ANTMINER S3+ Discussion and Support Thread

[dsheaffer]

Quick update on WiFi.  I have five S3s running 100% stable (no reboots) for 4 days at stock clock (daily avg 434 GH/s) on WiFi.

What WiFi antenna did you buy? I'm trying to find one on mono price that will fit.

I'm using these:  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DP64JRG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Biodom]

I'm thinking of buying 3 or 4 Antminer S3, but right now I'm puzzled about getting proper power supplies for these.

• Such EVGA 1300 G2 is quite pricey, are there any cheaper alternatives?
• Can 3 Antminer S3 be powered by a single EVGA 1300 G2 without problem?
• When overclocking 3 or 4 Antminer S3, how do you solve the power supply issue with 4 power connections each S3 (since a EVGA 1300 G2 only comes with 6 cables)?

1. yes, see below, but EVGA is good
2. yes, EVGA1300 can power 3 ants at default speed with no problem. It can also power 1 overclocked plus 2 on regular speed or 2 overclocked.
3. EVGA1300 has 8, not 6 connectors. people are sometimes confused because it has 6 cables, but two of these 6 cables have double connectors, so the total is 8 (I have one).
In addition, at least my EVGA came with a jumper dummy already, if you feel uncertain as to how to insert the jumper.

As far as cheaper-corsairCX500 or CX500M is a choice, but you need one for each ant and, since there are only 2 connectors on  each, you cannot overclock it (at least overclock without going against Bitmain recs). While using CX500M, PCI-e cord gets pretty warm (42C), some people feel uncomfortable about it.

I use EVGA1300, CX500M and CX750M (this one has 4 connectors, but is a bit overkill in power, unless you want to run 2 ants on it on regular speed only).

[Epoch]

I'm thinking of buying 3 or 4 Antminer S3, but right now I'm puzzled about getting proper power supplies for these.

• Such EVGA 1300 G2 is quite pricey, are there any cheaper alternatives?
• Can 3 Antminer S3 be powered by a single EVGA 1300 G2 without problem?
• When overclocking 3 or 4 Antminer S3, how do you solve the power supply issue with 4 power connections each S3 (since a EVGA 1300 G2 only comes with 6 cables)?

I see that Biodom has already answered, but let me add my comments as well:

Alternatives to 1300G2: very few (like the Seasonic x1250), but I don't think you'll find less pricey PSUs in this class. The 1300G2 is a well-engineered supply; it is worth the money. I have many of them; really the only negative things I could say about 1300G2 are that it is relatively noisy (not as noisy as the miners, though) and that it is only Gold rated, not Platinum. You may want to consider buying 2 smaller PSUs (750W class) that may end up cheaper; each can run 2 S3's.

3 Antminers on a single 1300G2: yes, not problem. You can even overclock them a little.

If you want to use all 4 power connectors on an S3, you'll have to be creative. I have 8 1300G2's; they all came with 8 separate PCIe cables (6 6+2 pin, and 2 6-pin). I am in Canada, so what's in the box may vary from country to country. If you want to use all 4 power connectors on an S3 then you can only power 2 S3's from what's in the 1300G2 box, or find some quality PCIe splitters.

Splitters are generally fine as long as you keep the power below 200W-250W or so (a stock S3 would see about 175W per blade, or 350W total, so it should be ok to use 2 splitters to power the 4 power connectors); you just need to watch for heat buildup at the connection points (crimps points and friction locks mostly). Sometimes you get a cable with a poor crimp or some resistance on the mating contacts which can sometimes create enough heat to actually melt the cable housing and/or sleeving ... something you really don't want.

YMMV, of course, but I've never had the need to use all 4 power connections on an S3. I've played around with dozens of S3's, and all of them had the same overclocking limits, the same HW errors, and the same average hashrate whether I use 2 connectors or 4. I understand that others have had difference experiences.

[axpguy]

Quick update on WiFi.  I have five S3s running 100% stable (no reboots) for 4 days at stock clock (daily avg 434 GH/s) on WiFi.

http://i57.tinypic.com/rms4cp.png

What WiFi antenna did you buy? I'm trying to find one on mono price that will fit.

I'm using these:  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DP64JRG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Bought the same ones and they work well. Came from Indy and took just over a week via snail mail to arrive to Toronto.

[JennaK]

Quick update on WiFi.  I have five S3s running 100% stable (no reboots) for 4 days at stock clock (daily avg 434 GH/s) on WiFi.

http://i57.tinypic.com/rms4cp.png

What WiFi antenna did you buy? I'm trying to find one on mono price that will fit.

I'm using these:  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DP64JRG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Bought the same ones and they work well. Came from Indy and took just over a week via snail m

ail to arrive to Toronto.

Damn they don't ship to Canada

[axpguy]

Item does ship to Canada.

[dsheaffer]

Item does ship to Canada.

Possible alternate source for the pigtails at NewEgg.com [caution - I have NOT used these]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA3M31GV8575&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleMKP&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleMKP-_-pla-_-Audio+%2f+Video+Accessories-_-9SIA3M31GV8575&ef_id=Updo8AAAAEB3s0ks:20140809154252:s

Edit: Nevermind it's the same item I mentioned below.  The manufacturer is just selling it through NewEgg.com.

[JennaK]

While I'm shopping on amazon is there any other mods I can't buy for my two s3 miners? A rack? Lol
I bought two cx750s this morning lol

[MrGreenHat]

I want to publicly thank BITMAIN for being the absolute best, most reliable ASIC miner manufacturer on the market. I am scared to think of how awful purchasing mining equipment would be without a company like BITMAIN that actually offers miners that can make a ROI and doesn't require you to wait months on end with silly pre-orders. I can't think of any ASIC manufacturer other than BITMAIN who hasn't used the "pre-order" option, and the fact that BITMAIN can actually provide miners for a reasonable price and ship them to you within a reasonable period of time is great for the buyers in this market, as it gives other ASIC manufacturer's incentive not to use the "pre-order" BS that has been such a pain in the ass for so many people. Keep up the good work.
I hope you guys continue to thrive and be the best example of how an ASIC manufacturer should practice business.

[dsheaffer]

I want to publicly thank BITMAIN for being the absolute best, most reliable ASIC miner manufacturer on the market. I am scared to think of how awful purchasing mining equipment would be without a company like BITMAIN that actually offers miners that can make a ROI and doesn't require you to wait months on end with silly pre-orders. I can't think of any ASIC manufacturer other than BITMAIN who hasn't used the "pre-order" option, and the fact that BITMAIN can actually provide miners for a reasonable price and ship them to you within a reasonable period of time is great for the buyers in this market, as it gives other ASIC manufacturer's incentive not to use the "pre-order" BS that has been such a pain in the ass for so many people. Keep up the good work.
I hope you guys continue to thrive and be the best example of how an ASIC manufacturer should practice business.

+1

[Master One]

• Such EVGA 1300 G2 is quite pricey, are there any cheaper alternatives?
• Can 3 Antminer S3 be powered by a single EVGA 1300 G2 without problem?
• When overclocking 3 or 4 Antminer S3, how do you solve the power supply issue with 4 power connections each S3 (since a EVGA 1300 G2 only comes with 6 cables)?

1. yes, see below, but EVGA is good
2. yes, EVGA1300 can power 3 ants at default speed with no problem. It can also power 1 overclocked plus 2 on regular speed or 2 overclocked.
3. EVGA1300 has 8, not 6 connectors. people are sometimes confused because it has 6 cables, but two of these 6 cables have double connectors, so the total is 8 (I have one).
In addition, at least my EVGA came with a jumper dummy already, if you feel uncertain as to how to insert the jumper.

As far as cheaper-corsairCX500 or CX500M is a choice, but you need one for each ant and, since there are only 2 connectors on  each, you cannot overclock it (at least overclock without going against Bitmain recs). While using CX500M, PCI-e cord gets pretty warm (42C), some people feel uncomfortable about it.

I use EVGA1300, CX500M and CX750M (this one has 4 connectors, but is a bit overkill in power, unless you want to run 2 ants on it on regular speed only).

Very well, that means I'm now considering the purchase of 3 x Antminer S3 + 1 x EVGA 1300 G2 because I'd need a second PSU for the forth S3 anyway, with negative impact on my ROI estimation. Three S3 on one PSU should do.

Alternatives to 1300G2: very few (like the Seasonic x1250), but I don't think you'll find less pricey PSUs in this class. The 1300G2 is a well-engineered supply; it is worth the money. I have many of them; really the only negative things I could say about 1300G2 are that it is relatively noisy (not as noisy as the miners, though) and that it is only Gold rated, not Platinum. You may want to consider buying 2 smaller PSUs (750W class) that may end up cheaper; each can run 2 S3's.

Without OC, running three S3 on one EVGA1300 means running the PSU at 78.46% capacity, which is a good value. Running two S3 on one EVGA750 means running the PSU at 90.67% capacity, so way beyond the recommended 80%. Just a thought.

If you want to use all 4 power connectors on an S3, you'll have to be creative. I have 8 1300G2's; they all came with 8 separate PCIe cables (6 6+2 pin, and 2 6-pin). I am in Canada, so what's in the box may vary from country to country. If you want to use all 4 power connectors on an S3 then you can only power 2 S3's from what's in the 1300G2 box, or find some quality PCIe splitters.

Splitters are generally fine as long as you keep the power below 200W-250W or so (a stock S3 would see about 175W per blade, or 350W total, so it should be ok to use 2 splitters to power the 4 power connectors); you just need to watch for heat buildup at the connection points (crimps points and friction locks mostly). Sometimes you get a cable with a poor crimp or some resistance on the mating contacts which can sometimes create enough heat to actually melt the cable housing and/or sleeving ... something you really don't want.

YMMV, of course, but I've never had the need to use all 4 power connections on an S3. I've played around with dozens of S3's, and all of them had the same overclocking limits, the same HW errors, and the same average hashrate whether I use 2 connectors or 4. I understand that others have had difference experiences.

Any recommendation on such PCIe splitters?

With three S3 on one EVGA1300 with 8 separate PCIe cables that means I could run two S3 on stock frequency with just 2 cables each, and one S3 overclocked with 4 cables attached. Doesn't seem to be a bad plan neither.  

[JennaK]

Anyone have any recommendations for extra things I can buy on amazon for mining like a PSU jumper or a rack for two AntMiner or anything else? I can't seem to be able to find anything

[Fahlcor]

• Such EVGA 1300 G2 is quite pricey, are there any cheaper alternatives?
• Can 3 Antminer S3 be powered by a single EVGA 1300 G2 without problem?
• When overclocking 3 or 4 Antminer S3, how do you solve the power supply issue with 4 power connections each S3 (since a EVGA 1300 G2 only comes with 6 cables)?

1. yes, see below, but EVGA is good
2. yes, EVGA1300 can power 3 ants at default speed with no problem. It can also power 1 overclocked plus 2 on regular speed or 2 overclocked.
3. EVGA1300 has 8, not 6 connectors. people are sometimes confused because it has 6 cables, but two of these 6 cables have double connectors, so the total is 8 (I have one).
In addition, at least my EVGA came with a jumper dummy already, if you feel uncertain as to how to insert the jumper.

As far as cheaper-corsairCX500 or CX500M is a choice, but you need one for each ant and, since there are only 2 connectors on  each, you cannot overclock it (at least overclock without going against Bitmain recs). While using CX500M, PCI-e cord gets pretty warm (42C), some people feel uncomfortable about it.

I use EVGA1300, CX500M and CX750M (this one has 4 connectors, but is a bit overkill in power, unless you want to run 2 ants on it on regular speed only).

Very well, that means I'm now considering the purchase of 3 x Antminer S3 + 1 x EVGA 1300 G2 because I'd need a second PSU for the forth S3 anyway, with negative impact on my ROI estimation. Three S3 on one PSU should do.

Alternatives to 1300G2: very few (like the Seasonic x1250), but I don't think you'll find less pricey PSUs in this class. The 1300G2 is a well-engineered supply; it is worth the money. I have many of them; really the only negative things I could say about 1300G2 are that it is relatively noisy (not as noisy as the miners, though) and that it is only Gold rated, not Platinum. You may want to consider buying 2 smaller PSUs (750W class) that may end up cheaper; each can run 2 S3's.

Without OC, running three S3 on one EVGA1300 means running the PSU at 78.46% capacity, which is a good value. Running two S3 on one EVGA750 means running the PSU at 90.67% capacity, so way beyond the recommended 80%. Just a thought.

If you want to use all 4 power connectors on an S3, you'll have to be creative. I have 8 1300G2's; they all came with 8 separate PCIe cables (6 6+2 pin, and 2 6-pin). I am in Canada, so what's in the box may vary from country to country. If you want to use all 4 power connectors on an S3 then you can only power 2 S3's from what's in the 1300G2 box, or find some quality PCIe splitters.

Splitters are generally fine as long as you keep the power below 200W-250W or so (a stock S3 would see about 175W per blade, or 350W total, so it should be ok to use 2 splitters to power the 4 power connectors); you just need to watch for heat buildup at the connection points (crimps points and friction locks mostly). Sometimes you get a cable with a poor crimp or some resistance on the mating contacts which can sometimes create enough heat to actually melt the cable housing and/or sleeving ... something you really don't want.

YMMV, of course, but I've never had the need to use all 4 power connections on an S3. I've played around with dozens of S3's, and all of them had the same overclocking limits, the same HW errors, and the same average hashrate whether I use 2 connectors or 4. I understand that others have had difference experiences.

Any recommendation on such PCIe splitters?

With three S3 on one EVGA1300 with 8 separate PCIe cables that means I could run two S3 on stock frequency with just 2 cables each, and one S3 overclocked with 4 cables attached. Doesn't seem to be a bad plan neither.  

Mine are OC'ed to 237 and stable with 2 cables each. B5 12 of them.

[catoboli]

Is there a good three for overlocking these?

[catoboli]

I have G-750 SeaSonic 80 gold powering up 2x S3 miners. After couple of hours, one of the antminer started getting some HW errors. Is this because one of the blades i connected with daisy chain?

what are some hw errors
 5
10
100
1000
10000


1000 errors a day are not too bad.

both have been running for 13h+ now, first one has 57 HW and second 166.

You can use this formula to calculate percentage of hardware errors, I generally consider <=0.3% an acceptable level when hashing at stock.

(HW + DiffA + DiffR) / HW * 100 = %HW

Ooops: HW / (HW + DiffA + DiffR) * 100 = HW%

Even better is this http://www.coincadence.com/antminer-s1-hardware-error/ its a web based calculator for figuring out HW error, it uses the same formula but you don't have to do the math. Quick Tip. You can't leave a blank value, use 0 if the value is 0.

[9600]

Does anyone know if the --no submit stale cgminer flag works as a BMT cgminer param?

Well I've tested and it certainly works as a flag. Testing 24-hour results now.

[praeluceo]

I'm looking for 4 coupons if anyone has some left. My Bitmain user ID is praeluceo, send me a PM and I'll send you compensation!

[JennaK]

Anyone ever thought of replacing the Antminer s3 fans with: http://www.amazon.com/Premium-Quality-Cooling-NF-A14-FLX/dp/B00AEGRGNO/ref=sr_1_7?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1407604312&sr=1-7&keywords=140mm+fan

[Biodom]

• Such EVGA 1300 G2 is quite pricey, are there any cheaper alternatives?
• Can 3 Antminer S3 be powered by a single EVGA 1300 G2 without problem?
• When overclocking 3 or 4 Antminer S3, how do you solve the power supply issue with 4 power connections each S3 (since a EVGA 1300 G2 only comes with 6 cables)?

1. yes, see below, but EVGA is good
2. yes, EVGA1300 can power 3 ants at default speed with no problem. It can also power 1 overclocked plus 2 on regular speed or 2 overclocked.
3. EVGA1300 has 8, not 6 connectors. people are sometimes confused because it has 6 cables, but two of these 6 cables have double connectors, so the total is 8 (I have one).
In addition, at least my EVGA came with a jumper dummy already, if you feel uncertain as to how to insert the jumper.

As far as cheaper-corsairCX500 or CX500M is a choice, but you need one for each ant and, since there are only 2 connectors on  each, you cannot overclock it (at least overclock without going against Bitmain recs). While using CX500M, PCI-e cord gets pretty warm (42C), some people feel uncomfortable about it.

I use EVGA1300, CX500M and CX750M (this one has 4 connectors, but is a bit overkill in power, unless you want to run 2 ants on it on regular speed only).

Very well, that means I'm now considering the purchase of 3 x Antminer S3 + 1 x EVGA 1300 G2 because I'd need a second PSU for the forth S3 anyway, with negative impact on my ROI estimation. Three S3 on one PSU should do.

Alternatives to 1300G2: very few (like the Seasonic x1250), but I don't think you'll find less pricey PSUs in this class. The 1300G2 is a well-engineered supply; it is worth the money. I have many of them; really the only negative things I could say about 1300G2 are that it is relatively noisy (not as noisy as the miners, though) and that it is only Gold rated, not Platinum. You may want to consider buying 2 smaller PSUs (750W class) that may end up cheaper; each can run 2 S3's.

Without OC, running three S3 on one EVGA1300 means running the PSU at 78.46% capacity, which is a good value. Running two S3 on one EVGA750 means running the PSU at 90.67% capacity, so way beyond the recommended 80%. Just a thought.

If you want to use all 4 power connectors on an S3, you'll have to be creative. I have 8 1300G2's; they all came with 8 separate PCIe cables (6 6+2 pin, and 2 6-pin). I am in Canada, so what's in the box may vary from country to country. If you want to use all 4 power connectors on an S3 then you can only power 2 S3's from what's in the 1300G2 box, or find some quality PCIe splitters.

Splitters are generally fine as long as you keep the power below 200W-250W or so (a stock S3 would see about 175W per blade, or 350W total, so it should be ok to use 2 splitters to power the 4 power connectors); you just need to watch for heat buildup at the connection points (crimps points and friction locks mostly). Sometimes you get a cable with a poor crimp or some resistance on the mating contacts which can sometimes create enough heat to actually melt the cable housing and/or sleeving ... something you really don't want.

YMMV, of course, but I've never had the need to use all 4 power connections on an S3. I've played around with dozens of S3's, and all of them had the same overclocking limits, the same HW errors, and the same average hashrate whether I use 2 connectors or 4. I understand that others have had difference experiences.

Any recommendation on such PCIe splitters?

With three S3 on one EVGA1300 with 8 separate PCIe cables that means I could run two S3 on stock frequency with just 2 cables each, and one S3 overclocked with 4 cables attached. Doesn't seem to be a bad plan neither.  

PCI-e splitters:
http://www.amazon.com/JacobsParts-Express-Power-Splitter-Cable/dp/B00JLU0UQ4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1407605034
or
http://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-PCIEXSPLIT6-6-Inch-Express-Splitter/dp/B004NNTVT6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1407605034

both have 18awg wires.
I got startech, expecting delivery of 2 more S3, will try using them on my evga (split the single cords) to try and run 3 overclocked ants on a single EVGA1300.
Power-wise it should work.

[philipma1957]

• Such EVGA 1300 G2 is quite pricey, are there any cheaper alternatives?
• Can 3 Antminer S3 be powered by a single EVGA 1300 G2 without problem?
• When overclocking 3 or 4 Antminer S3, how do you solve the power supply issue with 4 power connections each S3 (since a EVGA 1300 G2 only comes with 6 cables)?

1. yes, see below, but EVGA is good
2. yes, EVGA1300 can power 3 ants at default speed with no problem. It can also power 1 overclocked plus 2 on regular speed or 2 overclocked.
3. EVGA1300 has 8, not 6 connectors. people are sometimes confused because it has 6 cables, but two of these 6 cables have double connectors, so the total is 8 (I have one).
In addition, at least my EVGA came with a jumper dummy already, if you feel uncertain as to how to insert the jumper.

As far as cheaper-corsairCX500 or CX500M is a choice, but you need one for each ant and, since there are only 2 connectors on  each, you cannot overclock it (at least overclock without going against Bitmain recs). While using CX500M, PCI-e cord gets pretty warm (42C), some people feel uncomfortable about it.

I use EVGA1300, CX500M and CX750M (this one has 4 connectors, but is a bit overkill in power, unless you want to run 2 ants on it on regular speed only).

Very well, that means I'm now considering the purchase of 3 x Antminer S3 + 1 x EVGA 1300 G2 because I'd need a second PSU for the forth S3 anyway, with negative impact on my ROI estimation. Three S3 on one PSU should do.

Alternatives to 1300G2: very few (like the Seasonic x1250), but I don't think you'll find less pricey PSUs in this class. The 1300G2 is a well-engineered supply; it is worth the money. I have many of them; really the only negative things I could say about 1300G2 are that it is relatively noisy (not as noisy as the miners, though) and that it is only Gold rated, not Platinum. You may want to consider buying 2 smaller PSUs (750W class) that may end up cheaper; each can run 2 S3's.

Without OC, running three S3 on one EVGA1300 means running the PSU at 78.46% capacity, which is a good value. Running two S3 on one EVGA750 means running the PSU at 90.67% capacity, so way beyond the recommended 80%. Just a thought.

If you want to use all 4 power connectors on an S3, you'll have to be creative. I have 8 1300G2's; they all came with 8 separate PCIe cables (6 6+2 pin, and 2 6-pin). I am in Canada, so what's in the box may vary from country to country. If you want to use all 4 power connectors on an S3 then you can only power 2 S3's from what's in the 1300G2 box, or find some quality PCIe splitters.

Splitters are generally fine as long as you keep the power below 200W-250W or so (a stock S3 would see about 175W per blade, or 350W total, so it should be ok to use 2 splitters to power the 4 power connectors); you just need to watch for heat buildup at the connection points (crimps points and friction locks mostly). Sometimes you get a cable with a poor crimp or some resistance on the mating contacts which can sometimes create enough heat to actually melt the cable housing and/or sleeving ... something you really don't want.

YMMV, of course, but I've never had the need to use all 4 power connections on an S3. I've played around with dozens of S3's, and all of them had the same overclocking limits, the same HW errors, and the same average hashrate whether I use 2 connectors or 4. I understand that others have had difference experiences.

Any recommendation on such PCIe splitters?

With three S3 on one EVGA1300 with 8 separate PCIe cables that means I could run two S3 on stock frequency with just 2 cables each, and one S3 overclocked with 4 cables attached. Doesn't seem to be a bad plan neither.  

comes with 6 cables  4 single cables and 2 double cables.

you can run 2 at stock speed with the single cables and 1 overclocked using the double cables.  the double 2 plug cables are not 2x a single cable but they are a little better.