The chip giant has launched the Blockscale ASIC, a chip dedicated to mining of cryptocurrencies that confirms that Intel was very serious when it said last February that it was going to fully enter the blockchain sector.
We are going to know the most important credentials of the Blockscale ASIC. This chip is focused on the field of cryptocurrency mining, as we have indicated in the previous paragraph, and is capable of offering a maximum performance of 580GH/s, a figure that is not bad at all, but we must also bear in mind that it is a highly scalable solution, since in theory it is possible to create configurations with up to 256 chips. It goes without saying that a computer configured with 256 chips would offer enormous performance.
According to Intel, the Blockscale ASIC has a consumption of between 4.8 and 22.7 watts, which leaves us with an energy efficiency of up to 26 J/TH. Its working temperature is between 50 and 85 degrees C, uses an LGA flip-chip package and measures 7.5 x 7 mm. With these numbers, it is clear that we are facing a solution that is not only very powerful, but also quite efficient.
Specialized mining solutions are something truly necessary because, beyond the efficiency they achieve through specialization, they also are essential to reduce the demand for graphics cards for general consumption by the cryptocurrency mining industry. With the last two crises in the consumer graphics card market, and with cryptocurrency mining being the main culprit, I think the story tells itself.
Having specialized solutions in cryptocurrency mining can help us overcome, either totally or partiallythat abnormal demand that has done so much damage to the general consumer graphics card market, and that has led us to experience a very marked shortage at times.
Balaji Kanigicherla, Intel vice president and general manager of Personalized Computing in the Accelerated Computing Systems and Graphics Group, commented:
“Momentum around blockchain continues to grow. It is the enabler of decentralized and distributed computing, giving way to innovative business models. To power this new era of computing, Intel is providing solutions that can deliver a optimal balance hash performance and energy efficiency regardless of the customer’s operating environment. Intel’s decades of research and development in cryptography, hashing techniques, and ultra-low-voltage circuitry make it possible for blockchain applications to extend their computing power without compromising sustainability.”
