Best Power Supply for Mining Cryptocurrency (updated for 2022)
When building a GPU based mining rig, our research shows there is a lot of misinformation going around that makes it difficult to decide what to purchase. This has a lot to do with the nature of mining. Its something that just about anyone with a little cash can do, if they can follow directions from a blog like The Geek Pub. These people post in forums and all over the internet in blog comments. In many cases their opinions and advice are simply uninformed at best, and blatant lies at worst. Choosing the best power supply for mining cryptocurrency on a GPU is one of the areas where this becomes clearly obvious. You’ll see chants of “You need multiple power supplies.” or “You need a 2000 watt power supply.” Read along and we’ll get to the bottom of this quickly!
Understanding GPU Mining Power Supply Needs
It’s very common to think that a GPU miner needs massive amounts of electricity to operate. And it is true that it needs a lot. It’s also true that there is more than meets the eye when thinking about power supply wattage numbers. Indeed the power supply might be one of the most critical components for a mining machine, right next to the GPU itself. Here’s the good news: This is mostly a simple math equation that anyone can do.
Mining Power Supplies and Total Wattage
The first thing you need to do is understand the total wattage that your mining computer will draw. Add up the wattage of all of the components in your rig and see where that final number lands. The main concerns will be your processor, motherboard, and GPU cards. This however is where things can get really confusing. The wattage number on your processor is likely to read something as high has 95 watts, while the number on a card such as the NVIDIA GTX 1060 is likely to read as high as 200 watts when looking at the manufacturer specifications. With six GPUs you’re looking at 1295 watts!
Here’s where much of the confusion comes in.
These are the maximum theoretical wattage numbers, under a perfect condition and full load. In your mining operation there is almost zero chance you will ever hit those numbers. As shown in the tour of my mining PC build, I run six GTX 1060 cards, each pulling about 95 watts at maximum load.
Let’s understand those two main factors:
Mining doesn’t use the Full Capacity of the GPU
Mining doesn’t use the full capacity of the card or even many of its components. Think about it. There are many components on the GPU designed to deliver video to a monitor. None of these components are even connected in mining operations. Much of the data bus of the card is idle most of the time. It’s the CUDA cores that are busy calculating hashes for the coin you are mining.
Over and Under-clocking Plays a Bigger Role than Many Think
While we overclock the memory core of the GPU, we under-clock just about every other component on the card. The core GPU clock can be under-clocked as much as -200 Mhz depending on the card.
The power levels can be set as low as -65% on some cards. Other cards can be under-volted with literally no impact on performance.
These factors result in a GPU rated at consuming 200 watts at maximum theoretical load actually consuming only 95 watts during a mining operation! This is great news because your six GPU mining rig that calculated at 1295 watts, in actuality is only pulling about 520 watts in a mining operation. This same thing applies to almost every component on the board. That 95 watt CPU is likely only consuming 15 to 20 watts at idle (or mostly idle).
Understanding Over-Subscription
The world is over-subscribed. This is something many people miss completely and one of the reasons there is so much bad advice going around on the internet. It makes it really hard for the uneducated newbie to pick the best power supply for mining cryptocurrency. You will literally see people in the forums say “But your mining rig ‘might’ surge and you’ll burn out your power supply.
” This is utter hogwash.
Walk out to your garage or go in your basement and look at your breaker panel. It probably says something on it like “200 amp panel”. A 200 amp is the most common panel installed in residential homes. The main breaker at the top of the panel will be a 200 amp breaker. This feeds the entire panel. Now take just a minute to add up all of the breakers in the panel. What? They add up to more than 200 amps don’t they? That’s nuts! Actually its called over-subscription. Your power company does this. Your Internet company does this too. I can assure you AT&T doesn’t have a terabit uplink to cover the 1000 gigibit connected homes in a a Gigapower neighborhood.
That’s because they know the odds of everyone doing something at once is infinitesimally small. The same thing is happening inside your mining rig! One card may surge for a second, the CPU may surge for a second, etc. But not all at once.
Over-sizing your Power Supply for Efficiency
There is a good reason to over-size your mining power supply though! And that comes in the terms of efficiency.
A power supply performs most efficiently when running at about 80% load. This allows the fans to spin down, and the the power supply will generate less overall waste heat. Slightly over-sizing your mining power supply can save you some cash on your electric bill resulting in a more profitable miner, assuming you don’t spend so much on the supply as to eat those savings. If your rig tops out at 520 watts, spring for 850 watt supply to keep things efficient and give some wiggle room.
A Smart Power Supply is Great for Mining
Another thing to consider is getting a smart power supply. This is two fold. Mining rigs usually operate unattended without a keyboard, mouse, or monitor attached. Being able to remotely monitor the power supply wattage and temperature levels is a great feature to have. Additionally, as you add components to the rig over time or upgrade older components you can make sure you are still within the limits of your supply. Some manufacturers report this data through a protocol called LINK.
Smart power supplies will add a little cost your ROI equation, but in my opinion not enough to outweigh the benefits.
Modular Mining Power Supplies Rule
Another great feature to look for in a power supply is modularity. A fully modular power supply means that the cables are not permanently attached to the power supply. This allows you to use different cables for different components. If you don’t have a certain component on your rig there is no cable hanging loose and unused that needs to be dealt with. Simply leave that cable in the box for future use.
Modular power supplies generally come with multiple cables for different types of devices. This means you can select exactly the modular cable (and number of cables) you need to build out your rig. I always recommend a modular power supply when you can afford one.
Best Power Supply for Mining Cryptocurrency
So let’s list my top 4 picks for the best power supplies for mining! These power supplies should work in 99% of mining rigs being built today.
If you are planning to use a super power hungry card like a Titan V, then more planning is likely required. Check out my article on selecting the right mining GPU for help. Also, understand you have the option of using two smaller power supplies in a dual power supply mining rig.
#1 – The Corsair RM1000x
The Corsair RM1000x is a 1000 watt power supply that’s incredibly quiet, super efficient, and has plenty of modular ports for running PCIe risers, GPUs, and just about anything else you need it to.
This is the power supply chosen for the The Geek Pub Ethereum mining rig.
- 80 Plus Gold certified for lower power consumption, less noise and cooler temperatures
- Zero RPM fan mode for near silent operation at low to medium loads
- Continuous output rated temperature: 50°C
- 100 percent industrial grade, 105°C rated Japanese capacitors ensure unwavering power and reliability
- Fully modular cables, so you only connect the cables your system needs
- Fan size-5.
3 inches.
#2 – EVGA Supernova 1000 GT
Rocking in at number two on our list of the best power supplies for mining is the EVGA SuperNOVA 1000 GT. This power supply is fully modular, gold certified, and comes in at 1000 watts. What brings it to number two on our list is that it costs slightly more than the RM1000x.
- 80 PLUS Gold certified, with 90% (115VAC) / 92% (220VAC~240VAC) efficiency or higher under typical loads
- Fully Modular
- 100% Japanese Capacitors + OVP, UVP, OCP, OPP, SCP, and Dual OTP Protections
- Fluid Dynamic Bearing Fan and EVGA ECO Mode for ultra-quiet operation and increased lifespan
#3 – The Cooler Master V850 (SFX)
The Cooler Master V850 (SFX) comes in at number 3 on our list. It’s a great compromise between these other supplies. It’s fully modular, gold certified, and clocks in at great value price! Its only downside is that it is not a smart power supply and only 850 watts.
- SFX Form Factor: High-quality PSU that’s compatible with all SFX cases and suitable for mini-ITX system builds.
- SFX-to-ATX Bracket: With the included bracket, you can install the VSFX Gold securely to an ATX case.
- Full-Modular Cabling: Modular cables reduce clutter, increase airflow, and improve overall efficiency and thermal performance.
#4 – The Rosewill Gaming Power Supply
The Rosewill Gaming Power supply is a bronze certified power supply clocking in at the lowest price on the scale. It’s perfect for the budget conscious miner. It’s 850 watts and meets the requirements of most mining rigs. It however, isn’t fully modular. You’ll have to deal with a giant octopus of cables hanging out the back. Additionally it is not a smart power supply.
However, if clean power and keeping a low budget are all you need, the Rosewill is the way to go.
Best power supplies for mining 2022: Top PSUs for Bitcoin, Ethereum
FSP Dagger Pro 850W
(Image credit: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)
Picking the best power supply for your PC is incredibly important.
This is especially so for machines that will be running at high loads with multiple best mining GPUs. Clean and reliable power is the difference between a healthy system and one where you’ll need to replace a part or few. We’ve rounded up some of the best power supplies at various capacities for mining.
be quiet! Dark Power Pro 12
Best overall
The be quiet! Dark Power Pro 12 is one impressive piece of kit. This PSU series offers just two capacities, 1200W or 1500W. If you’re planning to run multiple NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30-series cards, you’ll want to consider buying such a PSU. This thing has it all, including four PCIe connections.
EVGA SuperNOVA 650 G+
Best 650W
EVGA’s SuperNOVA PSU series is included in our main best PC power supplies collection because it’s full of excellent options.
This 650W G+ model is affordable, yet allows you to safely run up to two GPUs so long as they don’t draw more than 200W. While it may only throw out up to 650W, this PSU comes with four PCIe connections.
Corsair RM750x
Best 750W
If you want to have some additional headroom for two GPUs, you’ll want to go with at least 750W for your PSU. Corsair’s RM750x comes into play with this capacity and is fully modular. It’s packed full of high-end components and will easily run a PC 24/7. Like our top two picks, there are four PCIe connections.
EVGA SuperNOVA 850 P2
Best 850W
850W? Check. Platinum 80 Plus certification for efficiency? Check. 10-year warranty? Check. Premium components and a reliable fan? Check. Perfect for your crypto mining PC? Absolutely.
This PSU comes with four PCIe connections.
Corsair HX1000
Best 1000W
This 80 Plus Platinum-rated PSU has it all for beefy cryptocurrency mining builds. It’s fully modular, has a 10-year warranty, a killer reliable fan, and rock-solid power delivery. If you’re planning to use more than three low- to mid-tier GPUs, this is the PSU you should consider using. Comes with four PCIe connections.
SilverStone ST1500-TI
Best 1200W+
SilverStone offers the ST series of power supplies that offer up to 1500W of stable, reliable power. This is the PSU to go for if you’re planning for numerous GPUs to be installed on a single system. It comes with eight PCIe connections and is a dream unit for crypto mining.
Our recommended power supplies will happily provide more than enough power to your cryptocurrency mining PC.
Whether you want to start out small with the EVGA SuperNOVA 650 G+ or go all out with the be quiet! Dark Power Pro 12 with its impressive 1200W capacity and 80 Plus Titanium efficiency rating.
Not all power supplies are built equally, which makes it a little more challenging to pick the best PSUs for cryptocurrency mining. Unlike most PC builds, a system running mining software with one or more GPUs is going to be a considerable load on a constant basis. The most important factors to bear in mind are as follows:
- Double the capacity of your GPUs combined.
- The higher the 80 Plus certification the better.
- Ensure it has all the most common protection features.
- Enough PCIe and Molex connections for all your cards and risers.
- 105C rated capacitors with other high-end premium features.
One shouldn’t save too much money with the PSU to ensure the reliability of the PC as well as to make the most of the graphics cards you manage to find available.
Purchasing a PSU from a reputable brand should be a good place to start.
Rich Edmonds is Senior Editor of PC hardware at Windows Central, covering everything related to PC components and NAS. He’s been involved in technology for more than a decade and knows a thing or two about the magic inside a PC chassis. You can follow him over on Twitter at @RichEdmonds.
How to Choose a Power Supply for Mining. Top 6 Tips
Today we will tell you how to choose a power supply for a farm: what to look for, which manufacturers are better, how many cards can be powered by which block.
Remember that when assembling a mining farm (or a regular PC), you need to choose a power supply very qualitatively, since the power supply is the heart of your farm (computer).
Through the power supply passes electricity, which powers the most expensive in the farm (PC) — video cards! A good power supply, in case of a serious problem, will destroy only itself and will not touch the cards.
A bad power supply will burn itself out and drag the entire system with it!
Therefore, do not save on power supplies, so as not to lead to such situations:
What should you pay attention to when choosing the best power supply for mining?
In short, when evaluating a power supply for mining suitability, consider the following requirements:
- The capacity of the power supply must be 2 times more than than you need (by standard). Ideally, you should take a block that will only be loaded at 50-60% capacity. Yes, few people do so, from the point of view of savings (otherwise you will get enough blocks), so buy a block with the calculation of 80-85% load, always leave at least 10% in stock!
- 80 PLUS Bronze and up for more efficiency.
- Ripple below 50mV at +12V at full load and elevated operating temperatures (>40°C).
- Quality fan (FDB or Rifle bearing, ideally ball or magnetic bearings).
- Enough 6+2 PCIe slots to connect graphics cards. Never use adapters ! 4-pin Molex connectors are not designed for heavy loads. Always count the number of wires PCIe enough to power the entire farm! Remember that in online stores they often write, for example: 2x 6+2 Pin PCI-e connectors to power the video card. And people often think that they can power 2 cards with one block, for example, as 2x is indicated. However, in reality it may turn out to be so — this is only 1, but a double wire, which can only power 1 card! Therefore, always look at the photos and a detailed analysis of the block!
- Sufficient 4-pin Molex or SATA 9 connectors0019 to power the risers. Do not forget that part of the SATA wires will be used to power the SSD and other peripherals.
- All cables must use 18AWG wire (the lower the better). 16 gauge wires are ideal for PCIe cables.
- Power supplies 1.
4kW (or better yet 1kW) and over power supplies require connector C19 . Use power cord AC with wires 14AWG . Low power power supplies require an AC power cord with at least 16AWG wires. - Supports basic protection functions (SCP, OPP), including overtemperature protection.
- Delay time over 12ms (17ms+ ideal) and accurate power signal. A signal with good power should have a delay of at least 1 ms.
- Complete stage EMI filtering (minimum number of components: 4 Y capacitors, 2 X capacitors, two CM, MOV chokes), plus inrush current protection (NTC thermistor required).
- Exceptional build quality, including quality MOSFETs and high quality storage/filter capacitors (105°C rated). It is preferable to use polymer caps on the secondary side.
- Peripheral connector spacing 15 cm, to allow adapter PCIe board on
Let’s take a closer look at some of these items!
Certificate
It must be at least 80 Bronze Plus.
It is not recommended to use all power supplies without certificates in mining to power the farm!
Let’s take an example.
You buy expensive equipment for mining — video cards. Collect them in a farm (computer). And you buy an inexpensive power supply without a certificate: after all, many people think that the power supply is needed only to connect video cards.
This is not entirely true. The power supply is needed in order not only to power the video cards, but also to protect the equipment from power surges, to go into protection in case of any problems. All this will be done by an expensive and smart power supply, thereby protecting expensive video cards.
A cheap power supply without a certificate will not give all this. Moreover, such a block will most often burn both itself and video cards, unlike a smart block with certificates, which will sense danger in a split second and go into defense, or burn itself, but save the cards.
It is worth noting that marriage happens everywhere and even the most modern power supply may be defective and not protect against threats.
Certificates are as follows:
- 80+
- 80+Bronze
- 80+Silver
- 80+Gold
- 80+Platinum
- 80+Titanium
Each of these certificates has a higher efficiency.
Certificate output
| Efficiency | load 20% | load 50% | load 100% |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80 Plus | 80% | 80% | 80% |
| 80 Plus Bronze | 82% | 85% | 82% |
| 80 Plus Silver | 85% | 88% | 85% |
| 80 Plus Gold | 87% | 90% | 87% |
| 80 Plus Platinum | 90% | 92% | 89% |
| 80 Plus Titanium | 90. 1% |
91.1% | 89.3% |
20%, 50%, 100% is the load. The percentage values in each column are the efficiency of the power supply under this load.
Accordingly, we can conclude that 80 Plus Platinum is the most efficient power supply.
The price category of units with such certificates is very different.
Watch the video from our YouTube channel: how to choose a power supply for mining:
General
The certificate is what you need to pay attention to when choosing a block in the first place. It is clear that initially you must select a power supply that will satisfy all your needs. Namely:
Power — the number of Watts
When choosing a power supply for a farm, you should immediately consider how many watts will be needed to power the video cards and the system.
Do not forget that the farm can be powered by two power supplies. Then one of them will not spend about 120 watts on the system.
Also, if you have a farm of only 1-2 video cards, but in the future you plan to buy additional cards, you should immediately take a block with a margin, otherwise problems may arise — you will need to purchase a second power supply.
Approximately how many video cards with different power consumption and connected system (processor, motherboard, hard drive) can power different power supplies:
- 700-750 Watts:
- video cards with a power of 250 watts or more ~ 2 video cards.
- Cards up to 200 Watts ~ 3 cards
- 800-850 Watts
- video cards with a power of 250 watts or more ~ 2 video cards.
- Cards up to 200 Watts ~ 4 cards
- 1000-1050 Watts
- graphics cards with a power of 250 watts or more ~ 3 graphics cards.
- Cards up to 200W ~ 5 cards
- 1500-1600 Watts
- video cards with a power of 250 watts ~ 5 video cards.
- Cards up to 200 Watts ~ 7 cards
- video cards with a power of 250 watts ~ 5 video cards.
It should be noted right away that this is a very approximate calculation, and first of all it depends on the number of PCI-e wires, as well as Molex and Sat, which will power the video cards themselves and the riser for them.
Consider now the wires.
Scope of supply — number of wires
After you have decided on the power you need, select the power supply that has the most PCI-e wires.
Also pay attention to the number of Molex and Sat, because if you have a lot of PCI-e wires in the block and only 1-2 Molex and a couple of Sat, there is a chance that you will not be able to power all the cards. Since PCI-e wires will be enough, but there are no wires to power the risers. Thus, the cards will not be able to start.
Always look for a PSU that has an equal or greater total of Molex + SATA to the total of PCI-e wires.
Original Manufacturer (OEM)
Let’s say you have selected a few power supplies with the right wattage, enough wires and good certification.
Next, you need to find out who the real manufacturer of the power supply is. Since the block is most often assembled by other intermediary companies, the quality of their assembly and soldering leaves much to be desired.
Why does another company assemble the block most often?
It’s very simple. For example, Corsair thinks over a new power supply, creates its drawings and gives it to another company for assembly. Since it will be much more profitable and cheaper for Corsair.
The company can also do this from a marketing point of view, as there are large manufacturing companies that have great confidence among consumers in terms of assembly.
Which true producers are the best?
There are not so many real manufacturers of power supplies that have proven themselves on the market. Here is a list of the best ones:
- CWT
- Seasonic
- Evga
- Flextronics
You can find out who the true manufacturer of the power supply is on our website.
Voltage regulation
After you have sifted through a mountain of blocks, choosing reliable manufacturers, you should pay attention to their efficiency and voltage stabilization.
We figured out efficiency from the very beginning. As for voltage stabilization, then the situation is as follows.
Titanium-certified PSUs should approximate the following figures:
- 0.18% for 3.3 V
- 0.40% on 5V
- 0.17% at 12V.
For « Platinum » approx:
- 3.3V — 0.33%
- 5V — 0.2%
- 12V — 0.2%
For certificate « Gold » approx:
- 3.3V — 0.85%
- 5V — 0.60%
- 12V — 0.58%
For certificate « Bronze » approx:
- 1.3% for 3.3 V
- 0.8% at 5V
- 1.83% at 12V.
These are approximate numbers that blocks should aim for. The higher the number, the worse.
These indicators are responsible for the stability of your entire farm — for the supply of electricity.
When choosing units, pay close attention to efficiency and voltage stabilization.
You can learn about the voltage stabilization of power supplies in our reviews on different units.
The best manufacturers
There are not many companies in the world that really make high-quality, smart power supplies. Most blocks make them unreliable and unable to protect your farm.
Below is an example of power supply manufacturers that have proven themselves in the market, but be aware that even they come across not very high-quality models.
In order not to buy a low-quality model, always pay attention to the original manufacturer (OEM), even if the brand is famous. From time to time come across models with low-quality assembly from unknown OEM assemblers. Also read our full reviews on different power supplies.
Excellent power supply manufacturers:
- Seasonic
- Corsair
- Evga
Good manufacturers:
- Enermax
- Chieftec
- cooler master
- Fire Power
Bad manufacturers:
- AeroCool
- Acbel
- ABS
However, not all bad manufacturers make poor quality blocks.
For example, the same «AeroCool» can sometimes come across high-quality models. Similarly, low-quality models can come across from excellent manufacturers.
Conclusion:
To choose the right power supply for your farm, always read reviews on power supplies, and follow the 5 rules:
- Good certification
- Lots of wires
- High power
- Excellent efficiency
- Good voltage regulation
How to choose a power supply for mining: Rating of the best power supplies for mining in 2021 An ordinary power supply without labels and identification marks will do a great job of burning cards or blowing fuses under 24/7 load. We figure out how to choose a PSU that will not burn the farm and will work for a long time and reliably.
To provide practical advice on choosing a power supply, the Hashalot editors enlisted the opinion of an expert . Pavel Zhuklinets, founder and head of MinerTech , which has been dealing with server power supplies for mining farms since 2013, gave key recommendations for choosing a power supply for .
Top 5 best power supplies for home mining farms in 2021
Consider five budget models. They are suitable when you don’t feel sorry for the money on the PSU and there is a desire to get a reliable ATX block for mining.
- «Cooler Master» , Vanguard range, model MPY-AFBAGV, 550/650W and 750/850W.
- be quiet! Straight Power Range 11 Series BN644 (1000W) and BN645 (1200W)
- «Cooler Master» Vanguard line MPZ-1000-AFBAPV and MPZ-1300-AFBAPV
- «Corsair» , AX range, CP-
52 1000W models. - «Antec» , HCP range, models HCP-1000 Platinum and HCP-1300 Platinum
Rating of reliable server power supplies for mining and mining Here are the top northern models from the MinerTech website for 2021. Spoiler — they are quiet and suitable for working in an apartment. A branch on the MinerTech forum with the opinions of the miners themselves about the store.
- DPS-1000GB for 1000 W
- HSTNS PA01 for 1300 W
- DELL L1100A-S0 1100 W
- Emerson DS1500-3-001 1500W
- DELL D1570P-S1-DPS-1570DB 1570W [Quiet]
- Emerson 7001509-Y000 at 1450W [Quiet]
- EMERSON 7001524-J000 1975W [Quiet]
We strongly recommend that you choose the unit yourself, taking into account the requirements for it.
Any server PSU with a mark higher than «Bronze» is already good, and the higher it is, the better.
What is the difference between server and home power supplies for mining
There are two conditional divisions among power supplies — “server” and “home”. What are they? The home, or ATX, block is designed to run a regular computer in 8-hour load mode with intermittent peaks. Server — for permanent work 24/7. But how to choose a PSU and what to look for?
The power supply will burn itself rather than let the video cards burn .
The main role of a PSU in a farm is to protect equipment from power surges. A normal power supply protects the computer by registering voltage drops in tenths of a second and turning on protection, or it burns out instead of video cards. This is his role in the farm — to protect the main iron from death and provide it with food. Why is a home power supply not always suitable for mining?
The electric kettle requires a 220 watt socket to function properly. It takes 3 minutes to heat water for one cup of tea, during which the kettle barely manages to load the wiring in the house. This is called «Short-term intermittent load».
The home computer can work continuously, but with the regulation of its own consumption. Playing MMOs or staying up late at work, we barely wind up 24 hours of full load. Games and work applications are not able to load the video card to the limit all the time, sometimes the graphics chip messes up and resets the frequencies, lowering the temperature.
To cover simple PC operating scenarios, home power supplies are designed for intermittent, near-limit load. Modern home PSUs of 2021 will pull the video card, processor, motherboard and hard drives with a bunch of coolers, ensuring their stable operation. However, more complex load scenarios, like 5 video cards, home PSUs will be overpowered with a stretch.
How to choose a power supply for home mining farm: selection criteria
1) “80 Plus” certificates in power supplies do not guarantee the quality of the stuffing
Every self-respecting company wants to have an “80 Plus” certificate and sell its PSUs under the slogan “80 PLUS TITANIUM! RELIABLE AS A SINGER TYPE! In fact, it’s not about reliability, but about how much electricity the power supply loses «wasted» during operation.
80 Plus is a voluntary certification program for Energy Efficient Power Supply Units, or PSUs. It was launched in 2004 and certifies those power supplies that are capable of delivering more than 80% efficiency at 20, 50 and 100 percent load.
A prerequisite for the applicant should be a power factor of 0.9at 100% loading. The goal of the program is to reduce power consumption and heat under load, but not to increase the reliability of the power supply. If the sticker “80 Plus Titanium” flaunts on the block, this only means that the PSU can burn a little less electricity in vain than blocks with “80 Plus Gold”. This does not guarantee the quality of soldering and element base. The standard has its drawbacks, including the fact that it does not require the installation of the highest quality and most advanced capacitors to obtain it, only to pass the test at 25 degrees room temperature.
At the time of power conversion from the socket, a power loss occurs, the level of which is indicated by the 80 Plus certificate.
“ For example, the Titanium level is only 4% of losses during conversion, followed by Platinum with 6% and Gold, where 8% of the input voltage is lost ,” notes Pavel Zhuklinets.
In home power supplies, the «80 Plus» sticker often serves as a reason to overprice, not reflecting the real quality of the stuffing. In mining, a PSU with a level higher than Gold will be overkill. The Bronze level is a balance between efficiency and price. But for serious ATX farms, it is not recommended to take blocks — they will not be extended.
How can I check if my power supply is certified?
There are cases of fraud with certificates, when cheap hardware is given out as, God forgive me, «premium». To check if a power supply has been certified, take its label, or SKU. For example, the Chieftec Proton at 500V is labeled BDF-500S, and it should be checked. We open the register of 80 Plus certificates issued to power supplies and enter the PSU marking.
Do not focus only on stickers, power supplies are selected according to slightly different indicators. For example, according to tests, a video with the disassembly of the PSU by the masters of service centers.
You can get a complete picture if you collect reviews for a number of models in one Excel file and count the number of those where the PSU failed. That power supply unit, where there are fewer outages and is worth buying. In Mining, the PSU must have a level of “80 Plus Bronze” A headache for mining farms is electricity consumption. The loss rate from socket to graphics chip is a whopping 34%, and increases as the quality of the hardware deteriorates. This is where the 80 Plus certificate comes in handy. If for home games the level of “efficiency” of the block is not very important, then in mining it will allow you to pay less for electricity.
« The ATX format power supply, if it is used for mining, must have a certificate level of at least 80 Plus Bronze ,” notes Pavel Zhuklinets.
2) When choosing a home PSU, study reviews PSUs up to $70 are often «Office» boxes designed for the browser. Anything more serious than the GT 730, they cannot be trusted.
Trustworthy blocks start at $70. If you are financially ready to buy new parts, instead of burnt ones, then you can safely save on the power supply. 3) Look at the functionality of the home block, not the price tag
A mining power supply must have a number of parameters that will be useful on a mining farm.
- Integrated short circuit protection. All modern power supplies are equipped with this, more expensive than $ 70.
- Active PFC function responsible for voltage factor correction. It is important because it allows the unit to adapt to the consumption of the system, reducing heat generation and the risk of video card burnout.
- Good Efficiency — Bronze or Silver certificate for PSU, Gold is best.
- Availability of reviews on the PSU with a period of use of six months. Only a period of extended use can detect problems. Pay attention to reviews describing «overheating» and «unstable operation.
» - Insurance from three years. The insurance period for the power supply is a measure of how confident the manufacturer is in it. Before determining the period of insurance, the block is passed through a meat grinder of tests, determining its level of risk. The lower the risk, the higher the period for which the BP is insured.
- Presence of two different cables for powering video cards. When using 4 video cards in a farm, it is dangerous to hang them on one wire — the PSU may burn out. Take a closer look at PSUs that have at least two cables for powering the video card.
- Video card power plugs must be T-wired. There are two ways to secure the graphics card power plug, T-shaped and Y-shaped. With a Y-like mounting scheme, the wire is re-cut to bring the strands into the contact pins. After that, the second segment of the wire is pressed into the pin to the wire inserted into the wound and they are compressed with a clip. This method reduces the efficiency of power transfer through the chain for the next connector.
The T-shaped wiring has the minimum level of losses, when the wire is cut through with pins-contacts, without breaking the copper wiring. - The ideal home power supply should have one lane for the PCI slots. “ The presence of one line indicates a high-quality element base, unlike multi-band PSUs, when they try to hide bad stuffing behind load distribution over several wires,” Pavel notes.
4) How to determine the number of power lines in the PSU
We focus on the label on the rear panel of the power supply.
List good and bad power supplies for mining
Reliable information on the list of PSUs is taken from the LinusTechTips forum, where tech-savvy craftsmen have collectively selected power for computers for more than four years. For mining on ATH BP, we recommend looking at models of levels from 1 to 3.
Table of good and bad ATX power supplies
Here is a link to the list of power supplies in Google Sheets [in English], which shows the testing specifications and levels for PSU distribution.
Before reading, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the level distribution methodologies for power supplies in the table. Briefly, the level distributions in the table are schematically indicated as follows.
- Level 1, the coolest blocks, mark «A»
- 2nd level, good blocks, mark «B»
- 3rd level, normal blocks, mark «C»
Server PSUs for mining: how to choose and what they are for
A «server» power supply is a completely different story. They are designed to work with humming racks in data centers that need to be powered at near-peak levels 24/7/365. When assembled, such blocks receive a safety margin for 10 years in advance, undergo multiple technical checks and certification.
The main difference between a “server” and a “home” PSU is reliability. The ATX power supply is equipped with a relatively «weak» protection against voltage surges. When overloading a regular home ATX unit, there is a high chance that it will take video cards with it and provide the owners with a colorful fire show.
Data center servers can cost hundreds of billions of dollars. The least a power owner would want is equipment loss due to a short circuit or a burned out PSU. To ensure security for hardware, server PSUs are designed with multi-stage protection and undergo strict certification at the manufacturer’s and customer’s level. The most reliable of them serve in Google or Yandex servers.
But you can’t get the coveted PSU from the server, and they won’t always be available for sale. Craftsmen buy server PSUs in the secondary market, like Aliexpress, in the hope of soldering and adapting them. Further, the power supplies are given to the master for repair, after which they serve as a workhorse for the mining farm. However, such PSUs will not last long.
« Server power supplies from China worked for slaughter, after which they are written off and sold under the guise of almost new — says Pavel — the second point is the weight. Server PSUs weigh 1 kg each, and when transporting them across the border, problems may arise.
« When purchasing blocks, models taken from US servers that have worked for no more than three years are taken. Usually, data centers or servers that close will decommission equipment that passes rigorous testing and can be bought back. We purchase blocks, carry out testing and preparation for work on farms, for example, soldering for 6 or 8 cards ,” says Pavel Zhuklinsky.
The choice of power supply is recommended to be done with a margin of 30%. The rule is not strict. If the calculated consumption of the farm is at the level of 1000 watts, then a 1000 watt server PSU will pull the farm.
« A server PSU that is at full load will last less than it could. For example, From 1 year to 2 ,” notes Pavel Zhuklinsky.
The server power supplies are designed to operate from 200V to 240V from a wall outlet. If the power is lower, then the unit simply will not be able to start — the conversion units will not have enough voltage, and the coils will not be able to produce a stable frequency.
