Before you buy a Scrypt miner, check the building as well as the machine. Every unit runs around the clock, draws a steady load and turns that energy into heat and noise. These are the three numbers to look up in the specs.
Hashrate, power and noise are the figures each maker or seller lists. They are not wall-power measurements from us, and real noise depends on fan speed and room. Efficiency is power divided by hashrate, so lower is better.
Power draw and monthly electricity
A miner's rated power in watts, running continuously, uses power × 24 hours × 30 days ÷ 1,000 kilowatt-hours a month. Multiply that by your price per kWh for the monthly bill. Examples from the catalog:
- VolcMiner D1 Mini Pre (2.2Gh/s): 500 W, about 360 kWh a month
- Fluminer L1: 1200 W, about 864 kWh a month
- Antminer L9: 3360 W, about 2,419 kWh a month
Your own bill is that figure times your rate. At an illustrative $0.10 per kWh, 1,000 kWh a month costs $100. Use your real rate in the Scrypt Mining Calculator, which does this arithmetic for every model.
Circuits and voltage
Household circuits are rated for a maximum current, and a continuous load should stay well under it. A full-size miner of 3,000 W or more is a large continuous load and often wants a higher-voltage supply, so read the listed input voltage and ask an electrician if you are unsure. Small machines of a few hundred watts fit a normal socket more easily.
Heat
Almost all electrical power a miner uses ends up as heat in the room. One watt sustained is about 3.412 BTU per hour, so:
- VolcMiner D1 Mini Pre (2.2Gh/s): 500 W is about 1,706 BTU per hour
- Fluminer L1: 1200 W is about 4,094 BTU per hour
- Antminer L9: 3360 W is about 11,464 BTU per hour
That is comparable to running space heaters. In winter it can offset heating. In summer it needs ventilation or cooling, and the extra cooling cost belongs in your profit estimate.
Noise
Listed noise runs from 45 dB to 75 dB across the catalog, and 14 models list no figure at all. Air-cooled full-size units are loud and are not suited to a living area. The quietest options are small machines and liquid-cooled models; the best Scrypt miners page lists them.
- DG Home 1: 45 dB at 620 W
- Fluminer L2 (1Gh/s): 55 dB at 230 W
- VolcMiner D1 Mini Pre (2.2Gh/s): 60 dB at 500 W
- ElphaPex DG2 Mini (2.4Gh/s): 65 dB at 530 W
A practical setup
- Put the miner in a garage, basement or outbuilding if it is full size.
- Give it fresh air in and a way to exhaust hot air out, and keep dust filters clean.
- Check local rules and your lease or insurance for running equipment like this.
- Measure real consumption with a power meter, because the rated figure is a guide.
Ready to start? Follow how to start Scrypt mining.