When you start mining cryptocurrencies, you will encounter the word "hashrate," which you will hear constantly. For a beginner, it may seem like a complex technical term, but in reality, it’s quite simple. If you imagine mining as the process of guessing the code to a digital safe, then the hashrate is essentially the number of attempts (combinations) your equipment can try per second.
This is the main performance metric of any ASIC miner. But is it enough to simply look at the number shown in your device’s interface? It turns out that proper measurement and interpretation of hashrate is a science that directly affects your profitability.
What is hashrate in simple terms?
When a miner is working, it solves a complex cryptographic problem in order to find a new block for the blockchain of a coin (for example, BTC). The process involves quickly going through millions of possible options. Each attempt is called a "hash".
Hashrate is the speed at which your miner (ASIC) performs these calculations. The higher the hashrate, the more attempts it makes per second, and the higher its chances of finding the correct solution first and earning the reward.
Units of measurement: from kilohashes to petahashes
Hashrate is measured in hashes per second (H/s). Since modern equipment like the Antminer is extremely powerful, larger units of measurement are used:
Kilohash/s (kH/s): 1,000 hashes per second.
Megahash/s (MH/s): 1,000,000 hashes per second.
Gigahash/s (GH/s): 1,000,000,000 hashes per second.
Petahash/s (PH/s): 1,000,000,000,000,000 hashes per second. Petahashes are usually used to measure the total hashrate of the largest mining farms or the entire network of a major cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin.
How to properly measure hashrate: declared vs actual
The biggest mistake beginners make is thinking that the number displayed in the miner’s web interface is the ultimate truth. There are two types of hashrate:
Declared hashrate. This is the speed shown by your ASIC’s firmware in real time. It can fluctuate and reflects the instantaneous performance of the device.
Actual hashrate on the pool. This is the average performance over a longer period (several hours or a day), calculated by the mining pool. This is the hashrate used by the pool to determine your payout.
The ideal situation is when these two values are as close as possible. If the pool hashrate is significantly lower than what your miner shows, it means some of your work is not being credited, and you’re losing money. This could be due to unstable hardware operation or a high developer fee (DevFee) in the firmware. We recommend reading the article “DevFee in mining: what is it and why does it ‘eat’ your profits?” for more details on what DevFee is.
Factors affecting your actual hashrate
Actual hashrate is a dynamic metric influenced by many factors. The most important thing is that you can control them.
| Factor | Impact on hashrate |
|---|---|
| Firmware | Stock firmware from Bitmain provides a fixed hashrate. Custom firmware like Vnish can significantly increase it. |
| Temperature | Overheating of chips leads to calculation errors and a drop in hashrate. |
| Cooling | Efficient cooling helps maintain a stable temperature and, therefore, a stable hashrate. |
| Settings | The autotune feature in Vnish firmware helps find the maximum stable hashrate for each chip individually. |
How to increase and stabilize hashrate?
To not only measure but also control your hashrate, follow a simple algorithm:
Update your firmware. This is the first and most effective step. Download and install reliable custom firmware, such as Vnish. For more details on how to do this, see this guide.
Optimize cooling. Ensure good airflow to the miner and regularly clean radiators from dust.
Use autotune. After installing new firmware, run the automatic tuning process. It may take several hours, but the results are worth it.
Regularly monitor metrics. Compare the hashrate in the miner’s interface with the pool’s statistics page.
Conclusion
Hashrate is not just a number it’s a key indicator of the “health” and efficiency of your mining hardware. Measuring it correctly means analyzing not only instantaneous ASIC readings but also the average data from the pool over time. Managing it correctly means using modern tools such as custom firmware to extract maximum performance from your hardware, improve stability, and ultimately increase your income.