What are ASIC miners good for once mining is no longer profitable?

[AndersAA]

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?

[1715003199]

1715003199

[1715003199]

1715003199

[1715003199]

1715003199

[1715003199]

1715003199

[miaviator]

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.

[-ck]

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.

[AndersAA]

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.

[-ck]

Mining whatever cryptocurrencies require sha256(sha256()) and nothing else. They cannot do anything else. Period.

[miaviator]

So you want to take an

Application Specific Integrated Circuit

and make it

Application In-Specific?

[AndersAA]

So you want to take an

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.

[miaviator]

So you want to take an

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....

[pgminer01]

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

[miaviator]

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.

[empoweoqwj]

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 ....

[h3rlihy]

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

[skuser]

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

[maardein]

Has anyone tried whether they will blend yet?  


Also, I think the jalapenos are excellent coffee mug heaters!

[empoweoqwj]

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

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 

[Gator-hex]

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/

[empoweoqwj]

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/

Are you saying you can "re-program" bitcoin ASICs to mine a different SHA-256 coin?

[maardein]

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/

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.

[Gator-hex]

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/

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.

[maardein]

Yes, maybe spend some more time in the altcoin forums