Bitcoin Forum

Can I use an old ASIC Bitcoin miner for other applications? For example, quickly reindexing the blockchain on my computer? Or quickly hashing every file on my hard-drive?

(I really wonder if the hard-drive could even supply the data to the miner fast enough, and the computer's CPU would probably have to be involved, translating the data for the miner, so that would be a bottleneck…)

Nope.  ASIC Bitcoin miners do one thing and one thing only: mine Bitcoin.
( and any other coin that uses the exact same mining parameters, algorithm, etc. )

If you had another problem that could formulated into the work structure ASICs are expecting (basically spoofing cgminer output to the hardware's driver with data that isn't bitcoin jobs), sure you could.

Agreed, but so far I haven't seen any such work.

Due to what the ASICs tend to do (accept data and start nonce, hash away with new nonces, return nonce if the hashed data falls below a specific threshold), and presuming SHA256 is everything it claims to be, it's also unlikely you'd ever see any such work.
They're not generic hashing chips, so any sort of 'quickly hashing every file' is not applicable.  They couldn't even do a single SHA256 hashing of a few bytes, as the hash isn't actually returned.
The output of a SHA256 hashing is supposed to be sufficiently unpredictable that any task you think you could accelerate by exploiting what the ASICs do and working back from there is also not going to fly.

This question has pretty much been asked since before ASICs popped up, and a Google search for 'bitcoin asic other uses'* will readily pop up some suggestions, most of which are invalidated or just unlikely to be practical.
As an example, as one blog post postulates:
Which is a situation that has never existed and, moreover, is now practically guaranteed to not exist (unless purposely done so).

I think some generic discussion posts around here come brrrr-weather time may have the only reasonable answer (beside "no") so far: they're pretty good as heaters.

* That search also returns this same question, over at StackExchange, which elaborates on the question a bit:

Well, technically, SHA(SHA(•)).

Sure, but if SHA256 is broken (in such a way that you could exploit it), SHA256(SHA256()) should be equally broken, is what I was getting at :)

The 4 most valid alternative uses for outdated asic miners depend on the size of the device in question, and they are: Boat anchor, door stop, book end and paper weight.

An outdated miner if sufficiently quiet and wifi connectable does have an alternative use as a space heater. Generally unless you need baseload heat you don't want to use a miner for heating if it's going to be an intermittent load since it's a waste of the capital cost of the miner to only run it some of the time. I've actually got a few underclocked S1s behind my couch in the front room, which can get a little drafty. They're not worth running anymore from an economic point of view, but I've turned off the heating element in the electric fireplace in that room and now anytime my wife would have turned on the fireplace, she instead turns on the miners to give the room a bit of extra warmth.

Not really a non-bitcoin use, but it's a non-dedicated mining use.

How about mining a SHA-256 altcoin?
See here
http://www.coinwarz.com/cryptocurrency/?sha256hr=1000.00&sha256p=600.00&sha256pc=0.1000&sha256c=true&scrypthr=75000.00&scryptp=1500.00&scryptpc=0.1000&scryptc=false&scryptnhr=875.00&scryptnp=420.00&scryptnpc=0.1000&scryptnc=false&x11hr=13500.00&x11p=600.00&x11pc=0.1000&x11c=false&x13hr=9750.00&x13p=600.00&x13pc=0.1000&x13c=false&keccakhr=1260.00&keccakp=825.00&keccakpc=0.1000&keccakc=false&quarkhr=6300.00&quarkp=825.00&quarkpc=0.1000&quarkc=false&groestlhr=45.00&groestlp=825.00&groestlpc=0.1000&groestlc=false&jhahr=14000.00&jhap=350.00&jhapc=0.1000&jhac=false&blake256hr=6.40&blake256p=450.00&blake256pc=0.1000&blake256c=false&neoscrypthr=400.00&neoscryptp=400.00&neoscryptpc=0.1000&neoscryptc=false&lyra2rehr=3300.00&lyra2rep=825.00&lyra2repc=0.1000&lyra2rec=false&e=hitbtc (http://www.coinwarz.com/cryptocurrency/?sha256hr=1000.00&sha256p=600.00&sha256pc=0.1000&sha256c=true&scrypthr=75000.00&scryptp=1500.00&scryptpc=0.1000&scryptc=false&scryptnhr=875.00&scryptnp=420.00&scryptnpc=0.1000&scryptnc=false&x11hr=13500.00&x11p=600.00&x11pc=0.1000&x11c=false&x13hr=9750.00&x13p=600.00&x13pc=0.1000&x13c=false&keccakhr=1260.00&keccakp=825.00&keccakpc=0.1000&keccakc=false&quarkhr=6300.00&quarkp=825.00&quarkpc=0.1000&quarkc=false&groestlhr=45.00&groestlp=825.00&groestlpc=0.1000&groestlc=false&jhahr=14000.00&jhap=350.00&jhapc=0.1000&jhac=false&blake256hr=6.40&blake256p=450.00&blake256pc=0.1000&blake256c=false&neoscrypthr=400.00&neoscryptp=400.00&neoscryptpc=0.1000&neoscryptc=false&lyra2rehr=3300.00&lyra2rep=825.00&lyra2repc=0.1000&lyra2rec=false&e=hitbtc)
For some reason, OpenSourceCoin mining is now much more efficient that BTC mining..

Pretty much.

Recycle them.

Don't use them as space heaters.

Altcoin mining (technically not bitcoin lol)
Alternately the ONLY reusable part of the miners would bet he controller boards (rasPI and Beagleboards) on various models. 

If you got a PSU that would be about the only truly reusable part. Strip connectors for use in other things or fans and heatsinks. 

In reality IF you had some electronics project you were thinking of you could strip the silicon and possibly reuse it. Of course this is some advanced work you would be doing. Involves working some machine code to reprogram various parts of the boards themselves.

But yea if none of the above applies, IMO the controller boards being the most accessible and usable part of a miner, Bick and -ck comment on usage applies.

1001 uses for an old ASIC

Home security. If it has a fixed court attached, you may be able to use it like a flail.

Pest control. If it's a mouse or bigger, you strangle it woh the cord, if its smaller you crush it.

Car warmer. Run it under your engine block in the winter.

Hard boiled egg maker.

Christmas tree ornament.

Cloud mining. Show pictures of it as proof of your operation before you take people's money and run.

Etc.

If you live in a warm hot place you are correct .
But if you live in a cold place.
They are good for space heaters and will always be good for replacing this
 
http://www.indehomes.com/assets/images/Delonghi/Photos/EW7507EB.jpg




no miner should own the item above  as long as your miner works and earns any bitcoin at all it is a suitable replacement for this electric space heater.

My home needs one for about 90 days a year So I can always fire up any miner that makes about 700-900 watts of heat rather then fire up the space heater.  I can mine it at your solo pool. ck

 Most likely this is what I will be doing with my avalon's next nov to march spot heating my cold room.

When my Antminer C1's get old, I plan to use them to heat the swimming pool water.

Now this is a very good idea.  If you get this working post a few photos.

They make great shooting targets =)

Space heaters, door stops, or target practice is about it. Some of the HashFast units can be parted out and sold off like the Corsair fans and PSU.

Bitcoin Utopia under BOINIC project
http://www.bitcoinutopia.net/bitcoinutopia/

Umm... mining when the price shoots through the roof and the difficulty plummets after the mining reward halves to zero; but would still be profitable for those who stay plugged in. If BTC goes mainstream and there are millions of transactions a day, you'll see fees per block being $100+. Honestly, I still have a BFL 50 GH/s unit in a box for the future.

Price is never gonna go through the roof, sorry to burst ur bubble. Its never going mainstream. Its not trustless like claimed.

Need a sacrifice anode.... the chlorine water will be bad for your gear...

Have you folks ever seen a "Take a whack at a car" for like $1. You get a baseball bat and each swing at the car costs you a $1 (or whatever). Kind of an aggression therapy deal. I'll bet there are some specific miners that could be useful. Some of the gear is pretty sturdy, and you could always charge more than $1 a swing. For example, a BFL Monarch looks pretty fragile, and wouldn't survive many whacks, but I'll bet some of the KNC gear could take a real beating. I'll also bet a BFL Single would survive a while.

You'd have to organize your own local event, since I don't see a good way to organize this over the Internet.

I'll also bet that you could charge more depending on the manufacturer. I think you could get top dollar for BFL gear in general.  :)

Some of them could make neat decoration.  If you put up blades in your mining area, or unique parts.

Would be fun to have all the old parts on the wall.  And if you can get leds to light up on blades and such would be even neater.

I live in Canada... my miners heat up my entire office in colder months (until May or June)
During the summer, not much else than mine and dry out my office & garage.
I also used it to dry wood and other things, they make great dehumidifiers.
As a matter of fact, they do not remove the moisture, but dry the crap out of it.
Anything that needs heat and/or drying, Bitcoin miners excel at.

Hope this helps...

Actually, and speaking from experience,
old asic miners are excellent heaters,
however, they consume a lot of electricity,
so, it's up to you if you think it's worth it  ;)

Well, every kind of electric generated heat, uses a lot of energy... If you have electric heater that uses 1 KW, you could use 1KW of miners and get same heat generated, but with some bitcoin and noise as side product :D

1 kW miners produce the same amount of heat as a 1 kW space heater?

ahh depends on efficiency of chip and something will be consumed by fans but generally yes, if you had 1kW input to some computer, you had 90% of it as "waste heat"

anyway, difference is, that space heater is silent...ahh but not generating btc:)

I have 2 knc titan miners 650.1mh for scrypt....the only thing I can tell you for sure is I knocked 35 bucks even off my budget each month last
winter (Minnesota) from the previous years heating bill

but at 12c kwh elec price at 2500w you still lose as a space heater (but hey you need a space heater for the ice fishing shed or the garage this is the way to go)

I can hear it now...'no honey I'm not in the garage to avoid you ..and no I'm not wasting money on using electric heat...see I'm running the old asic miner for coin!"

(like that would work)

If you have pictures of heating a ice fishing shead with an asic please share :).  I think that would be a great picture with poles and tackle around, ice, then a asic warming it up.

not quite at that point yet maybe next year thou..a well insulated ice shack I'm pretty sure you'd be golden! ;)



https://i.imgur.com/v4QvWDi.jpg

I envy folk with a 'cough' house/shed near a 'free wi fi' starbucks...indeed :)





my setup below all the pics

http://lostgonzo.imgur.com/ (http://lostgonzo.imgur.com/)


the knc jupiter 567gh on the bottom shelf is a doorstop now...but yeah it would probably heat an ice fishing shack ..you need a hot spot connection on your cell phone to get
on the Internet but some of those shacks are pretty cushy with the generators and all....so yeah it would work as well as a regular space heater I'd imagine... :)

edited: 11/25/15 due to ice shack pic dropping off and added comment.

Using S1s last winter and S3s this winter helped offset the heating bills, although I preferred the WiFi ability of the S1 to having CAT6 and switches run across the main floor of the house... We also hung clotheslines in the miner room to offset using the dryer. Not exactly innovative uses for old ASICs but we've offset some of the power use a bit.

1. create a new crypto currency based on bitcoin and mine it...
2. replicate the blockchain network state on a previous moment of time and play mining on it
3. by using any of the above play the 51% attack on your own setup

this is working?

I have a budget in the hundreds of thousands to spend on outdated bitcoin mining hardware, please spread this message about; I need 2 Mega Watts of equipment!

This is a great opportunity to shift a huge quantity of equipment that has outlived it's useful life and which is now too inefficient to mine. To clarify 2 Mega Watts is 2,000 kW which is 2,000,000 watts. It's the power draw that we are interested in not the hash rate. The hash rate is just an added bonus.

Ideally looking for all rack mountable miners but this is not critical. Ideally need power supply's and controllers included, if these can be provided we are happy to negotiate a higher price. I understand that this is a very large quantity of miners, please only get in touch if you have a significant proportion of the whole quantity, let's say 500kW or more.

So you would like to use it for heating something ? maybe another purpose of miners ? Share with us what would you do with them ?
I am interested in buying more miners too, just for fun, not in that quantity  though.

How difficult to do is that really ? Compared to say developing a small app ?

(Not planning to do it, just want to know out of interest)

As per my experience due to what the ASICs tend to do and presuming SHA256 is everything it claims to be.
Actually they are not generic hashing chips and any sort of quickly hashing every file is not applicable.
They couldn't even do a single SHA256 hashing of a few bytes, as the hash isn't actually returned.
The output of a SHA256 hashing is supposed to be sufficiently unpredictable that any task you think you could accelerate by exploiting what the ASICs do and working back from there is also not going to fly.

sorry for bumping such an old topic but i read posts on a few different forums that suggested that these asic miners could be used for mining any sha256 coin, of which there are many.

does anyone have any experience with this?

thanks.

:)

Yes, it's possible as they were designed to be SHA256 miners after all. Just point the miner to the sha256 pool of your choice and it will mine for you there. Don't expect massive improvements, though- Bitcoin is usually the most profitable sha256 coin to mine, although Peercoin is sometimes more profitable.

I believe that soon enough we will have more SHA 256 altcoins out there in the market that will also be profitable to mine.

There are indeed many SHA256-based coins out there, you can use your miner to mine these with no problems. However in most cases mining will be unprofitable, since their value is too low.

Been trying to figure out a great way to use the heat from mining for a long time. Current winners are: fruit dryer, algae farming and sauna

Using an old ASIC for heating is an obvious way to earn something from obsolete hardware. Even the oldest ASIC is more efficient that an electric space heater. An unwanted byproduct of course is noise.