ANTMINER S3+ Discussion and Support Thread

[heslo]

Didn't use a multimeter bud, it wasn't requested. If it helps, my issue was one whole chain was down so I was only hashing at half speed. Easily identifiable by switching over the plugs on the controller/hash boards and seeing the broken chain switch sides on the settings menu. Remove the board, sent it away, got the new one today, fitted it all up with new thermal paste and booted it up. Bingo, full speed and both chains at 100%

It does sound like the firmware flash went wrong. Possibly an incomplete download on the file?

[1714696563]

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[eoakland]

Didn't use a multimeter bud, it wasn't requested. If it helps, my issue was one whole chain was down so I was only hashing at half speed. Easily identifiable by switching over the plugs on the controller/hash boards and seeing the broken chain switch sides on the settings menu. Remove the board, sent it away, got the new one today, fitted it all up with new thermal paste and booted it up. Bingo, full speed and both chains at 100%

It does sound like the firmware flash went wrong. Possibly an incomplete download on the file?

yeah, that's what it sounds like to me too, it did not agree with the flash. 

[heslo]

Sorry to hear bud Hopefully you can get a resolution to your problem. I can only recommend messaging Tim again and seeing if he can sort something out for you

[buy4crypto]

S3+ is funny, I bet you they tested all of our machines, kept the best performing machines, sold out all the lemons in batch 1-7,8, and then use all the good hashing boards, components for the S3+.

After seeing so many of my machines mangled in shipping, and or also struggling to perform, why all of a sudden these new machines are the same machines, but better?

The ROI may even work out, but this was my first, and last purchase from bitmain.

GL to everyone trying to maintain a hashrate that was sold to us. I know several of my machines in batch 5 will never see that day.

[BennyTheBall]

Just got done flashing all four to the new firmware, hope all holds up well. If not, I go my backup I made.

Which BTW, can backups be used as rollbacks ?

Ex. Say new FW hates me, can I use backup to go back or do I need to get a new DL from the Bitmain site ?

The backups only backup the /etc/config directory, not the firmware.

[MoreBloodWine]

Just got done flashing all four to the new firmware, hope all holds up well. If not, I go my backup I made.

Which BTW, can backups be used as rollbacks ?

Ex. Say new FW hates me, can I use backup to go back or do I need to get a new DL from the Bitmain site ?

The backups only backup the /etc/config directory, not the firmware.

Ahh, well were ~10hrs since flash and all seems well for the four machines except for one. But this quirkiness will be posted about later since it was going on even before the flash and is not too big of a deal.

[Anddos]

wouldnt running 340 watts at the wall constantly 24/7 cost about $5 aday to run, which is what these are making at today difficulty so why bother?

[faetos]

I had an underperforming S3 B2 and I went through a battery of tests to prove that the blades (they only saw an issue with one) was underperforming.

First was to send them a screenshot of the webgui showing aforementioned slowness.
Second was to take off the heatsinks and clean off excess paste (none there - they did a good job on that)
Third was to unplug the right board (Ethernet port facing you) run it and take a screenshot. Then unplug the cable going to the left board and plug it into the right (only this cord carries enough voltage to power the blade). I had to twist it a little to get it to go.
Fourth was to take the controller from my working unit and plug it into the faulty unit. I swapped them both and got crap performance out of both miners.
Fifth was to send them my contact info so they can send me 1 blade to replace one of the faulty ones.

This took about a week due to the time lag between Texas and China. Kudos to Bitmain for supporting their products and not leaving me in the cold like others would.

[MoreBloodWine]

wouldnt running 340 watts at the wall constantly 24/7 cost about $5 aday to run, which is what these are making at today difficulty so why bother?

That is actually an interesting point which is why I'm glad I can run four for $20 a month in all ;-)

I am curious as to others thoughts on your quote though because it is a valid point.

[heslo]

I had an underperforming S3 B2 and I went through a battery of tests to prove that the blades (they only saw an issue with one) was underperforming.

First was to send them a screenshot of the webgui showing aforementioned slowness.
Second was to take off the heatsinks and clean off excess paste (none there - they did a good job on that)
Third was to unplug the right board (Ethernet port facing you) run it and take a screenshot. Then unplug the cable going to the left board and plug it into the right (only this cord carries enough voltage to power the blade). I had to twist it a little to get it to go.
Fourth was to take the controller from my working unit and plug it into the faulty unit. I swapped them both and got crap performance out of both miners.
Fifth was to send them my contact info so they can send me 1 blade to replace one of the faulty ones.

This took about a week due to the time lag between Texas and China. Kudos to Bitmain for supporting their products and not leaving me in the cold like others would.

Essentially my experience apart from the fourth step. Went pretty painlessly

[grn]

wouldnt running 340 watts at the wall constantly 24/7 cost about $5 aday to run, which is what these are making at today difficulty so why bother?

WOW! cost less than $0.50 a day here

[martijntje]

Anyone have experience with an S3 where chain #1 gets much hotter? I have a 40 degree temperature on chain #1 while chain #2 is only 32 degrees. The whole thing is a lot slower than the other S3 I have.

Have already tried removing all the thermal paste from the chips and applying arctic MX-2, but that didn't change anything. Does it also help to change the paste on the inside? What else is there to try?

[atledenin]

wouldnt running 340 watts at the wall constantly 24/7 cost about $5 aday to run, which is what these are making at today difficulty so why bother?

WOW! cost less than $0.50 a day here

That's like $0.60 per Kwh!  Can't be right.

I'm in the UK and we're on a "cheap" tariff £0.12/$0.20 per Kwh (£0.97/$1.63) and I make about £4.60/$7.70 per day in total at the current BTC value.  But I do it because its an extension of my computing/electronics hobbies

[MoreBloodWine]

wouldnt running 340 watts at the wall constantly 24/7 cost about $5 aday to run, which is what these are making at today difficulty so why bother?

WOW! cost less than $0.50 a day here

That's like $0.60 per Kwh!  Can't be right.

I'm in the UK and we're on a "cheap" tariff £0.12/$0.20 per Kwh (£0.97/$1.63) and I make about £4.60/$7.70 per day in total at the current BTC value.  But I do it because its an extension of my computing/electronics hobbies

My kWh I think is around 0.092 last I checked.

[Reynaldo]

Will shipping of antminer s3 B7 start at august 20?

[MoreBloodWine]

Will shipping of antminer s3 B7 start at august 20?

Supposed to last I saw / heard.

Edit: I forget but what's an acceptable HW % ? Anything under 1% ?

[aztecminer]

I am curious has anyone had any RMA issues with Bitmain ?  i have provided them with the order ID and I am still having the hardest time getting RMA information from them.  They have demanded I perform a test with something called a multimeter (which i do not own, i had to go purchase one)  so i could test the chains.  My s3 device pretty much bricked itself with a firmware upgrade.  I cannot access the UI, the ip is not found (never changed from default).  I used an ipsniffer, and still zilch....anyhow, i am curious to know how Bitmain has dealt with RMA requests from others.   Thanks

It took me 2 1/2 weeks of those emails back and fourth. I finally told them I would sell it for parts on Bitcointalk.org and tell everyone about them not honoring warranty. Then and only then did they sent a RMA form. I sent it(controller) off 3 weeks ago and still don't have a replacement. Good luck.

It would seem to be a safe statement to say that the S3's do not hold up to the quality shown and expected from the S1's and S2's.

Sad.

And unnecessary. And expensive for us, the customer.

Their reputation is taking many hits and they're not all good. It's the result of someone's active decisions and they weren't good for the short term and certainly not for the long term.

that is not entirely true. i think i am at two weeks or maybe is it three weeks now running my S3 ant farm @250 clock getting 495 - 500+ g/hs .
i don't have to reboot all the time. i only had one trouble unit and that one is running @237 clock 475 - 480 g/hs .
i don't know if they would have performed this way right out the box since i modded them before i ever powered them on .
i am not saying there isn't something to the reported problems which is probably why they have an S3+ addressing those problems .
i do not really know .. i do know though that ur statement is not entirely true because if it were my S3's would be under-performing instead of over-performing.
maybe it's something you are doing or not doing to get them to perform better .

[BennyTheBall]

wouldnt running 340 watts at the wall constantly 24/7 cost about $5 aday to run, which is what these are making at today difficulty so why bother?

WOW! cost less than $0.50 a day here

That's like $0.60 per Kwh!  Can't be right.

I'm in the UK and we're on a "cheap" tariff £0.12/$0.20 per Kwh (£0.97/$1.63) and I make about £4.60/$7.70 per day in total at the current BTC value.  But I do it because its an extension of my computing/electronics hobbies

My kWh I think is around 0.092 last I checked.

My Kwh is 0.1050533 and that includes both generation and transmission. I just take the entire electric bill and divide it by the Kwh used. So it costs me about 86 center per day for each S3. With 10 S3s running I make enough in 1 week to pay for the entire month of electricity used.

[dlasher]

... i performed a factory reset and have used an ip sniffer...so the controller card seems to have taken a bad flash..

That's what I'm in the middle of right now.. Did you ever find the "boot" IP address it uses? I'm hoping there's a tftp-push recovery mode I can use to try to get the device back up, like every *wrt router I've ever owned. If you made this work, do tell!

[aztecminer]

There are allready some S3+ on ebay ! ;-)

My S3's are S3 black editions . easily over-clocked and stable.