In 2016, Chinese mining equipment manufacturer Bitmain released the Antminer S9 ASIC miner. The model is the successor to the Antminer S7, which was considered the best miner of its time. The updated version is aimed at mining cryptocurrencies using the SHA-256 algorithm, the most famous of which is Bitcoin along with its forks Bitcoin Cash, Emercoin, Peercoin, Namecoin, Steemit and others.
The community immediately appreciated the capabilities of the new model in terms of efficiency and profitability. The equipment has become so popular that the demand for Antminer S9 continues to this day. This was the first ASIC miner based on a 16nm chip, which at that time was already considered a huge breakthrough. But this is just one of the features that will be discussed in the review below.
- What does Asic Bitmain Antminer S9 look like?
- Characteristics of Antminer S9
- Antminer S9: profitability and payback How much does Antminer S9 bring?
- Antminer S9: calculator
- Is it worth mining Antminer S9 in 2022?
- Setting up Antminer S9
What does Asic Bitmain Antminer S9 look like?
The package consists of the device itself and a proprietary Bitmain unit with a power of 1600 W. Visually, Antminer S9 is not much different from other models from the manufacturer: the same aluminum case, fans on the sides and three hash boards with many chips. But there are still differences.
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In Antminer S9, the number of chips located on each board is 63, for a total of 189 units.
The structure itself measures 350mm x 135mm x 158mm and weighs 4.5kg.
Appearance of ASIC Antminer S9 with power supply from Bitmain
Thanks to the unique sled ribs, it is possible to create entire farms by connecting equipment end-to-end.
Depending on the batch, the chips come with a clock speed of 650 MHz, or 600 MHz for newer designs in the lineup.
The same applies to the control module. In the older batch it is divided into two boards: black and green, while in newer batches there is no such division.
Characteristics of Antminer S9
Characteristics of Antminer S9
Note that there are significant differences in the Antminer S9 model range that can affect the overall computing power and mining profitability. Some of the variations of the Antminer S9 model are: 14TH/s, 13.5TH/s, 12.5TH/s and 11.5TH/s.
Therefore, potential miners should first decide on the desired technical characteristics of the Antminer S9. And do not forget that the higher the power, the more efficient the installed equipment will work.
The table below shows the technical characteristics of ASIC Antminer S9:
Technical characteristics of Antminer S9
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Fun Fact: A single Antminer S9 boasts the equivalent throughput of the entire Bitcoin network between its launch and mid-2012.
What distinguishes Antminer S9 from the previous generation is the number of chips, thanks to which higher computing performance results are achieved.
At the same time, today there are many “more powerful” models on the market, produced by both Bitmain and other manufacturers of mining equipment.
For example, the improved Antminer S9 SE comes with 16 TH/s power and consumes only 1280 Watts. And the parameters of the latest S17 model are five times higher than the power of the Antminer S9, producing as much as 73 TH/s. But their price is much higher, which is also important.
Review of Antminer S9
Antminer S9: profitability and payback
How profitable is Antminer S9?
How much does Antminer S9 bring?
Three years ago, Antminer S9 managed to make a splash in the mining industry thanks to the powerful characteristics that this model could boast of. However, due to the constant increase in complexity and sharp price fluctuations in the cryptocurrency market, companies have to invent new solutions in pursuit of the best performance and efficiency.
The model is still profitable, but no matter how cool and productive the Antminer S9 is, the incessant noise and scary figures in electricity bills can quickly destroy any expectations. As for the profitability of Antminer S9, this will be discussed further.
Antminer S9: calculator
Antminer S9 Calculator
How profitable is Antminer S9? Is it worth investing in this model now? This is what interests those who want to buy ASIC Antminer S9.
At the time of the announcement, the price was certainly high, but today equipment can be purchased much cheaper, and not necessarily new. So let's get some numbers straight.
As you know, the profitability of mining depends on many factors that we cannot influence. The main ones are the price of cryptocurrencies and the cost of electricity required to power the equipment.
To avoid “embarrassing situations”, we suggest calculating the profitability of Antminer S9 using a calculator. Among the most popular services on the market are WhatToMine, CryptoCompare, ASIC TRADE. You can also use the service for calculating profitability on the website of the mining pool where mining will be carried out directly, for example, NiceHash. Most of them are convenient and easy to use, and only require you to indicate the cost of electricity in the region
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WhatToMine: detailed instructions for using the mining calculator
Let's look at how profitable mining is today on Antminer S9 using examples of cryptocurrency mining in Ukraine and Russia. To perform the calculations we will use a calculator from ASIC TRADE. So, enter the price of electricity and see what happens:
Profitability of Antminer S9 in Ukraine at a rate of 1.68 UAH per 1 kW
Profitability of Antminer S9 in Russia at a rate of 5.47 rubles per 1 kW
As you can see, only miners from Ukraine will receive a profit (if this can be called a profit); in Russia, with the above tariffs and a price of $9,200, operating the equipment is unprofitable. Note that the calculations do not take into account the wear and tear of the equipment, so the calculations are extremely relative and only if the price of Bitcoin increases in the future, the miner may be of interest.
It is difficult to say how long it will take for the new Antminer S9 model to pay for itself, since it will most likely take years. After all, no one knows exactly what will happen to the Bitcoin exchange rate and the level of mining difficulty even in a month. There is a high probability that this purchase will never pay off.
If you take a model from the secondary market (at a price of $200-300), then if there is a “free outlet”, the miner will begin to make a profit within 3-6 months.
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Mining calculator: how to calculate the profitability of Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies
Is it worth mining Antminer S9 in 2022?
However, the model’s break-even point is considered to be $7,500:
On October 23, 2022, when the Bitcoin network hashrate set a new record above 114 EH/s, the price of the first cryptocurrency, on the contrary, dropped below the limit value. As a result, within a few days the hashrate dropped by more than 30EH/s.
Bitcoin network hashrate
We don’t think this is a coincidence, and most likely the Antminer S9 miners had to disconnect from the network. And since the equipment of this model range occupies a dominant position in the market, their withdrawal from mining was reflected in the Bitcoin hashrate graph in the form of a significant decrease in the indicator.
Bitcoin mining is most profitable if you have a farm of several devices. It is also not necessary to purchase new equipment; you can consider purchasing options on the secondary market, but, of course, you need to take into account the risks, which will be discussed below.
As an alternative to the first cryptocurrency, you can consider mining its forks, but you shouldn’t expect big profits here either.
The only thing is, since the cost of forks is much lower than Bitcoin, the opportunities for their growth are much wider, so in the long term, when hoarding coins, you can still make a profit from mining. Although the first cryptocurrency, from the point of view of a tool for storing value, looks much more reliable.
Thus, the prospects for Bitcoin are still better compared to altcoins, so this thing is quite interesting as a long-term investment. All that remains is to find a “cheaper outlet”.
We calculate the payback of Antminet Z9 mini
We will make calculations through a universal calculator - CryptoCompare.com.
After introducing basic performance information, we get the following picture.
Against the background of significantly increased mining complexity, due to the active introduction of specialized mining equipment, as well as the general drawdown of the cryptocurrency market, the prospects for mining do not look particularly impressive, since the payback on the equipment will be a little less than two years.
Recently, the market situation for ZCASH looks like a smooth but steady decline in value, but a general market reversal can significantly speed up the payback.
By the way, the payback of video cards, all other things being equal, is slightly less in the current market realities, and if we take into account energy consumption, then ASICs and mining rigs are on par.
Increase in ZCash mining difficulty
Restrictions on the purchase of the Z9 mini did not play a special role in the process of increasing the complexity of calculations on the ZCash network.
As you can see, after the start of sales there was insignificant activity, but after 60 days the growth became much more active.
This gap is due to the fact that the completion of production and delivery of orders to locations, as well as their launch, took about 2 months.
Further, the situation develops like an avalanche and the productivity of one ASIC drops from $13,000 in profit per year to $1,200, which is more than 10 times.
On the other hand , this situation left only Antminer Z9 mini owners in mining, since calculations on video cards turned out to be unprofitable and almost everyone involved in the process switched to other coins.
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How and where to buy Antminer S9. Price ASIC S9
Buying Antminer S9
Since the mining ecosystem does not stand still, and ASIC manufacturers are releasing competing models of mining equipment, it is not surprising that the price of Antminer S9 has undergone significant changes since the announcement of the design. So, initially its cost fluctuated around $2100, while now it has become more affordable. Although there are companies on the market that sell new ASICs at the same high level.
At the moment, Antminer S9 has already been discontinued, and therefore is not available for purchase on the official manufacturer’s website, but Bitmain offers for purchase an improved model called Antminer S9 SE at a price of $430.
As for prices in Ukraine and Russia for ASIC S9, the following picture emerges.
In Ukraine, ASIC is available on the following Internet sites:
- Rozetka (new) - 40,000 hryvnia ($1,600);
- ASIC FOX (used) - from 9945 to 10710 hryvnia ($390-420) depending on power;
- C-market (used) - 12699 hryvnia ($500);
- SETEVUHA (used) - 7000 hryvnia ($280);
- BitWallet (used) -11990 hryvnia ($480).
In Russia the choice is also quite wide. Distributors sell equipment both from stock and on order. Below are just a few of the companies selling ASIC S9:
- Dyckman Electronics Center, JSC (new) - 80,000 rubles;
- antminer-russia.com (used) - 19,500 rubles;
- SibStroy LLC (used) - 16,000 rubles;
- Impulse M LLC (used) - 15,490 rubles;
- IBMM (used) - 22545 rubles;
- CHINA STORE - 23,500 rubles.
Both new and used equipment can be found from sellers on the advertising platforms OLX in Ukraine and Avito in Russia, in Telegram channels, YouTube channels, cryptocurrency forums, etc. There are more than enough proposals for this request. However, if you purchase an Asik S9 from an individual, you should remember that no one guarantees the integrity of the seller, and the transaction is carried out at your own peril and risk.
But even when purchasing Antminer S9 from a company, you cannot be completely sure that your purchase corresponds to what you want.
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One of the methods of fraud in the industry is the sale of weaker Antminer S9 models under the guise of more powerful ones.
As a result, instead of Antminer with a power of 14 TH/s, in fact, you can become the owner of a 13.5 TH/s model. To implement the scheme, unscrupulous sellers re-stick stickers on all components of the structure. Thus, there is no question of visually detecting deception, of course, if the equipment is not in the hands of an expert. Therefore, to be sure of your purchase, it is better not to be lazy and send a request with the ASIC serial number directly to the manufacturer Bitmain for verification.
What is z9 mini Antminer?
As the name should make clear, the new miner is smaller in size than the AntMiner line aimed at working with ETH or BTC.
Here are its main characteristics:
- Working algorithm – Equihash;
- Productivity - 10000 sol/s;
- Power consumption - 300 W
- Power – 4 6-pin connectors
- Power supply is a separate purchase;
- Cost: $1999.
An important point for those who are just considering the z9 mini Antminer from Bitmain as an object to purchase is this fact.
That ZCash is not the only coin mined using the announced algorithm. In addition, Bitcoin forks – Bitcoin Gold and Bitcoin Private – are popular.
It is noteworthy that manufacturers have limited the sale of devices to no more than one per hand. The official release of Antminer z9 mini stated that this measure is designed to avoid hype and mass purchases, which could significantly affect the cost of mined assets.
In fact, a more likely reason for the limitations is the inability to supply the volumes of ASICs that users can order due to manufacturing constraints.
Another important feature is the completeness of the delivery. The Z9 mini is sold without a power supply, which is both an advantage and a disadvantage.
The disadvantage is that the user has to spend time and money searching for and ordering a power supply, since the most successful model from Bitmain, APW3-12-1600-B2 in a server version, remains recommended for installation.
The advantage will be the fact that one power supply is enough to connect two ASICs, since one requires only 4 6pin connectors to operate.
Apparently because of this feature, sales are established without a power supply, so as not to impose extra power supplies on customers that cost money.
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Installing ASIC Antminer S9
How to install and configure Antminer S9
So, the device has been purchased. What's next? And then it’s worth noting that the design is equipped with rather noisy fans, and this can be a problem when installing the Antminer S9 in a residential area. Therefore, it is better to choose a garage or basement for installation; most importantly, the working area should not be very dusty and with low humidity. The dust problem can be solved by installing special filters, but the main thing here is not to overdo it, so that new problems do not arise, for example, ASIC overheating.
There are many interesting solutions invented by miners themselves to solve problems associated with the production process of devices. But it is worth understanding that in some cases these may be additional costs that will reduce the overall profit from the miner.
As for installing the equipment, let's start with connecting the power. We connect the miner to the network and wait until the green light comes on. So, the Antminer S9 is noisy, the green light is on, which means you can proceed directly to the setup.
Preparing ASIC Antminer S9 for work
Setting up Antminer S9
The entire process of setting up the equipment will take just a few minutes.
First, we need to find out the miner's IP address. This can be done by downloading the program on the website bitmain.com in the “Support” section. We launch IP.Reporter, see the IP address and enter it in the browser. We go to the miner’s control panel and enter the default password “root”.
Control panel (admin panel) ASIC Antminer S9
Next, go to the settings and open the “Mining Configuration” / “General Settings” section. Here we enter the pool address, wallet and password:
Window for setting up the connection of ASIC Antminer S9 to a mining pool
After this, we save the settings and see that ASIC Antminer S9 has switched to operating mode. From this moment the equipment begins to earn money.
To check information about the operation of the device, go to the “Miner Status” tab, which displays data on hashrate, mined blocks, pool settings and others.
ASIC Antminer S9 operating parameters window
If any component of the miner does not work correctly, we recommend rebooting the miner in the “System” / “Reboot” tab.
Window for rebooting ASIC Antminer S9
Overclocking and firmware
When the ASIC is started, the equipment begins to operate in normal mode, meeting the indicators declared by the manufacturer. But over time, its productivity may decrease, which will subsequently negatively affect not only the work of the miner, but also the income from his work as a whole.
In order to make miners more efficient, official ASIC manufacturers and third-party developers have created solutions in the form of programs to improve the operation of the equipment. There are plenty of them on the Internet.
To download special software, go to the “System” / “Upgrade” tab, and install the update there.
Window for installing software for overclocking Antminer S9
The flashing process itself takes a few minutes, but in the end its owner will be able to get:
- Reducing noise levels by reconfiguring fans;
- Dust resistance, which increases the service life of the equipment and eliminates the need for regular cleaning;
- More efficient mining (increases power overclocking);
- Reduced energy consumption, thereby increasing profitability;
- Possibility of mining cryptocurrencies using a different algorithm, etc.
The last step to activate the installed software is to reboot the miner.
Before you start experimenting with Antminer S9, you need to check the power of the power supply, as there may be certain limitations:
- With a power of 1400 W, an increase of 0.5 TH/s is possible;
- With a power of 1600 W - up to 2 TH/s.
It is also necessary to remember that such software can not only improve the operation of the miner, but also, on the contrary, lead to its breakdown or failure of functionality.
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Attention! If you use firmware from third-party suppliers, the ASIC manufacturer declines all responsibility for the consequences, so you need to be very careful when installing and overclocking the miner.
Although the same applies to those who want to install official software from the manufacturer. Thus, according to reports, it is not recommended to update the firmware from Bitmain until 2022, as it leads to the failure of some functions previously available for this model. And since the manufacturer’s warranty period is only 6 months, the user will most likely have to be left alone with their problems.
Overclocking Antminer S9
Setup and first launch
Before succumbing to the excitement of a new acquisition, quickly turn on the equipment to the network, it is necessary to conduct a visual inspection of it for damage and missing components.
It’s not that Bitmain indulges in sending out defective equipment, but the route from China is not close and the package passes through many hands, not all of which are direct.
After inspection. Carefully turn the miner over several times to make sure there are no freely moving parts inside the case, such as fasteners or chip heatsinks.
If there is extraneous noise , this is a reason to look into the case and restore order there. Switching on “as is” can lead to a short circuit and loss of $2000
The peculiarity of ASICs is that they require minimal configuration. Externally, the Z9 mini control unit is no different from other models.
Controls and controls are kept to a minimum:
- IP Report – shows the device identifier for fine manual tuning;
- The memory card is used in cases where the preinstalled OS does not work for any reason;
- Internet port – provides connection between the equipment and the pool;
- Light indicators - in normal mode, only one of them is lit, while immediately after startup, for 5-10 minutes, the “Fault” indicator may be lit, which means that the ASIC is connecting to the pool and reaching maximum performance;
- Reset – resets everything to factory settings.
Connection and setup
After all cables are connected and checked, we launch the miner.
It takes some time to load and check all components, after which it begins to work according to a preset algorithm.
The equipment is controlled according to a scheme similar to a home router.
The IP of the miner is entered, which opens the interface. Passwords and logins from the manufacturer are set to standard “root/root” and changing them is easy.
Important ! For miners who do not have much experience in setting up and fine-tuning ASIC miners, a simplified version of the setup is provided, which only requires specifying the pool address and the identifier assigned to it.
For more experienced miners who pay attention to even the most insignificant ways to increase hashrate, there is the possibility of fine tuning and a “Reset” button for them.
On a separate line! In the settings, it is possible to regulate the fan speed, as well as set a peak temperature to automatically turn off the miner.
Basic coolers are quite noisy in themselves, and operating at maximum speed without a break does not allow you to stay near the equipment for a long time.
The best solution would be to replace them with better and lower noise ones, especially if they are planned to be mounted in racks.
Regarding the second point, namely the overheating temperature, it is better to leave the standard settings here, and if the Z9 mini starts to turn off as a result of overheating, consider moving it to a cooler room and/or provide additional cooling.
The first information about the performance of Antminer Z9 mini will be displayed in the pool after 15 - 30 minutes of operation.
Advantages and disadvantages of Antminer Z9 mini from Bitmain
PROS:
- Performance. Compared to video cards, it is beyond praise;
- Energy consumption;
- Compactness. The space occupied by a rig of 12 video cards can accommodate up to 10 Z9s;
- Easy to set up and run;
- The aluminum case has recesses for mounting in racks;
- The ability to mine not only ZCASH, but also a number of Bitcoin forks
- The power supply allows you to connect two Z9 Minis at once, which reduces the cost of the overall purchase.
CONS:
- High noise level, which can be overcome by replacing coolers;
- Sales from the manufacturer are limited to 1 unit per order per person.
Regarding not the equipment, but the situation around the priority coin for mining, it is worth adding to the disadvantages that the profitability has dropped by more than 6 times, due to the complexity of mining, which takes ASIC beyond the payback period during the warranty period.
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Advantages and disadvantages of Asic Bitmain Antminer S9
Why Antminer S9 is good
The model is very popular due to its competitive hashrate, which provides excellent performance. Under certain conditions, such as low mining pool fees and minimal electricity costs, Antminer S9 is the most desirable miner in the crypto community. Compared to its predecessors, this model can bring a greater return on investment. Thanks to Bitmain's advanced technology, Antminer S9 is highly energy efficient compared to S7 and any other equipment released before it.
Advantages:
Competitive and extremely energy efficient model (still profitable to this day);
High build quality. The structure itself is well assembled and strong;
Good air circulation thanks to fans installed on both sides of the structure.
Flaws:
Expensiveness of the model. The cost of a new miner on the market can reach $2000. Such costs are not justified by the profitability of mining on this device, even with a free outlet. The payback period for a new model with free electricity can reach two years or more;
High noise level. This model is unlikely to be installed in a residential area, since the noise level from the structure is off the charts.
A brief history of the creation of Antminer Z9 and Z9 mini
At the beginning of May 2022, mining giant Bitmain introduced the Antminer Z9 mini ASIC for mining Bitcoin Gold, Zcash, ZClassic and Hush, which caused a negative reaction from GPU miners and the Zcash community. This is because the use of such devices makes GPU mining pointless and centralizes the mining industry, which is contrary to the decentralized nature of digital currencies.
However, the first batches of the Z9 mini sold very well, as the device had low power consumption, excellent performance and an incredibly low return on investment.
In mid-July 2022, Bitmain released the “full version” of Antminer Z9 (without the mini prefix), which is 3.5 times more expensive and 4 times more productive than its younger brother. The company went wild, developing a couple of ASIC miners for a variety of users. Obviously, the Z9 mini will be popular for residential premises, and the Z9 will be popular for industrial premises.
Remarkably, most miners around the world feel a little cheated. Judge for yourself, Bitmain first presents a junior model, and after 2 months - a senior model, which is four times more productive. Some miners say that the Z9 mini is a “half-baked” version of the Z9, while others claim that this is another attempt to maintain Bitmain’s sales position.
We believe that both Z-series models are a kind of competition to the A9 ZMaster ASIC miner from Innosilicon, which is still considered the most successful for mining on Equihash.
