ASIC miner Antminer S9 – profitability, payback, comparison of S9 and S9i

ASIC miner Antminer S9 from one of the top brands Bitmain is considered a golden classic in the field of mining. For 2018it can not be called a "novelty", taking into account the frequencyAnnouncements and the release of new models, it still retains its relevance and can be considered an excellent choice. Consider everything related to Antminer S9, taking into account its profitability, competitiveness and relevance for 2018.

Antminer S9 is suitable for mining - Bitcoin, BitcoinCash and other coins based on the SHA-256 algorithm.

S9 is one of the most reliable and stable ASICsOn the market. Hot Sales 2017 and 2018. Antminer S9i is practically no different from AntMiner S9j, these are modified versions of regular s9 with increased hashrate and reduced power consumption. Comparison of the two models will be lower.

We bring to your attention a detailed review of ASIC Antminer S9 - technical specifications, payback prospects and everything that may be interesting to potential users of this device.

Specifications Antminer S9

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ASIC miner Antminer S9 case is made ofaluminum. Such a solution is a distinctive feature of all cryptocurrency mining devices manufactured under odd numbers by BITMAIN. According to the developers, this material is most suitable for the manufacture of the case, as it allows for additional heat dissipation.

Attached to the side of the casespecialized sleds that allow you to combine several miners into a horizontal stack at once. As before, hashing boards can be freely inserted into special slots of the case, without additionally being fixed.

Algorithm	SHA-256
Hashrate	14.5 TH / s
Overclocking	17.5 TH / s
Consumption	1350 watt (stock)
Chips	189 x BM1387 (16nm)
Dimensions	135x158x350mm
The weight	4.2 kg
Noise level	high - 71db

Main features and capabilities of the S9 model

S9 was conceived and implemented by Bitmainas an energy-efficient mining tool for cryptocurrencies working on SHA-256. The most popular of them are MTC (Bitcoin) and BCH (Bitcoin cache). Asik's case is made of aluminum, has the form of an elongated rectangle with coolers located on the front and rear panels. Such a constructive solution provides excellent ventilation of the internal working units: excess heat is removed by the air flow using a minimum number of fans.

The top of the Antminer S9 serves as a platform forEthernet network controller, SD card slot and two LED indicators. The internal filling of the device consists of three parallel processor boards, each of which is connected to the VM-1387 chips. Excess heat is removed by radiators installed next to the boards.

The main advantages of the S9 miner are excellenttechnical parameters and quality of components with compact dimensions and low weight. So, with an electricity consumption level of 1300 W, the system produces 13.5 +/- 5% VT, which is much higher compared to previous versions. The working base consists of 16-RM chips, contributing to an increase in speed in the calculation of hash algorithms. A total of 189 chips distributed across three boards are combined to achieve a fantastic hash rate of 13.5 TeraHash per second, a result that until recently was hard to believe.

Meanwhile, miniaturization of semiconductors toImproving energy efficiency and computing power, within the framework of the technology used today, has almost reached the limit. Moore’s law no longer works, because the increase in the speed of information transfer has slowed down, approaching the mark of physical restrictions.

16nm production process used in S9,is the most efficient upgrade of 28nm. And while 10nm chips are on the way, the subsequent increase exceeds the limits of the real possible values. In addition, the design and production of any 10-nm technologies for mining, most likely, will take at least a year and will appear only by the end of 2018.

Briefly about the advantages of ASIC S9:

• better energy efficiency;
• high performance with the small size of the device;
• full cooling;
• absolute autonomy of work;
• the ability to quickly and easily configure Antminer S9;
• unpretentiousness to external conditions;
• availability of Linux;
• the ability to fully upgrade Antminer S9 firmware in accordance with the usual official update procedures;
• Highly efficient Bitmain power supply
• the possibility of combining into a common farm.

Of the disadvantages of ASIC S9, it is worth highlightingnoisiness. Initially, the device was developed for industrial use, so the authors did not take care to reduce the noise of the fans. It is best to install the S9 in a separate room with a tight-fitting door or replace the fans.

Also, the device has poor compatibility withmost mining pools, the list of exceptions includes Antpool and F2 Pool. Another disadvantage is the lack of a power supply in the package (add another $ 170- $ 200 to the cost).

Pros and Cons of Antminer S9

If we talk about the advantages of S9, then first of all it is worth highlighting the following points:

• It is still relevant for 2018 (even despite the greatly increased complexity of Bitcoin mining + a huge drop in the cryptocurrency rate).
• Decent power, taking into account the ratio of hashrate, power consumption and device cost.
• Bitcoin mining - the SHA-256 algorithm is still considered the most promising and profitable due to the status and weight of Bitcoin.
• The cost of ASIC has dropped significantly, compared with 2017 and even 2018, because the device can be found at a bargain price.

Cons of the device are also present, althoughmost of them can be considered conditional. Basically, they relate to the obvious features of many ASICs who have retained their relevance by 2018. This applies to high power consumption and noise.

However, if you are not going to keep S9 inliving rooms, having allocated a special room for this (as is customary to do in most cases), noise can be called a conditional flaw. Moreover, at the moment, only a few models on the market can boast of moderate noise during operation, because this minus is more likely to apply to all ASICs than specifically to S9.

Another conditional disadvantage is the needuse an optional power supply. The installed PSU often overheats, especially when working on exchange pools (for example, NiceHash). For these purposes, any server power supply is suitable.

It is also worth considering that when starting an ASIC (especially if it was bought with hands, which is usually not recommended), you need to check:

• Power - the indicator should not be lower than 13.5 TH / s.
• No chip errors (in the Asic Status window, errors will be displayed as “X” instead of “0.” All chips should display “0”).
• Fan speed is basically an indicatorIt depends on the total temperature in the room, so you should not pay much attention to this item (only if the speaker is in hot rooms, which is undesirable).

Power and Cooling Systems

As soon as information became known aboutThe characteristics of the device, many users were interested in how much Asik S9 consumes per hour at such a performance. Also, many had doubts about the quality of the cooling system, because with such power it is very difficult to ensure good ventilation. At the same time, if coolers can still cool the system, do they not publish a strong hum? We will analyze the answers to these questions now.

A standard PSU designed for ASIC Antminer S9, depending on the power of the device itself, can have a power consumption level from 1127 to 1372 W / h.

According to data posted on the officialmanufacturer’s portal, this value can change up or down by 10 percent, depending on the level of load. It has an ordinary case, typical for server power supplies, and is also equipped with ten 6-pin connectors. This amount is enough to connect one Asik S9, based on the following calculation:

• 3 connectors for each hash board;
• 1 slot for control board.

In addition, there are special monitoring contacts and control buttons that are initially closed.

The standard unit does its job wellfunctions and produces a voltage slightly above 12 V. This indicator is quite enough for the device to operate at default frequencies. The efficiency of the power supply is approximately 93 percent, which reduces the level of heating and excessive energy consumption. It is important to consider that such an indicator is maintained solely on condition that the room in which the ASIC is used has a constant temperature of no more than 25 degrees. The main drawback of the PSU is the strong noise during operation created by the cooling system. It is able to drown out even the rumble coming from the miner's fans.

If you run multiple blocks at the same timepower supply for one Asik miner S9, it is important to consider that each hash board must be connected to no more than one PSU. Otherwise, the equipment may be disabled and the cryptocurrency miner will only have to enjoy the appearance of the aluminum case.

As in the previous model, for coolingAntminer S9 uses 2 fans with a diameter of 120 millimeters, the maximum rotation speed of which is 6 thousand revolutions. When they were created, the company's engineers were primarily worried about the quality of cooling the boards, and not about the noise level that allows you to use the device at home. When the cooling system operates at maximum speeds, you can hear a piercing whistle, which is why it is extremely unpleasant to be near the miner.

In this regard, it is recommended to optimizecooling system for operation of the device in an apartment or house. The fact is that for normal cooling of Antminer S9 at a temperature inside the operating room up to 40 degrees Celsius, a speed of 4 thousand revolutions is quite enough. On this basis, fans for cooling can be replaced with less powerful and lower noise levels. The ideal choice for this is the Delta AFC1212DE, which have the same dimensions as standard models, but differ in quieter operation.

S9 payback for 2018

The biggest drop is currently markedBitcoin exchange rate in 2018, which is partly due to a hard fork in mid-May. Analysts firmly predict that this time is the most profitable period for the purchase of bitcoin, which, according to forecasts, will begin to grow significantly by the beginning of July. Another powerful jump in the course is expected in the fall, to which Bitmain will probably release the long-awaited S11 ASIC.

All this negatively affected the payback calculation.S9, if you evaluate it at the current rate. With an average income of $ 6.3 / day (excluding commission for mining pools), the total monthly income will range from $ 180 to $ 190. With an average cost of the device at $ 1100-1250 (in new condition), the payback period is about 6 months. In the current conditions, this is quite promising, given the fact that with an increase in the rate of bitcoin in the second half of 2018, this period will be significantly reduced (up to 4 months).

For example, in the first quarter of 2018, S9 brought$ 30 per day. By early April, this figure dropped to $ 7.3 / day. Of course, it is unlikely that the profit in the second half of the year will increase to the previous values ​​in the face of complicating mining and other factors, but analysts fully assume the possibility of earning Antminer S9 at the level of $ 10-10.5 per day.

Preparing and first starting up Antminer S9

Before turning on Asik Miner C9, usershould position it in the most suitable place so that the air does not interfere with the blowing fan. Due to the relatively low level of power consumption of the device, there are no special requirements for its connection to the network. In the absence of a power button, it is recommended to use a power filter equipped with a switch.

It is also important to understand the controller board, which is located in a half-open aluminum case.

This device contains the following items:

• Card reader for the SD card needed to upgrade the miner. This may be necessary if the equipment does not start from the built-in memory.
• Reset button to reset to default values. It can be used in case of incorrect connection settings or inaccessibility of the miner on the network.
• Indicators Normal and Fault, indicating the normal operation of the miner or problems. The first glows green, the second glows red.
• Ethernet connector for connecting the cord.
• IP Report button for using the IP Reporter utility from BITMAIN.

After checking that all are connected correctlyThe device can be turned on. During the first start-up, the fans will run for a while at maximum speed. Thus, the system will clean itself of dust accumulated during storage or transportation.

If connected correctly, the speed of workfans will decrease over time, and the indicator on the Internet connection port will begin to flash green. With the use of the DCHP server, searching and setting up the subnet for the miner will be quick and effortless.

For information about the address assigneddevice, you need to visit the web interface of the router and check the list of DHCP clients. To do this, the user can use the standard utility from BITMAIN called IP Reporter or use one of the programs to scan the network.

When starting a proprietary utility, you muststart the software and click on the button that says Start. At the same time on the device you need to hold the IP report button for a few seconds. After some time, the utility will detect the device and display its IP and MAC addresses.

After receiving the address, the user mustspecify it in the address bar of any Internet browser, after which it will automatically be moved to the web interface. To enter, he will need to enter a username and password. By default, the word root must be entered in both of these fields.

Externally, the Antminer S9 web interface hascertain similarities with past models from BITMAIN, however, it is still further simplified. There are no a number of additional settings present in the S7 model. However, an experienced user will be able to make all the necessary settings by connecting via SSH.

The first tab called System is importantpay attention to the special Upgrade tab, with which the user can update the system, save the current configuration of the device or restore previously saved settings. If you need to make changes to network settings or set a static IP address, go to the Network tab. However, experts highly recommend not making changes unnecessarily, as they can lead to inaccessibility of the device in the web interface. The only way to solve this problem is to reset to factory settings by using the Reset button.

Setting up a device for mining

In case of correct connection and savingIn the standard settings, the miner will start cryptocurrency mining in automatic mode on the BITMAIN pool of the company. At the same time, the user's primary task is to configure Asik S9 for the pool or register on the pool itself if these steps have not been performed by him previously. BITMAIN miners use a personal protocol modification called startum. In this regard, full-fledged cryptocurrency mining is possible only on Chinese pools like F2pool and Antpool.

As an example, consider the registration processat Antpool. It will not require much effort from the user, since the interface of the official portal is partially translated into Russian. During the first login, you will need to create a personal account, which will later be used for cryptocurrency mining (in connection with this, it is recommended to save it).

For subsequent device setup ona specific account no longer needs anything. After registering an account, you must visit the Antminer S9 web interface and replace the word antminer with the name of the created account. At the same time, the name of the worker specified after the underscore, as well as the password, do not need to be replaced, since the latter are generated automatically.

Restriction on stopping workdevices when the temperature rises above 80 degrees is recommended to leave. Despite the fact that the chips themselves can heat up to 100 degrees or more, experts do not recommend experimenting. The ideal temperature regime of the chips should not exceed 80 degrees, and the boards should not exceed 50 degrees.

Also, the user can independently set the following parameters in Antminer S9:

• The speed of the fans.It is recommended to install provided that the room temperature does not change.
• The clock speed of the chips.It is recommended to set it at 600 MHz for weaker models and 650 MHz for models with a performance of 14 TH/s.

Comparison of Antminer S9 and Antminer S9i models

Miner Antminer S9 was recentlyBitmain's flagship product until it was replaced by the new Antminer S9i. The crypto miner is a new generation of devices for mining bitcoin based on a 16-nm chip.

We tested all versions of the S9 and S9i models. Are there any significant differences or is this just a thoughtful marketing move by Bitmain, read our review.

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Dimensions

Bitmain Antminer S9 miners weigh 5.5 kg.The S9i models are 1.3 kg lighter, their weight is only 4.2, which significantly affects compactness, mobility and conditions for transportation and placement. When purchasing one or two miners, the difference is not great, but with large delivery volumes, the weight will have to be taken into account.

In this case, the dimensions of all models are the same: 35 x 13.5 x 15.8 cm (length, width and height, respectively).

Cost

The price of devices along with the power supply differs slightly. The Antminer S9i 13 TH / s costs $ 780, the S9i 13.5 TH / s sells for $ 808, the S9i 14 TH / s costs $ 837.

However, Antminer S9 can only be found at distributors; since May 2018, these models have not been provided on the website. Distributor prices may vary from what is stated on the Bitmain website.

Noise

During operation, the ASIC miner S9i does not make excessive noise. The maximum noise figure is -76 dB.

In the case of S9, the fans already at 30% speed generate noise up to 75 dB, which does not allow you to be near or even in the next room for a long time without additional sound insulation.

A significant difference in the sound insulation of the S9i is explained by the fact that the developers paid attention to improving the fans and this makes working with the device more comfortable.

Cooling

Bitmain Improved S9i Model Tothe device worked without overheating more than any other bitcoin miner. Each chip is equipped with special radiators made of high quality aluminum. Two high-speed, computer-controlled fans guarantee timely cooling.

Energy consumption

Model	Actual Consumption W/hour	Model	Actual Consumption W/hour
Antminer S9 13 TH/s	1326	Antminer S9i 13 TH/s	1272
Antminer S9 13.5 TH/s	1324	Antminer S9i 13.5 TH/s	1304
Antminer S9 14 TH/s	1369	Antminer S9i 14 TH/s	1265

Conclusion comparing S9 and S9i

• Antminer S9 13  and Antminer S9i 13: The S9i model consumes an average of 54 W less.
• Antminer S9 13.5 vs Antminer S9i 13.5: both models consume almost the same amount of watts.
• Antminer S9 14 vs Antminer S9i 14: S9i 14 consumes 131 watts less.

According to the results of our comparative analysis, the mostCost-effective is the Antminer S9i 14 TH / s. In our opinion, compared to all models from the provided versions, this device is characterized by high performance and consumes less electricity. It is these advantages that distinguish this model from analogues.

Improved ventilation, faster paybackinvestments due to high energy efficiency and speed and small dimensions, providing simple and convenient transportation, are the main advantages of this device.

Let's summarize the Antminer S9 model

We can safely say that ASIC Bitmain AntminerS9 is still relevant by mid-2018. Of course, it no longer provides such a powerful profit, but its price fell at least threefold (another decrease can happen after the release of the S11 model).

Given the payback period, as well as the prospects of SHA-256 and the demand for bitcoin, this ASIC can still be considered as a budget entry to cryptocurrency mining.

The second quarter of 2018 showed that thehard forks, the struggle against centralization and other factors have half turned some (even the newest) ASICs into a "brick", the profit of which leaves much to be desired. This affected Bitcoin and S9 minimally, and even with very low daily income, buying ASICs is still promising, for now.

Write your comments about this equipment in the comments below.

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