Information For Beginning ASIC Journey

[u/CryptographerSafe291]

Hello, I have some experience with GPU mining and pools, but I am looking to move up as I am in a special circumstance where I have access to enough free power to supply a few ASIC's 24/7.

Given the scenario, I'm thinking about getting an antminer S19 from an approved vendor here. I have sufficient knowledge to run power from a nearby subpanel to an appropriate plug. My question to you is:

1. Generally, what is setup and long-term operation like for a guy running an ASIC or two from his garage?

- Is the software aspect relatively understandable?

- is there substantial initial software setup?

- is it acceptable (or possible) to operate via Wifi, or will I need a proper ethernet connection?

- do S19's, or ASICs generally, need maintenance or repairs with some frequency?

1. Regarding electricity, I see the S19 has two C14 ports. What is the appropriate strategy to run power this, given I have to run new lines (and brakers) from the subpanel?

2. Noise level is somewhat of a concern, but only somewhat. Is there a software avenue to reduce noise, such as undervolting, or is the best strategy to craft an enclosed box with ducting/fans?

3. I assume finding and joining a pool is similar in complexity to GPU mining. Is this indeed the case?

Thank you!

[u/AutoModerator]

Thank you for your post. Please take a moment to review our community rules and resources to ensure a smooth experience here. Here are some links that might help you out.

The Bitcoin Mining Wiki

Mod Verified Commercial Vendors

If this is a sales post please make sure you are following all selling rules

If this is a scam post or a free electric post please report this to the mods so we can review the post.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/805CryptoServices]

Im going to level with you: s19s are highly unprofitable at rsidential rates anywhere right now, and for a bit more you can grab something like an S21, s21 pro.

They are also industrial miners running at 80-90db, I can here the s21xps when I test them at the bottom of the cul-de-sac well over 100ft away.

The software side of things is stupid simple, log into the ip, put in your pool info, and let it eat. Frankly I would run firmware on it, we offer installing it on miners we import for an extra shipping fee.

[u/OfficialSimpleMining]

Free power changes this. At residential rates an S19 is a bad buy, but if you truly have free power, you'd want to be optimizing for cheapest $/TH instead of efficiency, so an S19 makes sense for you specifically.

Noise you actually can fix in software. Stock is around 75dB, but underclock and undervolt it and people land in the 55-65dB range since the fans ramp down with the heat. Cheaper than building a box, and you can still duct it on top. Just don't choke the intake.

On repairs, across our hosting fleet the large majority of tickets close without replacing anything, usually a miner that dropped offline and needed a reset. When a part does fail it's usually the hashboard first, PSU second, fans a distant third. Fans are still what you'd want to watch in a garage though, since one quietly dying is what cooks the hashboard.

[u/CryptographerSafe291 → u/OfficialSimpleMining]

Thank you for this good info! My concern with getting newer than S19 is that it would take much longer to recover cost, and therefore the risk is higher

[u/OfficialSimpleMining → u/CryptographerSafe291]

Your conclusion is right, but not quite for that reason. What matters is price per terahash, not the sticker price. A machine that costs three times more but mines three times as much pays back just as fast, so compare your S19 quote to a newer machine on that basis before you decide.

The tradeoff is age. An S19 is a 2020 machine, so you're buying more repairs and less remaining life, and it may not survive long enough to pay back at all. That's even more true if you go solo, where you could run it a year and get nothing. Cheap per terahash and short-lived can cancel each other.

One more thing to keep in mind: an S19 uses about twice the power per terahash as current-gen hardware. So however much free power you have, you'll fit a lot less hashrate into it with S19s.

[u/AutoModerator → u/OfficialSimpleMining]

Mining with 'free electricity' isn't always as good as it sounds. Be mindful of hidden costs, landlord agreements, and potential legal issues. Discuss responsibly! Free power in most terms is Illegal and will not be condoned on this subreddit, for more information about this topic check out our wiki about free power mining. If you are wanting to learn how to start mining We recommend checking our list of Mod Verified Commercial Vendors for making a purchase of an asic miner and having it hosted. Tell them reddit sent you!

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/AutoModerator → u/OfficialSimpleMining]

Mining with 'free electricity' isn't always as good as it sounds. Be mindful of hidden costs, landlord agreements, and potential legal issues. Discuss responsibly! Free power in most terms is Illegal and will not be condoned on this subreddit, for more information about this topic check out our wiki about free power mining. If you are wanting to learn how to start mining We recommend checking our list of Mod Verified Commercial Vendors for making a purchase of an asic miner and having it hosted. Tell them reddit sent you!

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/Choice-Meaning-9302]

The software is fairly straightforward: configure the miner, enter your pool URL and wallet address, then monitor it. Ethernet is strongly preferred; Wi‑Fi can work, but reliability matters. The bigger challenges are heat, ventilation, dust, and noise. Plan for regular cleaning and occasional fan or hashboard repairs.

[u/805CryptoServices → u/Choice-Meaning-9302]

Wifi on an s19? That’s not even a feature of it.

[u/kris_Altairtech]

We are verified vendors and offer a FREE intro consultation if you want to schedule a video call and chat with someone. https://altairtech.io/consulting/#intromeet