Samsung Confirms Reports of ASIC Mining Chip Production at Its Factories

[Raevenlord]

The "reportedly" has been confirmed today, with Samsung representatives confirming, in no uncertain terms, that the company has entered the mining ASIC manufacturing scene. News of this broke out just last week, citing "an unnamed client from China", who placed a gargantuan order for crypto-coin mining ASICs with Samsung. This news was somewhat confirmed later in the week, as Samsung's latest earnings report did mention higher than expected revenue in it semiconductor business due to "Samsung's acquisition of new China clients". At the time, we speculated this could have something to do with the reported ASIC customer hailing from that same country, and it seems we were correct.





As it stands, Samsung has entered a pretty lucrative, somewhat as-of-yet untapped market from ASIC production. TSMC, another of the world's greatest semiconductor manufacturers, has been shipping ASICs to customers for a while now, joined by some small players such as Bitmain and Canaan Creative - companies that basically create crypto-mining ASIC designs that TSMC then produces. This move could increase competition in the space, thus increasing the number of ASIC systems in usage towards crypto mining, which could, at some point in the future, help ease the pressure on pc hardware enthusiasts' dear, dear graphics cards.



At the same time, as DIY part requirements drop due to the usage of these ASICs, pressure on other components that are facing constrained supplies could also decrease, which would likely reflect in a healthier, saner (price-wise) hardware market. For now, these are all hopes, though. I'd just like to point the fact that this order from the unnamed China-based customer was enough to offset Samsung's expected revenue, by an amount sufficiently significant for it to be specifically called out on the company's earnings reports. Just imagine how high the value of that order likely is. And even as proponents and haters of cryptocurrencies fight it out for supremacy of their points of view, and all kinds of cryptocurrencies shed their value, there's always some news of another significant event that is sure to only garner even more attention - and perhaps even value - for crypto in general.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[cdawall]

That doesn't mine any of the stuff people were mining in mass for GPU's.

 

[kastriot]

It mines bitcoin and that's reference for all cryptocurrencies, no bitcoin no crypto..

 

[Easy Rhino]

Too late. Bitcoin is back down to $1 !

 

[cdawall]

It mines bitcoin and that's reference for all cryptocurrencies, no bitcoin no crypto..

Here let me rephrase for you. ASICs don't mine algorithms such as

Ethash
Lyra2rev2
Lyra2h
Equihash
Neoscrypt
Cryptonight

So more companies getting into ASICs will only affect coins done on ASIC miners which won't affect GPU mining since we'll it would need to be on a gpu for that.

 

[R-T-B]

Too late. Bitcoin is back down to $1 !

No, it's not.

 

[Dante Uchiha]

Here let me rephrase for you. ASICs don't mine algorithms such as

Ethash
Lyra2rev2
Lyra2h
Equihash
Neoscrypt
Cryptonight

So more companies getting into ASICs will only affect coins done on ASIC miners which won't affect GPU mining since we'll it would need to be on a gpu for that.

No, People will invest in what is most profitable, if Samsung produce ASICs much more efficient than the current ones, it is obvious that part of the market focused on GPU mining will be shifted.

 

[cdawall]

No, People will invest in what is most profitable, if Samsung produce ASICs much more efficient than the current ones, it is obvious that part of the market focused on GPU mining will be shifted.

Samsung can produce a chip that does ASIC mining they have an ARM license. Think of a "me too" scenario.

ASIC mining is also not the "most profitable" mining situation on any end. As can be reflected in the earning statements from AMD/Nvidia this year.

 

[First Strike]

Samsung can produce a chip that does ASIC mining they have an ARM license. Think of a "me too" scenario.

ASIC mining is also not the "most profitable" mining situation on any end. As can be reflected in the earning statements from AMD/Nvidia this year.

ASIC-resistance is not that it stops on ASICs. It just prevents ASICs getting unreasonably fast, via methods like RAM dependence. If an improved ASIC can mine faster than a GPU, by choosing appropriate RAM, changing cache hierachy and optimizing pipeline, and it comes in mass quantity, then it can replace GPUs.
It would require a lot of RnD, so it havent happened in the past. But it could happen.

 

[cdawall]

ASIC-resistance is not that it stops on ASICs. It just prevents ASICs getting unreasonably fast, via methods like RAM dependence. If an improved ASIC can mine faster than a GPU, by choosing appropriate RAM, changing cache hierachy and optimizing pipeline, and it comes in mass quantity, then it can replace GPUs.
It would require a lot of RnD, so it havent happened in the past. But it could happen.

And it could be one upped by a faster gpu tomorrow. Everything is a what if. As of right now it is more cost effective to mine the algorithms I listed on a gpu. What Samsung developed a bitcoin miner. It has diddly to do with what is actively mined on a GPU's.

 

[evernessince]

There is no such thing as an ASIC proof Crypto currency. The only reason Etherium and others haven't gotten ASICs yet is because they haven't been big enough long enough. Obviously a chip designed from the ground up specifically to mine a specific currency is going to be better than a GPU, which is much more general purpose.

And it could be one upped by a faster gpu tomorrow. Everything is a what if. As of right now it is more cost effective to mine the algorithms I listed on a gpu. What Samsung developed a bitcoin miner. It has diddly to do with what is actively mined on a GPU's.

You sounds like the guys who were convincing us that Bitcoin was going to be GPU only forever, right before ASICs came out for it. Rest assured, any currency popular enough for a long enough time will get ASICs and they will be faster than GPUs at the job.

 

[cdawall]

There is no such thing as an ASIC proof Crypto currency. The only reason Etherium and others haven't gotten ASICs yet is because they haven't been big enough long enough. Obviously a chip designed from the ground up specifically to mine a specific currency is going to be better than a GPU, which is much more general purpose.



You sounds like the guys who were convincing us that Bitcoin was going to be GPU only forever, right before ASICs came out for it. Rest assured, any currency popular enough for a long enough time will get ASICs and they will be faster than GPUs at the job.

When in my comment did I say there would never be an ASIC. I said very clearly there wasn't one now. I watched bitcoin go from cpu to gpu to asic. Obviously I know what can happen. I also know what it cost to develop a chip that can handle a 4 gb memory file and large instructions. Hence my comment "it's more cost effective" that wasn't taken lightly. I would prefer a damn ASIC. You don't have to bios mod an asic. You plug it in and make sure it doesn't catch on fire.

 

[techy1]

when Samsung made calculations and conclude this decision 4-8 weeks ago - Bitcoin was around 20k and now it is 6k... so bye, bye "the next generation thechonolgy" believiers/miners you just have been finessed by your own greed and stupidity... and probably a few High Frequency Trading Bots too , but none will cry for you and you wont be missed - now give me back my GPUs for gaming!

 

[R-T-B]

when Samsung made calculations and conclude this decision 4-8 weeks ago - Bitcoin was around 20k and now it is 6k... so bye, bye "the next generation thechonolgy" believiers/miners you just have been finessed by your own greed and stupidity... and probably a few High Frequency Trading Bots too , but none will cry for you and you wont be missed - now give me back my GPUs for gaming!

Meh... got news for you. As of now, even on my small rig, mining is still profitable. And bitcoin is still up 400%+ from last year.

I'm sorry, but I do take much pride in wiping the glee off your face since you derived it from others misfortune. That's just ruining what I love about TPU and I see no greater detriment to us as a community as of late.

You think no one will cry for them. I hope you are wrong. It would make me lose some faith in my fellow man.

PS: WTF is a "high frequency trading bot?"

 

[techy1]

PS: WTF is a "high frequency trading bot?"[/QUOTE]
that is strange... I mean you operate in market where assets can swing +20/-20% in a day! ("you operate" - either you just buy and hold or trade or just mine and wait - you have those assets - crypto curency - so you do operate in that market). And you don't know what is a "trading bot" or "high frequency trading" ? in that case you don't know what is a "market maker high frequency trading" either... I would suggest you to google that so you wont get surprised the F out when suddenly see a multiple days in a row -20/+20% per day of your "next generation" crytpto currencies that were so needed as a payment and had future just few days ago.

"... since you derived it from others misfortune." - it is not others misfortune - it is greed/stupidity.. if someone would invest their money in a risky pennie stocks (with leverage) and loose it - would you call it misfortune too?
I just want to stop that useless CO2 emmison (from clocked gpu rigs running 24/7h... all PSU's for 1000w+ have been sold out and are running 24/7 right now - none is using those for gaming or scientific number crunching) and I want to stop that gpu market whenre midragne 2 year old gpus (new or used) costs no less than 500$. and yes - if you one invested bitcoin (or any other coin - those all rise and fall in sync) when bitcoin came down to 14k (when it just came down from 20k and was "an good opportunity to get in") - I will laugh in their face for their "misfortune".

 

[R-T-B]

And you don't know what is a "trading bot" or "high frequency trading" ? in that case you don't know what is a "market maker high frequency trading" either... I would suggest you to google that so you wont get surprised the F out when suddenly see a multiple days in a row -20/+20% per day of your "next generation" crytpto currencies that were so needed as a payment and had future just few days ago.

Please do not make false assumptions about my financial situation.

High frequency trading I'm guessing you mean trade often?

if someone would invest their money in a risky pennie stocks (with leverage) and loose it - would you call it misfortune too?

Uh, yes? It's unfortunate whether predictable or not. I don't laugh in people's faces as a general principle. Stupid people deserve empathy, too.

I just want to stop that useless CO2 emmison

Stop gaming cold turkey and I will believe you.

 

[Vya Domus]

And it could be one upped by a faster gpu tomorrow.

Which can be upped by another ASIC in no time , developing a multipurpose GPU is a hindrance if you just want to mine with it. ASICs cost significantly less to produce and develop.

 

[lexluthermiester]

Too late. Bitcoin is back down to $1 !

https://coinranking.com/
Bitcoin itself is currently in the $6000's and dropping. You must be thinking Ripple, Cardano or Stellar which are all under $1. Careful not to mix them up as they are not the same.

 

[cdawall]

Which can be upped by another ASIC in no time , developing a multipurpose GPU is a hindrance if you just want to mine with it. ASICs cost significantly less to produce and develop.

You say in no time, but there still isn't one for ethash and such algorithms.

 

[Vya Domus]

You say in no time, but there still isn't one for ethash and such algorithms.

That's another matter , no one had the insensitive to do so.

 

[cdawall]

That's another matter , no one had the insensitive to do so.

Eth has been on a steady rise for a while now. It cost too much to develop.

 

[Casecutter]

If TSCM continues to divert wafer starts to ASIC production that's just as bad or worse, well at least for one manufactures production of products...

 

[eidairaman1]

Stop gaming cold turkey and I will believe you.

Yup put 10 tinfoil hats on for techy1 lol