Purchasing One 2TH/s Miner OR Multiple 500GH/s Miners

[BlakeZee]

Pretty straight forward question: is it better to have multiple smaller rigs or one larger rig? I'm brand new and looking to purchase some hardware, but I'm trying to device between one or many.

[jonnybravo0311]

Really depends on your situation.  What are the upfront hardware costs?  What is the power cost?  What is the efficiency of the miners?  What are the hidden costs (i.e. you need to purchase external PSU for the smaller miners, but the larger one has PSU incorporated)?

[BlakeZee]

Really depends on your situation.  What are the upfront hardware costs?  What is the power cost?  What is the efficiency of the miners?  What are the hidden costs (i.e. you need to purchase external PSU for the smaller miners, but the larger one has PSU incorporated)?

All good points. I had forgotten about the fact that I'd have to buy PSUs for the smaller units. The 2TH/s miner I'm looking at will cost me $650, but includes a PSU. The others calculate at 453GH/s and will run me about $135 each, but don't include PSUs. Guess that answers that... if I add on the additional 50 bucks or whatever for Silver/Gold rated small wattage PSUs for the smaller ones, it's not worth.

Thanks

[jonnybravo0311]

Glad to help.  I'm assuming the 453GH/s units are S3+.  I'm also assuming the 2TH/s unit is an S4.  The S3 requires an external PSU, so there's that cost.  The S4 requires you to purchase a power cord (a cost, albeit a minor one - unless whoever is selling it to you will provide the power cord as well).  Also, I'm not sure where you're located or what kind of power you have access to, but realize that the S3s can be spread out over multiple circuits, whereas the S4 will be on one only.  Further, the S3s will each require network cables.  The S4 would only require one.

Finally, understand that these units are tech from a few generations ago.  The S5 is a more efficient unit (~1155 GH/s for 590W) and the S7 is a more efficient unit still (4.86TH/s for 1210W).

Just for a bit more understanding of what it means to you from a profit standpoint (and this only uses current numbers - it does not make adjustments for any changes).  At the current network difficulty, exchange rate and we'll assume a power cost of $0.10 per kWh...

S3+ expects to make 0.003742BTC a day.  355W at the wall will cost you $0.85 a day to operate.  Current exchange rate means you'll make about $0.19 a day.

S4 expects to make 0.01652BTC a day.  1400W will cost you $3.36 a day to operate.  Current exchange rate means you'll make about $1.25 a day.

[BlakeZee]

Glad to help.  I'm assuming the 453GH/s units are S3+.  I'm also assuming the 2TH/s unit is an S4.  The S3 requires an external PSU, so there's that cost.  The S4 requires you to purchase a power cord (a cost, albeit a minor one - unless whoever is selling it to you will provide the power cord as well).  Also, I'm not sure where you're located or what kind of power you have access to, but realize that the S3s can be spread out over multiple circuits, whereas the S4 will be on one only.  Further, the S3s will each require network cables.  The S4 would only require one.

Finally, understand that these units are tech from a few generations ago.  The S5 is a more efficient unit (~1155 GH/s for 590W) and the S7 is a more efficient unit still (4.86TH/s for 1210W).

Just for a bit more understanding of what it means to you from a profit standpoint (and this only uses current numbers - it does not make adjustments for any changes).  At the current network difficulty, exchange rate and we'll assume a power cost of $0.10 per kWh...

S3+ expects to make 0.003742BTC a day.  355W at the wall will cost you $0.85 a day to operate.  Current exchange rate means you'll make about $0.19 a day.

S4 expects to make 0.01652BTC a day.  1400W will cost you $3.36 a day to operate.  Current exchange rate means you'll make about $1.25 a day.

My only issue with the S5 is that the baseline price comparison doesn't make immediate sense. Although it's more power-efficient, I won't actually be making a marginal profit over the S4 until I purchase two S5 units, correct?

[BlakeZee]

Glad to help.  I'm assuming the 453GH/s units are S3+.  I'm also assuming the 2TH/s unit is an S4.  The S3 requires an external PSU, so there's that cost.  The S4 requires you to purchase a power cord (a cost, albeit a minor one - unless whoever is selling it to you will provide the power cord as well).  Also, I'm not sure where you're located or what kind of power you have access to, but realize that the S3s can be spread out over multiple circuits, whereas the S4 will be on one only.  Further, the S3s will each require network cables.  The S4 would only require one.

Finally, understand that these units are tech from a few generations ago.  The S5 is a more efficient unit (~1155 GH/s for 590W) and the S7 is a more efficient unit still (4.86TH/s for 1210W).

Just for a bit more understanding of what it means to you from a profit standpoint (and this only uses current numbers - it does not make adjustments for any changes).  At the current network difficulty, exchange rate and we'll assume a power cost of $0.10 per kWh...

S3+ expects to make 0.003742BTC a day.  355W at the wall will cost you $0.85 a day to operate.  Current exchange rate means you'll make about $0.19 a day.

S4 expects to make 0.01652BTC a day.  1400W will cost you $3.36 a day to operate.  Current exchange rate means you'll make about $1.25 a day.

Also, what is an S5 expected to make per day? Sorry for double post.

[jonnybravo0311]

Don't worry about the double posting...

Using the same numbers as earlier, the S5 would expect to make 0.009541BTC a day.  Taking out power at $0.10 per kWh, the S5 net you about $1.25 a day - roughly the same as the S4.  This is where the efficiency comes into play.  Yes, the S5 has a lower hash rate, but because of the efficiency of the miner, it makes the same net as the S4.

Put it this way... Even if the S5 costs the same as the S4 (don't forget to account for a PSU), you'll continue to remain profitable with the S5 because it's earning back more per hash than the S4.  In other words, because it's more efficient, it'll weather the difficulty adjustments better than the S4 and continue to be profitable.

[BlakeZee]

Don't worry about the double posting...

Using the same numbers as earlier, the S5 would expect to make 0.009541BTC a day.  Taking out power at $0.10 per kWh, the S5 net you about $1.25 a day - roughly the same as the S4.  This is where the efficiency comes into play.  Yes, the S5 has a lower hash rate, but because of the efficiency of the miner, it makes the same net as the S4.

Put it this way... Even if the S5 costs the same as the S4 (don't forget to account for a PSU), you'll continue to remain profitable with the S5 because it's earning back more per hash than the S4.  In other words, because it's more efficient, it'll weather the difficulty adjustments better than the S4 and continue to be profitable.

And then I'm sure that the S7 is like 3 S5s or something . Wish I had 1k+ to put down on a long term investment machine... one day. One day.


Ok, that makes sense. Thank you so much. I'd rep you if I could.

[Dalkore]

Usually I would say more miners so you have more options to energize miners on a power grid.   Larger miners tend to use multiple circuits to power it and if takes say 15 amps of your 20, you can lose those 2-3 amps because how miners power usage fluctuates in a range and having another small miner on that circuit will likely lead to thrown breakers.   With more smaller miners, you can come up with more arrangements that can help you utilize more of your circuits.  Load balancing has been an important part of our strategy to increase efficiency. 

[Amph]

better one big and forgot, less cables everywhere and more room to add , additional hashpower, the con, would be that in the case that it would not work good anymore, you lose a big portion of your mining little farm

[notlist3d]

better one big and forgot, less cables everywhere and more room to add , additional hashpower, the con, would be that in the case that it would not work good anymore, you lose a big portion of your mining little farm

I think it depends on what miner some are better then others on not being babysit.  That is the most important thing that you can set it, and forget it.  You want to check on speed but it's nice not to have to mess with rigs.

As long as the big is reliable big is nice.  Moving from S3/S3+'s to bigger long ago it felt pretty dang good.

[QuintLeo]

If the total costs, hardware reliability, and electric usage is the same, and if you have enough space, multiple miners is better - if you lose one or you lose a PS you don't lose EVERYTHING.