Topic: What PSU you use for your antminer S3? (Read 9412 times)

The EA500D Antec power supply have 2 +12V rails each one can handle upto 22A.
The two rails are connected to each PCI-E and PCI-E(6+2) seperately.
That means one +12V is connected to the PCI-E connector and the other +12V is connected to PCI-E(6+2) connector.

I use Corsair RM1000 with 2 S3s.

It says it has 2 12v rails each can supply 22 Amps.  It doesn't say if the 2 PCIe connectors share a single rail though.  If that is the case then it wouldn't work because is is really only a ~250 Watt PSU.

Im confused on how to tell how much power is going out to the 12V rail.

I have this PSU already, Would it work with my single antminer s3?

Aantec EA500D
http://forums.guru3d.com/showthread.php?t=322679

http://www.antec.com/pdf/flyers/EA500D_flyer_EN.pdf

You can use a HP DPS-800GBA 850 Watt server PSU to power two S3's on either stock or over clocked with Gigampz breakout board as described in this thread...

https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/gigampz-power-supply-kits-adapters-for-bitcoin-mining-industrial-grade-622783

They are industrial strength so they don't crap out like some of the cheaper PSUs and the total cost per S3 comes out to less than $40.  Also the 850 Watt rating is 100% available on a single 12 volt rail so you don't have the problem with cheaper PSUs where it is rated for 600 Watts but only a fraction of that can be used on the PCIe connectors.

Here's a couple power supplies that might interest some of you (that are willing to put in some extra money for these features).

http://www.thortechpower.com/product-24.aspx
This Thortech (Geil) Thunderbolt Plus 1200w (GOLD) has a display that shows you info. from the power supply like wattage going through it etc.  (It's single rail, even though some early literature stated multi-rail).  Good for S3's on one power supply if they aren't overclocked.
http://www.amazon.com/Thunderbolt-Supply-iPower-Certified-TTBPK20G/dp/B008BCFZLI/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1410392221&sr=1-2
There's also a 850w version (although it's mismarked as 1000w on Amazon.com).  It looks like they showed a Platinum version a couple years ago, but it never came out.


http://www.thermaltakeusa.com/Power_Supply/Toughpower_Series_/Toughpower_DPS/C_00002390/Toughpower_DPS_G_1050W/design.htm
Thermaltake has the new DPS G (cheaper that the DPS series that came out last year) series, that when hooked up to a computer via USB cable, will show you the wattage and used power, calculate electrical costs etc. and has a app. also. the top of the line is the 1050w (GOLD).  This will only work if you have it hooked up to a computer though.  Good for 2 overclocked S3's on one power supply, but you'll need a splitter since there's only 6 PCI-E connectors.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817153214&cm_re=1050w_DPAS-_-17-153-214-_-Product

Note, both of these are not cheap power supplies, but if you find that you want something that monitors the power going through it, you may want to consider them.

If money is not a factor with your initial investment, the Corsair AX1500i 1500 Watts Power Supply with Titanium Efficiency (CP-9020057) costs $450+, but if you wanted to keep your power usage down to the absolute minimum, this power supply with 2 S3's (that would be at about 50% load, so peak efficiency) would be it (especially on a 230v line).

$84 savings ($14 per OC'ed machine) per annum in the context of bitcoin mining can be construed as splitting hairs when you factor in difficulty increase (over the projected year) and daily earnings' variations (pool luck) given a constant hashing rate.
But hey, even a $1 saving is exactly that, and pool luck can be to your favour!

Got a couple cheap used IBM 835W server supplies, one per miner but I hope to power 2 more at the next batch. They have the guts to power up without the shutdown surge current. Did I mention they are cheap?
Edit: dumped the server supplies cuz the small fans are way too noisy. Also my fabricated connectors were getting hot. Now using 850W PC supplies and am less paranoid about probs

How much "waste of money"?  What's the calculations?

If my calculations are correct, it would cost where I live about .22 per Kilowatt hour = $5.30 per day for 1,000 watts x 2.20 for 6 OC'ed S3's (at about 375watts each = 2,250 watts) roughly $12 per day x 30 days = $350-360 per month x 12 = $4,200 per year.  If it's a direct conversion of .02 or 2%, that = $84 savings (+/- $3).  Am I doing the math correctly, then at 1.5 years you'd be in the black barring nothing wears out, which might be worth it to some from that point on.  Especially if there's other factors I'm not calculating in savings.

no.  waste of money.  

Above was the short answer.  The long answer is they waste power to convert from 120v to 240v .  So your savings is lost.
I have a smaller one that allows me to test> IF I plug in a setup and bypass the transformer I would pull  x watts running the gear at 120volts.  If I do the test with the trasformer set to 220-240 volts I use 1.03 x      not  .98 x like you would think.  the wasted 5% is the transformer  doing the volts change.

Anyone familiar with using step up voltage converters to save on the power bill?  Wondering if going with a 3000w 120v to 240v for $110 would be worth it?  Say using two EVGA 1200w power supplies to run 3 AntMiner S3's each = 6 S3's (so about 2,250watts) at 94% efficiency (2% better over 120v at 92%) over 1 year, would you make up or be near the $110 cost?  Where I live it's about .22 per Kilowatt hour.

http://www.amazon.com/Goldsource-Heavy-duty-Transformer-Converter-Universal/dp/B00H9Z3GP0/ref=sr_1_71?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1409533062&sr=1-71&keywords=120v+to+240v+converter

Oh yeah I'm all over the specs. I was just referring to Thermaltake in general

No problem, but the manufacturers are just the brands I was looking at myself, other brands will probably be equivalent.  You just need to make sure the +12v specs. are over what you require.  750w power supply should have at least a 60A +12v line, or 2 30A +12v lines (but single is usually better).
It's good to give at least 10-20% headroom from what I've read, that's why a 850w power supply might be better for 2 (even if they're non-OC), but closer to 50% is better.

Thanks, IITravel!! That answers my question right off the bat. The one thing I left out is that my two S1s are OC'd. Therefore, the two EVGA 600Bs will run the two OC'd S1s and two Thermaltake 750w's will run the four other new batch 8 S3s. Done and done!!

I wish I could answer your question about the S3s on a single power supply, but my current farm is composed of all S1s. Whoever answers your question from here should be able to help me find a better solution if the 750w solution isn't the best route. THANKS!!

How many of you are running multiple S3's on a single power supply?  Just wondering how it's working out, as the specs on many power supplies shows they should be able to handle 2 or 3 S3's on one.  Looking at a 850w Thermaltake supply with a 70A +12v rail, it should power 2 S3's non-overclocked (having only 6 x 6pin PCIE connectors, if it had 8 then it should handle both S3's OC'ed).  There's some 1000w supplies like the EVGA that has 83A +12v rail that should hand a pair of S3's overclocked (not sure of the exact wattage for a OC S3 at say 250M, anyone know for sure?  I read one person had 374watts for 250M while another states 402watts for the same 250M which means a 850w PS should do for 2 if it has 8 6pin PCIE connectors), or 3 S3's non-OC.  A couple 1200w power supplies like the SeaSonic has a 100A +12v rail that should theoretically handle 3 OC'ed S3's (but it only has 10 6pin PCIE connectors meaning only 2 OC and one non-OC).  EVGA even has a 1600w Power Supply that should be able to handle 4 non-OC S3's at once (Lepa also has a 1600w with 10 6pin PCIE connectors at a rather inexpensive $270, but the 4 x 30A +12v rails might have to be tested first), anyone doing this?

Jump to about the 29minute mark on this video to see why grabbing the cheapest that will work isn't a good idea for most (if you're paying for the power bill) and why a Platinum Plus 80 power supply might be worth the bigger initial investment over the long run.  Example, paying $85 (like the Rosewill 650w Tachyon that was on sale last week with $30MIR and -20% off) for a quality PS now, rather than a cheap $40 one, may cost you more than what you initially saved after one year of use.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuBvGUT6VM8&feature=em-subs_digest-vrecs

Are any of you running a PC and a S3 or pair of S3's and a PC on the same power supply?  How's that working out if so?

What about enclosures for the S3's and power supplies?  Looks like the Corsair Carbine 540 could fit a pair of S3's and a power supply easily (if placed on its side and feet added on the side to not block the vent intake for the power supply that would be on the bottom).  The Enermax Fulmo GT looks like it might even fit 3 S3's (maybe 4 if you can remove the hard drive rack) and 2 power supplies.


Here's a little list I put together for myself that some newbies might find handy if you're looking to start with a quality power supply (these are rated at 80 Plus Gold or Platinum. Note, these are not tested, this is going by their factory listed specs.  Also, keep in mind that if efficiency is of priority to you, then you'll want something rated at about twice the power you'll put through it, so if you have 2 S3's non-OC that's 340watts each so 680 watts both, you'll be looking for a 1,200+watt power supply to keep the efficiency at around 90% for a Gold or Platinum rated supply):

Rosewill Tachyon 650w should handle 1 non-OC (if efficiency is a primary factor) or OC'ed S3.  (was $82 last week, currently $110 after $30 MIR)
Thermaltake 750w should handle 2 non-OC S3's. (if efficiency is a primary factor, then 1 OC'ed S3)
Thermaltake 850w should handle 2 non-OC or 1 OC'ed and 1 non-OC S3's (and theoretically handle 2 OC'ed S3's if it didn't have only 6 x 6pin PCIE connectors, a EPS 12V 8-Pin TO 2x PCI-E 6+2-Pin Splitter Cable will probably benefit for 2 OC'ed S3's).
EVGA 1000w should handle 2 OC'ed S3's.  (3 non-OC S3's would be a little over recommended specs, but if tested and works with 3 non-OC S3's for duration, this might be worth considering at the price of $200 - $30 MIR = $170 at newegg.  But not recommended as it's about 4A/48w under specs on the +12v line and that's also at limit with no headroom.)  (If efficiency is your primary factor, then this one is probably best for 2 non-OC S3's)
EVGA 1200w should handle 3 non-OC S3's or 1 OC'ed S3 and 2 non-OC S3's (theoretically could handle 2 OC'ed S3's and an additional non-OC'ed S3 if it didn't have only 8 x 6pin PCIE connectors, a EPS 12V 8-Pin TO 2x PCI-E 6+2-Pin Splitter Cable will probably benefit for the 2nd OC'ed S3 and maybe even the 3rd OC'ed with a 2nd EPS 12V 8-Pin TO 2x PCI-E 6+2-Pin Splitter Cable).  ($222.50 after $10 MIR is probably the best price for a single Platinum power supply that will power 3 S3's at once within specs and room for OCing.  If efficiency is your primary factor, this one is probably best for 2 OC'ed S3's.  Also note 92% (115VAC) / 94% (220VAC~240VAC) efficiency and a 10 year warranty for this fully modular power supply.  At about $250 with the 2 splitter cables, that's about the same price as the Tachyon 650 x 3 when it was on sale.)
Seasonic 1200w should be able to handle 2 OC'ed S3's and an additional non-OC S3 (with its 10 x 6pin PCIE connectors, the 3rd S3 could be OC'ed with a EPS 12V 8-Pin TO 2x PCI-E 6+2-Pin Splitter Cable).
EVGA 1300w should handle 3 OC'ed S3's if you have enough PCIE connectors, this one is hard to beat for the price of $201 after $30 MIR.
Lepa 1600w should also be able to handle 4 non-OC S3's, but it having 4 x 30A +12v rails means it's at max. specs. (at $270, might be worth testing though)
EVGA 1600w should be able to handle 4 non-OC S3's or 3 OC'ed S3's and one non-OC S3 with its 14 x 6pin PCIE connectors (a EPS 12V 8-Pin TO 2x PCI-E 6+2-Pin Splitter Cable could make the 4th S3 OC'ed).  If efficiency is a primary factor, then this for 3 non-OC S3's (with a max. of 3 OC'ed S3's).

With one of these EPS 12V 8-Pin TO 2x PCI-E 6+2-Pin Splitter Cable adapter, things might be better if they're still in the Power Supplies specs.  http://www.frozencpu.com/products/22990/cab-1932/Premium_Bitcoin_Mining_18AWG_EPS_12V_8-Pin_TO_2x_PCI-E_62-Pin_Splitter_Cable.html?gclid=CO270-LNvsACFdGCfgods74ASg

Adding this easy to read chart for premium Gold/Platinum rated power supplies (but other supplies probably have similar graphs):
Power Supply rating (average on +12v single line) : max. safe spec. (w/ about 10% headroom) : peak power efficiency max. (about 50-60% of max. spec.)

450w-650w                                           :  1 OC'ed S3                                          :  1 non-OC S3  (600-650w only)
750w                                                    :  2 non-OC S3's                                     :  1 OC'ed S3
850-1050w    ($--170)                           :  2 OC'ed S3's                                       :  2 non-OC S3's (1000w+ only)
1200w        ($200-250)                         :  3 non-OC S3's                                     :  2 non-OC to 2 OC'ed S3's
1300/1350/1375w    ($220-300)            :  3 OC'ed S3's (1 to 2x splitter req.)        :  2 OC'ed
1500w  (--450+)                                   :  4 non-OC                                            :  2 OC'ed to 3 non-OC S3's
1600w        ($350)                                :  4 non-OC to 4 OC'ed S3's (splitter req.) :  3 OC'ed S3's

The best power supply you can get currently (money not a factor) is the Corsair AX1500i Titanium ($450+) and would be at peak efficiency with 2 S3's (non-OC or OC'ed).

Here's a question for everyone....I currently have been "blessed by the boss" to use another room of my house to create another mining farm and want to start all over with an old batch of S1s and a new batch of S3s. I will be running (2) S1s and (4) batch 8 S3s. I want to keep my cost as low as possible on my PSUs but I want to make sure that I have ample power. I have, on hand, (2) EVGA 600W PSUs to get me going. What should I add to this power team to round everything out? Thanks in advance for any advice. I just don't want to have to think about it and do the math - mainly because you guys and gals are running massive farms that work well every day. Any thoughts?

They've bee running for months happily now.  They're set up to blow the warm air across my desk.  No heat problems.  I'm in UK so a hot day is a rare occurance.  Even on a hot day the only additional cooling is a ceiling fan.

Pulling 680w from 750w psu is good, it should last really long if your room isn't too hot.

For how long you've been running those?

they are 340W each, so you are pulling 680W from 750W max PSU.
I just want to make sure this head room is sufficient.

I guess most people mind the extra hassle. Isn't there a plug and play solution similar to this?