TH/s shows speed, not profit
TH/s is the number of trillions of hashes an ASIC can calculate per second in a given mode. More hashrate increases expected network work, but it often also increases power, noise, electrical requirements and heat.
A 100 TH/s miner at 3,000 W is not automatically better than an 80 TH/s miner at 1,800 W. The answer depends on the electricity tariff and coin price, not the largest number in a product headline.
- TH/s is computation speed
- W is instantaneous power
- kWh is energy consumed over time
- J/TH is energy per unit of hashrate
How J/TH is calculated
J/TH is calculated by dividing watts by terahashes per second. For example, 3,000 W ÷ 100 TH/s = 30 J/TH. A lower value means less energy is needed for the same hashing speed.
Check whether a published power figure is measured at the wall with the power supply or only estimated at the chips. Farm economics should use wall draw because that is what the meter measures.
- compare models in the same units
- ask whether the PSU is included
- check the temperature and power-mode range
- do not move a lab value straight into a home outlet
Low-power modes and autotuning
Reducing frequency or power limit can lower hashrate, but sometimes lowers power even more. With an expensive tariff or limited wiring, a lower-power profile can produce a better net result than maximum performance.
Autotuning selects frequencies and voltages for individual chips because two hashboards can behave differently. It is not free income: after changing a profile, check stability, temperature, hardware errors, accepted shares and actual watts.
- a lower power limit is a separate scenario
- stability matters more than a short hashrate peak
- allow autotuning time to stabilize
- do not raise voltage without understanding heat and warranty
Why the tariff matters more than a pretty J/TH
With continuous operation, energy is a daily cash flow rather than a one-time figure. Even a small J/TH difference becomes a major monthly kWh difference across a farm.
Include uptime, pool fee, a profitability reserve, time-of-use tariffs and real power reduction if the farm can shut down or run at a power limit. One snapshot today is not a substitute for a bad-month scenario.
- calculate total farm power, not one ASIC
- include uptime and repair downtime
- test base, weak and stress scenarios
- compare net result after electricity
How to evaluate a used miner
A used ASIC's advertised J/TH may differ from reality because of chip aging, repaired hashboards, blocked heatsinks or a weak PSU. Ask for a stable-run video, local hashrate, wall power, temperatures for each board and the kernel log.
After purchase, do not treat maximum mode as the only option. Compare several power limits in the calculator: a less aggressive profile can reduce wear and work better on expensive electricity.
- test every hashboard, not only total TH/s
- measure wall power
- ask about repairs and PSU replacement
- keep a reserve for fans and boards
The key relationship
ASIC efficiency can be compared quickly through energy per unit of hashrate.
| Metric | Question to ask | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| TH/s | What is the stable hashrate? | Estimate network work share |
| W | What is wall power? | Calculate the electricity bill |
| J/TH | At which mode and temperature? | Compare efficiency fairly |
| Uptime | How many hours does it really run? | Avoid overstating revenue |
| HW errors | Are there hashboard errors? | Detect instability and wear |
Real photos and source material
These photographs and diagrams are sourced from public archives. Open the source link to check the author and license.
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