[INFO - DISCUSSION] new Proto Rig Miner from Block

[cygan]

today, the new Proto Rig miner was unveiled at Core Scientific's facility, amid great interest and anticipation.
the concept is convincing: the software, called Proto Fleet, will be open source, and the miner is modular and backward compatible (no unnecessary psu's, fans, or cases when upgrading).
the exact specs are:

• 9.4 kw/ft density (industry-leading)
• as low as 14.1 j/th efficiency
• 20% savings each upgrade cycle

you can find more information about today's presentation and the hardware in general at the following links:
https://proto.xyz/products/rig
https://bitcoinmagazine.com/business/block-launches-modular-bitcoin-miner-and-free-open-source-mining-software

[ABCbits]

The design is neat, it reminds me of server rack. I don't mine Bitcoin, but the efficiency alone isn't very competitive when Antminer S21 XP have 13.5 J/TH and upcoming Antminer S23 claimed to have 11 J/TH.

[cygan]

The design is neat, it reminds me of server rack.
✂️

indeed, it has similarities to a server rack (as you can also see on one of the pictures)
here are more pictures of the presentation and other specs.

[mikeywith]

The design is neat, it reminds me of server rack. I don't mine Bitcoin, but the efficiency alone isn't very competitive when Antminer S21 XP have 13.5 J/TH and upcoming Antminer S23 claimed to have 11 J/TH.

Bitmain gears have always been more efficient than Whatsminers but the latter sells very well due to the quality built, 1 or 2 watts isn't going to be a deal breaker, however, this thing looks very expensive, I do not see how would it compare with the Chinese made gears, probably 50% more expensive.

It's possible that with the U.S tax these will complete in U.S market but nothing much elsewhere.

oh ya, with 9 hashboard that's 50kg heavy, most people can't carry much weight 

[fillippone]

The issue with this miner, which is impressive on paper, is the real-world availability.
Bitmain is a near monopoly for a reason. It has a very deep relationship with many mining companies and an incredible supply chain.
It will be difficult for Block to enter the race for Mining Hardware.

[FP91G]

Design? I see 3 ASICs in one box:)
This is industrial equipment, who needs design? What matters here is ease of maintenance and quality of products.
As an engineer, I am concerned with only one question. If one board breaks and I take it out and give it for repair, will the ASIC work without this board?

[fillippone]

Design? I see 3 ASICs in one box:)
This is industrial equipment, who needs design? What matters here is ease of maintenance and quality of products.
As an engineer, I am concerned with only one question. If one board breaks and I take it out and give it for repair, will the ASIC work without this board?

I guess the modular approach allowing on-the-fly substitution of hashboards was one of the exact points of this...design.

https://proto.xyz/blog/posts/the-end-of-downtime-in-bitcoin-mining

Modular design maximizes uptime

At the center of modular design and flexible infrastructure is a relatively straightforward question: what if, instead of having to physically remove malfunctioning machines and send them to a repair facility, it was possible to easily swap out faulty components right there on the rack?

For instance, a machine designed for hashboards to be easily replaced or upgraded–without the need to remove it from the rack or ship it off to a specialist for repairs–would shrink downtime to minutes and lower or eliminate the associated costs.

And this is more than hypothetical. It’s an insight born from close collaboration with industry leaders.

Our partnership with Core Scientific has led to valuable feedback on our existing innovative chip and machine design. Armed with this knowledge, we are now designing next-gen machines that maximize uptime, profitability, and infrastructure operability while minimizing common points of failure–designs that mean no miner goes offline for an extended period over a faulty hashboard or a $0.90 fan.

I guess this answer your question.

[Searing]

Hopefully this is allowed. Started a FaceBook Group to post stuff on the Proto Miner by Block. I myself 'hope' as they have stated to have some smaller btc miners for home use and

fun vs just the $5k and above units you can upgrade. Time will tell.

Here is the link (hopefully allowed)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1499954261206532

If the above link is stripped just search the name on Facebook



Proto Miner Bitcoin User's Group (https://proto.xyz)

Public group
  ·
2 members

thanks

Brad

[philipma1957]

Hopefully this is allowed. Started a FaceBook Group to post stuff on the Proto Miner by Block. I myself 'hope' as they have stated to have some smaller btc miners for home use and

fun vs just the $5k and above units you can upgrade. Time will tell.

Here is the link (hopefully allowed)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1499954261206532

If the above link is stripped just search the name on Facebook



Proto Miner Bitcoin User's Group (https://proto.xyz)

Public group
  ·
2 members

thanks

Brad

It is nice to know you are still around.

I will check out the Facebook link

[Searing]

The design is neat, it reminds me of server rack. I don't mine Bitcoin, but the efficiency alone isn't very competitive when Antminer S21 XP have 13.5 J/TH and upcoming Antminer S23 claimed to have 11 J/TH.

Bitmain gears have always been more efficient than Whatsminers but the latter sells very well due to the quality built, 1 or 2 watts isn't going to be a deal breaker, however, this thing looks very expensive, I do not see how would it compare with the Chinese made gears, probably 50% more expensive.

It's possible that with the U.S tax these will complete in U.S market but nothing much elsewhere.

oh ya, with 9 hashboard that's 50kg heavy, most people can't carry much weight 

No Tariff.

The chip is the only thing from overseas...supposedly...all else made in the state of Georgia, USA. The County there has 7% sales tax though.

Also I will only get into data hall btc mining again, IF, the bills pass to make miner income taxed goes away...and only the sale of btc is taxed in USA.

In the USA Capital Gain Tax is 15% and my states tax on top of that (Minnesota) is 10%....or 25%

Though IF the tax law code keeps hardware deductions and electric, portion of rent/lease/biz expenses at 25% off gross income made???

I could maybe sell enough btc in a year to even out taking out a bit for a 25% equiv deduction off hardware price to boot (at least on paper maybe)

lots of ifs though on this...all legislation of any kind in the USA may not pass this fall due to gridlock...so I give it 50/50 odds

later

brad

[Searing]

Hopefully this is allowed. Started a FaceBook Group to post stuff on the Proto Miner by Block. I myself 'hope' as they have stated to have some smaller btc miners for home use and

fun vs just the $5k and above units you can upgrade. Time will tell.

Here is the link (hopefully allowed)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1499954261206532

If the above link is stripped just search the name on Facebook



Proto Miner Bitcoin User's Group (https://proto.xyz)

Public group
  ·
2 members

thanks

Brad

It is nice to know you are still around.

I will check out the Facebook link

sent a link to your PM..yeah I should not get on every 3 years or so....

but again will only get into data halls stuff again (maybe) if the income from mining daily goes away and btc/crypto is only taxed on selling

I can't even imagine what difficulty would be and what HODL'ing would happen among the big btc/crypto data farms on such..with all that incentive to HODL

and just cash out for electric and expenses....I assume the data halls will fill up with bulk orders on these proto miners first...so may have to watch that

like what was it 2015 or some such..you'd so a pre-order on a btc or crypto miner ...6 month it arrived in 9 months you mined for 6 months and your btc/crypto

unit was a brick due to massive difficulty rise? I 'missed' (lucky) getting knc neptunes back then..in that is what happend to them...although if you were in HODL

since then on what your neptune mined and you ate the electric you'd be golden today

but difficulty with btc when if these units hit....with NO tariff.....is gonna be kinda epicly large IMHO

so anyway just watching this thread and the proto miner FB page I made at this time to be supportive...at least Block is trying something decentralized and more fair

IMHO so far anyway.

later

brad

[philipma1957]

Hopefully this is allowed. Started a FaceBook Group to post stuff on the Proto Miner by Block. I myself 'hope' as they have stated to have some smaller btc miners for home use and

fun vs just the $5k and above units you can upgrade. Time will tell.

Here is the link (hopefully allowed)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1499954261206532

If the above link is stripped just search the name on Facebook



Proto Miner Bitcoin User's Group (https://proto.xyz)

Public group
  ·
2 members

thanks

Brad

It is nice to know you are still around.

I will check out the Facebook link

sent a link to your PM..yeah I should not get on every 3 years or so....

but again will only get into data halls stuff again (maybe) if the income from mining daily goes away and btc/crypto is only taxed on selling

I can't even imagine what difficulty would be and what HODL'ing would happen among the big btc/crypto data farms on such..with all that incentive to HODL

and just cash out for electric and expenses....I assume the data halls will fill up with bulk orders on these proto miners first...so may have to watch that

like what was it 2015 or some such..you'd so a pre-order on a btc or crypto miner ...6 month it arrived in 9 months you mined for 6 months and your btc/crypto

unit was a brick due to massive difficulty rise? I 'missed' (lucky) getting knc neptunes back then..in that is what happend to them...although if you were in HODL

since then on what your neptune mined and you ate the electric you'd be golden today

but difficulty with btc when if these units hit....with NO tariff.....is gonna be kinda epicly large IMHO

so anyway just watching this thread and the proto miner FB page I made at this time to be supportive...at least Block is trying something decentralized and more fair

IMHO so far anyway.

later

brad

i posted on facebook.


this gear looks like the end of mining for me.

if it sells 810th at 4500 usd and it gives 14 watts a th  it means

that the diff will double.


the key is will price rise to 235k in the next year.

[Searing]

Supposedly....Block with proto mining plans to make hobby or home units.....

maybe that will be worth while...

but yeah...I figure if the no income on mined btc/crypto anymore comes to pass in the USA...proto miner or not....

difficulty will probably way more than double with the incentive for big miners to HODL and just cover expenses.....an easier way to ride

any pump in BTC, rather then sell and pay income tax and HODL....not needed... and still allowed to take a loss on expenses on any dump of btc price

win/win for the big guys

brad

[philipma1957]

hopefully they allow cc buys. or maybe altairtech.io will carry them.

I no longer buy gear with btc. only on a cc with a year to pay it with no interest.

[Sledge0001]

Without pricing listed I assume the early adopter is in for a lashing....

[Searing]

Without pricing listed I assume the early adopter is in for a lashing....

catch is they seem to be sold out at $2k more than retail for sept 2025 that are shipping

likely it will be 2026 for the next batch...also all likely big bulk buys us little guys don't see

so....may have missed the boat...

my hope is as they say they will have puny smaller hobby miners for fun

but again with paying tax on mining income and then tax on when you sell in the USA

likely I won't play with this anyway

brad

[philipma1957]

Without pricing listed I assume the early adopter is in for a lashing....

catch is they seem to be sold out at $2k more than retail for sept 2025 that are shipping

likely it will be 2026 for the next batch...also all likely big bulk buys us little guys don't see

so....may have missed the boat...

my hope is as they say they will have puny smaller hobby miners for fun

but again with paying tax on mining income and then tax on when you sell in the USA

likely I won't play with this anyway

brad

well this could be why the hash rate jumped 5% 2 jumps in a row.

at 4500 to 6500 a unit even though they are 14 watts a they they are dirt cheap compared to the bitmain s21xp  which is 6100 for 270th and does around 13 watts


so 810th for say 6500 burning 14 watts means 11.3 to 12 kwatts

the s21xp is 6100 x 3 =18,300  burning 13 watts or 10.5 to 11 kwatts.


but you lay out 12,000 more for the same hash power and maybe you save a kwatt an hour or 8400kwatts a year at 10 cent power you save 840 bucks it takes 15 years to make up the price.


I could not figure out why the hash rate jumped so much .. it is pretty obvious it is these units.

they crush the s21xp if you have 10 cent or less power.

they also will crush the s23 if you have ten cent power.

[mikeywith]

For this gear to contribute a 5% increase in hashrate of nearly 1ZH/s we are talking about 80k gears sold and running, that number is too huge for a newly made model, I find it hard to believe they made and sold that many gears.

[philipma1957]

For this gear to contribute a 5% increase in hashrate of nearly 1ZH/s we are talking about 80k gears sold and running, that number is too huge for a newly made model, I find it hard to believe they made and sold that many gears.

they could be 30k units or 24,300,000 th

that would be 24,300 ph

or 24.3 eh

the rest could be other miners.

[Searing]

Again,for me it is an 'interesting' thought experiment


i'll only consider something like this, again, if they get rid of income tax on crypto mined daily this fall (maybe) as the norm in the USA and the fact that made in USA so no

tariff and only the 7% sales tax where it made in a particular county of the Georgia, or so says Google.

i also have a buddy with a data hall so that helps with 'supposedly' somewhat sane electric prices another better angle

that is a LOT of ifs yet...

i also at least like the open source concept as such for a change


but hey....stuff to do/think about for fun as of now


as an aside anyone know what the warranty would be on these proto miners?

anyway....lurking is all I'm doing for probably more than a few months on this

brad