<p>Right.</p>

<p>The proof of work is computing 2 SHA256 of a sequence of bytes that represent the block header to find a value lower than a target. It doesn't matter if the 2 hashes are computed by an ASIC, a CPU, a GPU or a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP-48" rel="nofollow">HP-48</a>. What matters is the number of hashes you can compute per unit of time.</p>

<p>That's why the power of mining hardware is measure in MH/s, GH/s or TH/s (mega, giga and terahashes per second).</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-21T15:23:47.760Z
Cool thanks. But How can it be that you have to generate a hash below a certain number if there are letters in the hash, and not just numbers?
user18220
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-21T19:23:06.897Z
The hash is encoded in hexadecimal (base 16), you could translate it to base 10 if you want to have a value that's easier to compare for you.
Matthieu
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-14T23:49:49.910Z
2014-06-14T23:49:49.910Z
Matthieu
<p>It technically doesn’t matter whether I am using a super computer or a laptop to do the proof of work, it’s simply that with a super computer I can go through the attempts much faster, which means I have a higher chance of solving the problem before anyone else and therefore claiming the reward, right? </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-15T09:31:06.233Z
Isn't that the only thing that *does* matter?
David Schwartz
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-21T15:23:00.963Z
How can it be that you have to generate a hash below a certain number if there are letters in the hash, and not just numbers?
user18220
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-22T05:12:54.170Z
You're confusing *values* of numbers with *representations* of numbers. You can represent numbers with letters if you want, the letter "A" can stand for the number ten (as can "10", "ten", "xxxxxxxxxx", "one more than nine" and a dozen other things). It's still a number. It can still be compared. We mean a hash with a lower *value*, regardless of how you choose to represent the number (as digits in base ten, in hexadecimal, or in scratches on a wooden board, it doesn't matter).
David Schwartz
<hash><mining-hardware><hashpower><proof-of-work>
Proof of work - does the equipment matter?
user18220
# Proof of work - does the equipment matter?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-06-14)

It technically doesn’t matter whether I am using a super computer or a laptop to do the proof of work, it’s simply that with a super computer I can go through the attempts much faster, which means I have a higher chance of solving the problem before anyone else and therefore claiming the reward, right?

**Tags:** hash, mining-hardware, hashpower, proof-of-work

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Isn't that the only thing that *does* matter?  
> **username_0**: How can it be that you have to generate a hash below a certain number if there are letters in the hash, and not just numbers?  
> **username_1**: You're confusing *values* of numbers with *representations* of numbers. You can represent numbers with letters if you want, the letter "A" can stand for the number ten (as can "10", "ten", "xxxxxxxxxx", "one more than nine" and a dozen other things). It's still a number. It can still be compared. We mean a hash with a lower *value*, regardless of how you choose to represent the number (as digits in base ten, in hexadecimal, or in scratches on a wooden board, it doesn't matter).  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2014-06-14. Score: 2

Right.

The proof of work is computing 2 SHA256 of a sequence of bytes that represent the block header to find a value lower than a target. It doesn't matter if the 2 hashes are computed by an ASIC, a CPU, a GPU or a [HP-48](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP-48). What matters is the number of hashes you can compute per unit of time.

That's why the power of mining hardware is measure in MH/s, GH/s or TH/s (mega, giga and terahashes per second).

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Cool thanks. But How can it be that you have to generate a hash below a certain number if there are letters in the hash, and not just numbers?  
> **username_2**: The hash is encoded in hexadecimal (base 16), you could translate it to base 10 if you want to have a value that's easier to compare for you.  

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