The Return Of GPU Cryptocurrency Mining

[SteelCrysis]

https://www.extremetech.com/computing/26...jor-caveat

Bitmain’s ASIC could mean the end of cryptocurrency mining on GPUs — but there’s at least two reasons to doubt it.

First, we’ve got to strongly caution anyone considering taking the plunge on an ASIC miner for cryptocurrency, period. Four to five years ago, when the first Bitcoin ASIC and FPGA miners launched, people rushed to order them, only to wind up losing hundreds to thousands of dollars. In many cases, it took companies 6-12 months to deliver products they promised would ship in a matter of weeks — and that assumes the company in question didn’t collapse after committing financial fraud. That alone is good reason to be cautious.
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It’s not clear how much of a gain this is over GPUs. Overclockers3D didn’t think it was all that much, and it doesn’t seem to be as large as the gains when BTC moved to ASICs, but I suspect it could still be a noticeable improvement. But all of that’s secondary to a larger issue: the Ethereum community might hard fork the currency before they accept Ethereum ASIC mining. Many cryptocurrency enthusiasts are wary of the massive centralized infrastructure that Bitcoin developed and its domination by a tiny group of the largest firms.
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In a recent poll, when asked if Ethereum users would support a hard fork to block ASIC mining, 57 percent of the user base said they would. That doesn’t mean such a fork will happen, but it might not be a good idea to plunk down $800 for one of those Bitmain units. By the time July rolls around, these units may not be worth much.