When completing a mining farm with a power supply, two options are possible:

• server power supplies (as a rule, these are used blocks with wiring for your desired type of risers and the number of video cards);

• two ordinary power supplies, synchronized to work together with a special cable.

Which option is the most optimal is difficult to say unequivocally. Let’s consider their advantages and disadvantages.

Server

The advantages of server blocks include the fact that they are not designed for continuous operation 24/7, 10-15 years and should better keep a constant load. However, the obvious disadvantages include:

• high cost (especially if you take new equipment);

• due to the fact that the blocks need to be re-soldered for your farm, it takes from 2 days to 2 weeks from order to receipt.

• most often these are used blocks, the warranty for which is from 1 to 12 months, plus you do not know how many years the block worked with the previous owner.

• accordingly, repairs are usually paid.

Regular synchronized

The advantages of conventional power supplies are:

• 3-5 years warranty from the manufacturer’s official service center;

• the price of two blocks is slightly lower than the cost of a server block;

• if the equipment fails, you only lose 50% of the farm’s performance (by disconnecting half of the video cards or transferring them to another farm);

• you can buy in one day at a regular store.

Cons of conventional power supplies:

• the need to use a synchronizer cable for two power supplies;

• they can work 24 by 7, but they are not designed for this and sometimes fail.

Synchronization of two power supplies

In order not to spoil expensive equipment, you need to know how to synchronize two power supplies for mining.

All synchronizers share a common negative line and are synchronized by shorting this line to a 12 volt standby circuit. They act as a switch, starting the slave power supply when the master is running.

CHIEFTEC A-135 1000W (APS-1000CB)

• Graphics adapters connectors: 6 + 2-pin 6 pcs.

• Power: 1000W

The CHIEFTEC A-135 1000W (APS-1000CB) power supply is a powerful component capable of simultaneously powering a mining farm of six discrete graphics adapters. Like the device above, this PSU has been awarded the 80 PLUS Bronze certification due to its high efficiency of around 85%. Among the advantages of the component is also a low-noise cooling system with a 140 mm fan, which rotates at a speed controlled by a special intelligent system.

Thanks to the semi-modular design, all main cables supplying power to the 8PIN (4 + 4) processor, 24PIN ATX motherboard, and 8PIN (6 + 2) PCIe connectors in the chassis are routed directly from the chassis. Additional wires – MOLEXx2, SATAx9, PCIex4 and Floppy – can always be disconnected at will.

Cleaning and maintenance

Due to the constant operation of the fan of the power supply unit, it drives a large amount of air through its case. This dusty air eventually clogs the power supply case, which significantly worsens its temperature regime. May cause fire or malfunction. To avoid wasting time on repairs, it is advisable to periodically clean them. By blowing, or in case of heavy contamination by disassembling and cleaning with an antistatic brush.

A weekly purge is mandatory. To save a ton of money on compressed air cans, buy an electric blower. But at the same time, no matter how hard you try, the dust will still settle and stick, so sooner or later a more thorough cleaning will be needed.

If the device is still under warranty, then it is better not to open it yourself, but contact a specialized service center. As the saying goes: “Cleanliness is the guarantee of health,” and in this case, the guarantee of timely profit.