Peter Smith
15 Percent Efficient
Using the technology outlined in the patent, Intel claims that the chips would be 15 percent more efficient than current ASICs available in the market. In the patent, Intel tells about ASICs, “Dedicated Bitcoin mining ASICs are used to implement multiple SHA-256 engines that may deliver a performance of thousands of hashes per second while consuming power of greater than 200 [watts]. Embodiments of the present disclosure employ micro-architectural optimizations including selective hard wiring certain parameters in Bitcoin mining computation.”
Intel talks about these parameters. Hard wiring them in chips, it says, would decrease the number of computations required which would directly result in less energy consumed. The chips would also be smaller in size, leading to more compact rigs.
Creeping in Crypto
Intel has previously sought a number of patents concerning the crypto and decentralized technology field, especially mining. Intel was also the chip supplier to 21 Inc, a mining company that went on to rename itself Earn.com and which was eventually bought by Coinbase.
The latest patent shows that the computer chip making giant is still interested in the mining sector. The patent has the potential for accelerating the company’s dominance in the mining arena. With the latest crypto market falls and energy costs becoming expensive (such as Norway’s decision to remove subsidies, making mining 35 times more expensive), Intel’s low energy demanding chips are the need of the hour.
Peter Smith
