ASIC Chips For Mining
The protracted correction in the digital market does not affect the popularity of cryptocurrencies. As the number of users grows, the algorithms of top networks become more complex. This forces miners to increase their mining power. In Asics, hashing is performed by mining chips. Thanks to such microcircuits, the power of one ASIC is equivalent to the hashrate of 700 video cards. However, the difficulty of mining is constantly growing. To meet the new conditions, developers are improving the technology of creating chips. For example, manufacturers reduce the size of chips to increase energy efficiency.
Table of Contents
The Best ASIC Chips for Mining in 2022
Due to the high equipment prices, many users assemble ASICs independently. The main components of the miner, on which performance depends, are chips. A separate chip is intended only for extracting digital assets according to a specific algorithm. In 2022, the most popular chips for mining such coins are:
- Bitcoin.
- Dash.
- Bitcoin cash.
- Zcash.
- Ethereum.
BM1387
The integrated circuit is designed to mine bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies using the SHA256 algorithm. In 2022, the BM1387 will continue to be popular despite its outdated 16nm technology and relatively poor performance. The chip has low power consumption and low price.
This is a budget, reliable and maintainable model. In July 2022, ASIC cost 200 thousand rubles. The manufacturer gives a guarantee for the miner – 3 months. Features of BM1387 are presented in the table.
| OPTIONS | MEANING |
|---|---|
Antminer S9, S9+ |
|
BM1746AA
The microprocessor for Asics using 12 nm technology works on the EquiHash algorithm. The model was released in the spring of 2020. In July 2022, this is one of the most popular ZEC mining chips. The energy efficiency of the BM1746AA is 3.57 J/kS, which is 20-30% better than the competition.
| HASHRATE | 420 KS/S |
|---|---|
BM1760
In July 2022, it is the most powerful and energy-efficient Dash mining IC, Monoeci. You can download alternative firmware from the Bitmain website. It allows you to reduce energy consumption by 20%.
| CHARACTERISTICS | INDICATORS |
|---|---|
BM1383
One of the best developments for cryptocurrency mining is based on the SHA 256 algorithm. The chip demonstrates a high hash rate (up to 16 TH / s) with low power consumption.
ASIC has low cost and high energy efficiency. With a bitcoin price of $19,000 and electricity of $0.2 kWh, the miner pays off in 7-8 months.
| OPTIONS | MEANING |
|---|---|
Selection Tips
Before purchasing an ASIC, the miner needs to calculate the device’s payback. Statistically, the return on investment should not take more than a year. When choosing an ASIC, you need to evaluate the following characteristics:
- Hashrate. The miner’s income depends on the power. The higher the score, the more information the ASIC can process per unit of time. High hashrate and low power consumption reduce the payback period of the equipment.
- Consumed power. Devices with high energy consumption can only be bought in regions with cheap electricity. Otherwise, even productive mining will be unprofitable.
- The frequency of microprocessors. This setting affects the performance and speed of operations.
- The number of cryptocurrencies. It is risky to buy a device for 500 thousand rubles to mine only one coin. If mining does not meet expectations, ASICs cannot be used. In 2022, popular ASICs will support multiple coins. For example, you can mine Ethereum, MOAC, Expanse, Pirl, and Ethereum Classic on Innosilicon A11 Pro 8GB.
The development of ASIC chips
In 2022, the Chinese companies Bitmain and Canaan are leading in the production of mining equipment. From 2013-2018 other developers entered the market (Cointerra, GTO, Black Arrow) but could not stand the competition and stopped their activities.
ASIC chip manufacturers are constantly improving the technological process. Due to the growing complexity of top coin networks, more powerful devices need to be released. Bitmain has relied on improving the quality and increasing the hash rate. At the same time, new models are equipped with a small number of chips (in AntMiner L3 – 144 chips, AntMiner L3 + – 288). This affects equipment energy efficiency and maintainability (fewer parts to check and replace when broken).
Avalonminer A911 and A9, equipped with 7nm chips, have become a technological breakthrough. In 2018, such chips only worked in GMO miners. ASIC Canaan was popular due to its high hash rate.
In 2022, Canaan will be focused on producing chips for Bitcoin mining. Since 2020, the company has been developing and testing 5 nm chips for ASICs. In 2021, Canaan launched the first mining farm in Kazakhstan and opened a service center outside China.
Advantages and differences of GMO
In 2018, the company was the first to release asics on 7 nm microprocessors, which consume significantly less electricity than others. The launch of GMO Miner B2 and B3 fell on the bearish phase of the market, when user interest in digital currencies weakened.
In 2018, Canon introduced the Avalonminer A9. In 2019, Bitmain Antminer S17 Pro and Antminer S17 appeared on 7 nm chips. The table contains the comparative characteristics of the models.
| MODEL | HASHRATE | ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION | ENERGY EFFICIENCY |
|---|---|---|---|
GMO ASICs were inferior to more productive and energy-efficient models of competitors. However, the investment did not pay off. In the 4th quarter of 2019, GMO management reported a loss of $320 million. Due to the depreciation of BTC, cryptocurrency mining even on the latest equipment became unprofitable. In 2020, the company was forced to announce the end of production.
How to deal with chip wear
The manufacturer’s warranty for ASICs does not exceed 90 days. Subject to the rules of operation, the service life can be extended up to 20-25 months. According to the experience of service center employees, the most common causes of premature wear of mining chips are:
- Poor cooling. It is necessary to control the operating temperature of the board (not higher than 115 degrees). Overheating can damage microprocessors. The farm must be installed in a well-ventilated area. You can use air conditioners or water cooling. Radiators often fail due to mechanical failures associated with the use of low-quality materials or work in dusty rooms.
- Late maintenance. Filters need to be changed regularly. Due to the layer of dust on the fan blades and heatsinks, cooling efficiency is reduced. This can lead to premature degradation of mining chips. Cleaning should be done at least once every 3 months.
You can increase the working life of microcircuits using special firmware (for example, Hiveon ASIC). Faulty microcircuits have a hashrate drop. At the same time, they consume the same amount of energy. Custom firmware reduces the power supply of worn-out microcircuits. This allows you to maintain the performance of the ASIC in case of failure of 10-30% of the chips on the hash board. At the same time, the service life of microprocessors is increased.
How to assemble an ASIC based on chips
Some users make ASICs with their own hands. To assemble the miner, you need electrical skills and mounting equipment. Homemade ASIC will be cheaper. You will need to buy the following accessories:
- Microcircuits. Asic requires 70-600 chips. The price of each is 60-1500 rubles.
- Assembly elements (boards, power supply, fans, connectors, case). The price is 15-20 thousand rubles.
The minimum costs will be 100-120 thousand rubles. Before assembly, you need to determine the dimensions of the miner, draw an electrical circuit of the hash board, and calculate the device’s profitability. Making an ASIC is a labor-intensive process. The user must be well versed in electrical engineering and have a soldering station. Debugging boards takes from several days to a month. You need to work quickly to have time to recoup your investment before increasing the complexity of mining.
An effective hash fee will no longer bring income in 2-3 months. Therefore, many miners prefer not to develop an integrated circuit but to buy a ready-made one.
To assemble an ASIC, you need:
- Buy microcircuits. You need to choose a cryptocurrency in advance. Chips work on only one algorithm.
- Download or write a program for mining. ASIC manufacturers supply software to customers. When self-assembling, the software can be found on resources like Github or written by yourself.
- Install cooling system. You must pick up fans and a case to keep the temperature at 80-100 degrees. Overheating can lead to delamination.
- Assemble boards and components according to the electrical diagram.
- Connect the power supply.
Summary
In 2022, the most popular ASIC chips will be BM1397, BM1383, and BM1387. In the 3rd quarter, Bitmain will release a new Antminer E9 (3Gh) based on 5nm chips. The declared performance of the miner is 3 GH / s. It will be the most influential cryptocurrency mining device. Therefore, the launch of the miner is of interest to users worldwide.
However, Samsung has developed an even more productive chip – 3.5 nm. In April 2022, Intel showed a Blockscale ASIC test sample for Bitcoin mining. The developers combined 256 chips in a small integrated circuit, obtaining a board performance of 148 TH / s at consumption of 3800 watts.
According to experts, the miner will be popular in countries with cheap electricity. At the end of 2022, Intel will start supplying microprocessors to ASIC developers: Argo Blockchain, Hive Blockchain Technologies, Block, and GRIID Infrastructure.
According to manufacturers’ calculations, with the start of sales of new ASICs, the complexity of networks increases, and the previous models of miners will lose their relevance. Therefore, the purchase of ASIC should be approached with the utmost responsibility.
Some users, to save money, collect miners on their own. To create such technically complex equipment, professional skills are needed. It will take a lot of time to solder and debug the chips. It is necessary to monitor the frequency, performance, temperature, and energy consumption for several days. It can also be challenging to find the right components. Due to the lack of parts, the assembly will be delayed for 3-5 months. During this time, the complexity of blockchains will increase, and the equipment will lose its relevance. Therefore, novice miners should buy a ready-made ASIC.
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