Durability, sustained efficiency, and low maintenance costs are desirable features that cryptocurrency miners look for when setting up their mining rigs. ASICs are more efficient for mining Bitcoin, but the critical question miners ask is how long do ASIC miners last performing at such levels?
For miners who use ASICs, some factors like heat and noise, wearing of mechanical parts, and reduced performance over time may impact the lifespan and expected performance. So, although GPU miners also consider how long does GPU last mining, ASIC miners tend to weigh this heavily before purchasing machines.
Other factors that matter are the manufacturers (different companies produce ASICs), the quality of the electricity supply, and the technical knowledge needed for installation, maintenance, and troubleshooting.
What is ASIC mining?
ASIC stands for Application-Specific Integrated Circuit. An ASIC miner is a single purpose-built machine specifically built to perform one function -mining a specific cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin. So, for example, where GPUs can mine cryptocurrencies such as Monero, ASICs only work for mining Bitcoin and won’t work for mining other cryptocurrencies.
ASIC mining became necessary following the increased Bitcoin mining difficulty that increased the mining hash rate needed to mine Bitcoin successfully. The minimum hash rate is way beyond what CPUs and GPUs can deliver, hence the design and use of ASICs that can provide such computing power. With ASICs, miners have more chances of finding a block for verification and receiving the mining reward.
The high-performance status of ASICs begs the question: how long do Bitcoin miners last?
Lifespan of the ASICs
ASIC miners are today’s most powerful, effective, and profitable hardware for mining cryptocurrencies. It's important you calculate your potential profit using an ASIC miner to know how long it will take to make the equivalent of the cost of your ASIC miner and how much longer it will be before you start making a net profit. So, how long does an ASIC miner last?
The model, maintenance, and manufacturing date all determine the lifespan of an ASIC. For example, the latest antminer, the Bitmain Antminer S19 Pro, is expected to have a lifespan of over five years. Other antminer models like the Antminer S9 last up to 3 years. Whatsminer M30S+ has a lifespan of four years, while AVALONminer 1246 and AvalonMiner 1166 Pro can last up to 4 and 5 years, respectively.
Generally, ASIC miners are projected to last for about 3-5 years, although your machine can last more than this range if used and maintained well enough. It could also break down within a few months if not maintained properly or used in poor conditions.
Which Can Cause Damage To Machines:
How long do ASICs last? Your ASIC machine's lifespan depends largely on how well you maintain it. Although the general range is between 3 to 5 years, ASICs can last beyond five years if maintained properly. Let's take a look at what can cause damage to your machine.
- High humidity
Highly humid or damp environments can damage the internal components of your ASIC machine. It can cause rust and corrosion to the delicate core of your miner.
- Poor ventilation or cooling
ASIC miners generate a considerable amount of heat when in use. If left running without proper ventilation, it can result in overheating, damaging the machine.
- Extreme temperatures
Extreme hot temperatures resulting from your ASIC machine’s environmental temperature or overheating can destroy and shorten its lifespan. Extreme cold temperatures are less critical than hot temperatures as the heating produced by your ASIC can counterbalance it.
- Poor maintenance
Overclocking your ASIC machine constantly, a dusty environment, inadequate airflow or ventilation, extreme temperatures, and poor maintenance conditions can damage your ASIC miner.
The Best Ways To Save ASIC Miners
How long do crypto mining rigs last? There are several ways to keep your ASIC machines in optimal working conditions. These are:
- Provide cooling systems: ASICs produce a lot of heat and noise, which may wear out their moving parts and slowly reduce their efficiency over time. ASICs have a temperature range in which they can work (usually between 85ºC and 125ºC). Set up your mining rigs in a location where the natural climate provides cool weather all year round, and use cooling systems such as immersion cooling.
- Stable electricity: unstable power supply can destroy your ASIC machine, especially when the rig is not earthed. Use stabilizers to keep the voltage constant and set up a backup power supply.
- Regular maintenance: ASIC machines do not require daily maintenance. Once the cooling system is up and running, you can usually find the status of your ASICs on a dashboard and find any issue as it occurs. Besides that, regular physical inspection is necessary to locate mechanical faults.
You might also create a cleaning schedule to remove accumulated dust which may impair performance.
Good Luck with Mining!
ASIC mining is a more effective process for cracking blockchain puzzles and finding a block than CPU or GPU mining. ASIC mining utilizes ASIC miners to mine specific cryptocurrencies from a selected crypto algorithm. Before purchasing a new ASIC miner model, crypto miners usually ask: how long do ASIC miners last before having to get a new model? If maintained properly, ASIC miners can last for more than 3 to 5 years.
High humidity, poor ventilation, extreme temperatures, and poor maintenance can damage your ASIC miner and cause its lifespan to reduce significantly. You can extend the lifespan of your ASIC miner by setting up your mining rig in a cool environment with a suitable room temperature and working with cleaning schedules to maintain proper functioning.
There's a better alternative to purchasing ASIC hardware for mining; you can mine cryptocurrencies directly from minery.io, a hosting site where you don't have to purchase ASIC miners. The website has ASICs located at certain facilities, and mining from a hosting site saves you electricity and equipment cost and has a high profitability potential.
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