For any miner, the lifetime of an ASIC mining machine is one of the most important considerations. Mining demands a lot of ASIC machines, but high-quality models are built to withstand relentless hashing.
Good machines operating in well-managed facilities can last for many years. Three to five years is typically a machine’s average lifespan, although even longer periods aren’t unheard of.
If an ASIC is consistently overclocked, poorly maintained, or housed in unfavorable conditions, however, its lifespan can be as short as a few months. Some examples of facility features that can harm machines:
- Poor ventilation or cooling
- Humidity
- Extreme temperatures
A machine’s raw hashing power isn’t the only consideration. Some ASIC models are taken offline depending on their profitability, which can vary with Bitcoin’s difficulty and price. Higher price levels will often prompt less-efficient, typically older ASIC models to be brought back online, while lower price levels or significant increases in mining difficulty can have the opposite effect.
Even with these estimated timeframes, miner components can break or be damaged from time to time. These components can be swapped out or repaired prolonging the shelf life of the machine.