Air cooling
Also called: air-cooled, fan cooling
The most common cooling method: fans push ambient air through the miner's heatsinks to carry the heat away.
Air cooling is the standard method on most ASIC miners and graphics cards. The machine draws in room air at the front, passes it over aluminium heatsinks fixed to the chips, then blows it out hot at the back. On an ASIC, two to four powerful fans keep this airflow going at all times.
Its big advantage is simplicity: no liquid, no pump, no circuit to maintain. You plug the machine in and it runs. On the other hand, its efficiency depends directly on the temperature and cleanliness of the air. A room that is too hot drives up chip temperatures; the firmware then lowers the frequency or the machine shuts down to protect itself. Dust building up in the heatsinks has the same effect. Finally, the fans spin fast and are very loud.
To set up an air-cooled miner properly, provide a supply of fresh air and a way to exhaust the hot air outside, without the machine drawing its own hot air back in. On the product page, check the operating temperature range, the stated noise level and the number of fans. Regular cleaning with dry air extends the machine's lifespan.
Most of the ASICs in our catalogue are air-cooled, and we can advise you on ventilating your space for the model you choose.