4 min read · Updated 2026-10-25

History of mining hardware

Bitcoin mining started on ordinary computers and moved to specialised chips as competition grew. Each generation was faster and more efficient than the last.

CPUs and GPUs

In 2009 miners used processors. Graphics cards followed around 2010 because they compute many hashes in parallel.

FPGAs

Field-programmable chips offered better efficiency than GPUs for a short period.

ASICs

From 2013, application-specific chips built only for SHA-256 made everything else uncompetitive. Today's ASICs deliver hundreds of terahashes per second.

What it means now

Efficiency gains continue with each generation, which keeps pushing older machines out of profitability.

Frequently asked questions

Can I mine Bitcoin with a GPU?

It is not competitive today.

What is an ASIC?

A chip designed for a single task, here computing SHA-256.

Try it yourself

Mine on real infrastructure with a free 24-hour trial.

START FREE TRIAL →

KEEP READING

ASIC vs GPU miningASIC and GPU miners compared: specialised versus general-purpose hardware, efficiency, flexibility, cost and which coins each one can mine.SHA-256 in Bitcoin miningSHA-256 is the hash function behind Bitcoin mining. Learn what a hash is, why it is hard to reverse and how miners use it to find blocks.Mining efficiency and J/THJ/TH explained: how joules per terahash measure ASIC efficiency, how to compute power draw from hashrate and why lower is better.What is Bitcoin mining?Bitcoin mining explained simply: how miners secure the network, what hashing is, how blocks and rewards work, and what hardware and electricity are involved.

Sources and further reading: Bitcoin whitepaper · mempool.space · Bitcoin Wiki: Mining. General information only, not financial advice. Rewards from mining are variable and not guaranteed. See our risk notice.