RJ Pierce, Tech Times
Chia mining, despite not really being as profitable as the likes of Ethereum, is still one good option for crypto miners these days. But if you're using a typical 500GB SSD, then you'll need to replace that more often than you think.
(Photo : Alexander Sayganov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
RUSSIA - 2021/04/28: In this photo illustration the logo of the new Chia cryptocurrency is reflected in a plate of a computer hard disk. The hype around this cryptocurrency has already caused an increase in the prices of hard drives for computers.
TweakTown reports that a typical 500GB SSD, be it an NVMe M.2 or a 2.5-inch SATA drive, will get absolutely destroyed in as little as six weeks if you use it to mine Chia. That's barely over a month of usage.Go up the capacity to 1TB, and it's going to last 80 days, and a 2TB will last you for around four months.
And we're not talking just a massive drop in the performance of the storage device here; we're talking about inevitable hardware death.
Mine Chia on any type of SSD, and it will die in basically no time.
The information comes from a Chinese language website called MyDrivers, according to a TechRadar report. They say that the main reason is how write-intensive Chia mining is on the disk. And as every tech enthusiast knows, even super-fast SSDs have a limited amount of write before they start breaking down.
Looks like not a lot of people thought about how demanding Chia mining can be on hardware, huh?
Read also: Crypto Mining GPU With RGB? ASUS Has You Covered
Chia Mining: What Is It, Exactly?
Chia just started getting clout pretty recently: in fact, it didn't become tradable until May 3. It's fairly new in the cryptocurrency mining market and quite different because you mine it using storage devices like SSDs and HDDs. However, miners mostly use SSDs because they're just faster.
(Photo : Joby Sessions/PC Gamer Magazine/Future via Getty Images)
A selection of PC solid-state drives, taken on January 12, 2016.
While still not as popular as other alt coins like Ethereum, Chia is still getting cryptocurrency mining enthusiasts on board because of the lower power requirements. And it's easy to see why: running 100 SSDs in a crypto mining rig is far more power-efficient than running the same amount of high-end graphics cards.
Created with the goal of promoting "sustainable" cryptocurrency mining, Chia works by using a "proof of space and time" model, as reported by PCGamer. What this means is that the alt coin should be farmed on unused storage space, which graphics cards don't have.
Storage Makers Being Vigilant
GPU makers are doing what they can to keep their products from landing into crypto mining rigs, and with the existence of Chia, storage manufacturers are forced to do the same too.
It's worth noting that close to the end of April, GALAX warned potential cryptocurrency miners that mining cryptocurrency on their company's SSDs will void the item's warranty. And perhaps GALAX was right to try something like this, because it wasn't really known how hard Chia mining can be on the hardware.
With the current GPU shortage, it seems like even crypto miners themselves are finding it hard to get graphics cards for their rigs. Chia presents an opportunity to do it in a different way, while not worrying too much about the power bill. But then again, SSDs won't last too long in a mining rig, so maybe having to buy new storage devices every few weeks will put a massive dent into anyone's bottom line.
Does this mean SSDs will also become horribly expensive? If the hype for Chia catches on, then sadly, yes. But it still remains to be seen because right now, Ethereum is still on top.
Related: Elon Musk Invites People to Develop 'Dogecoin' on GitHub, Reddit-Cryptocurrency Mining Commits to Renewable
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Written by RJ Pierce
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Tags: chia chia mining Cryptocurrency cryptocurrency mining SSD
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