gaming and also similarly GPU mining. This is because GPU mining similarly creates demands for many thousands of parallel processing cores. These resolve complex mathematical problems, which are needed to calculate mining hashes, which is what earns cryptocurrency.

Why did we choose to build GPU mining computers?

Our decision at Opace was to build GPU mining computers. Typically, we would expect to use these over at least a 3-year period. The reasons why we made this decision are:

• Energy efficiency – when measured in terms of cost per watt, GPUs can produce cryptocurrency much more efficiently than ASIC miners
• Investment in their own right – GPUs will always have/hold their resale value and even sell for more than they are purchased for due to the huge demand. This is because these top-quality technology components retain their value more and are in limited supply
• Expandability – we only use the highest grade enclosed mining cases. Our 500 MH rigs and above use the Octominer ULTRA cases. Not only do these use enterprise-grade server quality hardware as standard, these rigs can be expanded in the future to use the very latest GPUs
• Minimal technology obsolescence – we only assemble top-quality GPU mining computers where the technological obsolescence over a 3-year period is minimal
• Multi-purpose – GPUs are multi-purpose, as well as cryptocurrency mining, they can be used for applications such as deep learning, graphics work, hardcore gaming, high-performance computing (HPC) and machine learning, etc.

Do you want to learn more?

We have explained all about the different forms of crypto mining and why we only build GPU mining computers. You are welcome to contact us with any enquiries. We have designed our crypto mining servers to operate as a turnkey solution. We appreciate though at this stage you will want to learn everything you can about the exciting opportunities crypto mining brings.

Image Credit: PX Fuel, LauraTara and Wikipedia