從鞋盒到服務器機架：比特幣採礦ASIC的下一個演變

隨著ASIC製造商越來越多地押注後者，或者至少，水冷卻服務器機架設計將成為比特幣採礦機隊的很大一部分。

In the beginning, there were only CPUs, then GPUs, for bitcoin mining. Then came the mighty ASIC in 2013, and with it, the “shoebox” form factor that has become emblematic of the bitcoin mining industry.

一開始，只有CPU，然後是GPU，用於比特幣採礦。然後是2013年強大的ASIC，隨之而來的是“鞋盒”的形式，它已成為比特幣採礦業的象徵。

What comes next? Will the shoebox design persist as standard for bitcoin mining ASICs? Or will another form factor that more resembles traditional datacenter servers win out?

接下來是什麼？鞋盒設計是否會持續為比特幣採礦ASIC的標準？還是更多類似於傳統數據中心服務器獲勝的另一個形式？

ASIC manufacturers are increasingly betting on the latter – or at least, that a hydro-cooled server rack design will become a substantial portion of bitcoin mining fleets. Moreover, they’re leaning into the “direct-to-chip” cooling for further efficiency gains.

ASIC製造商越來越多地押注後者，或者至少是，水冷卻服務器機架設計將成為比特幣採礦機隊的很大一部分。此外，他們傾向於“直接芯片”冷卻，以進一步提高效率。

Last September, Bitmain announced its model U3S21EXPH (a bit of a mouthful, eh?) developed in a partnership with Hut 8. Its U3 design means that one unit takes up three spaces in a traditional server rack. MicroBT soon followed with its M63 Hydro series, as did Bitdeer’s Sealminer A2 Hydro unit.

去年9月，Bitmain宣布了與Hut 8合作夥伴關係開發的U3S21EXPH（有點口，是嗎？？）。其U3設計意味著一個單元在傳統的服務器機架中佔據了三個空間。 MicroBT很快就進行了M63水力系列，而Bitdeer的Sealminer A2水電單元也是如此。

Following suit, Auradine released its server rack model, the AH3880, this March. Its U2 design, which occupies two server slots, is a bit smaller, but it packs more hashrate per unit of space at 600 TH/s (or 300 TH/s per slot) versus Bitmain’s 860 TH/s (286.66 TH/s per slot).

緊隨其後，奧拉丁（Auradine）於今年3月發布了其服務器機架型號AH3880。它的U2設計佔兩個服務器插槽，較小，但每單位空間的哈希酸鹽以600 th/s（或每個插槽300 th/s）的速度與Bitmain的860 Th/s（每個插槽286.66/s）相比。

Shoebox out

鞋盒出去

So, what’s with the switch up from the traditional shoe box? For Auradine, it’s all about customer demand.

那麼，從傳統鞋盒上抬起的開關是什麼？對於Auradine來說，這全都與客戶需求有關。

“[Our new model is] based upon a lot of feedback that we got from our miner customers … we've been working with the miners even throughout the design process,” Auradine CSO Sanjay Gupta said on the most recent Mining Pod. “They indicated to us that they were looking for a quality hydro based miner.”

Auradine CSO Sanjay Gupta在最新的採礦艙中說：“ [我們的新模型]基於我們從礦工客戶那裡得到的很多反饋……在整個設計過程中，我們一直在與礦工合作。” “他們向我們表示，他們正在尋找一名優質水電礦工。”

In its partnership with Bitmain for the U3S21EXPH, “Hut 8 was instrumental in the custom design for the infrastructure, particularly the U form factor which is compatible with HPC style architecture,” Hut 8 Head of Investor Relations Sue Ennis told Blockspace last September. (More on the high performance computing angle later).

在與Bitmain的U3S21EXPH合作中，“ Hut 8在基礎架構的定制設計中發揮了重要作用，尤其是與HPC風格體系結構兼容的U型，” Hut 8 Investment Relative Sue Ennis負責人Sue Ennis負責人Sue Ennis負責人Sue Ennis負責人。 （稍後有關高性能計算角度的更多信息）。

The benefit of a server rack ASIC lies in standardization. Bitcoin miners are increasingly marching in step with the traditional datacenter industry, and that industry could see 40% adoption of direct liquid-to-chip cooling by 2026, according to data center developer Cyrus One.

服務器機架ASIC的好處在於標準化。根據數據中心開發商Cyrus One，比特幣礦工越來越多地與傳統的數據中心行業一起逐步發展，該行業到2026年可以看到40％的液體到芯片冷卻。

If miners adopt this design, then theoretically, they can optimize their supply chains by converging on server designs that are becoming best practice in the big-boy data center sector.

如果礦工採用這種設計，那麼從理論上講，他們可以通過在大男孩數據中心領域成為最佳實踐的服務器設計來優化供應鏈。

This could make building and repairing bitcoin mines easier. And it could also make mining companies more nimble if they want to flex out of bitcoin mining and into other forms of compute.

這可能會使建築物和修理比特幣礦山更容易。如果礦業公司想擺脫比特幣採礦並進入其他形式的計算，這也可能使他們更加靈活。

Enter AI and HPC

輸入AI和HPC

As with so much mining news today, of course the spectre of AI is looming in the background.

與今天的採礦新聞一樣，當然，AI的幽靈在後台也迫在眉睫。

If miners construct their data centers with traditional server rack designs, there is one less pain point if they want to retrofit these sites for AI and HPC loads. Of course, they’d still need to augment the sinews, muscles and veins of their operations with more robust networking and electrical infrastructure, but server racks would provide a backbone for AI/HPC services that requires less restructuring than legacy bitcoin mines. As Ennis put it, “the U form factor … is compatible with HPC style architecture.”

如果礦工使用傳統的服務器機架設計構建其數據中心，那麼如果他們想為AI和HPC負載改造這些站點，就會有一個較小的痛點。當然，他們仍然需要通過更強大的網絡和電氣基礎設施來擴大其操作的正弦，肌肉和靜脈，但是服務器機架可以為AI/HPC服務提供骨幹，而AI/HPC服務比舊幣礦山需要更少的重組。正如恩尼斯（Ennis）所說，“ U型……與HPC樣式體系結構兼容。”

Echoing this, Gupta said in our Mining Pod interview that “[The U form factor has] been used for the AI data center. It’s easy to adjust. It’s got a high [power] density to it … [it] is extremely relevant for AI data centers as well, and we are looking at a joint strategy between AI for HPC and Bitcoin mining. So the U form factor works well with that.”

Gupta在迴聲時說：“ [U形式]已用於AI數據中心。它很容易進行調整。它具有很高的[功率]密度……[它]也與AI數據中心非常相關，我們正在與HPC和Bitcoin Mining for HPC和Bitcoin Mining for u so n of u sops of u so Work。

Who’s buying it?

誰在買它？

Perhaps needless to say, the server rack form factor for bitcoin mining is still in its infancy, and while there is promise that such a design could win out, there’s no guarantee.

也許不用說，比特幣挖掘的服務器機架外形還處於起步階段，儘管有保證這種設計可以勝出，但不能保證。

To start, bitcoin miners will not only need to rework the internals of their mines but also completely rewire their electrical infrastructure (which is unlikely to happen at existing mines).

首先，比特幣礦工不僅需要重新設計其內部礦山，而且還需要完全重新連接其電氣基礎設施（這不太可能在現有礦山發生）。

Cholla’s Brad Cuddy, which operates hydro-cooled ASIC miners, said last September that “he’s excited to see the shift from the shoebox design to the [server rack] form factor.” But he said the U3S21EXPH’s voltage range is incompatible with certain electrical infrastructure that miners use with other Bitmain models.

Cholla的Brad Cuddy經營著水力冷卻的ASIC礦工，去年9月說：“他很高興看到從鞋盒設計到[服務器機架]外形的轉變。”但他說，U3S21EXPH的電壓範圍與礦工與其他Bitmain型號使用的某些電氣基礎設施不相容。

“The restricted range of 380 to 415 volts reduces its compatibility for retrofitting. I would have liked to see the voltage range go all the way up to 480 volts to allow for more interoperability with current infrastructure deployments

“限制範圍為380至415伏，降低了其改造的兼容性。我希望看到電壓範圍一直達到480伏，以允許與當前基礎設施部署的更多互操作性