I’ve been sketching out options for my first serious miner setup, and the biggest challenge I see is striking the right balance between entry cost, efficiency, and maintenance needs. Some of the newer hydro models seem very tempting because of their efficiency, but the total system cost looks much higher once you factor in pumps and radiators. On the other hand, cheaper air-cooled rigs look easier to deploy but might kill ROI at higher electricity rates. How do you guys decide which way to lean when planning your setup for the long run?
Posted by Logimor (Member # 38224) on :
I wrestled with the same decision recently and ended up doing a lot of digging through spec sheets and breakdowns. In the end, I realized that my electricity rate at $0.11/kWh forced me to lean towards efficiency even if it meant higher upfront spend. The article I read highlighted AxionMiner as a cost-effective choice at $6k for 800 TH/s/12 kW, but with my rates the ROI was borderline compared to the hydro units. The Bitmain S21 XP+ Hyd stood out for consistent 11 W/TH efficiency even though it costs around $10k. They called it the best bitcoin mining machine 2025 for operators who pay higher for power. My setup ended up being a mix: one cheaper air-cooled unit to get started immediately, and one efficient hydro box once I could justify upgrading the power line and investing in a cooling loop. The trick was modeling electricity cost over two years, because that’s where efficiency really pays off.
