The components of cryptocurrency farms work around the clock with 100% load. The standard coolers do not provide the electronics with the necessary protection against overheating. As a result, the farm cannot be “overclocked” to increase hash rate. Water-cooled mining helps to reduce the average temperature of the installation. Moreover, this way you can mine coins without noise and dust.
Immersion units for mining farms
The immersion liquid system is responsible for the heat transfer of the electronics. Dry water installations help to deal with overheating in industrial scale farms. The material used is not air from the cooler, but a dielectric. The substance is characterized by:
- Non-flammability. The liquid is flame retardant, it does not catch fire.
- Low level of toxicity. Safe for humans.
- Inertness. Boiling point – from 300°C.
- Dielectric properties. The substance has the characteristics of an insulator – it does not conduct current. For example, PMS-10 does not cause short-circuiting of components.
To store the substance, immersion units are used. There are 2 approaches:
- Single-phase
- Two-phase.
In the first case, the equipment is immersed in a dielectric liquid and heat transfer is accomplished by circulation of the solution. In the second, the truss is sealed inside a bath of boiling fluorocarbon, the vapor condenses and takes the form of water.
Principle of operation
Systems with water are used to dissipate heat during the process of mining on the equipment. Immersion units are needed for farms with a large amount of hardware.
Liquid conducts heat better than air, according to the laws of physics.
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The temperature of the “dry water” in which the farm is immersed is 5-10°C. The substance cools down the GPU or ASIC chips. The hardware is immersed in non-capacitive mineral oil. For example, in home assemblies, the dielectric is poured into an aquarium.
On an industrial scale, phase immersion systems are used. The principle of operation is the constant circulation of the liquid to dissipate heat. The hot substance is overflowed and replaced by a reserve substance to continue cooling the farm.
Principle of assembly
To cool the co-structure, you need a set of tools to assemble the immersion system. They usually consist of these components:
- Dielectric fluid. For example, HVI can be used.
- Cooling bath. Any container that the equipment will fit into can be used. It is important that the surface has a high thermal conductivity, otherwise the substance will heat up quickly.
- Heat Conductor. This is a tank for supplying cold water and draining hot water. The assembly will be surrounded by flowing fluid for heat transfer.
- Additional construction. Another container is needed below the farm tank.
The running water should be underneath and to the side of the mining farm tank. The hot liquid can be used to heat the house.
Use of water blocks
The liquid circulation system contains a device for storing the substance. The waterblock is installed on the video card or processor in places where the component heats up.
Installations are suitable for home farms. The compact assembly is attached to the graphics card.
Modern GPU models can heat up to 100°C or more in the process of cryptocurrency mining. Manufacturers of water blocks install the assembly on the entire perimeter of the structure under the case. The completeness of the device is as follows:
- Plates with mounting elements for the container with liquid.
- Water block.
- Tank for the liquid.
- Cable splitters.
- Pump for circulation of “dry water”.
- Radiator and fan.
The graphics card units cool the componentry through a pump in the GPU and VRM area. The heated liquid flows into the cooler’s radiator and into the reservoir.
Pros and cons of water-cooled mining
When installing liquid circulation equipment, the components warm up 2-10 times less. There are other pros and cons of “dry water” cooling.
Advantages
Compared to coolers, mining with immersion equipment or waterblock requires additional costs. Pros of liquid heat transfer:
- Low noise level. When a liquid assembly is properly installed, the farm is 10-15 decibels quieter.
- Cleanliness. Dust is kept out of the component areas.
- Overclocking. You can increase the clock frequency of the graphics processor, since the device is protected from overheating.
- Space saving. It is not necessary to allocate a separate room for the farm.
Disadvantages
Despite the regulation of temperature and noise, a water-cooled miner requires additional control. The main disadvantages of the design with liquid:
- “Dry water” can leak and damage the components of the components.
- Video cards with a waterblock are more expensive.
- It will be necessary to combine systems. A heatsink and a fan will be needed for heat dissipation of the farm.
- Forfeit the warranty on the GPU or ASIC.
Differences in the choice of water cooling and air cooling
There is a difference in the heat sink components installed. The first thing that the systems differ is the cost of assembly. The full list of differences is presented in the table.
| Water cooling | Air system |
|---|---|
Cooling system manufacturers
In 2023 ready assemblies for video cards with liquid heat sink are produced by:
- EKWD. The company produces units for Nvidia and AMD graphics cards.
- Bitspower. The manufacturer specializes in liquid cooling of mining farms.
- Phantex. The company creates products for Gigabyte, ASUS, MSI, EVGA.
- XSPC. The firm produces water blocks.
Popular asics for mining with water cooling
There are video cards with ready assemblies of liquid elements. ASIC manufacturers have developed similar models for mining:
- Bitmain Antminer S9 Hydro 18T for the SHA-256 algorithm. The price of the asic varies in the range of $1000. In the factory assembly are located water blocks.
- First High Hashrate Btc Miner Hydro Longqing H1 80t. A silent model from a Chinese manufacturer.
- Bitmain Antminer z11 Hydro. The model is equipped with a cooling system from the manufacturer.
Conclusions
A water-cooled mining farm allows you to reduce the noise level and temperature of the equipment. However, a liquid system requires additional investment and maintenance.
There are also risks associated with leakage of acrylic pipes. You need to buy sealed equipment for the assembly. Leaks cause the risk of short circuits.
Frequently asked questions
📢 Can a waterblock be used for CPU mining?
Manufacturers of liquid heat dissipation systems offer solutions for CPUs. Waterblocks work on the same principle as for a graphics card.
✨ Is it possible to increase the overclocking of the graphics card with a water block?
In this case, the equipment will generate more heat. Dry water circulation system allows you to reduce the temperature by 10-15% compared to coolers. GPU capabilities should be clarified on the official website of the manufacturer. Overclocking leads to a drop in power.
📌 Does an immersion rig raise hash rate?
An efficient cooling system is a prerequisite for improving the performance of your equipment. An immersion unit reduces power consumption and cools down components. Thus, the hash rate of the equipment is increased.
⚡ Which is better: stand-alone or prefabricated?
You can use improvised means to install a waterblock. However, it is safer to purchase ready-made heat sink systems. It is important that the design is airtight.
🔥 How to recognize overheating?
Due to high temperatures, components reduce their performance. A drop in hash rate indirectly indicates overheating. You can find out the result in AIDA46 or FurMark. The permissible temperature limits should be found on the official website of the GPU manufacturer.
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Author: Saifedean Ammous, an expert in cryptocurrency economics.
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