If you replace a network hash for hash you end up with the same hashrate and 1/10 the ENTIRE NETWORK POWER CONSUMPTION.
Disregarding the normal fluctuation in value of coins being mined. I don't see how this conclusion is arrived at.
Nobody interested in these devices is planning on continuing along at the same hash rate they are now with a GPU rig or farm. They will want and need more to keep up. Nobody is going to buy one and go "OK, I got the same hash as my 15 1080ti at 10% of the electricity so now I'm good this is it." Once they re-equip en masse then network hash skyrockets. Just like it does with an ASIC machine. They hit the network and difficulty goes through the roof. People then are under pressure to buy more to keep up. And so on.
Perhaps this is a better way to illustrate:
I have one gpu. I hash 1000 h/s @ 1000w.
I buy one FPGA. I hash 10000 h/s @ 100w.
Am I going to buy just one FPGA then? No. I'm going to buy 10 of the things so I can run 100x the hash at the same power. Just like everyone else will. While we are all hashing more for the same power. We are all hashing more. And difficulty goes sky high to compensate for this.
Would like to know what I'm not understanding here.
What you don't understand and your missing.
The cost of fpga is expensive so people will hit a certain risk point and stop buying more. Buying 10 FPGA will cost $35k and consume 1000 watts, whereas a gpu would consume much higher wattage 10x more for same hashrate
Also switching over to FPGA most importantly will filter out those millenials or 14 year old gamers that gets "free" electric ,that are just wasting us real miners time and eating into our bottom line profits. Some of us real miners treat this as a real business and we don't need gamers involved looking for to roi for a free gpu to game with.