Will there ever be a ASIC folding machine?

[Madone6]

There are ASICs for coin mining but will there ever be an ASIC for Folding?

 

 

Also, I'm back.

[Mira Yurizaki]

I don't normally have interest in this subforum, but... Folding@Home originally was meant to use your hardware when you're not using it. So I figured having an ASIC kind of defeats the spirit of that. I'm sure those who are heading the project already have such things anyway.

 

Besides ASICs are expensive. Even with mining ASICs, you have to mine for a while before you recoup the cost of the equipment and bills.

[Teddy07]

Never say never but is very unlikely. The demand is simple not there.

[SansVarnic]

ASIC would make sense but it is not the point of the program.

[MillerPanda]

I would love to see/own one, but i dont see them coming around anytime soon. Money drove mining to ASICs. No such push in folding.

[Coolslammer]

Also rerember that for the goal of the project, asic miners would be beneficial. However no incentive other than competitions/curecoin to buy dedicated hardware.

[Lord Nicoll]

An ASIC (Application-specific integrated circuit, which as the name implies is a custom silicon jobbo made on VERY small (comparatively) scale) is expensive to spin and produce, bitcoin mining makes you money, so chip makers can pass on the cost for those tiny chips that do one thing easily, F@H is voluntary, so would you be willing to spend $1000 on a tiny board and chip that, granted would fold better, but still about as good as  PC although also use less power.