ANTMINER S3+ Discussion and Support Thread

[bspurloc]

I'll give that a go when I get back.....I know one of the fans is certainly pushing (the opposite end to the Ethernet port)

If I find them both pushing, rather than the other one pulling air into the unit, is it as simple as reversing the connector?

you flip the fan. the fans show their direction of flow on one of the sides.

[bspurloc]

It appears that PSU is a crock of turd 

Plugged in my other PSU - A Viper Powercool 500W +80 Bronze for reference - And it is working perfectly.....

Odd I thought

So I attempted to fire up the S1 using the Aerocool PSU....Booted up OK but as soon as it tried to hash, the PSU cut out

So I have now ordered another Viper PSU - stick with what you know works 

that is why u use name brand PSU's these low end ones can not handle the high current on the 12v line, panic and shut down.
I tried a 700watt coolmax and it couldnt power an S1 even though the specs claimed it could deliver the amps, it would just panic and shut down....

[bspurloc]

Now that the Bitcoin price is recovering, you think Bitmain will give us free shipping on the Batch 10 S3s?

Bitmain - hint hint nudge nudge!!

Not sure it was ever "free" just added into the price. You want it added back in again, I get it... I guess.

if added in means the S3 batch 9 was .57 with free s/h and now batch 10 is .57 not including s/h

[bspurloc]

Wondering if anyone has any data on this regarding X's on the ASIC boards.

If you get say 2 X's on an S3+ on every clock speed above 225... Is it better to run at 225 with no X's or 250 with 2?

Thanks,
Strato

i'de redo the heat sink compound. NON CONDUCTIVE. I bet the X's ones are lacking

[Xian01]

If you get say 2 X's on an S3+ on every clock speed above 225... Is it better to run at 225 with no X's or 250 with 2?

You want to aim for zero X's. If you get an X at a certain clock setting, select the next one down until you don't get X's any more.

In some tests I've done, overclocking the unit, with the aim for highest hash rate overall per unit, will not make up for the loss of a single X'd out chip vs a lower clock with no X's.

To answer your question, it would be preferable to run at 225 vs 250. You're needlessly burning more power at 250 without any benefit with two X's showing.

As bspurloc mentioned, it's advisable to re-apply a better non conductive thermal compound. I've had decent results with cheap and readily available Arctic Silver Alumina on a couple of my underperforming S3's.

[mazedk]

Wheres the new firmware bitmain..?

[BITMAIN]

      AntMiner S3+ Batch 11 opens sale now, price has dropped to 0.535btc per unit, coupon is being issued

[Subw]

coupon is being issued

to whom? don't see any in my account

[bluecityste]

Hopefully it will remove the cost of shipping for those who have ordered previously......although I doubt it!

Still don't understand the cost though i.e. Batch 11 v Batch 9

2 units (delivered to UK):-
Batch 9   cost 1.160 Btc, at $500  =  $580
Batch 11 cost 1.663 Btc, at $397  =  $660

So, they are making more money today per S3 than they were over a month ago despite the fact that there product has lost value (gone from being slightly profitable to loss making for the majority of users).

Cost should be a maximum of 1.46 Btc ($580/$397) assuming same dollar equivilent cost.

BITMAIN - any explanation?

[pekatete]

Hopefully it will remove the cost of shipping for those who have ordered previously......although I doubt it!

Still don't understand the cost though i.e. Batch 11 v Batch 9

2 units (delivered to UK):-
Batch 9   cost 1.160 Btc, at $500  =  $580
Batch 11 cost 1.663 Btc, at $397  =  $660

So, they are making more money today per S3 than they were over a month ago despite the fact that there product has lost value (gone from being slightly profitable to loss making for the majority of users).

Cost should be a maximum of 1.46 Btc ($580/$397) assuming same dollar equivilent cost.

BITMAIN - any explanation?

+1
Hear! Hear!

[cloh76]

Now that the Bitcoin price is recovering, you think Bitmain will give us free shipping on the Batch 10 S3s?

Bitmain - hint hint nudge nudge!!

Not sure it was ever "free" just added into the price. You want it added back in again, I get it... I guess.

Yup, but when it was built in, it was still cheaper overall per unit. 

[bspurloc]

coupon is being issued

to whom? don't see any in my account

dont see any coupons either!

WOW!
EVGA just really crippled their 750 B1's they removed the the 2nd PCI-E direct wired cable so now it only has 3 PCI-E, funny thing is they didnt bother to change the Modular plug descriptions, they still say VGA3 and VGA4 and on the Box the Spanish section still says 4 PCI-E cables where the english says 3.
4 20amp rails still...
lame!

[bspurloc]

Hopefully it will remove the cost of shipping for those who have ordered previously......although I doubt it!

Still don't understand the cost though i.e. Batch 11 v Batch 9

2 units (delivered to UK):-
Batch 9   cost 1.160 Btc, at $500  =  $580
Batch 11 cost 1.663 Btc, at $397  =  $660

So, they are making more money today per S3 than they were over a month ago despite the fact that there product has lost value (gone from being slightly profitable to loss making for the majority of users).

Cost should be a maximum of 1.46 Btc ($580/$397) assuming same dollar equivilent cost.

BITMAIN - any explanation?

the new fancier lower price @ $400 btc is a $15 drop, the s/h costs they added on are $120.
So I would want at least a $100 coupon...

[bspurloc]

Man I hate these 2 S3's I have that wont mine at 500gh/s.
I put them at 250 and they mine at 470ish, put them at 243 and they mine at 492.

But after a few weeks I stare at them and think, why dont I try 250 again! so I try it and bam 470ish, then I put them back to 243 and they sit at 480 until I start stop cgminer a few times then they go back to 492.
  Maybe I should try restarting cgminer with them at 250... in a few weeks...

[CryptoGuy]

Man I hate these 2 S3's I have that wont mine at 500gh/s.
I put them at 250 and they mine at 470ish, put them at 243 and they mine at 492.

But after a few weeks I stare at them and think, why dont I try 250 again! so I try it and bam 470ish, then I put them back to 243 and they sit at 480 until I start stop cgminer a few times then they go back to 492.
  Maybe I should try restarting cgminer with them at 250... in a few weeks...

That's not bad. I've got 2 stuck at 440GH and won't go above 218.5 without killing it's hashes.

[bspurloc]

Man I hate these 2 S3's I have that wont mine at 500gh/s.
I put them at 250 and they mine at 470ish, put them at 243 and they mine at 492.

But after a few weeks I stare at them and think, why dont I try 250 again! so I try it and bam 470ish, then I put them back to 243 and they sit at 480 until I start stop cgminer a few times then they go back to 492.
  Maybe I should try restarting cgminer with them at 250... in a few weeks...

That's not bad. I've got 2 stuck at 440GH and won't go above 218.5 without killing it's hashes.

Do you get X's? if so did you try and redo the thermal paste on the chips? Arctic MX-4 non conductive is what I used on the upgrade kits which all run at 500 easy.
I'm not going to both repasting these 2 as its only 20gh/s loss

[Moria843]

Man I hate these 2 S3's I have that wont mine at 500gh/s.
I put them at 250 and they mine at 470ish, put them at 243 and they mine at 492.

But after a few weeks I stare at them and think, why dont I try 250 again! so I try it and bam 470ish, then I put them back to 243 and they sit at 480 until I start stop cgminer a few times then they go back to 492.
  Maybe I should try restarting cgminer with them at 250... in a few weeks...

I see the same thing. Solution - leave at 243, they hash faster and use less power. 

[cloh76]

HOw much power does an S3 use at 243 and 250?

[CryptoGuy]

Man I hate these 2 S3's I have that wont mine at 500gh/s.
I put them at 250 and they mine at 470ish, put them at 243 and they mine at 492.

But after a few weeks I stare at them and think, why dont I try 250 again! so I try it and bam 470ish, then I put them back to 243 and they sit at 480 until I start stop cgminer a few times then they go back to 492.
  Maybe I should try restarting cgminer with them at 250... in a few weeks...

That's not bad. I've got 2 stuck at 440GH and won't go above 218.5 without killing it's hashes.

Do you get X's? if so did you try and redo the thermal paste on the chips? Arctic MX-4 non conductive is what I used on the upgrade kits which all run at 500 easy.
I'm not going to both repasting these 2 as its only 20gh/s loss

They're from an early batch so I wasn't too worried about it since they weren't guaranteed above that anyway. I do get X's if I overclock them though, just 1 or 2 usually.

[Xian01]

Man I hate these 2 S3's I have that wont mine at 500gh/s.
I put them at 250 and they mine at 470ish, put them at 243 and they mine at 492.

You think that's bad ? You could be a batch 1 buyer that had 50% of his units unable to perform stably at 218.75mhz.

Have 3 units that can only run stably at 212.5mhz. Plan on getting around to re-pasting them in the near future to see if I can't improve things.

Ask me how annoyed I am. Especially when I emailed Bitmain early on in the S3 process and they assured me they would not be updating the S3's in the future to resolve the performance problems... And lo-and-behold the S3+ arrives a month later.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of Bitmain, and more than 50% of my hash power comes from their devices, but the S3 launch did not go as well as the S1 launch, it appears the S4 launch (Don't own one) has been problematic, and given anecdotes I'm reading here, seems the community consensus is confirming my gut-feel: Bitmain is losing it's way

Funny that I'm thinking of circling back to AsicMiner products for my next miner purchase...